The Achievement of Organizational Goals - Essay Example

Case Study It's My Bike Synopsis Managing an organization is a tedious task. The primary role of human resource manager which is "getting thingsdone through people" is more done just delegating job assignments and supervision. As the most valuable assets of any business organization, managers or leaders should handle its pool of human resource efficiently by gaining an ample understanding of the human behavior-both of oneself and others. The seven competencies which are taken up in this module define the essential features of the future effectiveness in leading an organization. Managing self, communication, diversity, ethics, culture, team, and change competencies are essential factors in the achievement of organizational goals (Hellriegel & Slocum ) It's My Bike recounted the experience of Debbie Martin as the new Supplier Quality Manager for the commercial product division of Cold Air Corporation. In this new position, Debbie encountered problems in the organization where a $250 bike is primarily involved. The bike was purchased by her predecessor and was currently utilized by her subordinate, Ronnie in order to inspect the incoming inputs in the plant's production line. As the company changed the supplier for one of its components, Ronnie's inspection became more frequent which consequently led to more frequent use of the bike. However, Cold Air Corporation is also currently undergoing a product transition handled by the Airhandler Quality managed by Steve Gregg. Because the distance from the Airhandler's office and the components for the new production line necessitated the use of the bike, Gregg borrowed the bike for his team's activities. This became the highlight of the case as Ronnie was quite hesitant in lending the bike to the other department while Airhandler Quality team argued that they are currently handling the most important project in the plant so they should take possession of the bike and Debbie should buy a new one. This paper will take a look at three problems encountered in the case summarized above. The findings will be supported by concepts taken up in this module and other courses. At the end of each finding of facts, this report will offer a possible recommendation. Problem 1: Purpose of the Bike The case highlights the difficulties faced by the company because of the $250 bike. What seems to be one of the major causes of the recent misunderstanding was the real purpose of the bike. It should be noted that the conflict have arisen because there seems to be a vague designation of the bike. It was stated in the case that the bike was purchased by Debbie's predecessor in order to "aid in transporting testing materials and small samples from one end of the plant to another." However, there seems to be an inefficient communication within the organization as to where the bike should be used for. This can be indicated by the following situations: 1. the bike has been taken and repainted by the metal works department without the knowledge of Debbie or anyone in her department; 2. the bike was borrowed by the Airhandler Quality team for their own purposes and refused to return it without Debbie's formal request; and 3. Steve Gregg wants the bike to be utilized for his department as he is handling the most important project in the plant which will necessitate Debbie to buy a new bike for Ronnie's inspection. At the start of the case, it was stated that Debbie's boss is "not an easy person to work for" since he expects his employees to have a "take charge attitude and avoid bothering him with trivial issues." Taking this into account, Debbie should try to resolve the problem at hand first before resorting to his immediate superior. It is seemingly wrong that Debbie should bother his supervisor due to a $250 bike if he had given them responsibility and accountability in solving "trivial" problems within their department. In order to solve the conflict within the organization, Debbie should set the primary purpose which the bike will serve. As it was purchased by her predecessor for input inspection, the bike should be counted as equipment for the use of her department. This should be communicated within the different department in order to avoid future conflicts regarding the use of the bike. Less conflict would lead to a more efficient workflow as the time and effort which was previously used to resolve conflicts would be devoted for the major activities of the department. Reduction of conflicts will also lead to a more harmonious relationship among employees. One possible effect of this is the possible hesitance of the Airhandler Quality team to comply as they need the bike for the transport of their new components. However, we can see that the main problem for this conflict is the layout of the plant which hampers the efficiency of transporting new components to the production line. As the plant is relatively large, the office of the Airhandler Quality team and their respective production line should not be put at both ends. Transferring the production line adjacent to their office will lead to smoother and more efficient overall processing by significantly reducing the acquisition time for components and the cost of fuel needed for the transport of materials. It should be noted though that if the cost of changing the layout of the plant outweighs its potential benefits, it is just proper that the Airhandler Quality team purchase its own bike to service its requirements. This is reasonable as $250 is just a small value considering the help that it can give the departments which currently handles the "most important" project in the plant. Problem 2: Empowerment One of the most important trends in the 21st century organizational management is the concept of an "organic" organizational structure. A significant feature of this type organization is called "employee empowerment" which loosely refers to giving individual employee "greater discretion and resources" and "distributing control in order to better serve both customers and the interests of employing organization (Empowerment 3)." The case seemingly indicates the practice of this is in Cold Air Company. As Debbie's boss commands a "take charge" attitude on his employees, it is synonymous to empowering his subordinates to implement their individual decisions. However, employee empowerment is not consistent within the organization. It seems that only Debbie's immediate superior is committed to giving his employees discretion and responsibility. This is indicated by the constant complaint of Ronnie to her whenever a problem about the bike arises. Frank also could not decide whether to give the bike or not because he needed a "formal request" coming from Ronnie's superior. Since Ronnie and Frank cannot decide on their own, they need to consult their respective superiors in any decision, however small it is. The lack of employee empowerment in the aforementioned situations significantly led to inefficiency and time wastage. At the same time, this also became a burden with Debbie since she cannot focus on the major activities concerning her department but is constantly bothered by the $250 bike problems. Debbie should empower Frank to decide regarding the use of the bike. Ronnie should be in charge of the bike as he is the primary person using it for input inspection. Should any department need to use the bike for any reason, Ronnie would be consulted as he probably knew the frequency of his inspection. This will free up more time for Debbie to focus on her job as a Supplier Quality Manager while giving Ronnie a sense of trust and responsibility. In the case of Ronnie, this can boost his efficiency as an employee and motivate him to further do his best for the utmost benefit of the company. Problem 3: Managing Diversity Competency One of the most challenging functions of manager is how to manage diversity among employees and utilize these differences as a part of the firm's assets. In the case, one of the problems encountered is Ronnie's attitude. He was described as "had a tendency to get excited over little thingshe was a very conscientious, detail-oriented worker, but was easily upset when things did not go according to his plans." It should also be noted that Ronnie almost got into a fistfight with Frank over the issue of the bicycle. Though Ronnie undoubtedly have good qualities on Debbie has a hard time dealing with Ronnie because he is hot-tempered. He has this tendency to "erupt" when things did not go according to his expectations. This had caused the conflict between Ronnie and Frank-the urgency with which Ronnie needed the bike to accomplish his job. Looking at it in a different way, Ronnie is very much concerned in his performance and the accomplishment of his designated tasks. This high level of motivation will send a positive externality in the company in the form of increased efficiency. However, this also became disruptive as Ronnie became impatient, overwhelmed with his responsibility, and forgot about pursuing the operation efficiency of the whole organization. This adversely affected his relationship with another employee, Frank. Debbie should make Ronnie see that each employee in the company is an important factor in the functioning of the whole business organization. Cohesion and good communication are essential to promote efficiency and working relationships. Debbie can foster harmonious relationships through team building seminar and workshops where employees can interact with each other. These planned activities should highlight the importance of employee relationships in the attainment of organizational goals. Works Cited "Empowerment." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 26 February 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Incorporated. 29 March 2006 Heillriegel, David and John W. Scolum, Jr. Organizational Behavior. Thomson, 2003 Read More