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Case Studies – Organizational Behavior Issues

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Case Studies – Organizational Behavior Issues

Organizational Behavior Issues

The behaviours of employees depend on an organization’s culture, climate, policies, and work procedures. Employees can gain clarity over their roles and responsibilities if the policies are as clear. However, vagueness in an organization confuses employees and makes it difficult for all to meet the set goals. Managers are responsible for assessing their workforces and improving the existing disadvantages. This approach should lead to a strong and dependable workforce that offers a competitive advantage. In this case, the ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc., and Mabel’s Labels will be assessed to identify organizational issues that can be corrected through various recommendations that will be included in the text.

Case Study: Growing Managers: Moving from Team Member to Team Leader

ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc. was facing varied Human resources-related issues that crippled the organization’s performance. First, communication barriers existed within the team. During the formal meetings, the staff members communicated in English. However, while working in the greenhouses, most staff members spoke in Spanish (Booth & Cates, 2012). This created a form of barrier and excluded those who did not speak Spanish, such as Richardson. Therefore, it was difficult to have open conversations with the subordinate staff members.

Secondly, the organization lacked policies that brought together the executive and subordinate teams. The greenhouse employees made their lunch on a portable cooker that was hidden at the building complex. The sales department and greenhouse workers shared the lunches. However, the top management did not partake in such activities and still failed to provide proper settings such as dining areas that employees could access for tea and lunch breaks (Booth & Cates, 2012). The lack of such facilities created a deeper rift among the entire team.

Thirdly, the team lacked a unanimous vision or strategy thereof. Alex Hoffman was not only dismissive but also lacked the zeal to try innovative ideas. For instance, he assumed that selling cut flower stems was a futile approach. He lacked value for the clients who would be interested in such a product. On the other hand, Gregorio Torres was enthusiastic about creating a website that would manage customer service for the florist outlets that the company was targeting  (Booth & Cates, 2012).

Fourthly, the team lacked training, which was especially important for career advancement. The lack of a learning culture is evident in the varied performance of employees. Employees such as Alex Hoffmann performed exceptionally well. Other staff members lacked the necessary skills to boost their sales. Other employees, such as Chelsea Peterson, desired growth but lacked the necessary skills and knowledge. Such an employee demonstrated intense hostility at the arrival of a manager from the external environment. Employees such as Nick Ruiz demonstrated immense motivation to conduct their tasks and learn more about the business. Other demotivated and distracted staff members, such as Sarah Vega, exhibited more confusion than alignment with the company’s happenings in the form of frequent absenteeism and overwhelming private obligations  (Booth & Cates, 2012).

Fifth, the company lacked onboarding for new employees. Richardson did not physically meet the regional manager, Beth Campbell. Even when she came in, she did not acquaint Richardson with the company’s status. The regional manager also demonstrated a lack of care for dedicating time to sit with the staff members and discuss the issues affecting the business or the individuals. Sixth, the company’s regional manager failed to motivate employees through recognition. Instead, the manager pointed out Richardson’s mistakes and failed to acknowledge significant improvements or achievements. This approach demoralized Richardson, who was already struggling to understand the company’s operations (Booth & Cates, 2012).

Case Study 2: Mabel’s Labels: Leading in A Results-Only Work Environment

The Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) entices Mabel’s Labels employees due to the flexibility associated with the work plan. However, the program introduced significant challenges to the entire workforce. First, the social contract between employees diminished. As a result, the new hires barely knew the other staff members and social activities failed to achieve this end effectively. Secondly, the program did not allow all employees to work from home, raising concerns about fairness. Other employees still had to report to the office for work (Birbrager, 2015).

Thirdly, those who worked from the office had challenges due to interruptions from those working at home as they drove by the workplace. This presented disruptions, and the banning of the drive-bys was still ineffective. Fourthly, it became more difficult to assess employee’s performance because they were not on site. Fifth, communication challenges surfaced due to instances of misunderstanding based on the channels that were selected. Finally, ROWE was difficult for most employees’ families to comprehend. This presented the likelihood of strained relationships in the homes (Birbrager, 2015). While ROWE could achieve the desired results, it was difficult to enmesh the soft elements that created a vibrant workforce.

Critical Analysis

Organizations thrive based on the motivation and satisfaction of employees. The intense competition among organizations demands that companies develop a workforce that can be used as a competitive advantage in the market (Poláčková, 2015). The alignment of goals for both employees and the organization is important (Varma, 2017). The creation of a competitive workforce demands the prior establishment of strong policies and healthy practices that bring employees together. Motivation directs the behaviours of human beings in an organizational setting. The diversity of employees in terms of attitudes and behaviours requires standardization. Different employees have varying motivators. This means that Chelsea Peterson and Sarah Vega are motivated in various ways. The organization should find motivators for everyone. For instance, Sarah Vega may require time to work from home during the week to achieve the work-life balance that is currently lacing. In addition, such an approach could enable the employee to exhibit more concentration at work due to the calmness that the approach offers. Chelsea Peterson may be motivated by promotion opportunities within the organization. However, this end cannot be achieved in the absence of learning opportunities. Therefore, ColorTech should create strategies to motivate employees to perform their roles more efficiently.

The culture of an organization determines the behaviours of employees and the characteristics of the entire workforce. Since the organization lacks a learning culture, it impedes the process of career advancement and improved performance. For instance, Alex Hoffman’s sales increased consistently, while Sarah Vega and Gregorio Torres’ sales had an erratic pattern (Booth & Cates, 2012). This lack of consistent performance affected the organizations’ productivity and effectiveness. Learning cultures are created through training, consistent organizational performance reviews, need analysis, workshops, seminars, shadowing, mentorship, coaching, and other strategies. If an entity such as ColorTech intends to improve its employee’s performance, the management must equip the employees with the necessary skills and knowledge (Sabri, Ilyas, & Amjad, 2015). This improves their confidence to perform well and ensures that all staff members meet a certain performance standard.

In the case of Mabel’s Labels, the main concerns emerged due to a new work program or procedure, ROWE (Birbrager, 2015). While ROWE promised great achievements and flexibility for staff, it still had various loopholes. The lack of customization of the program to fit the company’s demands and characteristics led to more issues that were not present before. The boundaries that employees had to observe were unclear, and the communication challenges resulted in more confusion. The ability to work from home caused other employees to feel disadvantaged because their roles demanded physical presence at the workplace.

Working from home under the ROWE program introduced employees to a new yet challenging phase. The increased autonomy required employees to control their activities more. The lack of training regarding such challenges made it difficult to develop sufficient control tactics for work-life boundaries. Such flexibility also creates an opportunity for multitasking in the home environment. This tends to interfere with the individual’s time management and self-discipline. In addition, the loss of social contact among employees due to the new program is a common feature that is associated with working from home (Aczel, Kovacs, & Van der Lippe, 2021). For individuals living alone, this social contact that they find in the office is critical for their mental health. The isolation that results from working from home or the ROWE program can increase an individual’s stress and influence their productivity and job satisfaction. Finally, the absence of employees from the workplace denied them an opportunity to brainstorm and address challenging issues together (Aczel, Kovacs, & Van der Lippe, 2021). This significantly affects the learning process, especially for new hires who may need to learn on the job.

Recommendations

First, training is critical for both organizations. Training employees enables them to perform their roles exceptionally. In the case of a new work program such as ROWE, training prepares employees for eventualities and major work changes that could affect productivity and offer potential solutions for mitigation. Second, it is necessary to conduct a needs analysis, which highlights the lack of skills and knowledge either regarding a program or a position. Third, the establishment of workplace policies that allow employees to socialize regardless of their ranks is important in enhancing teamwork. Work policies should also detail communication procedures that meet the organization’s needs and demands. Fourth, investing in technologies that maintain social connections among employees is necessary. For instance, video conferencing is a valuable tool when staff members are working remotely. It creates a platform for interactions and familiarization. It can also initiate coaching and mentorship, especially for new hires. Finally, it is necessary to create motivation strategies that diminish feelings of unfairness. Motivation programs begin with addressing each person’s motivators (monetary or non-monetary) (Varma, 2017).

Conclusion

Both organizations depict distinct challenges that have the potential to impact the behaviours of employees and the performance or effectiveness of the organization. Mabel’s Labels had a new work program, ROWE, which was challenging for employees. ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc. had significant skill and knowledge issues that made it difficult for all staff to improve performance uniformly and consistently. Both organizations require training programs as well as motivation strategies to keep staff members motivated and satisfied. The creation of clear policies that offer guidance should eliminate misunderstandings and anxiety. Social activities are critical for the mental health of all staff members.

References

Aczel, B., Kovacs, M., & Van der Lippe, T. (2021). Researchers working from home: Benefits and challenges. PLoS ONE, 16(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249127

Birbrager, L. (2015). Mabel’s Labels: Leading In A Results-Only Work Environment. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation.

Booth, B. E., & Cates, K. L. (2012). Growing Managers: Moving from Team Member to Team Leader. Kellogg School of Management.

Poláčková, K. (2015). Characteristics And Importance Of Motivating Employees And Managers. In Management Aspects in Toyotarity (pp. 29-36). Oficyna Wydawnicza Stowarzyszenia Jakości Produkcji.

Sabri, P. S., Ilyas, M., & Amjad, Z. (2015). Organizational Learning Culture and its Effects on Critical Thinking Skills on Female Teachers of Public Sector Higher Education Institutions. Bulletin of Education and Research, 69-90.

Varma, C. (2017). Importance Of Employee Motivation & Job Satisfaction For Organizational Performance. IJSSIR, 6(2), 10-20.

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Question 

Case Studies – Organizational Behavior Issues

Assigned Case Study is Growing Managers: Moving from Team Member to Team Leader

– summarize the key Organizational Behavior and Human Resources issues highlighted in the case study,

– undertake some research in regard to the problem presented and provide your critical analysis of those issues/ problems as per your understanding of the course material

Prepare a 1500-word comparative case study. Adhere to the following format

Choose another case: a documented case study of a different comparable organization in a similar industry with comparable business strategy, size and operations. You can choose this case study from academic journals, trade and practitioner publications, or online search engines like Google Scholar.

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