Jörgen sandberg. Stockholm School of Economics. A classic managerial problem, страница 8

As noted above, optimizers develop car engines for new models of cars. They develop these engines by optimizing a range of qualities such as driveability, fuel consumption, emissions, and engine power (performance) according to particular requirements. These qualities are optimized by adjusting different parameters within the electronic monitoring systems in such a way that an engine works smoothly. An "approved" car (one that meets the Volvo Corporation's requirements) should be able to be driven by almost any driver, under almost any conditions. Also, a number of requirements from authorities need to be met, such as limiting exhaust to a given amount. However, the large variation in markets for the company's products, which include warm, cold, humid, and dry places and places at high and low altitudes, makes it impossible for the optimizers to test the qualities of an engine in all potential driving situations. They are therefore never certain of having succeeded in achieving the optimum. In addition, engine optimization is characterized by continuous technological development. In particular, the developmental pace within electronics has accelerated in recent years, leading to continuous change in optimization work. Given these conditions, how can engine optimizers refine an engine according to the stipulated requirements? In my interpretation, three qualitatively different conceptions of engine optimization emerged from the optimizers' descriptions. These were engine optimization as (1) optimizing separate qualities, (2) optimizing interacting qualities, and (3) optimizing from the customers' perspective.

Within each conception, it is possible to distinguish several essential attributes of competence. More specifically, each conception is characterized by a specific structure of attributes that appear as the optimizers accomplish their work. Thus, a particular way of conceiving of the work delimits certain attributes as essential and organizes them into a distinctive structure of competence in engine optimization. Hence, the workers conceptions of the work constitute their competence in engine optimization. The way each conception and its key attributes form a distinctive structure of competence in engine optimization is summarized in Table ^[1]and elaborated below. The numbers in the table

express the frequency with which the attributes were expressed by the optimizers for each conception.1

Conception 1: Optimizing Separate Qualities

The most characteristic feature of this conception is that the individuals expressing it delimit and organize the optimization work in terms of a number of separate steps focusing on the relation between the monitoring parameters and each single quality of an engine. Within each step, they test various adjustments of the parameters to optimize a single engine quality, such as driveability or fuel consumption, according to stipulated requirements. The optimizers optimize one single quality at a time until all qualities meet the requirements. The following discussion between the interviewer (I) and an optimizer (O), which developed out of the key question "What is a competent optimizer for you?" illustrates this view: ^[2]

I: What do you use these [measurement results] for?

07: You get measurement results about how much hydrocarbon and NOX (nitrous oxide) and CO (carbon monoxide) the engine leaves and fuel consumption. You do a whole series of tests and it [the measurement] will change a little bit. Then you take a mean value for it and the result should be under a particular value and when it does that, it's okay.

I: What do you do when you have reached it?

07: Well, then one says it's okay and begins to concentrate on other qualities.