Teamwork

1. With your knowledge of Teams from the course, list what went wrong in this scenario.

Ans: It has been proven that teams are effective when:

a. They serve some organizational purpose

b. The members are satisfied with the work they do and the targets they achieve

c. They have the ability to survive until they achieve their purpose.

In this case, Martha made some very basic mistakes with her team -

a. She did not learn more about her team members, so she did not know what

drives them and how to get them to work towards targets.

b. She met each member individually and not as a team - this action leads to

conflict between team members as they do not know what the other member

may have heard.

c. She did not set common smart goals for the team - Specific, Measurable,

Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Due to this, each team member thought they

had different goals with different timelines and deadlines set by themselves,

leading to conflict, confusion and inter-personal difficulties.

d. She did not have regular check-ins to gauge their progress and problem solve

e. She did not actively coach the team, causing the team to become

dysfunctional, and team cohesion broke down

2. Outline in detail what you would advise Martha to do to fix this situation and complete

the project.
Ans: Martha needs to take some immediate action with her team. She needs to ensure that

the targets are being worked on, and the team works in a cohesive manner. To this effect,

she should:

a. Hold a formal meeting for all team members together - She should

acknowledge the errors she made earlier, and work with the team to fix new

deadlines and goals. This way, the team knows that there are common goals

and deadlines, which reduces conflict and confusion.

b. Create a communications plan for the team - Martha needs to identify at what

stages of the project she requires updates, when she should be notified of

issues, and how her feedback can be implemented. To do this effectively, she

should share a communications plan with the team so they know when she

needs any information. Timelines should also include complaints management

(when to raise issues, how long can be taken to resolve them, and how does

this impact the final timeline). This can be done individually as well as using a

project management tool.

c. Monitor the work of her team - This will help maintain the quality of the work

being done, as well as maintaining timelines.

Decision Making

1. What decision- making approach is your colleague recommending? Is this

recommendation a good idea in this situation? Why or why not?

Ans: The recommended approach is a rational-choice decision-making process. This system

is an ideal process in evaluating appropriate companies that can handle all benefits and
pension activities for an organization with around 500 employees. A rational choice decision-

making process:

a. Is one where all options can be easily evaluated and compared with each other

using numerical scores. This removes any bias from the system as it is an

assessment of the offerings, and how they can be tailored to our needs

b. It helps in differentiating between benefits companies and their offerings - are

they competitive, do they have archaic benefit models, do they cater to a wide

variety of staff backgrounds, do they suit the needs of staff who may range

across ages and may have different needs, do they suit the budget of the

organization etc

c. Has the following stages: Problem Identification, Decision process, discover

possible choices, select the best choice, implement the best choice, evaluate

the best choice.

This is not the most ideal process since it has some drawbacks:

a. It is quite difficult to find companies that offer exactly what we are looking

for. We would need to settle for an organization that has a plan that is “one-

size fits all”, as opposed to a curated plan

b. Assessing different organizations against each other on varying offerings is

unfair and will not give appropriate results

c. No matter which organization we decide to ahead with, there will be someone

in the organization who is unhappy with the offering - a rational choice process

does not account for human nature.

Change Management

1. Outline five strategies that should be employed, with examples, that will help

minimize resistance to the change and enhance adoption of the new process.

Ans: Five easy strategies are:

a. Inform and involve the employees in the change management plan: While the

employees are aware of the old system, they need to identify what are its

drawbacks and why the changes are required. By involving employees in

identifying the weak points in the current system, they will become self-aware of

the issues. This will help the organization in reducing push-back from employees

because they know that changes are required to grow.

b. Communicating the change: At all times, as the change is implemented,

employees should be kept aware of the progress.

c. Showcase benefits of the change to employees: Employees should know what is

the benefit of changing processes - does it save money (which can be later used

for employee rewards?), does it help projects finish faster (which means

employees spend less time on projects) etc. When employees know what they

are getting out of the change, they have a bigger interest in ensuring the change

goes through smoothly

d. Handling Insecurity and concerns: Management should be empathetic towards

employees when changes take place because they may become insecure and have

concerns. Some major concerns are job losses, re-allocation to different teams,

pay changes, impact on promotions etc. Once their concerns are resolved,

opposition to change will die down. Management should be proactive in ensuring

that employee concerns are addressed in a timely manner so that employees do

not resist the change.

 e. Training and Development: Employees also fear change because they do not

know the new process. Initiating a training and development programme can help

reassure employees with regard to knowledge.

Conflict Management

1. Briefly explain the difference between process and relationship conflict.

Ans: Relationship conflict is a type of personal conflict that develops over disagreements

and differences between individuals or groups, while process conflict(also called Task

conflict) deals with disagreements on the procedure of a specific work assignment. Process

conflict occurs when people focus their discussion around the issue, or the process while

showing respect for people with other points of view. Relationship conflict involves one party

questioning or critiquing the personal characteristics of the other person, which can come

across as an attempt to undermine their competence. Such attacks impact self-esteem, self-

enhancement and self-verification processes. As a result, Relationship conflict triggers

defence mechanisms and a competitive orientation between all parties, as well as reduces

mutual trust.

2. Explain three possible underlying reasons why Team A may be experiencing

relationship conflict and the actions that the manager could take to help minimize

relationship minimize relationship conflict as well as promote process conflict with

Team A.
Ans: Team A has been showcasing qualities such as sniping and undermining each other

both in one-on-one interactions as well as in team meetings. These are classic signs of

relationship conflict, where the conflict is between people instead of about the tasks.

The immediate action that can be taken to reduce relationship conflict and promote process

conflict instead includes:

a. Emphasizing superordinate goals - goals that the conflicting employees or

departments value and whose attainment requires the joint resources and

effort of those parties

b. Reducing differentiation - reduce the differences that generate conflict. As

people develop common experiences and beliefs, they become more motivated

to coordinate activities and resolve their disputes through constructive

discussion rather than arguments and conflict

c. Improving communication and mutual understanding - give conflicting parties

more opportunities to communicate and understand each other. This

recommendation applies two principles and practices- the Johari Window

model (individuals disclose more about themselves so others have a better

understanding of the underlying causes of their behaviour) and meaningful

interaction (we develop a more person-specific and accurate understanding of

others by interacting with and working closely with them)

d. Reducing interdependence - by creating buffers, using integrators and

combining jobs

e. Increasing resources

f. Clarifying rules and procedures.

If all this does not work, we do have the option of bringing in a third party for conflict

resolution. Team A members should also be guided when conflicts come up to identify the
process causing the conflict, rather than the person. This needs a concerted effort, but

gradually, we will be able to see the shift from relationship conflict towards process conflict.

Leadership

1. You have been asked to prepare a five-point report to improve the understanding of

transformational leadership (including a definition of leadership in general) and why it

may benefit your organization.

Ans: Leadership is about influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute toward

the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members. Leadership can

be achieved through motivation and enabling employees to give their best. At ABC Inc,

transformational leadership is required to scale and grow the organization. This can be done

by :

a. Developing a strategic vision that

● Refers to an idealized future with a higher purpose

● Is meaningful and appealing to employees

● Is challenging and abstract

b. Communicating the vision

Transformational leaders generate meaning and motivation in followers by

relying on symbols, metaphors, stories, and other vehicles that transcend plain

language. Metaphors and related communication tools “frame” the vision,

meaning that they guide the listener’s mental model of the situation.
 Communication with staff can also be done using verbal and nonverbal

communication practices that show humility, sincerity, and a level of passion

that reflects the leader’s personal belief in the vision and their optimism that

employees can succeed. They strengthen team-orientation and employee self-

efficacy by referring to the team’s strengths and potential.

c. Modelling the vision

A transformational leader will model the vision through significant events such

as visiting customers, moving their offices closer to (or further from)

employees, and holding ceremonies to symbolize significant change. A faster

and easier way is by ensuring that the more mundane daily activities—meeting

agendas, dress codes, executive schedules—are consistent with the vision and

its underlying values.

Modelling the vision is important because:

● It legitimizes and demonstrates what the vision looks like in practice.

● It builds employee trust in the leader.

● The greater the consistency between the leader’s words and actions,

the more employees will believe in and be motivated to follow the

leader.

d. Encouraging experimentation

Transformational leaders support experimentation by:

● Supporting a learning orientation

● Encouraging employees to continuously question the way things are

currently done

● Allowing employees to actively experiment with new ideas and practices

 ● Viewing reasonable mistakes as a natural part of the learning process.

e. Building a commitment to the vision

Transforming a vision into reality requires employee commitment, and building

this commitment can happen in several ways:

● By using words, symbols, and stories build enthusiasm that is contagious

and energizes people to adopt the vision as their own.

● By demonstrating a “can do” attitude by enacting and behaving

consistently with their vision of honesty, trust, and integrity

● By involving employees in the change process so it is a collective

activity

● By building commitment through rewards, recognition, and celebrations

on achieving milestones

Transformational leadership will transform ABC Inc and put in motion growth

and expansion. It will cause the organization to become one where people want

to work, attracting skilled candidates who perform their jobs better, engage in

more organizational citizenship behaviours, and make better or more creative

decisions, which in turn will lead to financial growth for the organization.

Power/ Influence

1. Describe the sources of power you can use to ensure that the project deliverables are

completed on-time and to the level of quality required.

Ans: There are 5 sources of power:

a. Legitimate Power: an agreement among organizational members that people

in certain roles can request a set of behaviours from others. The most obvious

example of legitimate power is a manager’s right to tell employees what tasks

to perform, who to work with, what office resources they can use, and so

forth. Employees follow the boss’s requests because there is mutual agreement

that employees will follow a range of directives from people in these positions

of authority. Employees defer to this authority whether or not they will be

rewarded or punished for complying with those requests.

b. Reward Power: derived from the person’s ability to control the allocation of

rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions (i.e., negative

reinforcement). Managers have authority over the distribution of

organizational rewards such as pay, promotions, time off, vacation schedules,

and work assignments. Employees also have reward power over their bosses

through their feedback and ratings in 360-degree feedback systems.

c. Coercive Power: the ability to apply punishment. This is usually negative in

nature, and can either be top-down or bottom-up. Top-down examples are

dismissals or performance reviews, while bottom-up examples are threats,

bullying and personal attacks.

d. Expert Power: an individual’s or work unit’s capacity to influence others by

possessing knowledge or skills valued by others. It is the perceived ability to

manage uncertainties in the business environment, through:

● Prevention - prevent environmental changes from occurring

● Forecasting - predict environmental changes or variations

● Absorption - absorbing or neutralizing the impact of environmental

shifts as they occur

 e. Referent Power: When others identify with certain people, like them, or

otherwise respect them. It is most often described as a form of interpersonal

attraction to a charismatic individual.

In this case, to ensure that the project deliverables are completed on time and quality is

maintained, I can use a mix of expert power, reward power and referent power. Since I am

not their direct supervisor I would not be able to use legitimate power. Employees become

disillusioned with the organization when they face coercive power, since it is usually negative

in nature, so I would not like to use that.

I would rather like and acknowledge them for their skills and reward them for achieving their

targets and goals.

Equity

1. How would the notion of procedural justice assist in this endeavour?

Ans: Procedural justice refers to the fairness of the procedures used to decide the

distribution of resources and its possible alteration. By this understanding, it would be

necessary to determine how fair the union might be to its members, as opposed to internal

conflict resolution policies that would apply equally to all employees. A policy that applies

equally and fairly to all employees regardless of their position at work, would be considered

fairer than different rules for unionized and non-unionized staff.

2. How would you recommend this notion be implemented?

Ans: Procedural Justice can be implemented by encouraging employees to present facts and

their perspectives on the issue. Employees tend to feel better after having an opportunity to

speak their minds. Procedural justice is also higher when the decision-maker is perceived as

unbiased, relies on complete and accurate information, applies existing policies consistently,

and has listened to all sides of the dispute. If employees still feel unfairness in the allocation

of resources, these feelings may dissipate if the company has an appeal process in which the

decision is reviewed by a higher level of management.

3. How would the notion of distributive justice assist in this endeavour?

Ans: Distributive Justice is when people evaluate the fairness of the distribution of

resources. By this understanding, it is necessary to identify how resources will be distributed

amongst unionized and non-unionized staff in the organization. The Union can negotiate for

increased benefits and pay rates, but it would be unfair to the non0unionized staff who may

not get similar consideration.

4. How would you recommend this notion be implemented?

Ans: The organization needs to promote and highlight all positive changes in order to

improve employees’ perceptions of fairness, and this can be done by:

● establishing fair procedures in allocating rewards;

● providing detailed and timely explanations for decision procedures and outcomes; and

● tailoring communication to meet employees’ specific needs.

● training supervisors to help them implement fair practices in their interactions with

subordinates.
Organizational Culture

1. What steps would you recommend Carfrae Filters take to improve the culture of their

organization under the current President’s leadership?

Ans: To begin, an external consultant should be brought in who can assess the organization

in an unbiased manner. This can be done by:

a. Company culture audit

b. Change begins with understanding the different types of company culture and

where your company fits – and doesn't fit – into each type

Changing company culture can be achieved by following the below strategies:

a. Show employees how critical is their involvement.

b. Invite employees to share and ideate during company culture discussions
and daily operations.
c. Make sure all management actions abide by organizational values, and this
will cause the employees to follow suit
d. Everything should be aligned to company culture - departments, initiatives,
processes, policies, workflows etc
e. Invite employees to contribute to organizational culture through
collaboration and innovation
f. Utilize periodic culture audits to evaluate if your efforts are working.

2. What steps would you recommend Carfrae Filters take to improve the culture of their

organization once the current President decides to retire.

Ans: Once the current President decides to retire, Action should be taken to ensure all

steps as detailed in the above answer are maintained and improved upon. Apart from this, we

should:

a. Introduce behavioural interviews in the hiring process to eliminate candidates

who do not fit company culture or add to it

b. Encourage growth, leadership development and top-down collaboration through

mentorship, goal-setting and evaluation of jobs and descriptions

c. Check-in regularly with employees in formal and informal settings i.e. during

meetings, lunch breaks etc. Casual settings encourage employees to ideate and

discuss.

d. Maintain an open relationship and work with staff towards employee and

organizational growth.