Barrie Super subs is one of 300 restaurant franchises throughout Canada. Each operation has one manager, an assistant manager, a few team leaders, and many employees (mostly college and high school students who work part-time). Most employees earn minimum wage. The manager and assistant manager get a bonus for keeping costs (wastage) low. However, employees raise costs by helping themselves to food, and by adding free ingredients when their friends order a sub. Errors are supposed to be charged back to the responsible employee, but the night manager rarely writes this up because of peer pressure.
The manager tried to reduce costs by reducing the free food allowance only to staff who work six or more hours (most work less than that minimum), but employees still nibbled whenever the manager or assistant manager were away. Morale fell and about 20 percent of the experienced employees quit. The high turnover and resulting staff shortages required the manager and assistant manager to train staff and spend more time in food preparation (even managers are discouraged from working directly in food preparation.)
Accidental wastage increased due to new staff but deliberate wastage feel while the managers were in the restaurant. However, wastage increased again almost immediately after the managers stepped back from daily operations. In response, the manager withdrew all free food allowance and threatened to fire employee caught consuming food. © 2015 by McGraw-Hill Education
Working in groups of 3-4, review the case and prepare a report using the questions listed below the case. You are encouraged to apply relevant terms, concepts, models, etc. from the course in analyzing the case.
1. Analyze the case to identify the issues, symptoms and problems at Barrie Subs.
2. What are some of the employee behaviours which are indicative of problems in the company?
3. Apply concepts of job design to discuss whether these could be applied to explain the problem and provide a solution to some of the employee behaviours.
4. How is management dealing with some of the problematic behaviours and is this approach helping? Explain why or why not?
5. Discuss a motivation theory which might help explain what is wrong in the case above.
6. Discuss a leadership theory / style which to explain the current approach taken by management.
7. Recommend solutions which address the problems in the case. That is explain what changes need to be made in order to address the issues in the case specifically from a motivational and a leadership point of view.
8. Provide a conclusion on what positive change will look like at Barrie Super Subs once changes are introduced and what may be unintended consequences of implementing these changes.