The human resource department was created by a governor of one of the fifty states. The reorganization consolidated 19 separate units into The Bureau for Administration and Operations. There were major problems traceable to the formation of this new department. Employees were subjected to job change as well as operating procedures. Employees were now expected to perform work for all bureaus. They had to revise forms, procedures, computer programs, accounts and records to conform to the new department's policies. These operating procedures were ineffective; there were cost overruns. Payrolls were late and inaccurate; payments to vendors and clients were delayed; and personnel actions got lost in the paperwork. Because of these problems the integrity of the services offered by the department broke down. The executive staff became involved with these issues and was not a viable solution to the problem. The BAO commissioner was charged to become involved to provide the leadership and solutions to the problems that were occurring. He met with his staff concerning these problems and an administrative liaison was named to deal with these procedural problems of the four bureaus.
1. Evaluate the concept of "administrative liaison officer" as a strategy for achieving integration. Is this an example of the mutual adjustment strategy?
2. How will the officers achieve integration when they will have no authority over either the administrative functions or the programs to be integrated?
3. What would be the most important personal characteristics to look for in an applicant for these positions?