Statement and Confirmation of Own Work

Programme/Qualification name: Inter Advanced Diploma in Business

Each NCC Education assessed assignment submitted by you must have this statement attached to the assignment as the cover page or it will not be accepted for marking. Please ensure that this statement is either firmly attached to the cover of the assignment or electronically inserted into the front of the assignment.

Student declaration
I have read and understood NCC Educations Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. I can confirm the following details: Student ID/Registration number: 00119891 Name: Obakeng Atlholang Centre Name: Institute of Development Management Module Name: Marketing Management Module Leader: Paul Liato Number of words: 3244 I confirm that this is my own work and that I have not plagiarised any part of it. I have also noted the assessment criteria and pass mark for assignments.

Due Date: 31/10/2011 Student Signature: Submitted Date: 31/10/201

INTERNATIONAL ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS

MODULE: MARKETING MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT TITTLE:
COLLIERWOOD PIANOS DECEMBER 2011 Name: Obakeng Atlholang Student ID/Registration number: 00119891 Centre name: Institute Management of Development

Signature:

Date: 31-10-2011

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Task 1-16 Marks

As a response to reduce costs and expand into Brazil, SRs leadership style has become more autocratic and task focused. Using relevant concepts, examine the impact that this may have had on such areas as motivation and performance? According to Wikipedia Autocratic leadership style also referred to as the directive leadership style involves a leader who makes well defined decisions, decides based on his own judgment, all decision making powers are centralized to the leader this they do not consider any thought from subordinates and do not take note to any initiatives or suggestions from them. This type of leader is likely to use force, manipulation or coercion to achieve company objectives .The autocratic leader is purely task focused, and does not consider about value adding to the development of his team. French (pg 105) defines motivation as the desire and willingness of a person to expend effort to reach a particular goal or outcome. Motivated behavior results from the interplay of many factors, including organizational culture, leadership style, structure, and human resources policies and practices and also the individual personality traits, skills and attitudes that a person brings to the job also play a large part in motivation. Impacts that autocratic leadership style may have had on motivation and performance: Positive impacts: This form of leadership limits arguments, it allows employees to have one task, and that is to work, which could mean that the employees master their tasks and become proficient enough to help grow the company. . This may be to instill fear or merely to signal to the team what action is appropriate and what is not. Is able to swiftly set a direction for the team to follow in times of emergency, what is often needed is not the most well thought out solution, but the quickest solution, even if it has some loopholes. The motivation environment is produced by creating highly structured set of rewards and punishments.

 Allows new, untrained employees who do not know which tasks to perform or which procedures to follow learn and copy best practices on how to accomplish a task. Effective supervision can be provided only through detailed orders and instructions A manager's power is challenged by an employee Duties are completed well on time meeting job expectations

Negative impacts: When confronted with an autocratic leader, talented and in-demand employees tend to leave a business, while mediocre employees tend to stay. When dealing with an autocratic leader, employees also tend to become more passive aggressive. Employees may also feel resentful and look for ways to get their manager in trouble, which can lead to paranoia on the part of the manager. An autocratic style of leadership has higher instances of employee absenteeism and unusually high turnover. This leadership style tends to discourage innovation and lower employee morale. High turnover among the most talented employees and high worker dissatisfaction. Relying on one to make all the decisions, things could go radically wrong if the decision happens to be the wrong one, it would be putting all the eggs in one basket; if the basket falls, all the eggs will crack. Reduces job empowerment and job security Leaves no room for diversification of ideas (http://www.action-wheel.com/autocratic-leadership-style.html ,

http://ezinearticles.com/?Leadership-Styles---Autocratic-Leadership&id=4262909, 2011)

Task 2-16 Marks

In essence, the management of SR is moving toward a flexible workforce by increasing working hours, not replacing staff that leaves with new recruits, and filing the gaps with part time employees. Using Atkinsons (1984) model of the flexible firm, discuss the three types of flexible resource choices, and evaluate the effectiveness of Atkinsons model. According to Wikipedia Labour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production. Atkinsons (1984) flexible firm model suggests that firms need to develop a structure based on a stable core of fulltime permanent employees, who undertake the organisations key, firm specific activities and with emphasis on functional flexibility. The most well known distinction of labour market flexibility is given by Atkinson based on the strategies companies use, this involves the three types of flexible resources choices; numerical flexibility, functional flexibility and Financial or wage flexibility. Functional flexibility or organizational flexibility is the degree workforce can be assigned to distinctive activities and responsibilities within the organization or the ability of a firm to adjust or deploy the skills of its employees to match the tasks required by its changing workload, production methods or technology. It has to do with organization of operation or management and training workers, and this can also be achieved by outsourcing activities. As a result functional flexibility is concerned with the ease with which employees can be moved or move between jobs or tasks. Numerical flexibility is concerned adjusting levels of labour in line with demand. The expansion and contraction of labour covers such practices as the employment of parttime, temporary or contract workers. External numerical flexibility refers to the adjustment of the labour intake, or the number of workers from the external market. This can be achieved by employing workers on temporary work or fixed-term contracts or through relaxed hiring and firing regulations or in other words relaxation of Employment Protection Legislation, where employers can hire and fire permanent employees according to the firms needs. Internal numerical flexibility, sometimes known as working time flexibility or temporal flexibility. This flexibility is achieved by adjusting working hours or schedules of workers already employed within the firm. This includes part-time, flexitime or flexible working hours/ shifts.

 Financial or wage flexibility is in which wage levels are not decided collectively and there are more differences between the wages of workers. This is done so that pay and other employment costs reflect the supply and demand of labour. This can be achieved by rate-for-the-job systems, or assessment based pay system, or individual performance wages. Evaluation of the effectiveness of Atkinsons model: The flexible firm model offers a starting point for examining flexibility in the workplace and provides evidence that organisations can offer flexible working arrangements to their core employees while still meeting production strategies. Firms which provide better benefit packages to their full time, more permanent workers are more likely to rely on flexible working arrangements. It is used as a method to enable workers to adjust working life and working hours to their own preferences and to other activities As companies adapt to business cycles and facilitate their needs through the use of labour market flexibility strategies, workers adapt to their life cycles and their needs through it. The flexible firm model is a good example of how organisations can enrich jobs while at the same time meeting business objectives, even though the flexible firm model may be more of a theory rather than a framework which organisations could replicate completely. (http://www.gosaffron.co.uk/?p=11 , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_market_flexibility , www.emplaw.co.uk, www.hrmguide.co.uk, 2011)

Task 3 15 Marks
When SR expands its operations internationally into Brazil, they will need to understand a range of cultural differences and consider and consider how to manage these differences. Hofstedess (1991) research has found four distinct clusters of national culture and organizational principles. Contrast the difference between the UK and Brazil using Hofstedess frame work, and discuss the strategic implications of cultural diversity in four areas that you consider to be significant to SR.

Task 4
It has been recognised that absenteeism has become a problem for the management team at SR. What might become some actions that that you could suggest to management to try and improve this? In your answer provide 5 recommendations. Absenteeism simply means failing to show up for work when you are scheduled to be there. The effects of absenteeism in the workplace are directly proportional to decreased productivity, the company, eventually, is at a loss trying to cover up the indirect cost involved to hire temporary staff, and pay employees for overtime. Various factors that influence an employee to remain absent from work include personal factors and workplace factors; job satisfaction - if employees do not find their job challenging, dissatisfaction creeps in and that leads to more absenteeism in the workplace, work routine- doing the same job over a period of time can get monotonous, the employees find the job functions boring and they choose to do something interesting rather than come to work, Stress- the pressure at work sometimes takes a toll on the employees and this results in increased levels of stress, employees then resort to excuses that can help them stay away from work, seniority- employees who have been with the company for a long time are well-adjusted with the working culture and the job, therefore, they find no reason to be absent without permission, on the other hand, new hires are more prone to taking ad hoc breaks to unwind themselves, personal attitude -employees with strong workplace ethics will respect their work and appreciate the contribution they make to their companies, employees with very low or no work ethics are undisciplined and have lot of integrity and behavioral issues, since they feel no obligation towards the company, absenteeism comes easily to them. SR management absenteeism was also influenced by the reduction of the wage bill; reducing the employee annual pay increase from 4% to 2%, increasing the average employee working day from 6 to 8 hours and management adopting autocratic leadership style which lead to job dissatisfaction and decreased commitment and all this factors added together resulted in decrease of staff responsiveness to customers, motivation and competence which affected the organisations brand and performance within the home improvement industry. Absenteeism recommendations: Use Incentive Programs: Acknowledge regularity and punctuality, and reward appropriately. Shop Right leaders can use reward and coercive power to decrease absenteeism, reward power is defined as a person's ability to reward the behavior of others, coercive power is defined as the capability to punish noncompliance of followers. Positive absentee-control programs are interventions that offer a reward or positive motivation for 'good attendance. These include: personal recognition, buy back of unused sick leave, and bonus payments for exemplary attendance. Backup care programs: Is an employer-subsidized program that provides temporary backup care if an employee is unable to leave a family member alone and can therefore not attend work. It enables employees to get to work when they experience unexpected breakdowns in their customary care giving arrangements. This helps employees get to work when regular care arrangements are not available.

Shared governance or a participative management style:

Is when employees are involved on task forces and committees, this involvement gives employees the chance to make decisions about certain policies, protocols, or programs within the organization. Is an effective mechanism to encourage clinical decision-making autonomy, control, confidence, and trust in which in turn will result in increased job satisfaction and retention of SR employees. Less involvement in decision making in a present job results in increased absences by decreasing employee job satisfaction and commitment.
Mentoring, Counseling, Fitness Programs and On-site Massage:
This would help employees through stress, emotional problems or personal problems, and careful monitoring of workloads.

Having a clear policy on absence monitoring: