Submitted by: Submitted by courtneylove
Views: 585
Words: 1024
Pages: 5
Category: Business and Industry
Date Submitted: 06/20/2011 03:06 PM
Due Date: 5/1/2011
Atlantic Store Furniture Case
This paper will focus on the case of the Atlantic Store Furniture Company and will discuss the issues surrounding and contributing to the breakdown of the different relationships and departments within the organization. There are many issues here that include segregation of employees, negative attitudes in the workplace, lack of conflict resolution, and ultimately management’s response to these particular issues. This paper will also offer potential strategies to address these problems.
There are several sources of conflict within this organization, primarily within the teams of metalworkers and woodworkers, the two divisions of this company. This conflict seems to arise from the lack of support for the woodworkers. This is evident in the relationship between the plant manager, Mr. Jamieson and the supervisor of the metalworkers, Mr. Savoie. Because of this relationship both within the workplace and beyond the workplace, you can note in this case a sense of favoritism. This relationship does not carry over to the woodworker’s supervisor, Mr. Kirby. Because of this situation Mr. Kirby makes his disdain for Mr. Jamieson known, often lashing out at him over the lack of resources for his woodworkers. The leader in this case is not one that is positively empowering each one of his employees. It also happened that Mr. Jamieson came on board in the company when a woodworking department did not even exist; therefore he spends the majority of the time strategically planning with the metalworkers.
The woodworkers, in turn, feel isolated from the company. In terms of their work, the woodworkers take their time and diligently produce customer work on demand. Because of the nature of their work, they produce fewer items at a slower pace and this shows in the company’s revenue. Conversely, the metalworkers create items faster due to their assembly line and can mass produce their items. This was often referenced when the...