China-Canada Lean Swine Project - Human Resource Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example

Human Resource Organizational Behavior] Name Course Lecturer Date Objectives of the China-Canada Lean Swine Project The project has a number of objectives that it intends to achieve. To start with, it aims at assisting China to further expand its lean swine sector through the transfer and distribution of Canadian expertise regarding lean swine heredity along with basic technologies and feeding curricula to China. The project is also expected to show that feasible swine reproduction farms with their Feedmill undertakings may make the change from being dependent on public sector finances to competitive, self-sufficient businesses1. In assessment of the economic setting where the venture is being executed, a favorable reform has been introduced. The reform aims at augmenting Chinese general growth by changing the country’s State controlled market into an economy which is responsive to the market’s forces of demand and supply. Such a situation encourages high economic growth rate since the supply of goods and services in the market matches to the demand and prices are exclusively controlled by these forces rather than government regulations2. China is one of the most populated countries around the globe hence despite its economic growth that resulted from free markets; its main source of food is arable farming which is not adequate for the big population. This has led to an increase in demand of pork to supplement arable products. Such economic environment is very conducive for swine project because it will provide a ready market for the project’s products due to the increasing demand for pork. Moreover, China is world’s leading producer of pork and thus there is a market in the international market place. Besides, the Chinese government has seen the need to expand the Swine industry hence not only will the project receive support from the government but it also means less stringent trade regulations for the project especially in exporting its products to other parts of the world3. Assessment of the Xiangzhou Feedmill operation The feedmill operation consists of four business functions which include production, accounting, quality control and sales and marketing. The feedmill has all the necessary facilities such as a breeding farm, veterinary laboratory and a modernized feedmill. The division of the project into functions is an important step since it facilitates division of work as well as specialization all of which lead to enhanced accountability and efficiency. In terms of expertise, Mr. Zhang is well qualified for the position of head in long-run planning and general financial responsibility. He has a lot of experience through working in several institutions for a number of years in different management ranks4. Mr. Liu is the feedmill’s manager and local animal nutritionist. He has knowledge on Canadian animal feeding methods but he does not have enough experience. A mixture of responsibilities belonging to different functions is observed which is very unprofessional. For instance, Mr. Chen is the Feedmill’s assistant manager and is responsible for enterprise development, ensuring timely delivery, instituting and developing relations with sellers and also manages debtor’s accounts. Though there are distinct business departments, qualified and knowledgeable management, the concept of specialization is lacking making the operation ineffective5. The managers are not set to adopt the necessary changes. Firstly, their attitudes and conduct are opposed to the project’s objectives. To be specific, the managers are hampering the growth of the establishment that is able to autonomously prospering in a mounting market-driven economy. Their unwillingness is also seen in their approach to sales as well as marketing development which is important for the success of the project6. Alternative to be selected and action plan As David Wang, the option that I could have chosen is changing the compensation structure of Chen and other sales representatives. Incentives are considered a source of motivation for employees. The incentives that Liu is offering for the sales representatives are very low and do not match their previous remuneration hence it may not have any impact on the sales volume of the project. Raising the incentives to adopt a remuneration structure which equals to 50 percent of the present pay may encourage the representatives to work harder. Besides, Liu should do away with the penalty plan on sales people due to absenteeism. There are many tangible reasons why an employee may not show up for some of which is unavoidable like sickness. Penalizing the employees may compel them to quit job7. Wang may further consider the employment of professional sales and marketing manager to be in charge of all the activities under that function so that Liu may concentrate on financial matters only. Moreover, advertising through the media may be carried out to increase public awareness on the undertakings of the establishment. In implementing the proposed compensation structure, the action plan will comprise of several steps. First, Liu should discuss the structure with top management for approval. Once it is approved, he should communicate the idea to the sales representatives along with the goals to be achieved by the execution of the plan. The employees should then present their views on the same. After that, the necessary adjustments should be made and finally the structure may be put into practice8. Suitability of David Wang in advocating for change David Wang is a suitable person to advocate for change in China’s swine industry. First, he is the enterprise development expert of Agriteam Canada which means that, he has specialized in that field and that he is well equipped academically. Again, the firm he is working for is a big and established company in the industry and has adopted the latest technologies. As a result, he has gained a lot of experience in matters to do with breeding and feeding operation in the swine sector. Therefore, in his advocacy, Wang talks of things that he has practiced. Moreover, Wang has been in Canada for numerous years and thus he has a lot of exposure in the field. Additionally, he is a typical Chinese and thus he is able to understand the people he will be working with in the feedmill better9. Bibliography Gleave, Tom. Change Management. London: Ivey Management Services, 1999. Read More