Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow.
Read through the case study and answer the questions that follow:
Case study
For the last 20 years your workplace has experienced sporadic conflict. Despite management’s best
efforts to deal with the conflict, it remains a problem and affects the performance and well-being of many
employees. The solutions proposed by management only seem to help temporarily, after which the
problems tend to recur. The labour unrest and conflict are mostly related to perceptions around
employment discrimination, gender issues, gender inappropriate facilities, cultural differences, health
issues, organisational and management structures, pay and fringe benefits as well as career
development and promotion issues. It appears that the organisational climate is characterised by endless
accusations and criticism from both inside and outside the organisation. The management team, who
are older tend to be more conservative, have requested you, the I-O psychologist and HR manager, to
urgently look for workable solutions that will bring long-term stability. The organisation with a diverse and
multicultural workforce of 1000 employees, was established in the 1940s and now finds itself in the
context of a new South Africa with its different realities and complexities, which include socio-economic
and political challenges. Your initial response is that the situation requires greater collaboration between
management and employees, between employees themselves as well as amongst the various
organisational departments. However, upon further reflection, you realise that the current work situation
and the organisation reflects a micro-cosmos of South Africa and that the situation may be more complex
than your initial assessment.
Case study excerpt from Bergh, Z (2017). Frameworks for thought and practice in I-O psychology. In Z.
Bergh (Ed.), Introduction to work psychology (pp.44-87). Cape Town: Oxford.
Questions
1. Identify the thinking framework related to employee and organisational management which are scientific organisational management approach and how it play a role in this case study and provide examples from the case study to substantiate your answer.
(4)
The scientific organisational management approach provides a framework for understanding and improving employee and organisational management based on scientific principles and systematic procedures. In this case study, the management team's request for the I-O psychologist and HR manager to find workable solutions indicates the application of the scientific organisational management approach. The management team recognizes that a systematic and evidence-based approach is needed to address the long-standing conflict and instability in the workplace.
Examples from the case study that substantiate the use of the scientific organisational management approach include:
- The management team's acknowledgement that previous solutions were only temporary and the need for long-term stability. This reflects the recognition that a more systematic and evidence-based approach is necessary to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
- The mention of various issues such as employment discrimination, gender issues, health issues, and career development concerns. These issues can be analyzed and addressed using scientific methods and best practices in organisational management.
- The mention of a diverse and multicultural workforce in the organisation. This highlights the need for a systematic approach that considers the different realities and complexities of the workforce.
Overall, the scientific organisational management approach is relevant in this case study as it provides a structured framework for addressing the conflict and instability in the workplace.
The thinking framework related to employee and organizational management in this case study is the scientific organizational management approach. This approach emphasizes the use of scientific methods and data to improve organizational effectiveness and employee performance. In the case study, the management team requests the I-O psychologist and HR manager to find workable solutions based on scientific principles to address the conflict and bring long-term stability. This indicates that they recognize the need for evidence-based interventions rather than relying on temporary solutions.
Examples from the case study that substantiate the use of the scientific organizational management approach include:
- The management team's recognition that the conflict and its underlying causes are complex and require a deeper understanding. This suggests that they are open to using scientific methods to analyze the issues and develop effective solutions.
- The mention of various areas of conflict, such as employment discrimination, gender issues, cultural differences, etc. This indicates the need to gather data on these specific issues and develop targeted interventions based on scientific evidence.
- The reference to the organization being a micro-cosmos of South Africa and the complexities of the socio-economic and political challenges. This suggests the need for a thorough analysis of the organizational and external factors impacting the conflict, which aligns with the scientific organizational management approach.
In summary, the scientific organizational management approach is relevant in this case study as it emphasizes the use of evidence-based interventions to address the conflict and improve organizational outcomes. The case study provides examples of how this approach is applied in identifying the complexities of the situation and the need for collaboration among stakeholders.