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Publications
Publications
  • March 2016
  • Supplement
  • HBS Case Collection

Trouble at Tessei

By: Ethan Bernstein and Ryan W. Buell
  • Format:Video
  • | Language:English
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Abstract

In 2005, Teruo Yabe is asked to revive Tessei, the 669-person JR-East subsidiary responsible for cleaning its Shinkansen ("bullet") trains. Operational mistakes, customer complaints, safety issues, and employee turnover are at or near all-time highs, even as the demands on Tessei continued to grow.

Given previous leaders' failed attempts to fix Tessei's problems with increased managerial monitoring and controls, Yabe seeks a creative approach to overcome the motivation, capability, and coordination challenges facing his organization. Like many contemporary leaders, he selects transparency as his tool. He is, however, unique in adopting a highly nuanced approach to implementing transparency. In the process, he not only leads a fantastic organizational turnaround but even helps to make otherwise "dirty" work more meaningful for Tessei front-line employees. The case therefore presents students, particularly in leadership, organizational behavior, operations management, and service operations courses, with an opportunity to think through how a well-crafted transparency strategy can act as a powerful leadership tool.

Keywords

Service Management; Employee Engagement; Employee Motivation; Leadership And Managing People; Quality Improvement; Efficiency; Japan; Operational Transparency; Employee Coordination; Transparency; Leadership; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Employees; Quality; Transportation Industry; Japan

Citation

Bernstein, Ethan, and Ryan W. Buell. "Trouble at Tessei." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 616-706, March 2016.
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About The Authors

Ethan S. Bernstein

Organizational Behavior
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Ryan W. Buell

Technology and Operations Management
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    Buurtzorg

    By: Ethan Bernstein, Tatiana Sandino, Joost Minnaar and Annelena Lobb
More from the Authors
  • Differentiating on Diversity: How Disclosing Workforce Diversity Improves Brand Attitudes By: Maya Balakrishnan, Jimin Nam and Ryan W. Buell
  • Canlis: Turning Toward By: Ryan W. Buell and Jorian Hoover
  • Buurtzorg By: Ethan Bernstein, Tatiana Sandino, Joost Minnaar and Annelena Lobb
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