Interpersonal Communication
Case Study – Sundown Bakery
I noticed a lot of problems while reading this case study. The first thing that caught my attention was that there was a lot of diversity in the workplace. The owners were hiring a lot of people from different countries, which means they have different backgrounds and cultures. This could lead to big problems if Carol and Bruce don’t know how to handle the differences between cultures. Already someone brought up that they had a problem taking orders from women. A simple solution is for Carol and Bruce to do some diversity training and talking with all the employees about what they find to be a cultural norm for them. From there, they can work with the employees and create strategies to overcome any obstacles.
I noticed that when Hans was hired, he made a lot of changes to the company. The problem I had was that he sent these changes by memos out to the managers passed along to the employees. This wasn’t the best way to send out information of that magnitude. By simply passing a paper out showing the changes, it leaves it up to the employee to interpret what is happening and can cause miscommunication. When Hans makes big changes, he should go to each individual store and call a meeting with all the employees. The approach is more personable and the employees will be more understanding of the changes. Hans can also explain what exactly is happening with the changes and more importantly, why they are happening. This will help create a positive relationship with the employees and they will see him as less of a “bureaucrat”.
Another problem that I noticed was that the family atmosphere that was apparent at the start of the company had now disappeared. Most of the employees didn’t know Bruce and Carol which led to a decrease of idea exchange. I understand that they have managers at the shop and bakery, but that still leaves Bruce and Carol to worry about day to day problems and less time worrying about the big picture. If they hire a general manager that overlooks everyone, Bruce and Carol can worry more about how to make their company better. This would also allow Bruce and Carol to visit each location periodically and talk to the employees. They would get more input and also increase their exchange of ideas. This might even open up some time for Bruce to go to some business owner seminars to help him get some information on how to run his company better.
If all of these solutions are implemented, major improvements will be seen in the Sundown Bakery Company. The problems with the diversity of the employees, the management - employee relationship, and the family business atmosphere will start to head in a positive direction.
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