Coastal County Clerk of Court Problem Solution and Defense Rubric - Case Study Example

Running Head: Coastal County Clerk of Court Case Coastal County Clerk of Court Case Inserts His/her Introduction The change that is being attempted by Accord in the Costal County Clerk of Court is not accepted by employees and his subordinates. Old employees are going to court against Accord because of discrimination. The situation is very bad for the court and there is a need for immediate action and decision making. There is also a need for technological change in the organization but this change is not accepted by the employees of the Court. Accord brought technological change but it was not according to the wishes of the employees. The new accountability plan for employees is also a reason of concern for employees. In this paper we will attempt to find solutions to the problems discussed in the case. Describe the Situation Issues and Opportunity Identification There are many issues that the new County Clerk of Court, Accord, is facing. In order to run the office smoothly he will have to solve these issues immediately. First of these issues is related to employees working in the country clerk office. They are not aware what is expected of them and this is creating problems. There is also no uniformity in policy and also employees are not aware of what is expected from them. The goals of employees and Accord are not matching and this is another problem. There was also no attempt by Accord to avert any conflict by implementing conflict prevention measures. Another problem is the use of technology. Employees have become used to working without the help of technology but it is not possible now to ignore technological development because of the increasing population. Brewer did not invest in any technological up gradation and that was a big mistake. Now when technology will be introduced employees will not be able to digest the rapid change easily. This is also an opportunity for the office to incorporate latest technology in their daily work. The court case between Munger and Accord is another problem because it will affect the functioning of the clerk office. The hostility between the two created a war like situation between old employees and Accord. There was a total breakdown of trust between Munger and Accord which led to a court case. Stakeholder’s Perspective / Ethical dilemmas Stakeholders include Amber Beach residents, employees, family of employees, Accord, and Munger. One of the ethical dilemmas is that the new boss Accord wants to make people accountable of the time they spend outside of their office. Another ethical dilemma is that employees are not interested in mending their ways. They want to stick to their old practices even after Brewer. Another ethical dilemma is between Accord and Munger. The last ethical dilemma is between family of employees and Accord. The first step is to understand the conflict before anything else can be done (Dana, 2011).These ethical dilemmas can be solved by introducing a conflict management plan and by giving flexible timings to all employees. Employees are not interested in the process of change therefore they should be given training and their voices should be heard. Old employees are an asset therefore they should be trained and kept in the organization. Frame the right Problem Employees of the Coastal County Clerk of Court must make themselves familiar to the technology as it is necessary to handle the growing population of the area. The changes occurring in the organization should be accepted by the employees. On the other Accord so attempt to manage employee conflict by listening to them and by giving old employees some levy. It is vital that a conflict management plan is devised so that problems in near future can be avoided. Training should also be given to employees. Employees want to become efficient as before and they can do so by accepting the technological change in the court. Describe the “End-State” Vision County Clerk of Court can improve upon its technology issues and can provide immaculate service to the customers. Implementation of changes in the court should be such that all employees are taken together and their insights are considered valuable. The new technological process should be a blend of the new electronic service and old employee service so as to maximize customer benefit. Employee issues should be solved as soon as they arise in the court through an effective conflict management plan. Identify the Alternatives and Benchmarking Validation It is vital for every organization to devise a conflict management plan. Flexibility, if offered to employees, can play a key role in defusing conflicts in the organization (Halliburton, 2006). The use of a formal program to settle disputes can reduce the cost of litigation significantly (2006). The issues in a workplace can be resolved by listening to the reservation of employees (Tinsley & Brett, 2002). This can help create a sense of satisfaction in employees as they will realize that they are being listened to. Both of the above benchmarks can be applied to County Clerk of Court because in the court employees are not given flexibility and they are not listened to. An alternative solution might be to avoid changing the whole setup at once. Change is not being accepted by the employees of court therefore methods should be used to implement change in a manner that is acceptable for the employees. This can be done by upgrading a few technologies first and then brining everyone on board. Training programs can also help in clearing the air between employees and Accord. These programs will be aimed at old employees to make them well averse with the changing trends of the workplace. This will also provide a flexible way for old employees to learn and remain a part of the organization. Evaluate the Alternatives The main goal of the County Clerk of Court should be to become leaders in customer satisfaction. People are not satisfied with their performance due to their lack of technological assistance and this must change. The main service the court is providing should be improved so that customers can benefit. Narrow List of Alternatives An alternative solution would be to implement change in a step wise manner and at the same time develop a conflict management program. This will help the court employees decrease their frustration because of the new improvements in the workplace. Another alternative will be to develop a conflict management program and at the same time give flexibility to employees. This is because employees are disgruntled because of all the change going on in the organization. This alternative will help improve the efficiency of employees. Identify and Asses Risks The risk of providing training to employees is great as it will cost greatly to the County Clerk of Court. Increased cost is a big risk and there is a chance that old employees are not able to grasp the information about the new technology. Implementing change in a step wise manner can also be risky as customer satisfaction might not be achieved without a total change in technology. These risks can be mitigated by starting pilot training programs for few employees at a time and by improving the main technology first and other technologies later. Make the Decision The managers at the Court should take money and time into consideration as these are the two greatest assets of the Court. An effective conflict resolution plan should be implemented and employees should be trained so that there is no need for firing old employees. Old employees have experience and this should be taken into account. They know how to handle people and are also motivated to work therefore their input is important. Employees should be listened to and should also be taught that technology is important. Change has to come and Court should make it clear for everyone but time should be given to employees so that they can change their attitude towards the process of change. Technology has to be implemented but it should not be done immediately. Implementation of technology should be associated to the training of employees. Develop and Implement the Solution The above solution will be implemented by the top management that is Accord. He should first and foremost develop a conflict management plan for the organization and immediately provide employees with flexibility in their work hours. He should then listen to the employees so that their problems are understood. After this a training program should be designed for older employees and when employees are trained (to a certain extent) technological up gradation should be implemented. This will help the employees cope up with the overall process of change. First phase would be of conflict management plan and its development. Then in the second phase employees will be listened to and their work hours will be made flexible. After that training will be given to employees and technology will be implemented in a step wise fashion. The concept of ‘temporary organization’ is now being forwarded vis-à-vis project or change management (Lundin & Söderholm, 1999). In a temporary organization focus is less on decision and more on action. This should also be the case in Court where actions should be taken immediately. Evaluate the Results Customer satisfaction survey should be taken after 40 days of implementation of change. This will let the organization understand whether its services have improved or not. Employee satisfaction survey should also be taken after every 30 days. Employees should be asked whether they are happy and satisfied with the changes or not. Then the results of the two surveys should be compared. The change process will be a success if both the results are of a positive nature. Conclusion Coastal County Clerk of Court is facing many problems like technology issues and employee conflicts. Accord, the new head, has made the situation worse by fighting with employees and making them dissatisfied. This has to change and court should develop a conflict management program that can help reduce tension. Also training should be given and then technology should be implemented so that it is made sure that all employees are on the right track. References Dana, D. (2001). Conflict Resolution. London: The McGraw-Hill Companies Tinsley, C. & Brett, J. (2002). Managing Workplace Conflict in the United States and Hong Kong. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 85(2): 360-381 Lundin, R. & Söderholm, A. (1999). A theory of the temporary organization. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 11(4): 437-455 Halliburton Company. (2006). Corporate Sustainability Report. Retrieved from http://www.halliburton.com/public/about_us/pubsdata/sd/flash/csr_report.pdf Wilmot, W. W., & Hocker, J. L. (2007). Interpersonal Conflict (7th ed.). London: The McGraw-Hill Companies Table 1 Issues and Opportunities Identification Issues Opportunities Reference to Specific Course Concept Conflict between Employees and Accord This conflict can improve the relation between Accord and other employees According to Dana (2001), it is important to be aware of the conflict before it can be resolved. Mismatching of Goals This is an opportunity for everyone to sit and decide upon the goals of the organization and its desired end state. If goals are put in the correct context then it is possible that consensus between disgruntled parties can be achieved (Wilmot & Hocker, 2007). Resistance to Change This is an opportunity to train old people so that they can accept change. It is important to find solutions no matter how much time it takes because the greater the critical urgency less likely a consensual solution is achieved (Dana, 2001). Hostility between Accord and Munger This can be used to solve problems that are experienced by young and old people of the organization. Interpersonal conflicts are the most common type of conflicts in an organization (Dana, 2001). Technological development and old employees It is the time to bring about massive technological change that is sustainable that can satisfy more customers. The conflict is causing Court money. Conflicts are costly therefore they should be removed (Dana, 2001). Table 2 Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas Stakeholder Groups with Competing Values List: Group X versus Group Y The Interests, Rights, and Values of Each Group The Ethical Dilemma Based on the Competing Values Old Employees vs. Mr. Accord Old employees want flexibility while Accord considers it a lax management style. The dilemma is that Accord wants to make employees accountable of their time while employees want flexibility. Accord Vs. Munger Both perceive the interest of people in a different way. Accord has fired Munger and a case of age discrimination is pending in court. Accord Vs. Family of employees Families want to be taken care of their sons but Accord is not letting that happen in a flexible way. Accords want every employee to take his permission which is not practical for employees. Table 4 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Risk Assessment and Mitigation Alternative Risks and Probability Consequence and Severity Mitigation Techniques and Strategies Conflict Management Plan for Organization 1 It may not work as there are many employees. 2 It will be headed by Accord and his attitude is the problem Low 3 No matter who is heading it employees will have a place where they can raise their concerns Giving Training to employees 4 This can be costly and might still not work for old employees High 5 Basic training should be given to old employees so that they can perform the most basic jobs. Implementing technological change in a step wise manner 6 Customers will stay dissatisfied for a longer period High 7 Basic needs of customers should be first addressed. Table 5 Pros and Cons of Alternative Solutions Alternative Pros Cons Conflict Management Plan for Organization 8 Satisfied Employees 9 Similar goals 10 Resolution of conflicts 11 Difficult to implement 12 Will take time 13 May not always work Giving Training to employees 14 Old employees will also be productive 15 Conflict will reduce 16 Customers will be satisfied 17 Costly 18 May not work for old employees because they have a difficult in learning. Implementing technological change in a step wise manner 19 All employees will not oppose change 20 Conflict will reduce 21 Customers will not get the advantage of the technology immediately Table 6 Optimal Solution Implementation Plan Action Item Deliverable Timeline Who is Responsible First Phase (Conflict Management Plan) 30 days Mr. Accord Second Phase (Listening to employees) 10 days Mr. Accord and other managers Third Phase (Training Program) 40 days Training experts from outside Fourth Phase (Technology Implemented) 10 days Technology Managers and Accord Table 7 Evaluation of Results End-State Goals Metrics Target Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction surveys Customers service improvement Blend of Technology and Experience Survey of employees after every 30 days Better use of experience of employees Resolution of Conflicts between employees Survey of employees Employee satisfaction Read More