Case study

Background

Davis Miller is a large advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York it has
expanded rapidly in recent years and has a number of famous companies as its
clients.

There is very strong competition in the US advertising industry. Agencies compete

to win new contracts or take clients away from the rivals. Advertising staff are well
paid but they work long hours. They worry about job security and become anxious
if their company loses an important client.

Recently Davis Miller lost two of its major accounts. This had a significant effect
on the employees. The agency decided to carry out the survey of the staff’s
opinions about the working conditions. It showed that 65% of staff felt “highly
stressed” in their jobs.
James
Account Executive

CD.1.49 Jessica Parker, a junior account executive, calls Sheila Murray in human
resources department from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil about her boss James. They are
currently negotiating an important contract with a client there.

Birgitte,
Schedule Coordinator

summary of an interview with Bridget by a member of Staff (HR)

Birgitte regulates the flow of work, coordinates scheduling and prepares cost
estimates. According to her, she is stressed because she is often interrupted at
work by visits from other members of staff. She believes there is too much
gossiping in the office which stops her from doing her work.
She says that her supervisor favor certain members of staff and does not want to
send her on training courses.
She lives a long way from work because of this, she gets back home very late and
has no time to relax.
Juliana
Art Director

Extract from an email sent to it to Head off HR

I've never been under such pressure in my work since I joined the agency. I have
no time to listen to the problems of my colleagues. I spend all my time trying to
meet impossible deadlines to produce designs for the Account Executives. We're
competing for too many contracts, that's the problem. I just don't understand the
policy of the agency. It won't help to hire more staff. Most of the creative ideas in
the agency come from me. Sometimes I wonder if they want me to leave and bring
in someone younger. I'm worried because the situation’s beginning to affect my
health. I can’t seem to relax when I get back home.

Jolanta
Assistant to Art Director
Part of an informal conversation between Jolanta and a member of the HR
department

“I'll be looking for another job soon. I feel really stressed out. Juliana never tells
me anything. She never asks for my opinion. It's incredible. I've got a Masters in
Advertising, but it doesn't seem to impress her. She only gives me boring jobs and
shouts at me if I make a mistake. I think she'll have a nervous breakdown soon.
She never praises anything I do. It really upsets me. I was hoping to have a career
here. No chance of that.”

You are a member of the HR department. Work in small groups and discuss
these questions.

1. What are the main reasons why the staff mentioned above are highly
stressed or demotivated?
2. What actions should the HR department take in each case?
Writing a report
Business Software plc

A report should be well organized, with information in a logical order. There is no

set layout for a report. It will depend on:
a. the type of report
b. the company style

The format used here is suitable for formal reports

• title
• executive summary
• introduction
• findings
• conclusion
• recommendations

The executive summary is the summary of the main points and conclusion of the
report. It gives a reader a quick overview of the total situation

We have been contacted by Lenz AG, A German manufacturer of mobile phones

and asked about the possibility of a cooperation agreement. We would adapt our
business software for use in their products. Tests show that their product is a very
good one and popular with our target market.
Introduction

The introduction shows that the points that will be looked at

This report will look at -

• The hardware manufacturer and their requirement

• Software that could be used on their mobile phones
• The advantages of working together
• Recommendations for action

Findings

The findings are the facts discovered.

1. Lenz has been developing cheap, small scale electronic devices for 35
years. In the last five years, they have focused on more expensive mobile
phones for business people. These have been very successful. One in four
mobile phones for the business market are Lenz.
2. Our new “Executive Organizer” software has a lot of attractive features for
the travelling businessperson (eg. address book, e-malware, voice recorder,
street- finderr function-etc)
3. Market research shows that there is a big interest in our products being used
on machines apart from computers.

Conclusion

The conclusion is what you think about the facts and how you interpret them

The two companies have products which fit well together.

Recommendation

Recommendations are practical suggestions to deal with the situation and ideas
for making sure future activities run more easily.

We should have a meeting with representatives from Lenz as soon as possible to

discuss a joint venture between our companies, with the aim of putting our software
onto their mobile phones.

Tracy Cruickshank
Research and Development Director
19 October 2023
Employee Well-being and Work Environment: A Comprehensive Overview

Executive Summary

This report looks into the challenges faced by employees at Davis Miller, a big
advertising agency in New York. With the company growing fast and facing a lot
of competition, the recent loss of important clients has made employees worry
about their well-being and work conditions. This report analyzes the experience
of three employees – Birgitte (Schedule Coordinator), Juliana (Art Director), and
Jolanta (Assistant to Art Director) – to understand the things that are causing them
stress and problems at work. Based on what we find, we'll suggest ways to make
things better for everyone.

Introduction

The rapid growth and tough competition at Davis Miller have made work really
stressful for employees. This report looks at three employees' experiences to
understand the challenges they're facing. Our goal is to come up with ideas to
improve their work environment and make their jobs better.

Findings

Birgitte (Schedule Coordinator): Birgitte's job is to manage schedules and costs.

She's stressed because she's interrupted a lot by coworkers, and office gossip
makes it even harder for her to work. She feels like some coworkers get favored
over others, and she doesn't get chances for training. Her long commute home
also makes it tough for her to relax.

Juliana (Art Director): Juliana has a tough job as an Art Director. Tight deadlines
and too many projects stress her out. She's also confused about the company's
rules. She doesn't feel appreciated even though she comes up with creative ideas.
This is affecting her health and her time at home.

Jolanta (Assistant to Art Director): Jolanta helps Juliana but feels like she's not
heard. She's got a degree in Advertising, but Juliana doesn't seem to care. Jolanta
is given boring tasks and shouted at for mistakes. She thinks Juliana might get
really stressed soon. Not getting any praise upsets her, and she's thinking about
leaving for a new job.
Conclusions

Birgitte, Juliana, and Jolanta's stories show that many employees are struggling
with stress, bad communication, not feeling valued, and struggling to balance work
and life. These problems are a sign that there's something wrong with how things
are at the company.

Recommendations

Better Communication: Managers and employees should talk more openly to

solve problems.

Recognition and Growth: Employees should be recognized for their hard work,
and they should have chances to learn and grow.

Managing Workload: The company should plan projects better to avoid too
much stress.

Balancing Life: Flexible work hours or programs for wellness can help
employees handle stress better.

By following these suggestions, Davis Miller can create a happier and more
supportive work environment, helping employees feel better and stay longer.

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