This is a special case for studies in management, especially in
today's world where the success of manager's is measured by the annual
profits they make for the company. Probably it is one of the few cases of
paternalistic styles of management that we shall see at the end of the
twentieth century, which is still being discussed in the twenty- first.
This was probably because of his deep love for the scriptures and
classics. This also gave him a deep sense of loyalty and fairness,
especially for his workers. This was obvious from his sayings that he
wanted the workers to be treated as human beings to be treated with
consideration and thoughtfulness. This was the basis for his dealings with
his workers after the fire, which was a devastating and unexpected tragedy.
At that point, if he wanted, he could have walked away with the millions of
dollars of fire insurance that he received, or joined his industry rivals
with his profitable flagship product called Polartec. This product made
from used plastic bottles was in great demand from the sport outerwear
industry, and the mill had an almost market monopoly on the product due to
the highly skilled workforce that it had. Many of the competitors may have
been willing to pay a high price for the right to produce this product.
Instead, Feuerstein decided to continue the family business as he
announced to his workers four days after the huge fire, and most of the
3000 workers were kept on their salaries while the factory was rebuilt.
This process took quite some time, and went on for 3 months while the
factory was being rebuilt. This was based on the owner's belief that the
worker was not just a tool to keep the factory running, but a very valuable
asset. This was a surprise for most employees even for the first month, and
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