Sikachelela Ltdis into the business of manufacturing bicycle spare parts/components and of lately, Sikachelela Ltd has been expanding due to increased bicycle spare parts. At the same time, the competition has been increasing. To keep the market share, Sikachelela Ltddirected its employees to do overtime and that led the company into many problems. Due to increased stress from work caused the efficiency of employees to decline. Occasionally, the junior employees had to work under more than one superior/s as a results, the employees were becoming indisciplined. Additionally, teamwork which the company enjoyed previously had begun to diminish.
Furthermore, the production manager for the company asked the foreman to achieve a target production of 100bicycles a day, but she didn’t give the foreman authority of requisition tools and
materials from the stores department.
Questions
a) Should the management and the production manager blame the foreman if the desired target is not achieved him?Explain briefly the principle/s relating to the above scenario. (3 Marks)
b) Identify any three principles of management to the above scenariowhich were being violated, by quoting the lines and explain how these principles were violated. (7 Marks)
a) No, the management and production manager should not blame the foreman if the desired target is not achieved. The principle of authority states that a manager should have the right to give orders and the power to enforce obedience. In this scenario, the foreman was not given the authority to requisition tools and materials, which is essential for him to achieve the production target. Therefore, blaming the foreman for not achieving the target would be unfair as he did not have the necessary authority to fulfill his responsibilities.
b)
1. Unity of Command: "Occasionally, the junior employees had to work under more than one superior/s as a result, the employees were becoming indisciplined." This violates the principle of unity of command, which states that an employee should receive orders from only one superior. By working under multiple superiors, the employees were confused and lacked clear direction, leading to indiscipline.
2. Scalar Chain: "The production manager asked the foreman to achieve a target production of 100 bicycles a day, but she didn’t give the foreman authority to requisition tools and materials." The scalar chain principle states that there should be a clear line of authority from top management to the lowest ranks. In this scenario, the production manager did not follow the scalar chain by giving the foreman a target without providing the necessary authority, leading to inefficiency and hindered production.
3. Esprit de Corps: "Teamwork which the company enjoyed previously had begun to diminish." The principle of esprit de corps emphasizes the importance of fostering team spirit and harmony among employees. By forcing employees to work overtime and causing stress, the company failed to maintain a positive work environment that promotes teamwork and motivation. This violation led to a decline in teamwork and cooperation among employees.