Assignment regulation: This assignment is an individual assignment. All students

Question

Assignment regulation:

This assignment is an individual assignment.

All students are encouraged to use their own words.

A mark of ZERO will be given for any submission that includes copying from other assignment, internet or resource without referencing it.

Please do keep this in mind and try to demonstrate understanding and application of theory, tools and techniques covered during this course.

You are working as head of a large department where several supervisors report to you. Recently you have confronted with a problem. Problem arose when one of the supervisors got into a loud and disagreeable argument with an employee. You called the supervisor to your office to know about the problem. The supervisor admitted losing his temper and shouting at the employee, but he believed it was justified. He had been observing the behavior of the employee over the year. During this period the employee had been frequently late, and his absentee rate was above average. In addition, the supervisor went on to say that the employee was a socializer on the job, frequently leaving his work to talk to other employees and to use the telephone for personal calls. The supervisor then said that the proverbial last straw caused his outburst. The employee had come in late, and after about an hour of work he made a telephone call which the supervisor had timed as lasting 14 minutes. The supervisor then started his outburst. The employee denied being on the telephone that long, the supervisor called him a liar, and they continued the insulting exchange which ended when you called the supervisor to your office. After listening to the supervisor, you asked him if he had disciplined the employee before, since apparently he had a poor record. You also asked if the employee had been placed on probation or had been warned. The supervisor looked at you sheepishly and seemed reluctant to answer. You pressed him, for an answer, and he finally revealed out that he was afraid to discipline the employee because he was black. He stated that the impression he had from you and higher management was that black employees should be given special treatment so that they would feel welcome and not discriminated against. He felt the company wanted to impress the public with its forward-looking employment practices and didn’t want any trouble with the black community. As a result, he was negligent in discipline and had kept a hands-off approach with all black employees until his outburst. He said he couldn’t stand it anymore, and the 14-mintue telephone call caused him to lose his temper.

Questions:

Q1. Why would a supervisor find it difficult to communicate with a black employee?

Q 2. Could the company have done anything to offset the misunderstanding the supervisor apparently had about the treatment of black employees?

Q3. To what extent did the supervisor’s lack of communication encourage the employee to think his behavior was satisfactory?

Q4. What would you now tell the supervisor?

Explanation / Answer

1.Ans: Since the company has policy for the black people , that he/she needs a special treatment at work so that they feel welcome and also in public eye the company has to look fair in its outlook. Perhaps this is the reason for the supervisor to feel uncomfortable to warn the black employee before outbursting at him.

2.Ans: Company could have been vigilant about their employees and especially towarsd their black employees . And if the supervisor is feeling uncomfortable to approach the black employee company must have been strict in its policies before which they could slightly loosen a bit so that a worng message is not conveyed to its supervisor that he himself feels insecure to even approach a black employee.

3.Ans: It was upto a large extent that the employee took the supervisor for granted. This situation could have been avoided had the supervisor would warned him in the beginning itself and not waite untill it was too late.

4.Ans: I would call for a meeting with the supervisor and request him to undergo the company policies towards black employee yet again and also just to make him feel comfortable with the lack employee I would separately arrange for a meeting with him and make him prepare for an apology to his supervisor.

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