Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
The workers have shown great interest and were motivated to work during the first
summer because of the workplace setting Joe had set for them. According to the Maslows
Needs Hierarchy Theory, Joe had set a working environment where his employees could
achieve belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization (McShane & Steen, 2012, p.127) 1. He
set a working environment where the workers can openly socialize with their co-workers and
customers during work hours, as long as it didnt affect the productivity of the workers. Joe also
provided the employees with great compliments for their hard work and dedication which
boosted the workers self-esteem. Achievement of belongingness and self-esteem led to the
workers achievement of self-actualization as they were awarded the freedom of choosing their
own work pace, ideas, and methods to complete the tasks. They took pride in the responsibilities
handed over to them by Joe and they were proud of their achievements.
According to McClellands examinations, the workers were also motivated by their
need for achievement (McShane & Steen, 2012, p.128). Positive feedbacks and recognition
provided to them by Joe and customers motivated to keep their best work and dedication towards
the job. Their dedication to the job was evident when the workers double checked every single
job to make sure it was perfect. The workers also produced output that was 15% higher than
other landscaping companies had experienced.
According to the four-drive theory, the employees were motivated by their drive to
acquire and drive to bond (McShane & Steen, 2012, p.129). The recognition and compliments
the workers acquired by their boss and customers motivated them to continue working hard and
perform well. They were motivated to create a bond with their co-workers and customers by
talking and having a good time with them during their work hours.
Suggestions to Motivate New Workers During the Second Summer
There are many things which could have been done by the new supervisors to motivate
the new workers in the second summer. For the new workers, the supervisors should offer them
to make bonus money based on the customer referrals since Millennials are highly motivated
2 | Page
extrinsic factors such as money and work benefits (DeKay, 2013)2. The supervisors could have
treated the new workers equally as others by creating a more lenient work structure for them
such as helping them unload the trucks and dress more informally. This is exactly how Joe
treated his workers leading them to enjoying working with him. The new workers should be
given a chance to fulfill their need for belongingness by allowing them to socialize and have fun
with their co-workers and customers. They should have given the new workers a boost in selfesteem by complimenting and recognizing their hard work (Kumar, 2011)3. The new workers
drive to learn should have been satisfied by the supervisors by providing them with decent
training rather than letting them suffer for themselves (Weiss, 2011)4. The supervisors should
have given the new workers one-on-one attention time to teach them to efficiently completing
their daily tasks in order to fulfill the company expectations (Kumar, 2011). The supervisors
could have become role models and set an example for the workers by talking to them while
working by their side (Weiss, 2011). The supervisors should have taken into consideration the
concerns and problems of the workers to indicate that the workers voice is being recognized and
heard (Weiss, 2011). The supervisors should have fulfilled the workers need for selfactualization by giving them the freedom to choose their completion method for the tasks
provided to them (Weiss, 2011). Lastly, the workers should have set up meetings with all the
workers to determine the success and failures of the company and the direction the company is
headed (Weiss, 2011).
Leadership styles Used by Joe and the Supervisors
Leadership is about influencing, motivating and enabling others to contribute toward the
effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members (McShane, 2012 pg.
328). The leadership style that Joe adapted was supportive and participative, while the two new
supervisors were using the directive leadership style.
3 | Page
4 | Page
how each assigned task must be done at every house. Overall, the supervisors created a work
environment which was totally different from Joes style.
The Leadership Styles Impact on the Workforce
A leadership style is adapted according to the work environment and situations. However,
not all leadership styles have a positive impact on the workplace. When Joe was supervising the
workers during the first summer, the companys productivity was 15% higher than other
landscaping companies. While on the other hand, when the two new supervisors came in the
second summer, the companys productivity was 5% below average from other landscaping
companies. This is a clear indication of how greatly the leadership styles affected the
productivity of the company.
While Joe was supervising the workers, they were motivated to work and take full
responsibility of the tasks assigned to them. They were also willing to go that extra mile by
working overtime whenever Joe had asked them to. Joes adaption of supportive and
participative leadership styles encouraged the workers to take risks and complete their tasks
according to their own methods. This led them to work efficiently. However, during the second
summer, Joe started to worry about fulfilling the expectations of the company which led him to
ignoring the concerns of the workers. This resulted in the workers productivity to decrease.
While on the other hand, when the two new supervisors took charge, the workers attitude
towards the workplace was totally different. The supervisors played more of a structured and
formal role that was a totally different role played by Joe during the first summer. The workers
had to deal with various restrictions under the new supervisors such as 1) not be able to take
breaks whenever they wish, 2) driving the truck, and 3) ability to socially interact with the
customers and co-workers. This led to a drastic drop in the workers productivity and motivation
towards the job and hatred started to develop towards the new supervisors. To maintain a high
level of productivity, the organizational leaders must embrace the leadership styles that are most
effective in motivating the employees in the workplace (Dixon & Hart, 2010)5. Joes attitude
towards the workers compared with the supervisors attitude towards the workers is a prime
5 | Page
example of the saying above. Joe embraced a leadership style which led to an increase in
motivation and determination of the workers, while the leadership style embraced by the
supervisors led to a decrease in motivation and productivity of the workers.
Sources of Power and Influence Tactics Used
In terms of sources of power, Joes authority was frequently expressed through referent
power. His ability to influence others through his recognized interpersonal skills (McShane &
Steen, 2012) is what drove the employees to work hard while enjoying their work environment.
Joe would often work alongside the employees and was friendly towards the workers, which
showed his charismatic personality to the employees and overall corresponded to the referent
power that he used (McShane & Steen, 2012). Joes openness and charisma caused an
abundance of trust and respect from the workers (McShane & Steen, 2012) as he treated all of
the employees as equals to him which was a result of the referent power that he used, and this
ultimately created a relaxed environment for the employees to work in.
The influence tactics that Joe used includes that of ingratiation and impression
management. Joe applied the use of ingratiation through his behaviour towards the employees
that as discussed, was done in a very friendly and open manner. He increased the employees
liking of him (McShane & Steen, 2012) in this way, and was able to sustain the respect of the
workers through this tactic. Although ingratiation can either benefit or hinder the individual
using this tactic (Liu, Kwan, Wei, & Wu, 2013)8, in this case it was useful to Joe as the
employees responded well to it. Joe also exercised the use of impression management through
shaping his image (McShane & Steen, 2012) towards his employees in such a way that equality
was conveyed. Joe gave off the impression of himself to his employees that he was equivalent to
them in the business as he performed similar tasks, and dressed the same way as the workers did.
6 | Page
He also gave the employees the flexibility to decide on what their tasks and work schedules
should be like, which as a manager delivered a positive impression to the employees.
In contrast to Joe, the new supervisors hired in the following summer used different
sources of power, including legitimate and coercive power. Their use of legitimate power was
displayed through the supervisors agreement with Joe that they could request specific behaviour
and tasks from the employees (McShane & Steen, 2012), which included directing the workers in
whichever way they pleased. It was also apparent that legitimate power was in effect in regards
to the differences in wardrobe between the supervisors and employees, where supervisors
dressed more formally. They also used coercive power where punishment was applied in order
to execute behavioural control (Boldt, Jones, Russel, & Witzel, 2007)9, which was done by
setting restrictions on the employees jobs. The punishment applied was not direct, but was done
through a no tolerance policy of restricting socialization within the workplace, disallowing
tardiness, and redefining the performance of tasks.
In regards to influence tactics that the supervisors used, they applied the tactics of silent
authority as well as assertiveness. Silent authority was executed through the supervisors
legitimate power (McShane & Steen, 2012) where they were given the authority to give orders to
the employees in terms of how they wanted the employees to complete tasks, and setting rules
for them to follow. The supervisors expressed their authority without openly referring to it
(McShane & Steen, 2012) in that as previously mentioned, they dressed in more formal clothing
than the employees and made it clear that they could exert direction for the employees to follow.
The supervisors also utilized the influence tactic of assertiveness, which was evident through
applying pressure (McShane & Steen, 2012) on employees to complete their jobs in a specific
way, and restricting certain behaviours. Assertiveness was achieved in a proactive way of the
supervisors vocalizing their needs (Ames & Flynn, 2007)10 and demands from the employees of
7 | Page
how they wanted a job done and how much time was allotted to complete it. They also produced
assertive behaviour in a verbal sense where demands were expressed (Ames & Flynn, 2007)
through yelling at employees when their productivity was low because of a lack of training.
Impact of Power Sources and Influence Tactics Used
Having Joe extend the uses of referent power as well as ingratiation and impression
management caused a positive effect throughout the workforce. This was evident through the
employees favourable interactions with one another as they were permitted to socialize, and
their excellent delivery in customer service which was apparent through their interactions with
customers. By having Joe allow such behaviour throughout the workplace, it created an
encouraging environment for the employees to work in. Although utilizing high levels of the
influence tactic of ingratiation can often result in less influential behaviour (McShane & Steen,
2012), this was not accurate in Joes case. This is because through the balance theory of having
effectiveness of ingratiation based on the delivery (Liu et al., 2013), his genuine friendliness and
leniency towards the employees prompted motivation amongst them to effectively complete their
tasks. The effectiveness of ingratiation as well as impression management and referent power,
ultimately improved productivity and caused a 15 percent output above average.
Overall the supervisors behaviour towards the employees created a negative impact
throughout the workforce. Their strict requirements of the employees and legitimate and coercive
power that they used resulted in employee dissatisfaction. Their dissatisfaction could be a result
of the sudden change in leadership styles that the organization underwent, as organizations are
inclined to retaliate against change (Boldt, Jones, Russel, & Witzel, 2007). The supervisors
assertiveness had a large impact on the impressions formed (Ames & Flynn, 2007) by
employees, which initiated the decline in employees motivation to work in the organization. As
a result the employees started to resent their supervisors, and had overall lost interest in the work
8 | Page
they were doing which derived a slowed production from the employees and within the
organization as a whole.
Sources of Conflict Evident in Brewster-Seaview Company
The 2 sources of conflict evident at Brewster-Seaview Company are differentiation and
communication. Differentiation is seen in the contrasting beliefs and values of the supervisors
and workers (McShane & Steen, pg. 303). This style of conflict occurred because employees
always have divergent views on various issues, interests, ideologies, goals and aspirations
(Beheshtifar & Hesani, 2013)6. Many of the returning workers were used to an informal
atmosphere which overall benefited the company, while the new supervisors wanted a formal and
structured atmosphere to operate this company which decreased workers morale and
productivity. The supervisors snatched away several aspects of the job from the workers such as
choosing when to have lunch, the ability to choose when to take breaks, as well as interacting
with customers. Although the supervisors and workers had similar goals in mind, their approach
to achieving the goals was different. There were many points of views involved which caused
confusion and lack of motivation and productivity. The workers enjoyed Joes leadership which
motivated them to meet company objectives. While, the supervisors management style was not
appreciated by the workers.
The other source of conflict evident at Brewster-Seaview was communication.
Communication is necessary for conducting business in an efficient manner (Spaho, 2013)7.
Under the management of the supervisors, the workers were not able to openly communicate and
interact with co-workers and customers. This led to a decrease of workers morale and
motivation. This resulted in an unresolved conflict due to the uncomfortable communication
environment. Effective communication is required, not only for maintaining human relations, but
also for achieving good business performance (Spaho, 2013). To resolve this issue, both parties
must be willing to work together to evaluate the situation, find the problem, and brainstorm and
9 | Page
implement ways in which the issue can be solved. After all, it is better communication which will
also help eliminate the differentiation conflict by shortening the gap between the supervisors and
the workers.
Conflict Management Strategies Used
The conflict management strategy used by Joe was avoiding and yielding (McShane &
Steen, pg. 306). Joe used avoidance as he pacifies the workers by telling them that he will speak
to the supervisors and no changes were made. The workers are left feeling that they are not being
heard and in turn become less motivated to do their jobs with accuracy. Since conflict was new
for Joe and his company, he tried to smooth everything over to avoid the situation altogether.
Therefore, Joe had low motivation to satisfy his own (assertiveness) and the other
(cooperativeness) partys interest (McShane & Steen, 306). Joe also used the conflict
management strategy of yielding as Joe gave into the wishes of the supervisors and failed to take
into consideration the interests of the crewmen.
The supervisors use forcing as their conflict managing style (McShane & Steen, pg. 306).
There was many times where the supervisors forced strict rules upon the crewmen such as
working harder, no talking to other crewmen or customers, etc. Also when the workers start to
slip with their productivity, instead of using positive reinforcement and making sure that the new
workers have the proper skills needed to get the job done correctly and efficiently, the
supervisors use authority and assertion in efforts to move the job along faster. In relation to the
interpersonal conflict handling style, the supervisors had a high motivation to satisfy their own
interest, with little to no motivation to satisfy the other partys interest (McShane & Steen, 306).
The result of using forcing as a conflict management style caused a win-lose orientation within
the company.
10 | P a g e
The workers use avoiding as their conflict managing style (McShane & Steen, pg. 306).
This was evident as the crewmen did not want to talk to the supervisors about their issues since
they felt it was not their place. When no change was evident, they begrudgingly fulfill their new
constricted roles with the minimum effort required. However, the crewmen did try and resolve
this issue by talking to Joe, which was ineffective. Overall, the crewmen somewhat avoided the
issue as a whole, they displayed a low motivation to satisfy their own and the other partys
interests (McShane & Steen, 306).
To solve these conflicts, each of the team members needs to be willing to cooperate,
using compromise and problem-solving as their conflict managing styles (McShane & Steen, pg.
306). By compromising, both the crewmen and supervisors will have an adequate equal power
and will be able to solve issues and perform more effectively and efficiently. This will limit the
high power struggles within the company thus being able to promote better team wide decisions.
Problem solving will result a win-win orientation for the company since both parties will
ultimately be benefiting from a solution when a disagreement occurs. Also differentiation should
be reduced by creating common experiences. Communication and understanding should be
improved by using the Johari Window model and contact hypothesis (McShane & Steen, pg. 79,
80). With better communication skills, the members will work more cohesively together resulting
in better productivity and job satisfaction.
Short-Term and Long-Term Plans to Improve the Effectiveness of the Organization
There are two core issues which need to be addresses regarding the effectiveness of
Brewster-Seaview Landscaping. The first major issue was the loss of motivation and
performance for the returning workers during the second summer. This issue can be referred back
to the change in leadership styles of the new supervisors and change in company culture. In the
short term, there is not much the company can do to address the issue. Joe can educate the new
11 | P a g e
supervisors of the culture the company created during the first summer. From there on, he can
monitor the supervisors and make sure that properly culture and leadership style is being
maintained. In the long term, the issue is somewhat easier to address because newly hired
supervisors can spend a good amount of time working with existing teams to gain a better
understanding of the job and company culture. The company can promote existing employees
who had shown good performance to the supervisor position and instruct them on the job
requirements. This is a good alternative to hiring new employees. This is an advantage because
the existing employees as new supervisors would be knowledgeable of the company, how to treat
other employees, and already have a strong relationship with the existing employees.
The second major issue is the performance of the newly hired employees in the second
summer. This issue can be traced to a combination of the lack of training and experience or the
new employees and issues with the supervisors leadership style. The lack of training for the
employees is somewhat an easier issue to address because this can be solved by intermixing
returning workers with the new workers so the returning workers can assist and guide the new
workers from their experience. The issues with supervisor leadership styles can be solved by
ensuring that returning workers have knowledge of the job and company culture in order to assist
and guide the new workers with the operations.
Therefore, the overall action plan to address the issues of Brewster-Seaview is to
educating the current supervisors about the company culture especially the leadership styles that
Brewster adapted in the previous summer which the returning employees have grown to expect.
Along with company culture, teams should be reorganized to have a mix returning and new
employees. Moreover, supervisors must be monitored to ensure they are adapting the proper
leadership styles and maintaining the proper company culture. Lastly, to ensure effectiveness of
the company in the future summers, supervisors should spend time working with the teams to
develop an understanding of the work process and company culture.
12 | P a g e
References
1.
McShane, S., & Steen, S. (2012). Canadian Organizational Behaviour (8th ed.). United
2.
8. Liu, J., Kwan, H., Wei, L., & Wu, L. (2013). Ingratiation in the workplace: The role of
subordinate and supervisor political skill. Journal of Management Studies, 50(6), 991-1017.
doi:10.1111/joms.12033.
9. Boldt, R. W., Jones, V., Russell, C., & Witzel, M. (2007). Replacing coercive power with
relationship power. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 15(4), 243-248. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/214193751?
accountid=13631
10.
Ames, D., & Flynn, F. (2007). What breaks a leader: The curvilinear relation between
assertiveness and leadership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(2), 307-324.
doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.2.307.
14 | P a g e