Question 1
Ann Wood handled the people-related problems that she faced effectively. She handled the turnover problem that was revealed to her by Joe Jackson, the manager of the market research group, effectively by asking him to develop an excellent proposal regarding how the turnover problem can be solved. This was the right move on the part of Ann because Joe is the best person to consult with when it comes to the turnover problem. Being the essay writer manager of the market research group, Joe knows best as to why the market analysts keep on leaving Norwich Enterprises. Thus, there is no doubt that he can make the best suggestions to Ann regarding how to solve the turnover problem that is preventing the market research group from being productive.
Aside from this, Ann also did an excellent job in addressing the problem of the employees of the market strategy and administration group who discovered that they were being underpaid significantly and were not getting enough training to improve their skills. Ann did the right thing by coordinating with Brooke Carpenter, the manager of the market strategy and administration group, so that she could meet with the employees of this group and tell to them personally that she will find a way to increase their compensation and provide the necessary training programs that they need to improve their skills. Ann made sure to find a way to meet with the employees of the market strategy and administration group despite her busy schedule so that these people can have the confidence and peace of mind knowing that their issues will be resolved soon. As the director of marketing for the Consumer Products Division, Ann’s presence in the meeting was huge because it sent a clear message to the employees of the market strategy and administration group that their clamor for a higher compensation and training programs will be addressed in the long run.
Question 2
There is no doubt that Ann Wood is a high-involvement manager. This is because in dealing with the people-related problems that she faced at Norwich Enterprises, she proved that she understood the importance of the active participation of the employees in solving the existing problems (Neck, Houghton, and Murray, 2018). When Ann was informed by Joe Jackson, the manager of the market research group, about the serious turnover problem that was happening in this group, she did not just take matters into her own hands to come up with her own solutions. Instead, she trusted Joe to be the one to give her suggestions regarding the best ways to address the turnover problem of the market research group. Ann acknowledged that Joe was in a better position than her to identify the potential solutions to the turnover problem.
Aside from this, when Ann was informed by Brooke Carpenter, the manager of the market strategy and administration group, that the employees in this group were being underpaid significantly and were not getting enough training to improve their skills, she did not just take matters into her own hands and solved these problems herself. Instead, she agreed to meet with the employees of the market strategy and administration group so that she will be able to listen to the problems and demands of the employees herself. Ann knew that for her to better understand the issues of the employees of the market strategy and administration group, she had to meet with them personally as this will also give her the opportunity to reassure these employees that their problems will eventually be resolved at the proper time. Ann went to the meeting to gain the trust and confidence of the employees under the market strategy and administration group while also getting excellent ideas regarding how the problems of being underpaid significantly and not having enough training for skills improvement will be addressed effectively over the long-term.
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Question 3
Ann’s people cannot be considered yet as sources of competitive advantage at this point. This is because of the reality that unless the people-related problems that were identified at Norwich Enterprises will be resolved effectively, it is hard to expect that the managers and associates can perform well and serve as the foundation for competitive advantages of Ann’s department. It is easy to imagine that the managers and associates of Ann especially those who belong to the market research group and the market strategy and administration group are not focused and lacking motivation right now because of the serious problems that they are facing. Some of Ann’s associates are even leaving Norwich Enterprises already because of disappointment.
Thus, if Ann is serious in making her managers and associates become sources of competitive advantage for her department in the long run, she must find a way to make sure that the problems being experienced by these people will be addressed eventually. This should give them the confidence and peace of mind that they need so that they can finally focus on doing their respective roles and responsibilities properly which will then contribute towards the sustained success of Norwich Enterprises. The bottom line here is that if the problems of the managers and associates of Ann will be resolved effectively, there is a better chance for her to count on them as the sources of competitive advantage for her department because there is no more reason for these people to be lazy and unproductive at work since there is nothing that bothers them anymore (Bohlander and Snell, 2010). This explains why the pressure is on Ann to find ways to address the problems of her managers and associates because her department is going to get a tremendous boost in terms of competitive advantage if she can finally take advantage of the hard work of these people.
References
Bohlander, G., and Snell, S. (2010). Managing Human Resources. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning
Neck, C., Houghton, J., and Murray, E. (2018). Organizational Behavior: A Skill-Building Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
