Contents

• This assignment is based on the following case study –
• The case study is based on Kris Cole Management theory and practise, Case Study 21.1 Page 736.
• A Major Change
• Chan has been thinking long and hard. As part of the latest workplace agreement, the organisation is about to introduce multi-skilling for all non-salaried employees. The goal is to enhance flexibility, efficiency and job satisfaction and help the organisation becomes an ‘employer of choice’.
• Section managers are responsible for developing and implementing a training plan for the employees in their sections. They are to ensure that all employees have a fair input into the process, that equal opportunity, health, safety, dignity and welfare issues take top priority, and that a net 3% gain in output results. Measures of each section’s success are to include attendance rates, labour retention rates, number of grievances registered, output rates, production costs, and other measures of efficiency and quality.
• As Chan rolls this around in his mind, he can see some obvious benefits to the employees. The greater variety of tasks and increased skills should provide more job satisfaction, and the flexibility resulting from multi-skilling should offer employees a greater say in how their department operates. Their career opportunities should improve, too. Depending on how the multi-skilling takes shape, employees will probably have the opportunity to undertake complete projects and take on more responsibility and decision making in the jobs.
• And Chan can see plenty of benefits to the organisation too, apart from those stated in the workplace agreement. Multi-skilled staff, improved occupational health and safety, improved and easier recruitment and retention due to increased levels of job satisfaction, more effective use of technology, improved staff morale – it sounds too good to be true!
• Then he thinks of Newton’s third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. What is the downside of all this, he wonders.

Description

This paper answers the following questions on the case study –
1. How might this change in the way employees work affect individuals in Chang’s department? How might the move to muti-skilling affect Chan’s work team as a whole? What are his team members’ concerns likely to be? How would you advise Chan to deal with their concerns?
2. What do you predict will be the major resistance points or obstacles to this change? Discuss how Chan could handle them.
3. If you were to coach Chan on how to plan, introduce and manage this important organisation initiative in his section, what steps would you recommend he follow and why?