Work-Related Challenges Encountered and Evaluation of the Response
This essay analyzes the case study “An Organizational Behavior Moment: All in a Day’s Work” presented in Organizational Behavior by Hitt et al. (2017), focusing on the key organizational behavior concepts illustrated in the scenario. Ann faces issues with two teams: Joe’s analysis team, which has resigned, creating the need for new employees, and Brook’s associates, who are unhappy with their pay and access to skill development. In both situations, Ann acted accordingly, promising Brook to assess ways in which turnover could be reduced. She acknowledged the potential for employee dissatisfaction, a major organizational issue (Elrehail et al., 2019). Regarding Brook’s team, Ann took the lead and promised employees opportunities to develop their skills without committing to a pay raise, pending a more in-depth assessment of the situation.
Assessment of Managerial Effectiveness
Ann Wood is, indeed, a high-involvement manager. She aimed to encourage skill development, which aligns with the concept (Peutere et al., 2020). She acknowledged that employees are to be involved in the management process and listened to their concerns. As a result, she potentially reduced the risk of additional resignations and higher employee turnover. Ann effectively implemented the team members’ recommendations and addressed their dissatisfaction by including them in the decision-making process.
The Role of Human Capital in Achieving Competitive Advantage
If Ann Woods wants her managers and associates to be the foundation of her department’s competitive advantage, it is essential to understand their nature. To achieve a temporary competitive advantage, employees must be both valuable and rare (Barney & Wright, 1998). The argument can be traced to the fact that analyst jobs are relatively complex to fill, as they are niche positions and not many individuals meet the required qualifications.
Hence, the new employees hired for the jobs can fit the description, as their skills are indeed valuable and rare. The associates, on the other hand, can further develop their skills as needed. This would add value and rarity to their position, further maximizing their competitive advantage. To achieve a sustained advantage, employees require additional skills that are difficult to imitate, such as the ability to operate within the company’s unique system and business model. Currently, the associates on Brook’s team are at a competitive disadvantage due to their lack of rare, difficult-to-emulate skills, which can be addressed through training.
References
Barney, J. B., & Wright, P. M. (1998). On becoming a strategic partner: The Role of Human Resources in gaining competitive advantage. Human Resource Management, 37(1), 31–46.
Elrehail, H., Harazneh, I., Abuhjeeleh, M., Alzghoul, A., Alnajdawi, S., & Ibrahim, H. M. (2019). Employee satisfaction, Human Resource Management Practices and competitive advantage. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 29(2), 125–149.
Hitt, M. A., Miller, C. C., Colella, A., & Triana, M. (2017). Organizational behavior (4th ed.). Wiley.
Peutere, L., Saloniemi, A., Böckerman, P., Aho, S., Nätti, J., & Nummi, T. (2020). High-involvement management practices and the productivity of firms: Detecting industry heterogeneity. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 43(2), 853–876.