Organizational Management

Archived Posts from this Category

November 13, 2009

Treadway Tire Company

This case study is about job dissatisfaction and its high turnover rate. Many individuals were highly dissatisfied with how they were treated at a Treadway Tire Company. The system is definitely broken and we see that played out here from the very first sentence, “We have a serious problem.”

The line foreman lack the proper training needed to excel and they have a horrible relationship with their direct superior. There are two reasons why many line foreman ended up leaving the company: 1) they didn’t have the proper training to do their job right, 2) there was tension between the line foreman and their superiors. Instead of handing the foreman the tools and skills needed to perform the job the bosses just demanded results. The bosses often threatened the foreman in hopes of getting the job done. The lack of leadership and a high Mach approach ultimately caused the system to fail.

One positive aspect was how the foreman were compensated with a high level of pay. The men were being paid $30/hr and had the opportunity for overtime. This furthermore proves pay isn’t the factor that will make you stay at your job. The percentage of foreman who continued working at Treadway may have just need the money to survive and therefore were stuck in the job.

Earlier this semester we discussed the idea of having the ability to leave your job and not be imprisoned. It appears the percentage of individuals who left did so because they could and the individuals who continue to work the foreman position are doing so because they didn’t have an alternative solution. They may have a family, house, and kids and can’t just up and quit. I am glad I haven’t had to experience a job like this!

CRUX: Empower your employees, treat them with respect, and be someone your employees would follow.

November 4, 2009

New Wine, Old Bottles

This is a great article about sharpening the leadership skills of current executives who are already set in there ways. It can be a very challenging task, especially when there is a generational difference in the workplace. Instead of forcing these new ideas upon the older executives we need to disguise it. In away we are making them think that they came up with the idea but we are actually feeding them the thought until it clicks.

The steps to more successful transition are as follows:

-First build a new relationship

-Create a performance agreement

-Serve and lead

These three steps are very valuable when it comes to the transitioning process. The first step is a horizontal relationship with mutal respect and equality. Secondly, create a mutal up-front agreement regarding the expectations. Lastly, after everyone buys into the agreement do whatever neccessary to achieve the desired results.

CRUX: Leaders need to lead and be there to serve the company. They need to do what is best for the company and not themselves. Over time the implementation of these steps will lead to a more successful company.

November 4, 2009

Marine Lost his Command in Race to Baghdad

Posted by Matthew Dent under Communication, Leadership, Organizational Management | Tags: Leadership |
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This is an article about a Marine Col. Joe Dowdy who was immediately removed from his command for not following his field orders. I believe Col. Dowdy values blinded his judgment which ultimately lead to his abrupt dismissal. In a decision when he should have been making judgements based on logic he was actually operating based on emotions. His idea of how to lead was actually quite different then then his superiors and ultimately sentenced his own dismissal.

I don’t know which way I lean with this article. Col. Dowdy performed well and successfully led his troops into battle. They successfully completed a high-speed race through Iraq in 18 hours on their mission to Baghdad. His dismissal came shortly after the completion of the mission for not completing it a faster pace. Col Dowdy’s relationship with his troops caused him to think of safety rather than speed.

CRUX: In order to be a great leader we must first learn to follow. Master following and you will create followers.

November 4, 2009

Good Leadership-WSJ

Posted by Matthew Dent under Organizational Management | Tags: Leadership, Systems |
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Too often we just expect our leaders to show up and lead. But when they fail, why is it they are jumping overboard and making millions. More times than not, you hear about CEO’s and Executives being dismissed with a multi-million dollar parchutes. In a country where you can rise from “rags to riches” you also need to have accountability. Too often companies get tied up with attracting the big name to try and save them or restructure their broken system. Instead of going after the high paid CEO’s we need to spend the money on analyzing the system and adjusting it accordingly. Ultimately, one person isn’t going to turn the company around. A group effort will needed to see this become a reality.

I believe in capitalism and letting the market determine what you are worth but ultimately there needs to be some accountablity so top level executives aren’t being chased out of town with a golden parachute. It comes down to the system, which is definitely broken. We need to address this issue and until we fix it, we can only blame ourselves.

Matthew Dent