Assignment notes

1.            In dollars-and-cents’ terms, why did Jennifer Shroeger want to reduce turnover??

•              Turnover is associated with increased costs such as recruiting, hiring, and training

•              Reduced turnover improves productivity, thus lowering costs

•              Reduced turnover reflects more motivated employees and therefore, more safety-conscious thus lowering the costs associated with lost-time accidents.

2.            What are the implications from this case to motivating part-time employees?

•              Matching people’s needs and expectations relative to the job is of primary importance.

•              Recognizing that individuals have differing needs helps a manager to provide the appropriate feedback and environment to enhance motivation

•              Part-time employees’ needs and expectations may be significantly different than those of full-time employees.

3.            What are the implications form this case for managing in future years when there may be a severe labor shortage?

•              Organizations that put people first, will have a better chance of attracting and retaining workers.

•              Focusing on the people-skills aspect of management may provide a competitive advantage

4.            Is it unethical to teach supervisors “to demonstrate interest in their workers as individuals?  Explain.

•              No.  Each individual has different needs, wants, and desires.  The diversity in any work organization makes it important for supervisors to get to know workers as individuals.  It would be unethical not to be interested in workers as individuals. 

5.            What facts in this case support the argument that OB should be approached from a contingency perspective?

•              There are five distinct groups of employees with different characteristics and different needs (for example college students as a group were interested in building skills that could later be applied in their careers.

•              Prior to the turnover reduction program, the turnover rate was 50%

•              After implementing the changes in hiring, communication, and supervisory training, the turnover rate was slashed to 6%.