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Ob Case Study

Helen Bowers inherited her father's machine parts business three years ago. Recently, profits have declined and Helen implemented aggressive changes to increase profits and compete internationally. She treated employees like hired help rather than family and threatened pay cuts if quotas weren't met. However, her authoritarian approach demotivated employees and failed to consider their engagement, which was important for the traditionally family-oriented business. Her challenges include maintaining employee loyalty and motivation amid international competition putting pressure on the business.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
55 views10 pages

Ob Case Study

Helen Bowers inherited her father's machine parts business three years ago. Recently, profits have declined and Helen implemented aggressive changes to increase profits and compete internationally. She treated employees like hired help rather than family and threatened pay cuts if quotas weren't met. However, her authoritarian approach demotivated employees and failed to consider their engagement, which was important for the traditionally family-oriented business. Her challenges include maintaining employee loyalty and motivation amid international competition putting pressure on the business.

Uploaded by

darshininambiar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction

Helen had inherited the commercial enterprise three years ago whilst her father, Jake Bowers,
handed away suddenly. Bowers Machine Parts become founded four a long time in the past
via Jake and had grown right into a mild-length corporation. Bowers makes alternative
components for massive-scale manufacturing machines along with lathes and turbines. The
company is situated in Kansas City and has three plants scattered throughout Missouri.
Recently, Helen start to face some issue and get low profit in her business. Helen puts
pressure on the employees to gain more profit but it didn’t seem to help much. Helen have
few goals to achieve in her business, one of it was she wanted to meet the challenge of
international competition and change the tradition way of treating the employees. In the
thought of doing better, she puts her business into trouble.

Question 1: How successful do you think Helen Bowers’s new plan will be?

An authentic chief will value her employees extra than something else due to the fact without
your personnel you will not flavour the beauty of achievement. Helen’s plan might much
more likely to fail for implementing guidelines with the intention to reduce personnel salaries
if they don't meet with the quota is not the answer for personnel to perform nicely.
Motivation is extensive in a organization so as building an awesome courting with your
personnel. To sense motivated and perform nicely employees pursuits for praise like
merchandising and bonus. Pay cut will make her employees suffer and angrier, worst
employees will renounce because of it. Helen is so full of herself, believing that her opinion
is the nice instead of taking her consultants pointers, she decide on her own. Moreover, she
have to build desirable relationship along with her employees due to the fact worker
engagement may be very important to universal achievement of the enterprise. Treating them
higher will increase productiveness.

Helen Bowers has truly brought a primary shake up to Bowers Machine Parts. Although
Bowers intentions were made clean, which is to very tons result pushed and revenue
primarily based, her approaches are very lots questionable. The goal of earnings margin
capitalization through a chain of cultural adjustments brought by Bowers seems to be
contradicting with the core price of the business that's instead own family-primarily based.
This is plain while studied from 4 major aspects of the Douglas McGregor’s Theory X that
are motivation, control fashion, work employer, and rewards.
Douglas McGregor, one among Maslow’s students, encouraged the take a look at of
motivation along with his components of contrasting units of assumptions approximately
human nature Theory X and Theory Y. The Theory X control fashion is based on a
pessimistic view of human nature and assumes the subsequent are the average individual
dislikes work and could keep away from it if viable. Because humans don’t like to paintings,
they have to be controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment to get them to take the
time. The common man or woman prefers to be directed, avoids responsibility, is particularly
unambitious, and wants safety certainly else. This view of human beings indicates that
managers have to continuously prod people to perform and have to carefully control their on-
the-job behaviour. Theory X managers tell people what to do, are very directive, like to be in
control, and display little self-belief in personnel. They regularly foster structured, passive,
and envious subordinates.

Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of their people, and anticipate that they're
evidently unmotivated and dislike work. Work in groups that are managed like this may be
repetitive, and those are regularly inspired with a "carrot and stick" approach. Performance
value determinations and remuneration are normally primarily based on tangible outcomes,
inclusive of income figures or product output, and are used to control and "hold tabs" on
staff.

This fashion of control assumes that people dislike their work, keep away from responsibility
and want constant direction. They ought to be managed, compelled and threatened to deliver
work. Besides, want to be supervised at every step. Have no incentive to paintings or
ambition, and consequently want to be enticed via rewards to acquire goals.

According to McGregor, agencies with a Theory X method tend to have numerous stages of
managers and supervisors to supervise and direct employees. Authority is hardly ever
delegated, and manage stays firmly centralized. Although Theory X control has in large part
fallen out of fashion these days, huge groups might also find that adopting it's miles
unavoidable because of the sheer number of people that they hire and the tight deadlines that
they have got to satisfy.

Based at the case observe, Helen Bowers complies the element indicated in Theory X, as
suggested via McGregor. In the inducement component, Theory X considers that human
beings dislike work and they would need to avoid it through no longer taking duty willingly
(Kopelman and Prottas, 2007). This is plain in Helen Bowers’ case as she decides now not to
deal with employees with ‘child gloves’. She stresses that personnel to be treated like people
due to the fact pretty frankly that is what they’re paid for. This is in contrast with the
preceding control, whom handled employees extra like family. With this new path,
employees will experience demotivated to carry out their given task as there is an obvious
hole amongst them and the control.

The control fashion thing also performs a role in Bowers’ technique. According to Theory X-
type business enterprise, control is considered as an authoritarian and that a centralized
control is keep (Sager 2008). This may be visible as Helen modified some of operational
procedures with the consent of her employees. She has additionally stopped asking personnel
for their advice as she feels that being the boss, she knows what is first-class for her
organisation. In evaluation with the previous control’s style that's to concentrate the opinion
of the employees. This approach might demotivate employees as they have lost a feel of
belonging toward the company.

As for the work enterprise issue, personnel of Theory X-type company are defined to be
specialized and are to carry out the identical work cycle. Helen Bowers has tailored this
element in her new management as she has advised her first-line to crack down on employees
and take away all idle time. By doing this, the employees are most effective subjected to
unattached mission. This circulate can be taken into consideration to hose down the creativity
of the personnel and could create an uneventful work surroundings.

Lastly for the rewards element, Helen Bowers’ new enterprise complies with the Theory X-
kind organisation wherein work is conducted on a ‘carrot and stick’ foundation. Performance
evaluation is part of the general mechanism of manipulate and repayment (Robertson and
Cooper, 2015). The reflect of Bowers new management’s scheme that's to section out the
firm’s profit sharing plan. Future pay will increase is to be cut through bringing down
average wages down. Bowers is a firm believer that her employees were paid sufficient and
that all profits were the rightful assets of the proprietor. This drastic trade could without a
doubt kill all form of loyalty and exuberance inside her employees.
Question 2: What challenges does Helen confront?

Helen had acquired the business three years prior when her dad, Jake Bowers, died
startlingly. Bowers Machine Parts was established forty years prior by Jake and had
developed into a moderate-size enterprise. Thickets makes new parts for huge scope
producing machines like machines and plants. She have been confronting some issue recent
months.

Over the course of her time in the association, Helen has run over a lot of squeezing
difficulties. The primary test for Helen defy is to hold the help of her representatives and the
trust his dad had worked towards the worker. She detected that her representatives aren't
working at their best. This can be seen as her representatives wouldn't work harder to
increment usefulness. Helen's way to deal with treat the workers as the recruited help just and
her arrangements are against their government assistance and improvement which will
hamper the organization's efficiency. On paper, the exhibition of the representatives has
shown that the result was insignificantly higher than before however the piece rates then
again has expanded radically. Despite the fact that Helen's choice possibly expanded the
result yet additionally the scarp rates increments, work force costs went up, preparing cost
likewise got up. On paper, the exhibition of the workers has shown that the result was hardly
higher than before yet the piece rates then again has expanded definitely. However, in the
backend the workers are the getting demotivated which result will lead in significant decrease
underway which will hamper the Helen objectives to contend with the Japanese firm and to
enter global market. The forceful relocation of Japanese firms into the market for weighty
modern gear. This presents weighty rivalry to the Bowers. Helen needed to guarantee that her
association could contend effectively with profoundly useful and productive Japanese firms.

The demanding situations that Helen confronted which resulted to failure of the organization,
control struggle in a manner that she without delay implemented a relevant adjustments in the
control of the organization wherein the employees had a tough time adjusting and managing
those modifications. She also making the employees feel demotivated. As her dream to
compete through the market, she not noted the involvement of the personnel and disregarded
the circle of relatives-like remedy which resulted to abnormal and passive employees with
low satisfactory of productivity. Lastly, effective communications. Helen lacked in supplying
people freedom to talk their voices, concerns and grievances to be heard with the aid of the
pinnacle control. Always take into account that employee members of the family is not only a
time period, for personnel are the enterprise's exceptional asset, without them enterprise will
no longer reach achievement.

Question 3: If you were Helen’s consultant, what would you advise her to do?

As Helen's consultant I would unequivocally propose for her to adjust towards the various
sorts of initiative styles. The suggested administration styles are predominantly Participative,
Transactional, and Transformational.

One of the authority style that ought to be rehearsed by Helen is the Participative style. This
kind of initiative as regularly alluded to as the majority rule administration style.
Contributions of colleagues and companions are profoundly esteemed. The referenced inputs
are then accumulated by the pioneer to help him in an ultimate conclusion making process.
For Helen's situation, her way of thinking of not considering assessment and counsel from her
workers could add to the association's destruction. A portion of the senior workers might
have different working perspectives in light of their long stretches of involvement with the
business. Simultaneously, assessments of the more youthful age workers ought to likewise be
considered as these gathering would introduce a much innovative methodology because of
their technical knowledge. The mix of new and prepared thoughts, will in a perfect world
assist with working on the association's efficiency (William, 2004).

Helen's choice to teach her first-line bosses to get serious about representatives and dispense
with all inactive time is one more situation to be changed as this will just make pointless
pressure at work environment. In the difference, Helen and her top directors should zero in on
human asset advancement. Her directors ought to really invest in some opportunity to get
themselves associated with the most common way of producing thoughts for business
improvement, straightforwardly from their down line. Representatives will have a feeling of
having a place towards the association as their thoughts are viewed in a serious way by the
business (Webb and Lumsden, 2006).

Also, Helen should execute the Transactional administration style in her approach to dealing
with the business. Value-based initiative style is gotten from the idea of remuneration and
discipline. Head of these kind of significant worth, accepts that the worker's presentation is
totally determined by these 2 elements. Thinking about of Helen's case, she ought to be
consider remunerating her representatives through worthwhile rewards and motivating forces
for surpassing assumptions as far as usefulness. By compensating the commendable,
representatives will feel a sense of urgency to turn out more earnestly for the association
(Emery, Charles, Barker and Katherine, 2004). In spite of not getting the yearly greatest
monetary benefit by giving out rewards, the association can to be sure save a ton over the
long haul, as clinical leaves and representative turnover be decline throughout the long term.
As the idiom goes "a blissful laborer is a solid specialist" is genuinely relevant in this
association. The discipline angle then again ought to likewise be practiced by Helen and the
administration. Nonetheless, the compensation cut component should come not be executed.
All things being equal, execution based impetuses and rewards ought to be consistently given
out. A specialist with a high pace of efficiency is exposed to a high weightage of reward
contrasted with a not person performing. The people whom are not creating at a palatable rate
for the association, ought not be given the rewards contrast with the others. This won't just go
about as a discipline to these gathering yet additionally urge them to work harder to get the
guaranteed reward.

Another administration component that Helen ought to teach is the Transformational style.
This part of authority has the ability to influence worker's insight through the profits that
association gets as human resources benefits. Helen should conduct herself as an enabling
figure in the association. She ought to have the option to charm the lesson of her workers and
getting involved straight by drawing in them on a more regular basis. Sporting exercises
among her staff are to be directed every now and again to support the confidence of the
representatives (Karl and Phillips, 1987). Basic exercises, for example, organization's family
day, climbing outing and celebration festivities ought to be held just to give some examples.
With this, the representatives won't just have a tranquil time with their collaborators and
supervisors, they will likewise have a solid bond among them. They will be more inspire to
create at function as they will have a feeling of filling in as a component of a major blissful
family. Helen's transition to close down the organization's softball court could likewise
imperil the usefulness of the representatives. All things being equal, she ought to consider
patching up the unused office into something which draws in the normal intrigued of the
representatives. For occurrences, she ought to revamp the softball court into a badminton, a
b-ball court or just adding a scaled down gym. Representatives can utilize the new office to
trouble after a hard of work. By carrying out this, Helen will be capable in still a sense trust
and appreciation among the administration and workers.
Lastly, I would also propose the equal thing which her father is to preserve what legacy as it
seems powerful and the personnel are doing properly with it. It is clear that the employees are
very remote and unresponsive to her method due to the fact they sense her indifference with
them as compared to how her father dealt with them. Employer - worker dating may be very
vital in an employer because each agency needs teamwork. If Helen would not actually need
to head back to the vintage methods, she will be able to create her very own praise machine
on the way to satisfy her wants and the employees' desires in place of reducing their pay for
much less productiveness. Pay cut will result to high productivity however also the threat of
low first-rate product. She should additionally recognize the character differences of her
personnel- their variations in productiveness and variations on the way to react in any fashion
of leadership. She ought to give them adequate time to modify on the adjustments she made.
She have to decrease her satisfaction and pay attention to her employees’ thoughts to have
higher and successful plans

I would suggest the same thing which is to continue what her


father legacy because it seems effective and the employees are doing well with it. It is evident
that
the employees are very distant and unresponsive to her technique since they feel her
indifference
with them compared to how her father treated them. Employer - employee relationship is
very
important in a company because every organization needs teamwork. If Helen doesn't really
want to
go back to the old ways, she can create her own reward system that will satisfy her wants and
the
employees' needs instead of cutting their pay for less productivity. Pay cut will result to high
productivity but also the risk of low quality product. She should also understand the
individual
differences of her employees- their differences in productivity and differences on how to
react in any
style of leadership. She should give them adequate time to adjust on the changes she made.
She
should lower her pride and listen to her employees ideas to have better and successful plans
I would suggest the same thing which is to continue what her
father legacy because it seems effective and the employees are doing well with it. It is evident
that
the employees are very distant and unresponsive to her technique since they feel her
indifference
with them compared to how her father treated them. Employer - employee relationship is
very
important in a company because every organization needs teamwork. If Helen doesn't really
want to
go back to the old ways, she can create her own reward system that will satisfy her wants and
the
employees' needs instead of cutting their pay for less productivity. Pay cut will result to high
productivity but also the risk of low quality product. She should also understand the
individual
differences of her employees- their differences in productivity and differences on how to
react in any
style of leadership. She should give them adequate time to adjust on the changes she made.
She
should lower her pride and listen to her employees ideas to have better and successful pla
I would suggest the same thing which is to continue what her
father legacy because it seems effective and the employees are doing well with it. It is evident
that
the employees are very distant and unresponsive to her technique since they feel her
indifference
with them compared to how her father treated them. Employer - employee relationship is
very
important in a company because every organization needs teamwork. If Helen doesn't really
want to
go back to the old ways, she can create her own reward system that will satisfy her wants and
the
employees' needs instead of cutting their pay for less productivity. Pay cut will result to high
productivity but also the risk of low quality product. She should also understand the
individual
differences of her employees- their differences in productivity and differences on how to
react in any
style of leadership. She should give them adequate time to adjust on the changes she made.
She
should lower her pride and listen to her employees ideas to have better and successful plans

Conclusion

In this case study, Helen has faced a lot challenges to gain more profit and to build up the
business back. Helen also has hired a business consultant to get some advice. After carefully
researching the history of the organization and Helen’s recent changes, the consultant made
some remarkable suggestions. The bottom line, Helen felt, was that the consultant thought
she should go back to that "humanistic nonsense" her father had used. No matter how she
turned it, though, she just couldn’t see the wisdom in this. People worked to make a buck and
didn’t want all that participation stuff. From this, we can see that Helen have poor managing
skill and poor organization behaviour. Helen should attend managing skill talks or seminar to
enhance her skills on managing the business.

(3315
words)
References

Emery, Charles R., Barker, Katherine J. (2004). Journal Of Organizational Culture,


Communications, and Conflict.

Karl W.,Philip L.(1987).Transactional and Transformational Leader: A Constructive


Developmental Analysis

Kopelman E., Prottas J., (2007). Construct Validation of Theory X/Y Behaviour Scale

Robertson T., & L.Cooper, C. (2015). New Perspectives in Employee Engagement in Human
Resources .Manchester: Emerald Gems.

Sager L., (2008). An Examplatory Study of the relationship between Theory X/Y
Assumpations and Superior Communication Stlye

Webb K., & Lumsden B. (2006). Motivating Peak Performance: Leadership behaviors that
stimulate employee motivation and performance. The Journal of Christian Higher Education.
William L, (2004). Linking Emotional Intelligence Abilities &Transformational Leadership
Style

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