Handling Differences at Japan Auto FORTES, PERALTA, QUIRONG
Dec 27, 2015
Handling Differences at Japan AutoFORTES, PERALTA, QUIRONG
Facts of the Case
Japan Auto Sales Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center
Large Japanese-owned automobile manufacturer
Built on commitment to quality Customer satisfaction
Supports continuing education, diversity
Future career opportunity and growth Minimum bachelor’s degree
Facts of the CaseMain Characters
Barbara Smith 30 years old, ambitious From outside Transportation Company Started as LAPDC as office clerk Promoted from secretary to department specialist Responsible for core and obsolescence programs Quest for career growth Almost completed general education requirements for
Associate of Arts Degree Misunderstood demeanor
Regarded as harsh and argumentative
Insulted many associates
Insinuating superiority as she’s in college
Failed to remember, other have degrees
Associates believe they should be respected
Internal customers
Facts of the CaseMain Characters
Chrys Haber
37 years old
3 years now with LAPDC
Joined Japan Auto as an Assistant for Facilities Department
Promoted to Claims Specialist she’s approximately 4 months with
department niow
Made friends quickly
Known by fellow associates and management as high energy, dynamic,
Considered an asset
Facts of the CaseMain Characters
Marcia 38-year old Smart yet insecure Sympathetic towards Barbara
Trying to be different and move ahead Constantly afraid of hurting others’
feelings Always strove for acceptance by associates Not guide and encourage Barbara to
follow development plan Allowed Barbara to do as she pleased
Created major hostility who wanted to get promoted too
Not give same opportunities to other associates
Favoritism Created antagonism and lack of loyalty
Point of View
Management
Address issues with Marcia, Office Manager Chrys and Barbara, Associates
Statement of the Problem
What strategies should management implement to improve interpersonal relations among the
employees in order for the company to achieve its organizational goals in a frictionless
environment?
Objectives
Achieve organizational goals
Improve interpersonal relations among employees
Lessen professional friction among employees
Have a more cohesive team
For Marcia to be an effective and efficient office manager/leader
Areas of ConsiderationSWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Encourages career advancement Incentivize degree holders Diversity: well-balanced mix of gender and
ethnicity. Cross training: associates develop plan for career
growth. Both Barbara and Chrys great professionals,
strong personalities. Chrys’ confrontation had a positive impact on
Barbara’s work ethic. Associates are ambitious and enthusiastic. The office had an exceptional team environment. Despite her mistake when she became harsh
towards Barbara, Chrys’ ability to see her mistakes can quickly fix teams before going out of hand.
Employees try to resolve conflict at their level first before bringing it up with management
WEAKNESSES Marcia’s weak personality empowered Barbara’s poor
attitude.
The associates didn’t confront Barbara directly to talk about their problems with her.
Barbara has a tendency to look down on her colleagues, which resulted to many disobediences like not participating in claims training
Carolyn’s inassertiveness reinforced Barbaras uncooperativeness in cross training
Chrys, despite her objectivity, became emotional when she confronted Barbara.
Areas of ConsiderationSWOT ANALYSIS
Opportunities Better working relations
Camaraderie might lead to surpassing sales targets, expansion.
Improved internal communication
Working relations will lead to a happier workplace, to consumer satisfaction.
Threats Competitors take advantage of the
internal conflict
Anger and negative emotions to make future confrontations more rabid, painful.
Employees misaligned with the objectives of maximizing profit and minimizing cost in an organization.
Quality of products and services may suffer due to internal conflict
Areas of ConsiderationSWOT
The SWOT suggests:
Management team did great job prioritizing employee career growth, education Require a bachelor’s degree
Advantages of diversity Employees of different ethnicities, gender mixture created along with cross training Understanding of diverse customer base Result: highly skilled associates.
Associates embraced career growth path
Allow themselves to improve technical skills.
The problem lies: Marcia inassertiveness Barbara’s aggressiveness, myopic view, lack of
humility
Alternative Courses of ActionACA1
ACA1: Engage in Team Building Activities to Foster Closer and Smoother Working Relations and Understanding among employees.
A. Create Venues for interaction -who share or like to develop similar interests -force the employees to interact more and to bond more with each other Yoga and Pilates Club Arts and Crafts Club Photography Club Cycling Club
Alternative Courses of ActionACA1
B. Employees to engage in programs that emphasize Character-building
Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Efficient People Seeking to understand,
then to be understood Being proactive, not
reactive Loyalty to the Absent Think Win-Win
Alternative Courses of ActionACA1
Advantages: Closer professional and personal relationship Character-building activities
Encourage to think long-term move towards common good
Long-term investment in people gives lasting results Covey’s Program
lessen backbiting, tone down emotionally-charged environment encourages people to practice thinking Win-Win Situations for others and themselves.
Disadvantages: Might need to spend on materials and manpower to manage an Employee Center to
run and coordinate the various clubs Character-Building Programs like Covey’s are expensive, take at least one work-week to
facilitate Results take time to be seen and felt
Alternative Courses of ActionACA2
Invest in Marcia’s leadership education stronger, more assertive office manager Leading team to achieve organizational goals
Advantages Marcia to become better leader, rallying her team to
achieve organizational goals Marcia to be an able leader, ensure smoother
working relations among her subordinates Armed in handling discord and disagreement from
her subordinates
Alternative Courses of ActionACA2
Invest in Marcia’s leadership education stronger, more assertive office manager Leading team to achieve organizational goals
Disadvantages Too much focus on Marcia Too dependent on one person. What will happen when she resigns Training will also entail cost Danger of Marcia resigning anyway, wasting leadership training
Alternative Courses of ActionACA3
ACA3: Status quo. Barbara now more cooperative, sensitive Chrys more introspective Marcia now assertive, gave opportunities to other associates.
Advantages No cost Everybody given chance at peace, at their own pace
Disadvantages High risk of regression Management not really know what actually changed internally among
employees In the dark
Recommendation
ACAs 1 and 2 are tied at the top
Programs are slowly but will surely deliver frictionless, smoother and better working relations among the employees
ACA 1 lowest score in ease of implementation anticipated additional manpower and cost
Recommendation
ACAs 1: bond and friendship developed among employees will take time to happen
ACA2: perfect score in ease of implementation only involves training and educating one manager, Marcia.
ACA 3, perfect score in ease of implementation doing nothing lowest in effecting better relations among workers Will just leave people wondering what happened
Recommendation
Two-pronged approach ACAs 1 and 2 More venues for employees to bond and get to
know each other better Train Marcia to lead her team as real office manager
Conclusion
Case shows despite the good execution of employee programs Educational growth and career promotion lack of interpersonal skills may impede the success of such
objectives.
Importance of soft skill/human skill
Barbara’s lack of interpersonal skills have caused a conflict May have impeded the growth of other associates
Good that associates resolved issue within their level before raising to management
Management Levels and Skills Needed
Needs
Needs
Needs
Conceptual
Skills
Human
Skills
Technical
Skills
Supervisory or
Operational Mgt
Middle
Management
Top
Mgt
As a manager moves from the supervisory to the top management level,
conceptual skills become more important than technical skills, but
human skills remain equally important
Source: Management by Stoner and Freeman
Thank You!