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MGT Ass2 Fawziah
MGT Ass2 Fawziah
University
Assignment 2
(Critical Thinking)
Academic Year:2022-23
allocated folder.
Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be
reduced for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover
page.
Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students
exceptions.
All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced)
plagiarism).
ASAP 3/8/2023
Learning Outcomes:
management
CLO3. Develop information technology skills for fast & effective means of
Please read the case “Motivation Challenges in the Fast-Food World” and answer the
Fast-food jobs—frying potatoes and flipping burgers in hot, cramped spaces for troves of
teenagers wanting extra spending money. In turn, fast-food companies needn’t worry
about paying living wages, making work meaningful, or providing opportunities for
growth because workers won’t stick around long enough for these things to matter. This
was true as recently as the 1980s, when the majority of fast-food workers were teenagers.
But today, 75 percent of workers are at least 20 years old, and one-third have their own
children. Industry employees now describe “unbearable” work environments that include
low pay, harsh physical and emotional conditions, and rapidly changing technology,
combined with insufficient staff levels and training. Evidence suggests the fast-food
industry hasn’t done much to change its approach to motivating workers, despite its
There are four key reasons fast-food work doesn’t motivate employees. First, these jobs
are designed with few motivating characteristics, with one study describing them as
repetitive that restaurants are exploring whether robots can do them. There are also few
occupy front- line jobs (cook, cashier), with most of the remaining 10 percent in low-
level supervisory positions. Only 2 percent of fast-food jobs are upper-level managerial,
professional, or technical roles, compared with 31 percent of the jobs in the United
States. One former fast-food worker says, “I spent four years working at McDonald’s . . .
I never advanced up the rungs, never was a manager, never achieved anything of
working employees to become top managers and even franchisees, but most workers’
lifetime earnings would barely cover the $750,000+ required to open a franchise.
Second, fast-food workers perceive strong pay inequity. Most earn minimum wage, and
restaurants keep the majority of their workforce part-time to avoid paying benefits. Over
half of fast-food workers rely on some form of governmental assistance, and many earn
extra hours by splitting their time across multiple restaurants. Terrence Wise told a
reporter about the intricate bus-hopping route he’d devised to travel between his jobs at a
Burger King and a McDonald’s in Kansas City, adding that he was sometimes lucky
enough to get two 8-hour shifts in a single day. Wise still earned $8 per hour after 11
years with Burger King. U.S. fast-food workers earn an average hourly wage of $9.09,
meaning that even 40 hours a week wouldn’t put a family of three above the poverty line.
While fast-food CEOs have earned increasingly higher pay over the years, employees’
wages have remained stagnant. Recently, workers at restaurants including Papa John’s,
McDonald’s, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Carl’s Jr. have filed wage-theft
suits. These suits allege that employers intentionally underpaid them by failing to pay
overtime, taking illegal deductions, forcing people to work off the clock, or paying
below-minimum wages.
Third, people often mistreat fast-food employees. According to one former worker,
“Customers always wait in the wings, ready to scream, throw drinks and use racial slurs
over a lack of ketchup.” A Starbucks’ barista described her job as “incredibly tiresome”
because “we’re getting screamed at by customers for not being fast enough, so we try to
go fast, and we mess up the money, or we mess up the drinks, and then we get yelled at
for messing up the money and messing up the drinks.” Shantel Walker, a 30+ year Papa
John’s veteran, said “customers . . . don’t see the retaliatory measures happening behind
that counter . . . they don’t see your hours getting cut and cut. They don’t see your boss
Fourth, high-pressure fast-food environments present physical safety hazards for workers.
In 2015, employees filed federal complaints against McDonald’s for unsafe work
environments, saying understaffing meant employees were pressured to cook food too
quickly and without adequate time to mop up messes or to allow fryers to cool before
changing oil. The employees said this led to falls and burn injuries and that restaurants
didn’t provide even basic first-aid supplies, often instructing them to treat burns with
condiments.
INDUSTRY OUTCOMES
Employees and organizations in this industry have experienced two key outcomes. First,
workers suffer stress-related health problems. Studies show fast-food workers experience
more stress than others in equally demanding careers because of their jobs’ characteristic
absence of both job security and control. Further, the emotional labour of constantly
behind the counter, leads to job dissatisfaction, burnout, and even substance abuse. One
long-time worker says she uses illicit drugs to decrease the stress she experiences from
the “fake feelings” she has to exhibit on the job. National surveys indicate over 17
Second, the industry is facing record-high turnover rates. Recent data indicate a 150
percent turnover rate in fast food—the highest ever recorded in the industry’s history.
Some blame restaurants’ rapid introductions of new technologies (delivery services, self-
ordering kiosks, mobile ordering). Adapting to new technologies takes time, and many
restaurants aren’t providing the necessary training resources to ensure workers feel they
can use the tools proficiently. McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said, “It’s going to
get increasingly challenging to attract the talent you want into your business . . . and then
you’ve got to work really hard through training and development to retain them.”
SMALL IMPROVEMENTS
Recent grassroots campaigns and non-profits such as Fight for $15 and Fast-Food Justice
have had at least small positive impacts on the industry. For example, although fast-food
workers still can’t unionize, new laws in cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York
are helping workers organize, and some cities have enacted wage protections and
scheduling requirements to give employees more job stability and predictability. New
York City Comptroller Scott Stringer sees the improvements as part of a larger
Questions
1) What is the underlying problem in this case from the fast-food industry’s
perspective? (3 marks)
2) What are the causes of this problem? (3 marks)
3) What would Herzberg’s theory say about hygiene and motivating factors present
4) What are the major motivation issues at play in the fast-food industry according to
Please discuss the following independent questions (Max 250 words for every
question).
Marks)
Marks)
4) Discuss ways managers can help employees overcome fear of change. Give
examples. (3 Marks)
5) Identify trends in workplace diversity that managers should be aware of. Give
examples. (3 Marks)
examples (3 Marks)
Notes.
2. The answer should not be limited to Yes/No. There must be a proper explanation
3. Support your submission with course material concepts, principles, and theories
from the textbook and at least Six scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles.
4. References required in the assignment. Use APA style for writing references.
Answers:
Section 1
1) What is the underlying problem in this case from the fast-food industry’s
perspective? (3 marks)
From the standpoint of the fast food sector, the issue here is the absence of viable
methods for inspiring workers to do their best.Fast-food jobs are facing several
various negative outcomes such as high turnover rates, stress-related health problems,
Because of these problems, the workplace has become increasingly stressful, leading to
illnesses like burnout and high turnover rates, which may be very expensive for
businesses. In order to boost worker happiness, loyalty, and productivity, the industry
must address these driving factors. The fast food sector has motivation problems due to a
number of causes. These include low pay, high stress levels, low job security, low control
over one's work environment, and physical and emotional abuse from customers.
The fast food company blames the rising rates of stress-related illnesses and
wide pay gap, rude customers, and threats to employees' physical safety all contribute to a
face significant barriers to motivation and job satisfaction. As a result, the industry
experiences high turnover rates, stress-related health issues, and difficulties in attracting
and retaining talented employees. Fast-food companies need to address these underlying
needs, provide opportunities for growth and advancement, and create a supportive and
There are several causes of this critical problem that made it occur frequently.
Knowing and studying these causes are important to confront this type of problem.
processes without proper training and support can leave employees feeling ill-
equipped to handle their roles effectively. This can cause frustration and
The absence of Job securityFast food workers report higher levels of anxiety
Inequity in Paying among employees: Many fast food workers are paid less
than the federal minimum wage, and the majority of employees are kept in
part-time positions so that their employers can save money on benefits by not
reported worries about unsafe working conditions, a lack of people, and a lack
3) What would Herzberg’s theory say about hygiene and motivating factors present
(sometimes called the Motivation-Hygiene Theory) are both affected by their own unique
combination of workplace elements. (Thant et al, 2021) . According to this theory, there
factors compensation for jobs, such as cashier or kitchen staff, as well as the
turnover rates can be high. Employees in fast-food jobs may worry about
dissatisfaction.
inspire them to perform at their best and enhance their job satisfaction.
Maslow's Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow's theory proposes that individuals are
theory of motivated by a hierarchy of needs, with basic physiological needs at the bottom
needs and higher-level psychological needs at the top (Omid et al, 2018). In the fast-
Safety Needs: Employees seek a safe and stable work environment. In the
safety measures, and a clear career path can address this need.
Social Needs: Fast-food workers may value social connections with their
McClelland's McClelland proposed three primary needs that drive individuals (Rybnicek et al,
acquired 2019). These needs are, affiliation, achievement, and power. In the fast-food
motivations.
.
Section 2
Please discuss the following independent questions (Max 250 words for every
question).
Marks)
(HP)
Strengths Opportunities
solutions. solutions.
Diverse Product Portfolio: HP offers a IoT and Edge Computing: The Internet of
wide range of products, including laptops, Things (IoT) and edge computing present
catering to various consumer and business products and services for connected
diverse markets and customer segments. growing demand for technology products.
Weaknesses Threats
has been facing challenges due to the competition from other major technology
profitability.
Dependency on Printing: HP's heavy
Pricing Pressure: The highly competitive Rapid Technological Changes: The fast-
pricing, potentially impacting HP's profit poses a threat to HP, requiring constant
Marks)
There are several main processes including in the decision-making process takes
place in a business organization (Yang et al, 2017). This process can be discussed
Finding the issue or The first step in making a decision is to recognise the
provide a remedy.
Collecting Data The next step, when the issue or chance has been
number of alternatives.
Taking charge and After settling on a course of action, it's time to see it
strategy.
things and seeing their choice is working out in practise. It could also
how they turn out involve studying the feedback and making any
The success of a company depends on its ability to align its culture, structure, and human
resources practises with its strategy. It has the potential to encourage uniformity,
success.
structure, and HR policies are all in sync to support the strategy, workers are more
likely to be happy about their work and driven to meet organisational goals. As a
result, productivity rises, employee turnover drops, and the company benefits.
framework and human resource policies and procedures that underpin its strategy.
achieves its strategic goals and objectives, managers must be vigilant and
To back the transition with sufficient help: Adjusting a company's strategy may
harmony with one another. To become a more innovative company, for instance,
4) Discuss ways managers can help employees overcome fear of change. Give
examples. (3 Marks)
communication, support, and empathy is required. You can assist your team members
accept new challenges and thrive in times of transition by providing the necessary
responsibilities, the amount of work they have to do, and their relationships with
resolve problems of this nature as soon as they are discovered. Establish a setting
in which individuals do not fear reprisal for speaking their minds, and when issues
do materialise, collaborate with staff members to come up with answers that are to
everyone's advantage.
the approach that will be taken by your team in dealing with change. If you can
show your team members that you are enthusiastic about new ideas, they are more
you are open to receiving feedback and recommendations and that you are willing
Manager have to reward successes: Staff workers who are able to successfully
is important to let employees know that their hard work is appreciated, and one
way to do this is to recognise them in public settings, such as during team
5) Identify trends in workplace diversity that managers should be aware of. Give
examples. (3 Marks)
(Urbancova et al, 2016). Several key trends have emerged in recent years:
dimensions of diversity that intersect and interact, such as race, gender, ethnicity,
religion, sexual orientation, and disability. For example, an employee may face
including the Boomers, Xers, Millenials, and Zers respectively. One generation's
points of view, work habits, and expectations are not going to be the same as
perspectives, and creating an environment where all voices are heard and valued.
They should champion diversity initiatives and hold themselves accountable for
progress.
4. Gender Equity: Striving for gender balance in leadership positions and closing
the gender pay gap remains a key focus. Managers should proactively promote
policies.
5. Help for Your Mental Health: Managers need to be aware of the impact of
support.
examples (3 Marks)
there are hazards associated with depending too much on artificial intelligence for
of applications, including:
levels, and demand trends and generate predictions about ideal supply chain
optimize their plans, and improve their sales success. AI-powered predictive
analyze customer data and predict consumer behavior. For example, we might
References
Omid et al. (2018). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 2(1), 1-12. Retrieved 2018, from
https://www.proquest.com/openview/064449085a557cc2456df8989345f7e8/1?
pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=39801
Rybnicek et al. (2019). McClelland’s need theory. 3(1), 5-20. Retrieved 2019, from
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11846-017-0252-1
https://www.jstor.org/stable/48516231
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304813364_Diversity_Management_in_
the_Workplace
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0019850117300767