W1 Assignment 2: All In A Day’s Work Case Study

W1 Assignment 2 All In A Day’s Work Case Study

Review the All in a Day’s Work Case Study (pp. 33-34) and answer the three discussion questions. Responses to EACH question should be 200 words. Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards (12 point Times New Roman font, double-spacing, 1" margins, title and reference pages). Be sure to use the text and/or other sources to support your responses and properly cite the use of such.

Paper For Above instruction

Question 1: Describe the people-related problems or issues Ann Wood faced during the day. Did she handle these effectively? If not, what do you believe she should have done?

Ann Wood encountered several people-related issues during her workday, primarily revolving around communication breakdowns, employee dissatisfaction, and team coordination challenges. One significant problem was a miscommunication regarding project deadlines, which resulted in missed deliverables and frustration among team members. Additionally, Ann observed signs of employee disengagement, such as reduced participation in meetings and a lack of initiative, indicating potential morale issues. She also faced conflicts between team members that lacked prompt resolution, impacting overall productivity and atmosphere. While Ann demonstrated some managerial initiative by attempting to clarify expectations and requesting feedback, her handling of these issues appeared reactive rather than proactive. She did not employ specific conflict resolution strategies or motivational techniques that could have helped alleviate tension and boost morale. To improve her effectiveness, Ann should have implemented regular check-ins with her team to identify concerns early, facilitated open forums for honest communication, and employed conflict resolution techniques like mediation or team-building exercises. Developing a structured communication plan and fostering an inclusive environment could have mitigated these problems more effectively.

Question 2: Is Ann Wood a high-involvement manager? If so, provide evidence. If not, how well do you think she’ll perform in her new job as head of marketing?

Based on the case details, Ann Wood exhibits traits of a high-involvement manager, characterized by her attempt to engage her team, solicit feedback, and seek collaborative solutions. For example, she encouraged team participation in problem-solving discussions and demonstrated openness to ideas, which aligns with high-involvement management principles emphasizing employee empowerment and shared decision-making. However, her reactive approach to issues and limited proactive conflict management suggest room for growth in fully embodying this leadership style. As a high-involvement manager, her effectiveness depends on her ability to foster trust, empower employees through participative decision-making, and create an environment conducive to innovation. Given her current approach, Ann will face challenges if she does not adapt by developing deeper interpersonal skills and strategic planning abilities. In her new role as head of marketing, her success will hinge on her capacity to implement structured involvement strategies, promote a culture of accountability, and empower her team to take ownership of projects. If she can build on her existing collaborative tendencies and cultivate a strategic, proactive leadership style, she can succeed in her new position.

Question 3: Assume that Ann Wood wants her managers and associates to be the foundation for her department’s competitive advantages. Use the framework summarized in Exhibit 1.2 to assess the degree to which Ann’s people are a source of competitive advantage at this point in time.

Using the framework in Exhibit 1.2, which emphasizes valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (VRIN) resources, Ann Wood’s team currently does not fully constitute a sustainable competitive advantage. While her team possesses some valuable attributes such as enthusiasm and a basic level of commitment, there are significant gaps in skills, motivation, and cohesion. Her employees may not be sufficiently rare or difficult to imitate, as similar organizations can hire skilled personnel with comparable training. Moreover, the lack of a cohesive organizational culture or innovative capabilities further diminishes their inimitability and non-substitutability. To transform her team into a true source of competitive advantage, Ann should focus on developing unique internal competencies, such as specialized training, fostering a distinctive corporate culture, and implementing incentive systems aligned with strategic goals. Building organizational routines that embed best practices and continuous improvement can also enhance the rarity and inimitability of her human capital, making her department more resilient and competitive in the long term.

References

• Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2021). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2020). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
• Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
• Dessler, G. (2020). Human Resource Management (16th ed.). Pearson.
• Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
• Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2020). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Yukl, G. (2019). Leadership in Organizations (9th ed.). Pearson.
• Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2008). The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Harvard Business School Publishing.
• Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.