Leadership and Performance in the Workplace Paper
Read the following scenario:
Woody's Veneer Factory has contacted you because the board wants their organization to be evaluated to determine the reasons for loss of money, increases in garbage fees, and loss of production. The data given to you shows that veneer production is at its lowest point and the cost of recycled material disposal has nearly doubled in the past quarter.
On the day your team went to meet the factory superintendent, Max Barath, you saw one of the floor managers, Dave Flores, outside of Max's office with a bag of ice over his eye. When the team inquired about the injury, Max stated, "It's not a big deal. The quality control officer, Ken Howk, got upset with Dave and got in a little fight. Don't worry about it. These two are old high school chums and this kind of thing happens now and then."
Through several weeks of your assessment, your team has noticed troubling occurrences happening in the factory. The factory managers that are located on the top floor are very abrasive and condescending to the people on the floor. There is a definite ‘us versus them' attitude. There is also a lack of communication. Most of the communication is done on a bulletin board out front.
Your team has also noticed that the floor workers are grinding up some of the good veneer. Management believes this is happening, so they are sneaking up in the cat walks to try to catch the floor workers in the act. But the floor workers have placed spies to watch out for the managers, particularly in the administrative areas next to the management offices. Whenever a manager comes out of the office, the administrative staff will call or text down to the floor to let the workers know so they can stop grinding up the good veneer. In addition, several employees on the floor are used as look outs and use hand signals to let everyone know what is going on.
You are tasked to give a full report to the investors who pay for this factory.
Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you utilize industrial/organizational psychology to make recommendations to improve the situation at Woody's Veneer Factory. Using basic concepts and theories of organizational development, develop a plan to improve working conditions within the factory and describe how it will reduce garbage fees, increase production, and the factory will once again be making a profit. What the scenario does not provide, you can create. Include the following in your paper:
• Analyze different group and team concepts that could be implemented in order to improve the performance and diversity of employees in the factory.
• Provide at least two examples of leadership theories and how to implement them in order to improve the relationship between management and floor workers.
• Describe how the floor workers view the influence and power of management. Discuss how this is negatively and/or positively impacting the workplace and changes you would recommend.
• Explain the differences between leadership and management. Provide examples of how management at the factory could utilize leadership styles to improve networking with the floor workers.
Include at least three references.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.