SCENARIO 1-5 Sheena Black, Manager of Operations at New Age Manufacturing and Manufacturing

question 91

Multiple Choice

SCENARIO 1-5
Sheena Black, manager of operations at New Age Manufacturing and Services Inc., is facing new and different challenges in attempting to maintain the company’s manufacturing operations profitably, while at the same time keeping costs down and employees satisfied with their jobs. Over the years, Sheena has developed a somewhat different style of leadership in that she has become a “walk-about” manager—observing and assisting employees and other managers as necessary. She has also adopted a series of contingency plans to provide for problem solving for unforeseen circumstances which have a tendency to occur at inopportune times.
Sheena Black is keenly aware that overall organizational function and her ability to provide leadership and effective decision making is dependent upon understanding the various disciplines that have contributed to the field of organizational behaviour. She knows that the next several years will require some major changes, not only in the technology used by the company but also in the establishment of programs and initiatives to assist other managers and employees in overcoming workplace challenges. Sheena has identified the following priorities she will need to address:
1) empowering employees to enable them to assume greater responsibility and share decision making;
2) facilitating an improved climate of quality and excellence to challenge competitors in the marketplace;
3) developing a new style of leadership and management that will value diversity and respect individuals in a supportive type of environment; and carefully examining the working conditions and devising strategies to create better job satisfaction and keep employee loyalty.
Sheena is also aware that training must become a major focus so that employees can develop new skills and managers can learn new ways of dealing with the problems of combining technology and human effort.


-Referring to SCENARIO 1-5,one approach Sheena decided might have some merit in improving company effectiveness was to improve productivity,job satisfaction,and ultimately profitability.This approach would include

• A)downsizing,layoffs,and restructuring.
• B)new rules and regulations to govern employee behaviour.
• C)major emphasis on efficiency and production only.
• D)hiring more managers to supervise technological development.
• E)empowering employees.

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Definitions:

Hierarchy

A system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.

Mechanistic Structures

Organizational design frameworks characterized by hierarchical management, clear divisions of labor, and a high degree of formalization and centralization.

Formalized

The process or state of making something official, structured, and systematic through established procedures and protocols.

Decentralized

The distribution of decision-making powers and operations among various levels within an organization or system.