S04a2 Gaining a Deeper Understanding of the Problem – Evelyn Sanders1 In the video Ashley and John identified the issues at Treadway Tire Company as being low morale among workers, the rising cost of raw materials and line foremen turnover rate.
I did identify the same issues as Ashley and John did in the Treadway case, however, I did identify to other issues not identified by Ashley and John. One organization issue is that one plant manager is not enough personnel to properly oversee a plant of 9000 hourly workers.I also see a 12 hour shift and the calling in sick by workers as an indication of burnout by workers. It was a mistake not to identify the long worker hours of employees as a possible issue. Ashley is on track with identifying the three main issues at Treadway. These are obvious and stated issues (Howard Business Review 2008).
Ashley is also on the right track because she had done some research using Good to Great as a bases for ideas on confronting the issues before her. She is also confronting the brutal facts about the issues Treadway is facing no matter how difficult they are to face.The key aspects of the situation at Treadway have been included in Ashley’s conversation with John, with additional thoughts about what other data needs to be gathered to help analyze the issues she is facing. To analyze the key issues at Treadway, and come up with an action plan, Ashley should use employee exit interviews as a data collection means, face-to-face employee interviews, or employee surveys, look at job description of line foremen and line workers to see if they are in conflict with what each group see as their job.
Ashley might consider contacting former line foremen who would not fear any repercussions from what they say about the company, to get their input. The rationale for the stated data collection means is to get information from those who know what and what have not gone on at the plant. The workers in the situation are the best sources of information to quickly get started on an action plan. The first step in Ashley’s approach to collecting data about the issues should be meeting of all workers at the plant.
I acknowledgement of issues that workers are facing would let the workers know that there is an awareness and plans to improve the environment (issues) at the plant. Let the employees know that she wants them involved in the transition to an improved plant will be needed (inclusiveness of participants). Let the workers know that she is there to listen and to work cooperative with them to make their plant a better place to work (inclusiveness). Let them know that she cannot do this without their help and involvement.Let the employees know that she is working on a training program that will benefit both them and the overall plant (ownership). Ashley should outline her expectations of the workers and expectation for Treadway as a whole.
Give a planned outline of how she (we) plan to do this would be another ownership motivation tactic. Let the employees know that after she has read their surveys, collect certain data and analyzed it; she will have another meeting to keep them informed. I have not had any workplace conversation similar to the one in the video. Author: Bruce Francis Date: February 21, 2012 3:26 PM Evelyn,Once again, you appear to be focusing on giving specific short answers to questions asked, instead of using them to guide the writing of an analytic paper. Each of the sentences you wrote should actually be expanded into a paragraph using the Writing Center's MEAL plan approach. Obviously, that would make the paper too long so some choices of ideas would be necessary.
At this stage, the best score I could assign would be a BASIC on each of the grading criteria. I would prefer that you take the time to write an analytic paper that achieves higher ratings. Please revise and resubmit as an APA formatted attachment.
