Life in the chocolate factory - automation, productivity, motivation and culture

I spotted this article buried away in the Independent’s Food & Drink section and I think it works really well for business students - particularly those researching the change management and cultural implications of a major takeover…

The Kraft acquisition of Cadbury is a terrific case study for business students on many levels - not just the strategic and financial rationale behind a deal which major Kraft investor Warren Buffett described as “dumb”.

The article focuses mainly on the human impact of the acquisition. A specific aspect examined is the impact of increasing automation on Cadbury factories. Easter Egg production, for example, has seen further investment in order to improve Cadbury’s productivity. Some of the quotes from Cadbury employees are worth noting and discussing. I particularly like this one from an employee recently transferred from the biscuit factory at Somerdale, hinting at the negative effect on motivation of increased automation:

“I think if I did this for too long I’d go mad. I’m sick of seeing eggs now. They’re everywhere. I don’t think I’ll eat any now. My kids might, but I’d rather not”

and this quote from the easter egg box stacker hints of a demotivated employee too?

“We’ve had a few stops and starts with machines playing up today. When I first started here, after I left school, it was a very different place to work. There wasn’t so much pressure. There’s a lot of pressure at the moment. Then, this room was full of women doing it by hand, so that’s changed. It’s a mad job now.”