Mini-Case: the Task Force

question 59

Essay

Mini-Case: The Task Force. On July 12, you were hired as a manager of sales for a company that sells human resources information systems (HRIS) software. During your first meeting with your sales staff, you determine your sales force is in shambles. It is evident that morale is low so you ask your employees to provide you with a list of their most pressing concerns via e-mail by the end of the week. It is now 5 p.m. Friday evening, July 16, and you are in your office summarizing the complaints. The most pressing concerns voiced by your sales staff include lack of resources in the field, commission rates (compensation) are too low, and support and follow-up from the customer services department are lacking. As a former salesperson yourself, you know how critical the sales force is to the company's success. To address your employees' concerns, you decide to form a task force to generate ideas to resolve the problems. To encourage creative, innovative solutions, you have decided not to monitor the progress of the task force. Therefore, your influence on the suggestions of the task force will be minimal. You charge the task force to provide you with three specific suggestions, along with the strengths and weaknesses for each suggestion, by July 30.
-Issues related to engagement are noticeable in The Task Force case. Based on the information in the case, identify the principles related to fostering engagement that are evident; next, identify the principles that may either be lacking or cannot be determined due to insufficient information. Provide support for your answer.

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Definitions:

Power

The ability or capacity to influence or control the behavior of others, often based on position, resources, or personal traits.

Bases of Power

The foundations from which an individual or group derives their ability to influence others, usually classified into categories like coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent power.

Informal Systems

The unofficial and unwritten ways that an organization operates, including social networks, practices, and norms that influence behavior and decisions.

Organizational Politics

The use of power and social networking within a workplace to achieve changes that benefit the individual or group.