OB Case Study #2: Analysis and Solutions for Managers

© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. Take-Home Case Study #2 (20%) Purpose. The purpose of this assignment is to assess students’ individual ability to observe, explain, and address OB-related issues addressed in Modules 5-8. You are now a Senior Managerial Consultant for AC&LB Firms. Congratulations on the promotion! You have been given three new organizations, each with individual OB issues, that require your expertise. Just like at Organic Fields & Foods (Assignment 1), each case will ask you multiple questions and you will be evaluated on your individual ability to (1) observe and identify the issue that needs to be addressed in a case, (2) critically connect these issues to potential causes and/or consequences, and/or (3) resolve the issues present in a case. You are expected to draw upon the theories and concepts learned in this course to respond to these questions. Ensure that you reference your sources (e.g., lecture slides, textbook chapters, class articles) using APA formatting. You will also be evaluated on your written communication. That is, I expect your answers to be written using professional and academic writing that follows all formatting guidelines detailed below. For each case that does meet this expectation, you will be deducted 1 point (up to three points off). Deliverable. Each case is worth 10 points and should span no longer than 1 single-spaced page (in 12-point, Times - New Roman font with a 1” margin around all sides). Taken together, you can write a maximum of three 3 single-spaced pages ( one single-spaced page per case ). If part of an answer extends beyond the one-page limit (per case), that part of the answer will not be graded. Please indicate the case and sub-questions you are answering by indicating the case number and question number (e.g., Case 1, Q1). All assignments must be submitted as a .doc or docx. Do not submit this assignment as a pdf – I did not apply the penalty for assignment 1 for this last time – this time I will. Your file must be saved as “CaseStudy 2 _B00xxxx” (insert your B00 number). On a separate, fourth page, please list all of your references cited in text (across Cases 1-3), using APA style formatting. A guide on how to use APA style formatting and citations is available on Brightspace [on our course webpage, select ‘content’ → Take-Home Case Study Assignment Instructions → Writing Tips and Tricks → APA Formatting Guide]. References should include lecture slides, the textbook, assigned articles, and resources available via module resources. Resources outside of these sources are unnecessary to answer these questions and should not be included. Additional pages depicting figures/tables are not permitted. Title pages are not necessary. You should use a narrative format with complete sentences and paragraphs for this assignment (i.e., not bulleted points ). These assignments should be submitted via the course assignment Dropbox by no later than July 3 rd , 11:59 PM. Late assignments will be deducted 10% (i.e., 3 points) for each day it is late, for up to three days. The 10% deduction will apply if the assignment is late between 1 min to 24 hours for each 24-hour period. Assignments will not be accepted after three days of being late. No resubmissions or alternative assignments will be accepted. This assignment must be completed individually and will be verified using Turnitin software. Failure to comply with academic integrity will result in an automatic 0 for all those involved.

© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. Case 1: R&R Designs Your first stop as a Senior Managerial Consultant is at a coffee shop where you meet Uma. Uma is the owner of R&R Designs, a designer furniture store in downtown Montreal that is very profitable. Her store specializes in luxury furniture that uses high-end materials and emphasizes beauty and style. Uma currently employs 30 full- time and part-time employees. Employees have a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and abilities. Five employees are industrial designers with extensive experience in furniture design; four employees are responsible for marketing and community engagement; three employees manage the human resources of the company; three employees are in charge of sourcing materials for product design; 10 employees build the furniture; five employees work in sales and in the downtown store location. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uma has noticed a greater demand for products that fit the “work - from- home” lifestyle. Many of h er customers now spend more of their time at home and want furniture that is not only beautiful but also functional. For example, it is not enough for an armchair to look great in someone’s living room; it also needs to be comfortable enough to work in for eight hours. Uma wonders whether she should create a new speciality line of products called “ the WFH – line” to better meet those demands. On the one hand, it makes sense to adapt to customers’ current lifestyles and, given the loyal customer base, she is confident that if executed effectively, such a move would be very beneficial and profitable to her business. There might even be an opportunity to stand out among other designer furniture brands as a company that strikes a balance between luxury and practicality. On the other hand, Uma knows little about the practical and functional side of furniture design, and she worries that, if not done well, such changes might be a costly waste of time that also harms the brand she has worked so hard to build. She is also uncertain about how long this demand will last as more pandemic restrictions are lifted. In five years from now, will as many of her customers still be working from home? Q1. To help Uma make this decision, you determine that she should not be making this decision on her own. Instead, your first step to solving some of her questions (i.e., should Uma design the WFH-line? What would this product line consist of?) is to tap into the unique skills, knowledge, and abilities of her employees. You decide that you need to bring together a team of her employees to help answer these questions. However, bringing a team of employees together is not that straightforward; you have to consider team characteristics to enable greater team success. In order to help Uma, provide her with three recommendations that she should consider related to her team’s composition. Be specific in identifying what component of team composition you are considering, what specific recommendation you’re making to Uma, and why. Ensure you justify your answer using evidence from course materials and you provide Uma with actionable suggestions that she can implement as the team leader. [6 points] Q2. Though team decision making has many benefits, some disadvantages can still arise. (a) What is a team decision-making issue that has the potential to arise in this scenario and why? [2 points] (b) How can you help Uma notice and prevent this issue from arising? [2 points]

© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. Case 2: The News Room Your next stop is at “The News Room” located in Toronto, Canada. “The News Room” is a local online podcast that posts 30 minute daily episodes, Monday to Friday, reporting on local news in the General Toronto Area. These episodes typically include a report on major news events, weather, community social events, and Fridays include special episodes in which local businesses are promoted. When you first enter “The News Room”, you meet Dale, who is the producer of the show. He informs you that he has nine employees who collectively play a role in creating, completing, and posting the daily podcast episodes . Specifically, he has two ‘on - air’ personalities who report on the podcast, five investigative journalists, and two employees who manage the final recording and production of the show. Dale himself is responsible for managing the work of all of these employees and approving all aspects of the final product before an episode is posted at 6 AM EST. Dale has been struggling with two substantial issues that he fears might interfere with his ability to continue to produce this show. Q1. First, Dale has noticed that his five investigative journalists have lowered their performance efforts in their role. The investigative journalists are specifically responsible for: (1) making connections with the local community, (2) finding and developing stories for the podcast episodes, (3) vetting sources to ensure accuracy in their reports, and (4) writing the scripts for the on-air personalities. Dale has noticed that the journalists have particularly decreased their efforts in vetting their sources and instead rely on the words of their original source. This has resulted in several instances of misreporting. For example, last week, the podcast aired a Friday episode featuring a local business that claimed to donate 10% of its profits to a local pet rescue charity, Saving Angel. After the episode had aired, one of the volunteers at Saving Angel who manages donations said they have never received a donation from this business. This sort of misreporting can significantly threaten the reputation of “The News Room”. Dale mentions he has heard of expectancy theory as a way to motivate his employees, but he does not understand how he can apply this theory to encourage his reporters to put more effort into vetting their sources. Dale also mentions that he has recently won a grant from the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, meaning his one main resource to incentivize his reporters is money! (a) Applying expectancy theory, what recommendations would you make to Dale to motivate his employees? Make sure to identify specific and actionable managerial recommendations and explain why you are making these recommendations according to the theory. [3 points] (b) Since monetary incentives are the main reward that Dale can offer, what are three recommendations you can make to Dale to ensure he maximizes the benefits and minimizes the limitations of monetary incentives? [3 points] Q2. Second, Dale directs you to meet with two of his investigative reporters, Adinew and Diane, who he mentions have been particularly struggling over the past few months. In chatting with them about their work, you find out they are very stressed in their positions at “The News Room” . Specifically, Adinew mentions that he feels like the daily turnaround time for his stories is hard to achieve. For example, last week he had eight hours to develop a three-minute story about a Syrian refugee who started a chocolate shop. This required him to interview the shop owner, gather information from customers, and create sound bites reflecting these interviews. He got the story in to his producer right at the 8-hour mark, but he would have preferred a little more time. Further, he mentions that although he has some experience with the technology associated with creating these segments, sometimes integrating sound bites, clearing up sound distortion, and putting together a clear and crisp segment stretches his technological abilities. Diane tells a bit of a different story. Diane has been working with the company for three years now, and recently, a newly hired reporter has been making her work- life difficult. He makes unwanted sexual advances towards her, and often comments on her appearance and clothing in a sexual manner. Diane says she’s been working in the industry for long enough to know to ignore

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© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. people like that, but these behaviours are combined with the fact that she also just lost her sister to a long-term battle with cancer. Diane feels like she can not deal with both of these issues in her life, and is very overwhelmed and disengaged from her work. (a) Identify and explain the stressors both Adinew and Diane are experiencing. Be specific and use examples from the case. [2 points] (b) What recommendations could you make to Dale to deal to help him address the issues Adinew and Diane are facing? Draw on theory from the course materials and ensure you provide a recommendation for both reporters. [2 points]

© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. Case 3: Shurman Family Farm Your last stop on this work trip is in Kensington, PEI at the Shurman Family Farm. The Shurman Family Farm was established in 2011, and is a 25-acre greenhouse production, run by a family including Marc and Krista Schurman, and their three children. Marc and Krista grow 100% certified organic tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and a variety of other vegetables in their 150,000 sq ft greenhouse, and they specialize in creating summer veggie boxes that they distribute across Kensington, Summerside, and Charlottetown. Their sales have been reaching new heights since the pandemic, and though they thought their delivery service may slow down since Covid restrictions have been lifted, they quickly realized that this is not the case. The demand for their products is the highest it has ever been. Further, Marc has been able to secure another 10 acres to build a secondary greenhouse to specialize in some new fruits and vegetables requested by their customers. Although Marc and Krista are excited about this potential for growth, they know they cannot manage this new workload strictly on their own. Q1. In order to manage the growth of their business, Marc has decided to hire four new employees to support the growing and farming of the vegetables and fruit in the new 10-acre greenhouse. When you meet with Marc, you can see the passion he has for the work he does. He tells you farming is in his blood. He was raised on a farm and therefore has been farming his entire life. He has travelled and lived in different climates to learn how to farm in different regions, and he has pursued this passion further via his education. He is truly an expert in his field (pun intended). But, with his expertise focused on farming, it has become clear that Marc does not really know how to transfer this knowledge to his new employees. He explains that many of the decisions he makes, and the ways he practices his farming has become second nature to him. For example, certain practices such as how to plant different seeds, when to water seedlings, and how to prune plants, are all based on his instinct; how is he supposed to train these new hires? Thankfully, you understand how people learn, and can teach Marc how to approach training his employees. Drawing on lessons from reinforcement theory, explain to Marc how he can train his new hires. Be specific in your explanation and recommendations, including how reinforcement works, how you would approach encouraging certain behaviours and dissuading other behaviours (use examples), and how frequently you would apply these behaviours. [4 points] Q2. You spend another 24 days on the farm, observing Marc and his management of these four new employees, and you notice a couple of issues in how Marc is managing. First, you notice that one of his new employees, Lixin, spilled over a fruit barrel dropping several pounds of produce on the ground. Marc complains to you about this employee, calling him clumsy, irresponsible, and lazy. He even expresses to you his belief that “ if you can’t handle a barrel, you can’t handle farming” . He considers firing the employee on the spot. Second, you see that Marc has decided to produce a new crop in his new greenhouse: cucamelons. Cucamelons are a subspecies of small cucumbers, typically grown in Mexico, and though they look like a cucumber crossed with a watermelon, just in miniature form, they are a complete unique species of crop. However, the crop he is growing does not seem to be producing. One of his new hires, Jolene, tells him that the plants keep dying off after they sprout, and the seeds are very expensive compared to his other crops. She mentions that this might not be the best crop to continue to pursue. Marc has already tried three other distributors for these seeds, and those have also failed. He tells Jolene she needs to be more creative in her farming, because he promised his clients that he would have cucamelons in the next veggie basket. Marc informs you that he has already spent six months on this crop, and about $6000, but he expects Jolene to be innovative in fixing this issue rather than critiquing the potential of the crop. Third, you notice Marc seems to favour one employee over the others. Specifically, one of his new hires, Eric, was a hockey player, and he tells you that he believes that Eric will rise to the top, because hockey players have excellent work ethic and drive. He highlights how hard Eric works,

© Cloutier COMM 2303 Summer 2022 This material is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in COMM 2303 completing this assignment. This material shall not be distributed or disseminated. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright and may also constitute a breach of Academic Integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement. pointing to examples of Eric planting the crops as directed, confirming his belief that he ought to hire more athletes. You notice that Eric also dropped a barrel of fruit one day, but Marc did not seem to notice that or care. Identify and define each bias Marc is exhibiting with each employee and use examples from the case to justify your identification. [6 points]

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Case Study 2 Assignment Instructions

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