Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

ROBKRT SHANNON (KU.HT IKNTKK), (GENERAL MANAGER, RCA VICTOR DIVISION, PRESENTS SUGGESTION SYSTEM AWARD TO JOSEPH ECKERT. OTHER AWARD WINNERS TN THE GROUP ARE (LEFT TO RIGHT) B. J. MC CORMACK, PETER KRUSS, THOMAS MUCKENFUSS, DAVID RYAN, DAVID SMITH, PAUL LEDYARD, LEO DENSON. Ideas SpurWarWork SUGGESTION SYSTEM AT RCA VICTOR DIVISION PROVES HIGHLY EFFECTIVE; 23 WORKERS WIN NATIONAL WPB HONORS. In addition to its effect on pro- duction, a successful sugftestion system has an important influence on employee morale. The worker is made to feel that his ideas about his work or about the company and its work are welcome. He is made to feel that he, personally, counts in a large organization and that he can make a real contribution to his own as well as to his company's progress through ideas over and above the direct responsibility of his everyday job. In peace-time, the Suggestion System has as its objective more efficient operation, lowered costs and better quality, so that products and services can be more competi- tive. The employee benefits as the company benefits and is able to pro- mote more employment, better se- curity and more opportunity for advancement. By Elmer C. Morse Personnel Manager, RCA Victor Division, Radio Corporation of America AMONG industrial programs to ^ increase war production and improve quality of war equipment for the armed forces, none has proven itself more effective than the Suggestion System. In war-time, the main objective of the Suggestion System is to pro- duce vital radio and sound equip- ment for our armed forces in larger (luantities, with better quality, and with the fullest utilization of plant, equipment, machinery, tools, mate- rials and man-power. The value of employee sugges- tions in the battle of production is clearly recognized by the War Pro- duction Board which, early this year, set up a system of awards for outstanding suggestions that aid the war effort. During the year, thousands of workers' suggestions were sent to Washington by the Labor-Manage- ment War Production Drive Com- mittees in the Nation's industrial plants. A high-powered awards committee, made up of scientists, industrialists and labor leaders, sifted them and sent the most meri- torious to war industries through- out the country for application in those plants. The War Production Board award committee then select- ed six most outstanding of the total submitted and awarded their au- thors citations. Fifty-five Certifi- cates for Individual Production Merit were also issued, together with eighty-seven Honorable Men- tions. Fifty-five companies were represented in the awards. Among the 148 winners, twenty- three were from the RCA Victor Division. One RCA worker, Edwin C. Tracy, a field test engineer from Camden, received the highest award, a citation. Nine other RCA workers were awarded Certificates of Individual Production Merit and thirteen other RCA men were ac- corded Honorable Mention. Since the Citation is the highest honor the War Production Board confers, it has been considered by many as comparable in industry to the Distinguished Service Medal of the armed forces. The six war Pro- duction Heroes w^ho earned it, were called to Washington on December 10, to receive their awards from President Roosevelt. Accompany- ing them were four men who had earned Certificates. The latter were selected because their recommenda- tions had been most widely adopted by war industries. Among the four was another RCA man, Stanley Crawford, a materials inspector from Camden. [20 RADIO AGE