Case Study on Tucker Company Essay Example

call. In the following months, conflicts between the two occurred because Ms. Hodge interfered with the design considerations of the product. She claimed that Mr. Franklin lacked the material expertise that she, as a metallurgist, had. She also gave the engineering department the least priority. Due to these conflicts, the tension between Franklin and Hodge reached a peak. d. PROBLEM STATEMENT

What is the appropriate course of action that Mr. Harnett should take regarding the conflict between Ms. Hodge, the new laboratory manager and Mr. Franklin of the engineering department of the utility turbine division? IV. SWOT (STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS) ANALYSIS STRENGTHS * It has expanded its operation. * The company has skillfull, productive and experienced employees. * Effective group performance is exercised in the organization. * Product-line divisions in the company help disseminate tasks for better performance of employees. Proper monitoring system is applied to each division through the presence of newly-assigned vice presidents * Vice presidents also have direct contact with the top manager making work problems to be easily addressed. WEAKNESSES * There conflicts arising between employees. * The company has only one laboratory which makes it hard to prioritize different divisions’ demands. * Divisions must share with the other division’s departments OPPORTUNITIES * Specialization in each division was employed, thus producing more quality products. With the extensive reorganization of the company, the top managers can easily see which division is performing better and which division performs less. * The managers can address easily the problems and find solutions readily. * It also gives them the opportunity to know in what areas they will gain more profit and in what areas are

they losing so much of their profit. THREATS * There are employees that seek for their own advancement to gain prestige. * There are arising conflicts among the heads. * Internal conflicts may arise due to the extensive reorganization of the company. V.

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEM e. FORMULATION OF ALTERNATIVES * SWOT MATRIX ANALYSIS ExternalInternal| Opportunities:- Specialization in each division was employed, thus producing more quality products. - With the extensive reorganization of the company, the top managers can easily see which division is performing better and which division performs less. - The managers can address easily the problems and find solutions readily. - It also gives them the opportunity to know in what areas they will gain more profit and in what areas are they losing so much of their profit. Threats:- There are employees that seek for their own advancement to gain prestige. -There are arising conflicts among the heads- Internal conflicts may arise due to the extensive reorganization of the company. | Strength:- It has expanded its operation. - The company has skillful, productive and experienced employees. - Effective group performance is exercised in the organization. - Product-line divisions in the company help disseminate tasks for better performance of employees. - Proper monitoring system is applied to each division through the presence of newly-assigned vice presidents|

Strategies to make use of opportunities through strengths:-Maintain the product line divisions and specialize on the product. - Take advantage of the good-quality employees to further expand the operation. -Maintain the new monitoring system| Strategies to prevent threats through strengths:- Promote camaraderie among employees through team building activities- Evaluation of attitude of employees

from each division- Maintain effective group performance and proper monitoring| Weakness:- There conflicts arising between employees. - The company has only one laboratory which makes it hard to prioritize different divisions’ demands. Strategies to make use of opportunities to minimize weaknesses:- Scheduling on the use of the department like the laboratory for the different divisions. -Maintain the company structure- Maintain skillful, productive and experienced employees| Strategies aimed atovercoming boththreats and weaknesses:- Restructure the company where in the laboratory caters to the different divisions equally. - Promote camaraderie among employees through team building activities- Compromise between division heads to avoid or lessen conflict| * ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS 1.

Restructure the laboratory in such a way that equal laboratory priorities to each division 2. Meet as a team to resolve problems 3. Mr. Harnett must talk to them 4. Do nothing f. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES Alternative| Pros| Cons| 1. Restructure the laboratory in such a way that equal laboratory priorities to each division. | Mr. Franklin would not need to complain to Ms. Hodge that his department was receiving low-priority when it comes to the laboratory services. This would be good for the department since interdepartmental conflicts would lessen due to the equal treatment. Costly and time consuming and may sometimes result to a more inefficient system| 2. Meet as a team to resolve problems| Having this team approach can provide horizontal coordination and this complements with the existing divisional structure. The company can also retain economies of scale and in depth training while also acquiring the benefits that the team relationship can give. Also by doing this, the departments can compromise rather than continue on with what they

are doing and making the problem more complex. Requires additional time for the employees for them to meet,Hiring additional employees to suffice the need for creating a productive team will only bring additional costs for the company| 3 Mr. Harnett must talk to them| Arguments will be clarified, Not costly, The persons involved in the conflict can voice out their opinions and problems for them to be evaluated. | There is a possibility that the plan would not work, Time consuming and it may only aggravate the situation. | 4 Do nothing| No costs involved, No time needed, The company structure is still maintained. This would leave Ms. Hodge and Mr. Franklin still at conflict. Problems will still arise often and they will not be able to do their respective tasks because of the conflict. When these problems arise in the workplace these can affect the employees. This will also make the company suffer and the employee morale will go down. | | | | | | | 3. DECISION/RECOMMENDATION The most appropriate solution for this problem is to let Ms. Hodge and Mr. Franklin with Mr. Harnett to talk and meet so they can resolve the problems and discuss other matters. This is the best alternative since restructuring the company is costly and is not really necessary because the company was able to work efficiently in the past with the same structure. Doing nothing is also not an option because the company’s problem would not be solved and it will only bring more problems for the company. 4. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Mr. Harnett should act as the mediator between the conflict of Ms. Hodge and

Mr. Franklin. The persons involved in the conflict must voice out their opinions and problems for them to be evaluated. 5. CONTINGENCY PLAN

The second best alternative if the first plan fails is to reassign the employee who is more responsible for the conflict on hand to a position where in the two employees, who are at conflict, will not be able to work together. With this the two can work separately, productively and peacefully. This can also benefit the other employees under their division because they will be less troubled by the conflict between their department heads. Reassigning the employees will be less costly compared to restructuring the company all over again. The only disadvantage of this plan is that it will affect the morale of the employee involved.