Organizational Behavior Business: HR Dilemma

Topics: Hiring, HR, Organizational Behavior Words: 1187 Pages: 4

Table of Contents

HR dilemma
Workplace distress
Leadership challenges
Resistance for growth
Works Cited

HR dilemma

The two business cases are concerned with an HR management problem, which is to hire or fire an employee with a specific issue. In the case study of the employee with AIDS, Greg should hire and promote Joe. He possesses AIDS disease; thus, the person responsible for hiring him, Greg, is highly doubtful of possible consequences. AIDS is a result of HIV, and the given syndrome can only be transferred via blood or sexual intercourse. However, there is a social stigma revolving around AIDS-infected people, who are avoided by people. They exaggerate the risks involved in cooperating and getting in contact with an AIDS person (Reyes-Estrada et al. 2). In the case study of the Facebook post, Susannah should fire Kenton, if he keeps destroying business relations. The best salesman employee uses the social media platform to express his thoughts and opinions regarding the company’s business partners and suppliers. The salesman’s name is Kenton, who posts negative complaints on Mercedes car dealers; therefore, Kenton’s boss, Dell, faces a dilemma of firing or keeping him.

In both cases, the main head manager or boss stumbles on deciding if the imperfections of their best employees are worth tolerating. The examples demonstrate the importance of the company’s standards against the most productive worker. However, the best courses of action would be different in each case. In the case of an employee with AIDS, I believe that he should allow him to be able to work at the firm because AIDS can infect anyone only through sexual intercourse and blood transfer. In the case of the Facebook post, I am convinced that Dell and Susannah should fire Kenton because he violates the company’s interests. If the given firm wishes to grow further, it must undergo some losses (Upchurch and Grassman, p. 640). Although these two cases face similar challenges, the suggested outcomes are different.

Workplace distress

The first case regarding Mark and his colleague Nicole illustrates a highly common problem on interpersonal relationships at the workplace. After being sabotaged, Mark should outperform Nicole and he should try to better the current state of their relationship. The company does not simply consist of financial elements; it also includes social tensions and dynamics. The main problem of the given case is that Nicole is an over-competitive partner to work with; therefore, Mark feels pressured by her. The correct course of action for Mark would be to defeat Nicole in her own game (Berry et al, p. 340). Although they are formally teammates, he should act on them by himself without sharing knowledge with Nicole. Mark possesses an advantageous position because he has valuable connections with partnering companies and firms.

I would recommend he get in contact with his friend Ian and openly explain the situation. At the same time, Mark should try to get along with Nicole by inviting her to lunch or dinner. I would not suggest he complain to head managers, because they do not seem to be interested in resolving the issue. Mark has to either fight for his position and become victorious or keep being bullied by Nicole. I believe the case represents a normal game of power, where people compete with each other for potential rewards.

In the case of Sarah, it is a much simpler case to resolve. Sarah should follow the CEO’s advice and “back off” because she increases tension levels among the board of directors. The main problem is that Sarah interferes CFO’s job responsibilities. It is important to understand that everyone possesses different approaches to solve problems and it is disrespectful to impose someone’s working style on another person (Babalola et al, p. 2054). Although Sarah is a highly ambitious and responsible employee, she should allow other professionals to perform their duties.

Leadership challenges

Leadership theory	Description	Advantages	Disadvantages
Path-goal theory	This leadership theory considers three main variables: action, interaction, and moods. This suggests that increased interaction and participation in joint activities are associated with increased feelings of mutual sympathy, as well as introducing greater certainty into group norms (Jackson 4). The leader in this theory is defined as, first of all, the initiator of the interaction.	Focuses on functionality	Dismisses human factors
Situational leadership theory	A version of the theory of leadership was proposed in 1952 by G. Gert and S. Mills (Jackson 5). They identified five factors that must be considered when considering the phenomenon of leadership: leader traits, motives, leader images and motives, personal characteristics, institutional context.	Flexible and adjustable for the given situation	Fails to fully consider the surrounding environment
Trait theory	The main idea of this approach was the belief that if a leader has qualities that are inherited and distinguish it from others, then these qualities can be distinguished.	In-depth analysis of intrapersonal factors	Lacks explanations for various circumstances
Behavior style theory	In general, this behavioral theory of leadership contributed to increasing attention to the issues of learning effective forms of behavior (Mayfield and Mayfield 5). The organization’s task was not only to recognize an effective leader in the personnel selection process but also to teach him how to successfully manage people.	Includes not only traits but also their execution	Does not include outside influences of behavior
Fiedler’s contingency model	The main position of the group of theories, united under this name, says: leadership is a function of the environment, that is, certain time, place, and circumstances, including cultural ones.	Completely understands the importance of an environment	Dismisses leader’s traits
Motivational theory	Representatives of this version are S. Mitchell, S. Evans, and others (Mayfield and Mayfield 10). It argues that the effectiveness of a leader depends on its effect on the motivation of the followers, on their ability to perform the task productively, and on the satisfaction experienced in the process.	Fully investigates the driving forces of leaders	Fails to explain leader’s inclinations and sources of motivations

The cases address the issue of leadership and how leaders are forced to overcome resistance from the masses. In both cases, CEOs are faced with doubtful questioning and distrust from the board of directors. In the case of CEO Sam Stone, his opinion on the company’s course of action is confronted by CFO Peter Rawson’s views. The given case illustrates how leaders need to adjust their goals according to the expertise of professionals. I am convinced that the CEO should consider CFO advice and change his vision. In the case of CEO Sena Aslan, she should realize that her decision-making approach is the correct one. Sena as a leader must pursue her choice of implementing change because the company needs to grow and flourish.

Resistance for growth

In this case, CEO Mike Trail is faced with strong opposition from employees, who do not wish to adjust to coming changes. Mike’s vision revolves around modernizing and updating the company to grow and prosper. It is a natural occurrence that workers are resilient to adopt the new system; however, Mike as a leader needs to convince them through direct face-to-face discussion (Ruben and Gigliotti 471). He must thoroughly and fully explain the reasons behind the transformation and how this system will improve their lives.

Works Cited

Babalola, Mayowa T., et al. “The Relation Between Ethical Leadership and Workplace Conflicts: The Mediating Role of Employee Resolution Efficacy”. Journal of Management, vol. 44, no. 5, 2016, pp. 2037-2063.
Berry, Peggy A., et al. “Recognizing, Confronting, and Eliminating Workplace Bullying”. Workplace Health & Safety, vol. 64, no. 7, 2016, pp. 337-341.
Jackson, Terence. “Paternalistic leadership: The missing link in cross-cultural leadership studies?”. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, vol. 16, no. 1, 2016, pp. 3-7.
Mayfield, Jacqueline, and Milton Mayfield. “Leadership Communication: Reflecting, Engaging, and Innovating”. International Journal of Business Communication, vol. 54, no. 1, 2016, pp. 3-11.
Reyes-Estrada, Marcos, et al. “Religion and HIV-Related Stigma among Nurses Who Work with People Living with HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico”. Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (JIAPAC), vol. 17, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-3.
Ruben, Brent D., and Ralph A. Gigliotti. “Leadership as Social Influence: An Expanded View of Leadership Communication Theory and Practice”. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, vol. 23, no. 4, 2016, pp. 467-479.
Upchurch, Martin, and Rickard Grassman. “Striking with social media: The contested (online) terrain of workplace conflict”. Organization, vol. 23, no. 5, 2015, pp. 639-656.