Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Chapter Four Case: "Left out of the Loop" (p. 142)
It's actually pretty easy to find a case about systems theory. In a way, they are all about systems theory. In this case the advantage of thinking about an organization in systems theory terms is pretty obvious as organizational members do not feel they are equally involved in the organization.
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After reading this story, I feel bad for the employees. You can see how the previous manager definately help a scientific management style. The only ones who were informed were those who were in management positions, and not all the time did all manager know the information because people "ran out of time" and couldn't provide it for them. The new manager is all about human resources. He wants to see the employees having access to communicate between departments/buildings, and provide a better atmosphere for all employees (create the stronger communication channels to provide stronger morale). To have a new manager come in with a different managerial style I think will be overwhelming for him because the first-line managers are probably informing him about a lot of aspects that should be changed, and trying to figure out where to start and how to start can cause issues. I can see how Graham uses Maslow's needs hierachy to develop what is needed for the company to improve the morale. Deciding the basic needs that need to be met, a sense of belonging between all levels of company (help establish better ties of communication), and connceting the buildings better (communicationwise) to show the stability the company has.
It definitely was apparent that when the old manager was boss, there was a lot of top-down communication and not a lot off communication across departments. You can tell throughout the case study that it had an affect on the employees because they did not feel that they were a part of the whole. I think that the intranet became almost a "status symbol" throughout the organization, because only the upper management had access to it. I think it segregated the organization as a whole and had an affect on the productivity of the employees. I think when the new manager came in he truly cared about the employees and made an effort to improve their working conditions. I agree with abbyT that it will be very stressful for Graham to start at this new organization and see instant results. Although he may like to get intranet and computers for all departments, there is still a budget I’m sure that he will have to deal with somewhere down the line. I guess I never thought that something as common as a computer would create such turmoil within an organization, but I can understand because I rely heavily on my computer on a day to day basis. I couldn't imagine going to school and being "denied" internet access because I was- i don't know for sake of argument- an underclassman or something. That would definitely create some animosity toward other students the same way that Cathy viewed her managers. Graham certainly took into account the systems approach, because he felt that by uniting his employees by creating committees and social gatherings, he would improve the WHOLE organization rather than just parts of the organization. I would agree with Rick's comment that the systems theory can be found in a lot of these case studies primarily the ones revolving around human resources, because they are putting the needs of the employees first. Hopefully Graham was able to accomplish his goals and better the workplace environment for all of the employees.
This situation is somewhat difficult for me to understand. In my opinion, I would have taken this e-mail issue into consideration ahead of time before these problems occurred. In a way I feel bad for the employees. While people in management positions seem to be receiving all the information, other employees of equal or lower rank are struggling to keep up. Not only are they not able to receive e-mails, but people are forgetting to post the information because they either forget or don't have enough time to get it done. However, Graham, the new manager seems very concerned with his employees and wants to work on improving human resources in their organization. I feel that every organization should share this quality because not only would everyone be on the same page, but there would be better communication between departments/employees/buildings. I think one of the most important qualities an organization can have is good communication skills, that way there is no confusion about what needs to be done.
Wow, I wonder if Graham knew what he was in for. He most definitely seems to be just the right person for the job. His human relations approach to management will most definitely help raise employee morale, emphasizing the interpersonal and social needs of each individual. Graham has his work cut out for him. The employees are currently only meeting the lowest levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. It doesn’t sound as if there is a single employee who feels their need for belonging is being met. The employees cannot move upward because of the lack of motivation within the company. With better integration of the intranet and more horizontal communication, this company could take a turn for the better. Graham’s leadership will help make each person feel as if they were a part of a team and their opinions matter.
After working in a efficient corporate office setting this summer I was really surprised to read about the level of miscommunication in this case. The employees had every reason to be upset about the conditions and lack of communication but what really surprised me was that an office setting such as this could not have been efficient or effective. In the grand scheme, the head office was probably losing money by not maximizing productivity in their local offices. They managed in a very top-down style in which upper management made all of the important decisions and everyone under them was simply supposed to do his/her job, no questions asked.
I think Graham was on the right track by planning to get more computers and connecting the systems and even more importantly working on the employee morale. I've learned in other communication classes that personal needs are right at the top of the list when considering job satisfaction. I think Graham's tactics will have been more effective because he considered employee input in decision making.
I would agree that systems theory is easy to apply to this situation because there is an obvious disconnection among the employees and the organization as a whole. There is a lack of relationships, which make a group a system. There are no opportunities for all the employees, and managers, to communicate with one another. This is apparent by the comments the employees shared with Graham. There are a limited number of computers, some departments don't even have access to the intranet,and many employees missed out on intranet training. There are no employee social events, the buildings at Nirogee are spread far apart, employees haven't been invited to company meetings and only some managers are invited to meetings. No wonder the employees don't feel apart of the organization! Graham definitely has a lot of work to do to create a functional organization and increase employee morale. I think a good start will be offering intranet training and making the intranet readily available to all. This should greatly decrease the communication gap. Also, this will show employees that they are valuable to the organization. Employees knowing about what's going on in the organization wont depend on if someone "had time to post a memo on a bulletin board!" With Graham as the new leader, using a human resources approach, I think the company has a good chance of changing for the better.
There is quite a bit of miscommunication in this case! I can see why it was so frustrating for the employees. The first manager CLEARLY was taking a scientific management approach. They needed to be efficient, so by making clear laws and rules, the employees were able to follow that. It is also clear that Graham is going about a human resources approach. It will be very difficult for him to change the company from a classical management approach to one that is more employee friendly. Although I am sure he would like to see instant results, it will take time to get the whole company going his way. Maybe if Graham tried McGregory's Theory Y and give employees the opportunity to explore and be creative things will turn around. Not only will they respect him more but the transition between management styles will change at a faster pace. He is doing the right thing at the beginning by getting computers out. By giving employees access to the intranet they will feel included right away. He is on his way to success!
This company is completely unorganized and needs to do something to correct the situation before something really terrible happens. The leaders of this company clearly do not have an understanding of what is going on with their employees and needs to get some outside help to reorganize their communication system, because what they are doing now is not working. How can they expect to use intranet when half their employees do not have access to the emails and memos on a daily basis. The communication is slow and completely top to bottom. No one should be held accountable for information in a memo that they get to see sometimes days after it was sent. Everyone needs to have intranet access, the managers all need their own computers and they should be having weekly meetings to make sure everyone is up to date. I know that the last manager was insufficient, but Graham, the new one, clearly is ready to make the necessary changes and the company should support him.
At the same time, he should not be expected to take on all this extra work himself. The company needs to get intouch with its employees from top to bottom and from side to side. Employees need a good support system, and it is clear that the employees do not feel needed or even wanted in this company.
The entire time I was reading this case I was thinking of how this theory is still prevalent today, but not to such an extreme level. I work at Trane Company and as a matter of fact this morning I had to attend a training session on how to use a new intranet program on the system. All employees had to attend and the sessions have been going on 6 times a day for 2 weeks. We are finally putting our time cards on our system. I hadn't even thought of the cost of doing this or the extra computers that we might need to make this training go smoother. I also can't imagine the world of work without computers. How would any one get any information? We receive informative emails at least 12 times a day.
While reading the case I was amazed at how poorly Nirogee was run previously. Except at the same time I was thinking that some companies may still run things like they did. Graham was doing the right thing by visiting every unit and he has a lot on his plate, but the most important thing is making sure that employees all get the same information. I think this start in communication will go a long way in this company. Sometimes these issue make me very irriated to know that employees are being treated this poorly. Thank goodness we don't follow the Scientific Management Theory any more, or way less prevalent now than it was.
There is a lot of miscommunication and lack of follow through going on in this organization. It was a great idea for the corporate office to start using intranet in order to distribute memos and other important information. It saves paper and it's much faster. If this would have been exicuted properly this could have strengthened the organization as a whole. However, with insufficient funds and lack of adequate training the implimentation of the intranet has had a negative effect on the organization as a whole. Staff members are overloaded with work, are stressed, and some feel as though they are dispensable. There is no other effective means of communication between departments and the physical layout of the facility hinders face to face interaction. It is necessary that this problem be resolved immediately. This is a complex, interdependent corporation that relys on one another. I agree with Graham on the resolution of this problem, but where is the money going to come from? As new computers are distributed and more training sessions are implemented there needs to be follow through by managers and feedback from employees in order for the organizaiton as a whole to see if they are meeting their original goal. The most important aspect is to reasure ALL employees (direct or nondirect) that they are considered equal. An employee, such as Cathy, should be able to bring up an issue and offer relavent feedback without being considered a troublemaker. The organization will be left with nothing if they do not work together as a team.
I have had a very similiar situation happen to me. I had a boss who was very on top of things and had a very scientific management style. He didn't communicate very often if at all with us "lower status workers". That was the job of the managers and supervisors. After working in this type of atmosphere we soon got a new boss who had a very different managerial style. It was very overwhelming at first because most of us were so use the the way our previous boss managed. I can relate to how the employees in the case study were feeling. After a while we were able to get use to the new style of management and it turned out to be a much better atmosphere in my job. I feel like Graham had a lot to get done in this company. I think that creating communication throughout the different departments made the management style a more human resources type of system. I agree with Rick when he says that this shows a system because the employees are part of the system and allowing communication between different departments will create a more productive system or company.
After reading this case study I also feel very bad for the employees. Especially those like Cathy who have been part of the Nirogee Centre for many years. Her feelings of unimportance should be acknowldged and changed for the better of the organization. Starting at one postion within the oragnization and building upon it will eventually increase the company's morale. Graham's intentions of changing the ties of communication is a very good start, and will hopefully lessen the divide that is very prevelent in the company. The issues of computers and the company's budget is also an issue to tackle. Where exactly the money will come from is very questionable, however, it is something that should not be ignored. Maybe those who already did attend the training could meet with those who are finding it difficult to use the computers in the mean time. This could create better relationships within the company and improve the techolgical savvy of the company as well. With this in mind when the company does have the money to purchase the computers the training will already be taken care of.
The Human Resource approach to managing is really what Nirogee needs and will bring a great change to the organization.
This case brings to light an issue that is present in every business. It’s the feeling that not everyone is “important” in a larger business. This is a good example of how some of the later theories from chapter 3 really are important. Those theories show that the workers are the ones doing the work, so they should be happy and feeling needed. In this case, the head office workers didn’t take those beneath them seriously. The systems theory is expressed very clearly in this case. It shows that all the different groups, whether it is the food staff, cleaners, or those actually taking care of the residents, are extremely important to the way the business is ran. The previous manager made no effort to get to know the other workers or even find out what could make their jobs easier and/or more enjoyable. The new manager, however, made it a point to visit each group when he started his job. This not only shows that the new manager is a better manager but that he really does care about the other workers. I hope I don’t get into a situation where I have a manager like the first one. I don’t think I would last very long at that job.
It sounds like the head office really does not know the needs of this office. The fact that the office was so quick to drop 33,000 bucks on a video-conferencing facility but will not provide enough computers for the staff is a way that shows how separated the main office is from the Nirogee office. This separation has had a negative effect on the organization as a whole. After reading commentary from Cathy, it seems as if the workers are extremely unhappy with the lack of communication technology not only from the head office but also within the Nirogee office. Graham needs to first address the technology issues. More computers need to be brought in to take some of the pressure off of those who are suppose to be printing things off and more people will have access to memos, etc. Also, these people need to be trained to use the technology so there is little confusion as to what people are suppose to be doing with their new technology. Graham needs to improve employee morale. Maybe he could organize bi-weekly socials or distressing events for the staff so they have a reason to get together that is not work related. Another idea could be that since employees work around the clock, the company could have a large group meal in which people could take their breaks in shifts but still be able to enjoy the company of others and meeting other people. I believe that employee morale is one of the most important things to a business so Graham should work on making these employees really want to come to work instead of the employees feeling second-rate.
It is strange to me that some organizations still work like this. The scientific type of management that was installed in this organization seems pretty out of date for today’s workplace. When I imagine myself getting a job, I can never picture not knowing about what is going on with the organization I work for. If a group of people are working to achieve something, shouldn’t there be open lines of communication to ensure that the managers and executives are getting what they want out of the employees? Plus, this all assumes that no problems arise. Who communicates all this crucial information within the organization? I’m used to a worker being able to reach those in charge of making decisions and fixing the problem at the start. The human relations approach will be difficult in this situation because the old styles of management are so heavily enforced. I agree with a previous posting when they say McGregor’s theory Y should be tried out to help smooth the transition and improve their organization from the inside.
I also feel bad for the employees. I think in a lot of cases it seems as though managers are trying to make improvements around the workplace, such as in this case with the videoconferencing and the computers, but they do not always consider all angles of what they are doing. Things like technology training and crash courses get overlooked by accident, and I would even be so bold as to say on purpose in some instances. In regards to the systems approach, even if a workplace is functioning well as a whole, I believe it’s important not to overlook all the pieces that make that whole function. In the case study, things seemed to be working, but not well, because many employees were unhappy and unable to keep up with certain aspects of their job. I felt that the office I worked in over the summer was functional, but when you broke it down into the pieces it is composed of, people from other departments had no idea what I did in my job and vice versa, because the office was split into 2 separate wings, and so sometimes I never even saw the employees who didn’t work in my wing. Because people didn’t really feel connected as a team, it wasn’t a huge deal when someone was leaving for good, and at the end of the day, to most it was “just a job.” We had a work outing in which we did a scavenger hunt, which was great because it emphasized what the book refers to as “coopetition”—cooperation and competition. But other than that, when it came to being in the office, everyone remained separate and did their separate jobs. Granted, there was some interdependence within each of the departments, but not generally among the different departments. Overall, I think that the manager from the case study is doing a good job of trying to improve the system through establishing goals, monitoring employee feedback, being open-minded about change, and making sure he is making employees feel connected and included in the workplace.
I think that the old style of "top down" communication that was used in the company was obviously not very beneficial to the employees or the company as a whole. If the employees aren't happy, which they clearly weren't, then the company suffers ultimately. The old managers system was faulty mainly because he didn't take the time to hear his employees. The new manager obviously was ready to fix the communication problems and work with the employees instead of over them. By taking a small amount of time out of his day and listening to what the left out employees had to say, their "system" could run a lot better. It could be more effective simply just by giving the employees the important memos that they needed so that they could perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. They don't have to wonder if they are missing vital information and spend time looking it up. Basically, by adjusting the communication style from the "top down" style to a more level style, misunderstandings could easily be cleared up and make employees more at ease!
I think this case study really helps to demonstrate the effect that employee morale has on quality of production. It's interesting to think whether the company would have been much more successful had the previous manager provided them with better working conditions. In my opinion, raising morale would have surely raised the company's success rate. This idea is directly correlated to systems theory. Because the group had barely any job satisfaction/benefits, attitudes towards work hardened. This dissatisfaction (paired with the lack of technology and other means of communication) with the previous managerial system likely resulted in an unwillingness to work hard or as a team. I think Graham's strategy in combatting this issue was probably very successful in increasing morale and productivity by encouraging a sense of order (a system).
This case shows how disfunctional this organization is. There is so much broken communication. Information is being sent down, but feedback isn't allowed back up. This effects the productivity and morale of the employees. Because feedback isn't allowed back up the chain, the right things aren't being noticed and the employees don't feel like they are being taken care of. The office worth $33,000 was useless, when they obvioulsy need more computers. Graham did the right thing by introducing himself and meeting the employees. This should boost their morale and get them excited about working. Graham is creating new commmunication lines that the organization needs. Hopefully the new managerial style will make the organization function smoothly.
This organization is clearly not a strong functioning system, and anyone who has ever been associated with a care facility knows that this type of work needs excellent communication. I worked in a nursing home all through high school, and have work at a few different care facilities here in La Crosse over the past 4 years, and have been in the presence of both poor and excellent communication throughout the facilities. The Nirogee Centre facility is running under an open system that each separate part, or department needs to have the ability not only to communicate amongst themselves, but also with other departments in order to keep the “overall health” of the organization. They need compromise, distributed intelligence, and similar goals in order for it to work as a whole, and I honestly don’t feel that putting more computers, or training employees how to run video-conferences or internet is going to solve the problem. For many organizations the use of technology in order to communicate is a necessity, but in an interactive business such as this, that face-to-face contact that is needed here will give employees the satisfaction of getting their voice heard.
It's kind of shocking to see that a company can be run in a form like this still. If you take Likert's views on organizations you'd find that this would be a level I situation (and from the posters we all know that IV > I). I guess when people think of the old, archaic structure system of management within organizations, the kind we see in movies with the boss as an unapproachable person, they kind of generally think that the system is outdated and that they'll never be placed into a job situation like that. It's really unfortunate to see that there are still companies who stick by there old school roots so intently that they won't open their communication up to all members of the company. Likert definitely would not like it.
Wowsers...there was a lot of direct care workers and indirect care workers...kinda confusing. But alas, I think that is the point of this case study--CONFUSION! I think that Systems Theory is pretty fitting for this case-a system is greater than the sume of it's parts. The "head office" does not seem to realize this. They seem to think that whatever they do is right for the organization and its parts. That is not obviously the case. First criticism, if the buildings were going to end up meeting (when 30 or 40 of them were built) why not just start them next to each other and have a common road or perhaps center. But anyway, this case study really makes me think of Beer. Well, moreover it makes me think of Miller (the company). Now, Miller is actually owned by some African company, but it still works for this example. Miller owns not only it's big breweries (Milwaukee), but many other little breweries (Leinenkugals) around the country. When Miller takes over a brewery, they leave it's organizational structure intact. They realized that what works for a big brewery doesn't always work for a small one. This is systems management. What's good for one part may not be good for other parts, or they system as a whole. This case study needs to follow Miller's example. This case also relates to the organizational structure. Obviously the top-down approach is not helping the town of Guthrie.
By being aware of what is going on instead of focussing solely on the message, Graham figured out why the communication was not working.
Posted by Amanda F:
this case study is a perfect example of how scientific management is not an effective way to manage employees. Having employees who feel that they are unimportant is not what you want. IF an employee feel appreciated and valued, imagine how much harder they would work. The old manager did focus on interdependence in the workplace. He was not concerned with how his actions would affect the employees or failure to allow equal use of the internet would creat feelings of inequality in the workplace. It is important to remember that a system will not function properly if some of its part are out of sync. In this case, the old mamnger had things so out of sync that employees were frustrated and some were overwhlemed. The new manger is looking at things from the right perspective and focusing on how he can help to imporve the workplace and make everyone feel content and important.
When I read stories or hear about situations like this, it makes me worried that one day I will find myself in this kind of top-down work environment. This scientific sort of managerial style would never work for someone like me because I take to much pride in being as involved as possible in everything I do. Don't get me wrong, I can take instruction, but I prefer to have the opportunity to give feedback and be actively involved in my work. I think that cases like this are prime examples of just how beneficial it is to to have a background in communication studies. My guess is that the first manager did not - and had he had a background in comm. studies he may have chosen to run things differently or at least he would have known the possible consequences of chosing the managerial technique that he did. We talk a lot in class about how organizations can create a sense of "family" among members and I think that is what Grahm needs to do. Company picnics, Christmas parties, and maybe even birthday celebrations would help to create the comrodery that I think this organization will need to be successful.
Talk about your communicational traffic jams! Graham certainly had a full load to take care of with the indirect staff and the lack of the intranet. With communication technology always changing, it would only seem fair for all the posts to have the intranet available for email. With this lack of information, I wouldn't be surprised if the indirect staff ended up getting fired for not following notifications, memos, etc.
Graham should get the intranet set up in these places so communication can flow freely within the corporation. If the outside world were to find out this kind of info, who knows what might happen. It's even sadder to hear that the indirect staff stations didn't get to mingle with the direct staff during parties and the like. The corporation needs to get on the ball and provide funding for communication and not blow it on rarely used video conferencing.
From everything I've read so far, I think it's safe to say that we all feel bad for the employees, and there's no questions what type of management style is used here. It seems like this place is run a lot like a 'piece of wisdom' and old boss gave me when he'd give me terrible jobs to do - 'sorry kid, but shit rolls down hill'. While the higher level employees are keeping up the lower level employees are just trying to keep their heads above water... hence it's all rolling down hill for those people. It's too bad because if more communicative management had been in place, this never would've happened.
Nirogee really has its problems. When I was reading this, I kept thinking about the fact that this was a state owned organization. I guess I really wasn’t surprised how inefficient it seemed and wasteful it seemed when I was reading. I think when organizations run without having “the evil almighty dollar” pushing them, they tend to be less efficient. Sure they have a budget. But the budget is made in advance. Once they prove they need the money and it is put in the budget, organizations feel they must spend it or they will lose it. State funded programs are flawed in this sense. Nirogee and other state programs run by decisions made from the top. The message comes from the top and is perceived to be understood. There is no feedback process. If you want to give feedback you have to stand on the steps of the capital, or go way out of your way. I know this isn’t the case for every program but I would bet that it is never a simple process as it should be in a well run system. I think Graham has some great ideas, but in the end the system will still be flawed.
I definitely would not have liked to be one of the employees in this organization under the old manager. Jonathan McLeod, the old manager of Nirogee Centre, did not seem to have a good concept of unity in the organization. I feel that he made a poor management decision is making the intranet only for the use of people in management positions. This decision left the other employees out of the informational loop and ultimately made management seem superior to the other members of the organization. I think this situation also caused the employees of Nirogee Centre to not have as much pride in their organization and caused a lack of desire to make an effort. When the new unit manager Graham Brown came into the organization he was all about relating to the employees. He seemed to support communication in all aspects of the organization and seemed to strive for a better working atmosphere for the organization overall. The employees of Nirogee Centre were initially surprised to see Graham out and about in the organization and it really is unfortunate that it had to be this way. I feel that people in positions of power in organizations should be out among the people in order to keep tabs on the wants and needs of the employees and what is happening in the organization. Graham seems to be a promising addition to Nirogee Centre because he makes the employees feel a sense of loyalty to their organization and makes them feel part of a whole. It may take time for Graham to make major changes in the organization but I think that his management style already has him well on his way.
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