INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE

Harry Beecham

Karl V. Schwerin

Roland Fuoroli

Katharina Waldburg

Jose Muller

Caroline

ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE CASE

1. Friction between levels of management – Organizational friction

sometimes lead to Slow decision making, unnecessary approval steps,
internal conflicts, misalignment of priorities. It seriously harms the happiness
of employees, and the organizations ability to maneuver and generate profits
for the company. Organization friction wastes time and saps the energy of
the workforce. Organization friction is caused by interpersonal lack of trust,
lack of clarity, or competing priorities handled in an unhealthy way. In the
short-term, organizational friction causes planning fallacies, which lead to
time delays. These delays slow down the organization and inhibit a team’s
ability to react to new opportunities with agility. Over time, chronic drag
limits employee’s ability to innovate and do deep work.

2. Work stress - Work related stress can be caused by poor work

organisation, the way the organization design job and work system and
the way they manage them. It is the response employee may have when
presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to
their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope.
Stress often made worse circumstance when employees feel they have
little support from supervisors and colleagues, as well as little control over
work processes.
3. Unethical behaviour on the part of employees

SUGGESTIONS
1. Credibility- Credibility is what makes others trust and rely on you at a workplace.
Credibility is not something that is handed out at work but is rather built carefully. To
gain credibility, polish your credentials, skills and competence levels. Work towards
building a successful track record with the timely and effective management of
projects, tasks or assignments. Credibility and success at work is based on what
peers and experts think of you at work.

2. Transactional Analysis – Transactional Analysis, a social psychology can be used to

improve communication and understand your own way of behaving and
communicating.  Transactional analysis is the concept of stroking. Managers and
supervisors can create a positive work environment and positive relationships with
employees by giving constant strokes. Examples include verbal praise of an
employee, compliments or positive feedback about a project. Strokes can also be
physical, such as a handshake or pat on the back.

3. Transactional Games
Psychological 'games' played at work are often a series of repeated transactions. The
game may make sense at some superficial level, but in the end, it's typically about
strengthening someone else's psychological position or avoidance. For example,
"Passing the Buck" often occurs in organizations that pass important decisions on up
to different hierarchical levels of management. Another example is "The Blame
Game," an attempt to shift responsibility from one person or group to another.

4. Norming- The forming–storming–norming–performing model of group development.

Norming stage of group development involves bonding and the development of a
group identity. During this stage, the group may even develop a sense of synergy,
which means that the members feel they can accomplish more together than they
could on their own.

5. Differences in perception- Perception is very important in understanding human

behaviour because every person perceives the world and approaches life problems
differently. Whatever we see or feel is not necessarily the same as it really is. 
Behaviour is not only a function of personality, values, and preferences, but also of
the situation. We interpret our environment, formulate responses, and act
accordingly.  Our perception of the environment is not entirely rational. Perception is
very important for the manager who wants to avoid making errors when dealing
with people and events in the work setting. This problem is made more complicated
by the fact that different people perceive the same situation differently. In order to
deal with the subordinates effectively, the managers must understand their
perceptions properly. Horn Effect, the individual is completely evaluated on the basis
of a negative quality or feature perceived. This results in an overall lower rating than
an acceptable rate.
 6. Resolving conflicts by third party mediation - A mediator is a neutral third party who
helps the conflicting parties explore innovative solutions to their dispute. Mediators
can be internal employees trained in conflict management and mediation, or they can
be trained external professionals who have no perceived conflict of interest with the
employer. Resolving a dispute through mediation should be voluntary.

ORGANIZATIONAL COPING STRATEGIES

1. Careful hiring

A key strategy to avoid employee relations problems is to make sure the organization's
hiring process embodies good interviewing skills and selection procedures and pre-
employment screening, including a background investigation.

Just as the requisite experience and education are key in hiring, so are demeanor and
communication style, suggest whether a job candidate would be a "good fit" for the
organization. 

2. Fair termination processes

Most workplace litigation arises because individuals feel they were not taken seriously or
did not receive a fair hearing. HR should review disciplinary policies and procedures to
ensure there is a fair process that protects employees from impulsive or ill-considered
reactions by management. Employees are more likely to view a dispute-resolution system as
fair and equitable if it allows them to correct problematic behaviour before termination is
considered. This perception of fairness can also help minimize emotions and disruptions by
other employees when a co-worker must be terminated.

INDIVIDUAL COPING STRATEGIES

1. Time Management- Time management is important to reduce workplace stress.

It is important to build healthy and dedication working environment. It is
important to manage staff, projects and all the business process efficiently and
effectively. Time management requires discipline, planning, a strong attitude,
and the help of a few good tech tools. But if you get it right, it will definitely pay
off in terms of higher productivity and lower stress levels.

2. Get some support - Accepting help from trusted friends and family members can
improve your ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress
management resources available through an employee assistance program
 (EAP), including online information, available counselling and referral to mental
health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work
stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage
stress and change unhealthy behaviour.

3. Exercise- Exercise increases overall health and sense of well-being, which puts
more pep in every day steps. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and it
can lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise
can also improve sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and
anxiety.

4. Talk to your supervisor - Employee health has been linked to productivity at

work, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes
employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor.
The purpose of this isn't to lay out a list of complaints, but rather to come up
with an effective plan for managing the stressors you've identified, so you can
perform at your best on the job. While some parts of the plan may be designed
to help you improve your skills in areas such as time management, other
elements might include identifying employer-sponsored wellness resources you
can tap into, clarifying what's expected of you, getting necessary resources or
support from colleagues, enriching your job to include more challenging or
meaningful tasks, or making changes to your physical workspace to make it more
comfortable and reduce strain.