Additional Case 1.1
Managers at Caplin Company are having a strategic planning session with the director of HR. They are discussing the fit between the company's overall management philosophy, organizational structure, organizational culture, and the firm's current HR strategies. During the meeting, the management team asks the HR Director for a profile of the current workforce. The HR Director reports that the workforce used to be 85% white, 50% male. Now it is 50% white, 50% minority with twice as many women as men. Supervisors still tend to be white males.
The management team discusses how to control costs, improve quality, and create distinctive capabilities. Several ideas are raised, discussed, and tabled; some topics are assigned to an individual for further exploration. Managers comment that some workers arrive at start time, take 30 minutes before initiating any work, and begin to pack up for the day 30 minutes before quitting time. Managers also indicate that employees do not seem concerned about working hard or about building quality products.
As the meeting draws to a close, the team briefly discusses the firm's commitment to the surrounding community. As a cost-cutting measure, the firm eliminated its support of an adult literacy program last year. Company facilities were used for conducting reading classes. The management team decides that the firm should reinstate the program and appoints the HR Director to notify the local literacy council.
-Refer to Additional Case 1.1.Which of the following would most likely improve employee work habits at Caplin?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adjusting the firm's organizational culture would most likely improve employee work habits at Caplin. The current culture at Caplin may not be conducive to hard work and quality output, as indicated by the managers' comments about employees' lack of concern about these issues. Changing the culture to prioritize these values could lead to improved work habits among employees. Offering telecommuting opportunities or outsourcing clerical jobs would not necessarily address the issues of employee work habits. Implementing a focus strategy may be useful for achieving the firm's overall strategic goals, but it would not necessarily impact employee work habits directly.

Additional Case 1.1 Managers at Caplin Company Are Having a Strategic Planning Session