It is necessary to note that Frank, Product Engineering Manager at Custom Chip, is facing several urgent and serious issues. In the first place, there is a big problem related to poor communication among departments. This miscommunication often leads to an excessive workload for all employees in the three departments. Hence, workers have to work on day-to-day issues that appear due to inappropriate documentation and communication. Notably, Frank also understands that he will not be able to hire more staff even though he needs people badly as a reduction in costs is the company’s priority now. The workload forces employees to quit. Thus, even though one of Frank’s employees likes her job and is a professional, she feels frustrated since she does not have time to do her work but has to focus on solving issues that would not occur if she had time to work on documentation.
Notably, this is an experienced employee who contributes greatly to the development of the organization. Frank understands that documentation in the company lacks certain standardization. He wants to develop a plan of solving the documentation problem but never has time for that. He also understands that it is difficult to work with employees and managers from another department as the roles in the company are not clearly explained to workers. Some workers (from other applications engineering) focus on their department’s goals rather than on the overall company’s aims. Hence, some engineers tend to think that their job is simply to develop a design.
Frank utilizes a democratic managerial style which has certain advantages and downsides. On the one hand, this style enables employees to be creative and active. The democratic style also involves a lot of discussions which helps employees and managers to solve a variety of issues. On the other hand, this managerial style has serious downsides. Thus, employees have to be independent and capable of working individually or within teams. Proper communication is crucial for this style as employees who do not have effective communication channels may have conflicts.
This is the case with Frank’s subordinates and employees from a different department. Employees (especially those working at the applications engineering department) are too independent and they are reluctant to work in a team as they regard that their work (as well as position within the company) is superior to others. As has been mentioned above, Frank has to handle numerous conflicts. It is necessary to note that he does it quite effectively. In the first place, Frank starts a conversation. He wants to understand the arguments provided by all stakeholders involved. He does not take sides but tries to compromise. IT is also necessary to add that Frank tries to keep his temper and even though he might get offended, he is focused on his goals. Finally, when he understands that he is unable to handle a conflict or problem, he addresses his boss who may have enough authority to solve an issue.
There are several reasons for conflict in the company. In the first place, the workload is overwhelming and employees are often frustrated as they do not have time to complete their tasks. The company’s top management focuses on cost reduction but is unable to understand that cost-effectiveness has to be achieved with the help of other tools. Notably, employees are ready to work hard but they feel frustrated and they consider leaving the company. The shortage of skilled workers will negatively affect the development of the company. Hence, top management has to reconsider human resources policies and workload. Besides, employees do not have appropriate documentation which could make operations more efficient. Again, workers do not simply have time to come up with the necessary documentation. Hence, it is crucial to let skilled and experienced workers work on documentation and plans rather than solve day-to-day issues.
The development of proper plans will increase the effectiveness of operations. Furthermore, there is a lot of misunderstanding among employees working in different departments. This is rooted in some workers’ inadequate opinions on their role within the company. It is essential to make all employees understand their roles and focus on the company’s goals rather than the aims of their department. It is possible to develop a detailed corporate culture document. It is also necessary to launch an internal campaign on developing proper communication and collaboration within the organization. All employees should understand that their work on a project stops when the customer has received the product. This idea should be incorporated into the organization’s culture. Human resources managers have to develop effective team-building activities that would involve all employees. This will help workers to develop proper relationships and collaborate more effectively.
The organization’s structure is quite well-defined and clear. The hierarchy is rather adequate and it is easy to understand each employees’ role within the company when looking at the structure. Nonetheless, there is a serious flaw in it. From the case study, it is obvious that such departments as production engineering, applications engineering, and manufacturing are closely connected. These are three stages of a complete circle. However, according to the structure, manufacturing is alienated as it is a part of another body within the organization. Frank Question and Rod Cameron may have numerous conflicts as they do not pertain to one department and have quite different goals. Therefore, it could be effective to make the three departments adhere to the engineering department. This would encourage all employees to work on one goal to develop and produce high-quality products within certain time limits. This will correspond to the new corporate culture which will promote cooperation among employees.
Frank has a certain vision and he is eager to improve the situation. He understands major issues to be solved and has certain ideas on solving these problems. He can improve the situation and has to undertake certain steps to do this. First, he should not try to develop a detailed plan on improvements to discuss it with his boss. Of course, he needs a good plan, but this could be a set of issues and possible solutions rather than a well-designed report. It is more effective to have a well-developed report to convince top management. However, Frank does not have time, and, trying to develop the report, he simply wastes his time. He has to persuade top management and managers in the other two departments as well. Skilled and experienced workers have to work on documentation which will be beneficial for the company in the long run. Finally, Frank has to continue his attempts to talk to other managers to encourage them to work together and develop specific workgroups that could come up with efficient strategies for operations improvement.