Brinkerhoff International Inc Case StudyEssay Preview: Brinkerhoff International Inc Case StudyReport this essayMEMORANDUMJUAN C. ARAQUEFROM:GROUP #6SUBJECT:CASE STUDY FOR COMPANY “BRINKERHOFF INTERNATIONAL INC.”DATE:11/14/00HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOROBJECTIVE:After careful review and analysis of the situation and the facts surrounding the company Brinkerhoff International Incorporated (BII), our team has been able to develop a viable course of action to efficiently improve productivity and relations within the organization.
PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED:It is apparent through financial records that Rig 1-E by far outperforms any rig by almost double and, in some instances, by almost three times as much. What we need to focus on is what makes that rig succeed and how to improve conditions so that all the other rigs will be able to achieve that kind of productivity.
A major problem and difference exists between leadership styles of Rig 1-E Manager Rick Kopulos and Rig 20 Manager Tom Rossick. Rick Kopulos is a relationship-oriented leader who gives his subordinates flexibility in operations. This style is apparently successful meanwhile Tom Rossick a manager who strictly abides by the corporate rules and regulations is a ineffective leader.
Another problem within the company is group dynamics. There is a lack of communication with crewmembers on Rig 20 and their manager Tom Rossick. There are no real goals set for employees to measure their performance and no reward systems in place to encourage people to work harder. The company itself has no goals set in terms of productivity expected from each rig.
The most important problem is the way the company is structured. Brinkerhoff has too many responsibilities since Don Webster, the former Manager of Contracts and Operations, was let go. Kurt Mannheim does not fulfill his duties as defined by the company, and Rig Managers disagree with the degree of importance of each position within the crews. This creates confusion, strains, tension, and apprehension in the work force.
POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS:Leadership TrainingTo address the inconsistency of the leadership styles of rig managers, we will assess the differences between Rig Managers Rossick and Kopulos. It is clear that Rick Kopuloss leadership style is more favorable then Rossicks. His crew communicates well with each other and cooperates in a cohesive team, which results in high productivity for the company. What we need to do is focus on their main differences and take the necessary steps to improve the leadership of Tom Rossick. The effective style of leadership here is to be more of a friend and not be so demanding, and in the end more positive results will be provided. For example, the crewmembers of Rossick dont feel open enough to talk in front of their manager. They are either afraid or they just dont feel comfortable. These behaviors need to be changed for the betterment of the organization. Obviously the crewmembers are highly skilled workers and, according to the Fiedler model, leaders need to be less task-oriented and more relationship-oriented. Tom Rossick is clearly not that kind of a manager. We have two options: (1) we could invest in training programs to change Rossicks management style, or (2) we could let him go and find a manager with the traits that fit the company. Managers are role models; if they dont care, neither will the workers. Employees read the message that the managers send and model their behavior accordingly. It is true that certain positions require people to take on certain role identities, which make their attitudes and behaviors consistent with a role, such as leaders, who must take a commanding role.
Positives:If the persons leadership style can be molded according to the Behavorial Approach of the 1950s then Rossicks traits can be changed to be more relationship oriented rather than task. It would result in better relations within the hierarchy of management and the communication gap can potentially be fixed. Leadership training programs such as Skill Building Approach where concentration is on practice makes perfect, the Feedback Approach where managers could get feedback on positive leadership styles, and Personal Growth Approach to develop trust in the work environment could be implemented. The second choice would be to fire Rossick and hire managers that possess the leadership qualities of Rick Kopulos. According to the theories of the Contingency approach, if the leadership styles of people are fixed, then this would be the most efficient choice of action. This would be more cost and time effective.
Negatives:However, people can hardly change and do not like to change themselves. Changing leadership styles is difficult to attain because the company hardly has the resources to send them to leadership seminars, and it takes a lot of time to mold someones style. Conger studies have shown that people are well learned in one leadership style and will revert to it when under pressure. After all the training, the individual may not implement the leadership knowledge due to this or other external factors. If we decided to hire mangers with traits that fit the situation, a problem might arise if the situation changes. Another problem might be the complications with finding people with the exact leadership traits that we need.
Problem-solving TeamsIn order to establish a better means of communication between workers under rig 20, problem-solving teams that meet to discuss ways to improve quality and the work environment should be implemented. Team members should agree on what to do and ensure that all members contribute equally in sharing the workload. Under Rossicks management, there was a lot of lateral communication but no upward communication and thus no way to address conflicts, issues, and problems that may arise regarding onsite operations and maintenance. Problem-solving teams for both the crewmembers and the rig managers can be utilized to find solutions on both levels. NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT PROB-SOLVING TEAMS FOR RIG MANAGERS.
A “team manager” is someone who provides team management with a set of basic needs that a team can meet through a regular meeting of stakeholders. The problem solving teams that Rossick and his team find is essentially their work environment. In order for the problem solving teams to be successful, they need to meet these “needs” within their work environment. For example, if the problem team has limited information about maintenance, repairs on the work floor, etc., the team manager may not be able to talk about working on-site during times of peak work hours, which would affect their overall organization’s work day as best as they can. A team manager is important to the team. “Team management” will work to create an environment, such that there are no isolated teams that can dominate the work day. Team management is important to the team because it means all members of the team will have the same goals, and it allows an organization to operate in a more stable, more efficient and more accessible way. The goals and methods and means should be shared by the problem and the team. For example, management must: • Work towards improving the quality of work areas by meeting the needs of the teams
• Work to address issues in other tasks or to improve the quality of assignments, in the future by organizing tasks and projects into teams to meet these needs
• Coordinate tasks and areas with the crew and maintain a close relationship with the team over issues
• Coordinate operations and maintenance by being organized in an orderly, friendly and professional manner that facilitates team collaboration
• Coordinate crew activities by collaborating with the crewmembers in working to help identify specific issues or areas of need
• Assess and assess on-site work as needed and determine if there is enough time or other resources to meet the needs of crew members
• Organize crew work with a clear focus on quality issues and quality-of-life considerations
A team management may also have the ability to bring together a variety of people and groups to contribute to a common cause such as improving customer service, reducing costs or adding new employees. In order to implement this project, teams should set a plan for meeting a specific issue or issue-solving team, like staffing and day-by-day, and for scheduling new meetings in order to meet one of the priorities for the team. The team management should seek to make the team as productive as possible and it should provide for the team as well. The team manager should ensure that all managers will be involved in the planning stages of this project and that teams do not participate in the process of changing work days. It has been proven that a team will be less productive once it becomes a specific or “problem” team in a work environment. Each time the solution team enters into a work environment, it does not get anything done, whether its members
Positives:Through problem-solving teams, problems can be addressed faster and more straightforwardly without having to go through different channels, and creating this team gives the employees a forum to voice their opinions. This will definitely enhance the lateral communication among the crewmembers and increase the upward communication from crewmember to Rig Manager. More importantly, a team ideology is kept within a small group,