Assignment Submission Front Page

Course Title
and Batch Higher National Diploma Program

Unit No. and

Title Human Resource Development

Assignment
No. 01 – Case Analysis – ‘Rick’s New Job’.
and Title

Assignment Due Assignment

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Date 20 October 2010 Submission date 27th October 2010

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 Case Analysis Rick’s New Job.

Rick’s Background

Rick had recently received an MBA. In his university he was, known as smart,
hardworking and friendly. His good grades landed him an internship with Peterson
Paper Products to head up their sales department. Near the end of the internship
Val Peterson, the President and founder of the company, asked Rick to meet him
after the work to discuss the future.

Q1. Why do you think Rick was let go? How does reinforcement theory
apply to this situation?

Answer: -

After reading the case study of ‘Rick’s New Job’ there are certain reasons which
describes Rick was not a let go. From the case study it shows that Ricks was a
fresher and lacks experience. He joined the company as he knew that Mr. Peterson
liked his work so far. Rick spent time getting to know the plant and operations,
meeting all employees and familiarizing himself with the problems in sales. Rick
had indentified some of the problems in the sales department. He used his own
logic to impress the Mr. Peterson and the management. He had started applying
changes here and there for example he brought a computer and wanted to train to
use computer in order to achieve productivity which the managers didn’t like. He
was aware of the company that there is a family culture associated here and it will
take time to change the mentalities of the peoples working here. But he rounded
off to fast and he thought that he can change mentalities of the people easily by
impressing them by showing new technology i.e. a computer, but didn’t work. He
didn’t have the experience so he was a let go.

Reinforcement theory has an implication over that when Rick started to take
initiatives to solve the loop holes in the Sales department by adopting new
technology there was a resistance to change which is a negative reinforcement and
Positive reinforcement had being with Val and Rick, when he had approached Mr.
Peterson to bring in new technology had got a good response from him to continue
with his work.

Q2. Explain Rosie and Walter’s reaction to Rick’s computer in terms of

resistance to change. How might Rick have used the concepts in his
Chapter to approach the computer situation so as to gain acceptance?

Answer:-

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Rick had discussed with Mr. Ball the possibility of using the centralized computer
system to run word processing and spreadsheet software on terminals. Mr. Ball was
concerned about the security issue and he stopped him. Rick brought a computer
at the office. Several of the managers looked at him quizzically. As he was setting
up the computer he got a call from Val. “Rick, the computer you brought has
caused a heck of ruckus Rick thought Val sounded strained but chalked it up to
overwork.

Rosie didn’t like the change which Rick had done and replied to him, “Do you think
its funny bringing that thing in here? What are trying to prove- how backward we all
are? How much better you are with your big initials behind your name? You’re still
an outsider here, buster and do not forget it.”

Rick had brought a change which Rosie didn’t like as she used to handle the
accounts and assumed that bringing a change will be a treat to her company as
everyone will know the capabilities of each individual on their performance which
she didn’t like. And Walter was a VP in operations had a Business Partner and even
he resisted the change just because he thought bringing in new technology the
newcomer wants to show his capabilities that we are the losers doing nothing at
the end of the day and this Boy is showing his talent to us.

Rick should have waited for the right time by slowly mixing with everyone.
Discussing the problems with them and asking the solutions from them that what
had to be performed when. Try to train Rosie slowly in Accounts in a casual manner
and teaching her computer and showing her the performance achieved when using
it. The same can be done with Walter by showing the productive results which are
achieved by it. Talk with them the problems he is facing and the solutions to be
made.

Q3. Explain Rick’s inability to “fit in,” using the social learning theory.
Where did the breakdowns in his processing occur?

Answer:-

As Rick was a newcomer which nobody liked it? Rosie had usually warned Rick that
the company has a family culture and he should behave like a family which Rick
didn’t understand and misunderstood and started implementing changes form the
day he joined in. He should have used the theory that people learn new behavior
through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. If people
observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more
likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. The effect of behavior
has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behavior.
People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or
effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behavior, or thinks that there is a
high probability of a positive outcome, then they will be more likely to engage in
that behavior. The behavior is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person

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to repeat the behavior. By applying these techniques he would have overcome the
problem.

Q4. If Val hired you to develop a management training program for the
senior management at PPP, how would you go about designing the
program? Provide appropriate theoretical rationale to support your
position.

Answer:-

If would have hired me to develop a management training program for the senior
managers at PPP I would design as follows:-

For Rosie and Walter

Effective Conflict Management

• Transition from engagement to disengagement
• What is Conflict?
• Critical Features of Conflict Management
• Types of Conflict
• Conflict Resolution Techniques
• How to create functional conflict in the organization

Negotiating Skills

• The concept of Negotiation

• The Phases and Skills of Negotiation
• How to Respond Resistance from others
• Using DISC to understand Negotiating Styles
• Responding to Unfair Tactics
• Practice Negotiations

Effective Decision Making Skills

• What is your Decision-making Style?

• Nature of Decision-making environment
• Characteristics of Decision Making
• How perception affects Decision-making Process?
• How to use why-why analysis for Decision-making
• What is Rational Decision-making Model?
• What is Behavioral Decision-making Model?
• What is Admin Decision-making Model?

Stress Management

• What is Stress?
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 • Optimum Stress level
• Your Personality & Stress
• Symptoms of Stress Identifying likely Stressors

Competence and confidence is an ideal mixture in the workplace. Employees with

these traits can motivate others to work together and create a safe and productive
environment. Establishing an effective training program is the best way to start.
However, building a strong and knowledgeable staff isn't free.

We may have many training media and methods available. Informal training
repetition can mean us distill portions of the training into slogans, factoids, and
images. Including slips of paper in with paychecks with a sentence or two about
some idea can work well with safety training. Refresher courses are also a form of
formal training repetition.

Skills Needed by Managers

Not everyone can be a manager. Certain task skills, or abilities to translate
knowledge into action that results in desired performance, are required to help
other employees become more productive. These skills fall under the following
categories:

• Technical: This skill requires the ability to use a special proficiency or

expertise to perform particular tasks. Accountants, engineers, market
researchers, and computer scientists, as examples, possess technical skills.
Managers acquire these skills initially through formal education and then
further develop them through training and job experience. Technical skills are
most important at senior levels of management.

• Human: This skill demonstrates the ability to work well in cooperation with
others. Human skills emerge in the workplace as a spirit of trust, enthusiasm,
and genuine involvement in interpersonal relationships. A manager with good
human skills has a high degree of self- awareness and a capacity to
understand or empathize with the feelings of others. Some managers are
naturally born with great human skills, while others improve their skills
through classes or experience. No matter how human skills are acquired,
they're critical for all managers because of the highly interpersonal nature of
managerial work.

• Conceptual: This skill calls for the ability to think analytically. Analytical skills
enable managers to break down problems into smaller parts, to see the
relations among the parts, and to recognize the implications of any one
problem for others. As managers assume ever-higher responsibilities in
organizations, they must deal with more ambiguous problems that have long-
term consequences. Again, managers may acquire these skills initially
through formal education and then further develop them by training and job
experience. The higher the management level, the more important
conceptual skills become.

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These training are given to Rosie and Walter as they are needed of. If we train
them they will automatically recognize their role to perform in the company. And
will accept the decision of Rick to increase the performance. Rosie will start
developing a self awareness and she will automatically learn new accounting
principles and the use of Computers. Same applies to Walter he will come to know
the performance of each individual and try and perform better.