West Coast Architects (WCA) is a new Vancouver architectural firm which has been in operations for 5 years with roughly 50 employees. The four managing partners are all architects who are brilliant, experienced and generally good people. Unfortunately, the do not know anything about Organizational Behaviour. In the past, you've sometimes rolled your eyes when you see how they treat staff. You've worked here at WCA for a year now as a junior analyst, and they've decided to promote you as the first HR Manager for WCA as you've just completed your course in Organizational Behaviour, and they've been impressed with the many suggestions you have given them since taking this course.
Congratulations! This is your first people manager role, and the first real people manager role that WCA has ever had. The staffs have high expectations from you, and many of your peers are hoping that you will make the workplace a better place to be. It feels like all eyes are on you as you settle into your new office (actually the first office you've ever had).
1. One of the oldest coworkers hears about your announcement and heard that you got a promotion due to you partially taking OB. He thinks the subject is ridiculous. In his day, it was about working hard and producing results, and he is tired of hearing this new age management theory. He tells you that it talks about feelings and employees too much. Present him with your argument on why things have changed and why you think that OB is so important in today's workplace.
2. It's the first week on the new job. You are contemplating some of the things you want to fix in the workplace as you quietly gaze at your new nameplate on the door when one of the partners comes in and asks you for help. She suggests that she has read much on the topics of values based organizations. Many organizations are placing increasing importance on values and ethics in the workplace. Discuss two reasons why workplace values have become more important in recent years. Your answer should briefly define values, and ethics.
3. Its Friday, the sales manager approaches you and explains that they are having has an increasing problem that architects are arriving late at the office each morning. Some architects go directly to visit clients rather than showing up at the office as required by company policy. Others arrive several minutes after their appointed start time. The vice-president doesn't want to introduce time clocks, but this may be necessary if the lateness problem isn't corrected. Using the MARS model of individual behaviour, diagnose the possible reasons why the architects may be engaging in this 'lateness' behaviour.
4. Now that you have addressed the employee lateness issue, another issue arises around the administration staff making numerous errors in the inventory control of office supplies to make the scale models, buy the drafting paper, and ensure that architectural supplies are complete. It is driving the office crazy as architects don't have the necessary material to complete their work. They are upset and yelling at the administrative staff. An analysis of the situation reveals that individual competencies are poorly matched with the job requirements. Describe three different strategies that would potentially improve this person-job matching.
5. WCA is expanding rapidly. The four managing partners decide to acquire a rival architectural firm in Toronto. After the acquisition, the partners noticed hostilities forming between the Toronto architects and the Vancouver architects. The Vancouver staff say that the Toronto staff wouldn't know a customer if they stepped on one. They partly attribute this to the poor marketing expertise in Toronto before WCA bought it. The Vancouver architects, many of whom have graduate degrees from top universities, privately complain that the Toronto architects don't have enough brainpower to turn on a light switch. The Toronto architects complain that the Vancouver office is lazy and start late and believe it's because of our yoga practicing and marijuana smoking (which is untrue). Use what you know about social identity and the processes of categorization, homogenization, and differentiation to explain why these hostilities might exist.
6. Janine and Anitra work as two interns at WCA. Janine often comes home at the end of the working day with a headache and feeling emotionally exhausted. She has difficulty sleeping immediately before and after some days at work. Anitra performs the same job duties as Janine and often works with the same clients. Yet Anitra rarely experiences these symptoms. Using your knowledge of stress, give three explanations why these two are reacting differently to their jobs.
7. Jack Smith is a personal friend of yours. He was recently sharing a story with you after work. Jack Smith and Sam Clemens are neighbours who work as purchasing managers in different companies in the petrochemical industry. During one neighbourly discussion, Jack learned that Sam's salary was nearly 15 per cent higher than his even though their job duties were similar. Other than this difference, both received similar benefits and seemed to enjoy their jobs and colleagues. Jack was upset about Sam's higher salary, although he hid his emotions from Sam. (After all, it wasn't Sam's fault that they received different salary levels.) Jack was frustrated not only because Sam received a significantly higher salary, but also because Jack was certain that he worked longer hours and was more productive than Sam. As Jack's friend, use the equity theory model to explain Jack's frustration.
8. You want the architects at your company to be more motivated to complete their assignments more efficiently. They are confident that they can perform their jobs more efficiently and the rewards you give employees (pay cheques, paid time off, etc.) are valued by these people. Identify the one element of expectancy theory that requires improvement and identify three possible actions that would increase employee motivation through this element.
9. The four partners are debating new building techniques for a quote on a building proposed in Shanghai. The company is planning to develop an engineering technique, which involves exploring previously untested ideas and applying methods that have a high degree of complexity. This project would require a dozen architects and engineers from across the Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver offices with diverse skills and knowledge and whose individual work would be highly interdependent with each other. Under these conditions, would you recommend a virtual team or a conventional face- to-face team? Justify your choice.
10. You feel as if you have really settled into your HR role and it has been close to three years now. The partners have been impressed with your input. They would like to consolidate all three HR functions under you in Vancouver. Each of the three HR offices are located in each city. Three HR employees are in Vancouver, the two in Calgary were hired a few months ago; one was offered a job at the time she submitted her application form (i.e. hired without an interview or careful review). You have no idea on the resumes of the Toronto HR staff since they came with the acquisition. Generally, the employees possess the skills and resources (e.g. new computer systems) to perform effectively if they work together as a team. However, you sense that this new department lacks the necessary spirit that would help it achieve the highest performance. Describe four distinct strategies you would use to build the new HR department into a more cohesive unit and explain how these strategies would increase cohesiveness.
11. Jane has just been appointed as purchasing manager of WCA. The previous purchasing manager, who recently retired, was known for his "winner-take-all" approach to suppliers. He continually fought for more discounts and was skeptical about any special deals that suppliers would propose. A few suppliers refused to do business with WCA, but the Partners were confident that the former purchasing manager's approach minimized the company's costs. Jane wants to try a more problem- solving approach to working with suppliers. Contrast Jane's and her predecessor's approach to negotiations in terms of the dimensions of interpersonal conflict management style. Then explain whether Jane's approach will be effective or not, and for additional marks, compliment this with other OB perspectives on why Jane might have this viewpoint.