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His revolutionary Methods
André Citroën believes that industrial progress must be accompanied by social progress. This is the first principle of his philosophy. At his Javel factory, he sets up an innovative healthcare and social welfare programme for his female employees. Facilities include a crèche, a nursery with a paediatrician on-call and a feeding room.
Pregnant employees receive a monthly bonus, a bonus for new mothers and a month's paid leave after the birth, which may be spent at Chaville, a centre specially tailored to the needs of young mothers. The factory has common rooms, games rooms, a gymnasium, a sewing area, a cooperative shop and a canteen. The free infirmary is fitted with a range of hospital equipment.
André Citroën also sets up the first special workshops in Europe for handicapped employees. He is also the first to pay his employees a "thirteen-month" bonus. André Citroën, The humanist
André Citroën is both a humanist and a leader. He quickly forms a team of highly-skilled forward thinking men with a knowledge of foreign languages. Two examples are Georges Marie Haardt and Louis Guillot, who follow him throughout his career.
He is to be seen in the workshops almost every day and knows the longest serving employees by name. He has a kind word for everyone and never hesitates to lend a hand if help is required. An advocate of direct dialogue, he is always ready to hold discussions in the event of conflict. A stringent organisation
The second principle of his industrial philosophy is progress-orientated organization.
An ardent supporter of Taylor's principle of scientific management, he organizes his factory to run like clockwork. The production line is designed scientifically in order to improve productivity and quality. To encourage inter-departmental dialogue and facilitate efforts to solve technical problems, Citroën introduces "hives", the forerunners of today's Quality Circles. The Product
The third principle concerns the product itself: it is not enough to do things better than the competition, it is also crucial to do things differently. The cars must always be at the cutting edge of technology. Major innovations must be introduced continuously in order to attract the public's attention.
The all-steel body, floating power engine and front wheel drive are examples of this philosophy. Each item will mark a new chapter in the history of the automobile. Citroën's efforts make the Marque the second biggest carmaker in the world in 1929.