The case focuses on the research department if the city council of Carlton. Elena Torres is the current research manager in the city council. She has been in the office for the past three years, and it is her final year of the managerial term. She is from the Hispanic race and is the first woman to attain an administrative position in the department of research. Torres has a Master’s in public administration. The city council of Carlton has given Torres the authority to manage and control activities in the office of research. The city council of Carlton has adopted the human resource management approach where they meet the needs of their employees to motivate and increase their morale. The research department is encountering bureaucratic problems that need to be solved to improve their operations.
Facts
Elena Torres is the manager of the research department of Carlton city council.
Many employees work with Torres in the research department, but the city council officials select them.
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Two researchers have college certificates, and the three new researchers have high school certificates.
Issues
Primary Problem
The city council and the researchers do not take into account Torres ideas. The city council officials met with Torres and decided to make changes in the research department, but they have not received any action. The researchers disrespect the authority and responsibilities of Torres. The city council officials and researchers disregard Torres’ managerial position has resulted in poor management in the research department. Torres is unable to control the activities of the department to enhance the efficiency of the operations.
Secondary Problems
The employees are making similar requests for the same data to other sections in the city council. The employees have inadequate skills because they hold college and high school diploma certificates. The employees have poor grammar and typographical skills.
The new employees are different from the old staff. Torres claims that the new employees are disrespectful and disloyal. The old employees are loyal and respect Torres managerial position. The city council does not offer training to the employees to become aware of their behavior towards the managers. The city council does not provide the code of ethics to the employees who describe the staffs conduct within the organization.
Torres is in her final year of the managerial term, and there are no evident changes in the office of research. Torres is completing her managerial term, but the department's performance has not yet improved. The city council officials have been disregarding her opinions. Torres has adopted ineffective managerial styles which include “no-nonsense management styles and behind the scenes method."
The city council officials have appointed an assistant manager, and Torres perceives that it is not essential. Torres thinks that the idea of appointing a new assistant is not crucial. The associate manager might not bring any changes in the research department. The city council does not take into account Torres objections, and they have appointed a new assistant.
Actors
Elena Torres: the manager of the research department in the city council. Torres is determined and hardworking because she wants to improve the quality of the research in the department.
The city council officials who appoint the researchers to work with Torres
The three new researchers who want to satisfy the city council officials.
Analysis
Resources and Legal Constraints
The office of research has low skilled and inadequate staff. The new city council officials have hired employees with low education skills. The education levels of the researchers are below the college level. On the contrary, Torres has a Master’s in public administration. The gap in the education levels could have contributed to low cooperation between the manager of the research office and the employees. Torres claims that the employees make grammar and typographical mistakes in their reports as well as the legal process (Ramos, n.d). The office of research does not have two researchers that the city council wants to hire. The low staff turnover has affected the efficiency of operations in the research department. The employees’ low skills have contributed to the failure in the completion of the department’s projects. Torrens complains that the employees produce low-quality reports and research.
The city council officials and the employees disregard the responsibilities of Torres. Torres is responsible for managing and controlling the employees, but her responsibility is overlooked. The employees complete the tasks delegated by the city council officials and overlook those of their department. Torres should take part in the recruitment process, but the new city council officials do not consult her for ideas. The city council is hiring an assistant and Torres is objecting to the idea. The city council has not yet implemented the plans for the meeting that was held six months ago (Ramos, n.d). The employees do not consult Torres when requesting other city departments. The city departments claim that the employees are requesting for a similar kind of information at different intervals. The authority of Torres over the office of research has been decreased because she cannot carry out any plan or make changes.
Ethical Constraints and Issues
The employees disrespect and are disloyal to Torres. The researchers do not respect their authority of Torres. The employees follow the orders given by the city council officials and disregard the assignments given by Torres. Torres encourages them to follow her orders, but they still work with the city council officials (Ramos, n.d). The city council disrespects the position of Torres because they carry out activities without informing her.
The employees and city council members have low integrity. The employees do not exercise honesty when working with Torres. The researchers carry out the assignment of the city council officials without the consent of Torres. The city council officials appointed an assistant manager without the involvement of the manager of the research department (Ramos, n.d). The city council does not fulfill the agreements that they made during the meeting with Torres.
The city council officials use unethical methods of hiring the researchers. Torres should take part in the hiring process, but they disregarded her rights. The city council recruits low-qualified employees who contribute to project failure and inefficiency in the office of research.
Political Constraints and Issues
The research department faces bureaucratic problems. The research department is characterized by excessive red tape, resistance to changes and the unresponsive staff. The bureaucracy in the office of research problem has led to the development of bureaucratic pathology. For instance, the researchers do not respect the rules of their research department. The city council of Carlton has rigid rules that affect the decision-making process and the implementation of plans (Burke et al., 2013) . Torres ideas are not taken into account by the city council in spite of her determination in bringing changes in the office of research. Torres and the city council decide to make changes in the department, but the plan has been withheld for six months without its implementation. The city council claims that they cannot change their practice of working with the appointees in receiving calls. The plan cannot be implemented because the city councils cannot change their mode of operation. The researchers are resistant to the changes. Torres tries to train and educate the three newly hired researchers, but they resist. The newly hired employees disregard the position of Torres which makes them resist the training and education. Torres complains that the existing employees do not attend the training sessions. Torres talked to the employees on carrying out the departmental activities, but they still receive orders from the city council officials. The employees do not coordinate with Torres in carrying out activities in the office research. Torres claims that the employees do not attend the formal meetings and extend the project deadlines. Alternatively, employees participate in social gatherings at night or weekends with the city council officials (Ramos, n.d).
The employees are hired on the basis of their political connections to the city council of Carlton. The new city council disregarded the authority of Torres in hiring new employees, and they carried out the selection process without her involvement. Two of the employees have college certificates, and three have high school diplomas (Ramos, n.d). It is a clear illustration that the city council officials do not take into account the educational qualification of the employees. The employees should have a minimum of educational qualification of a degree certificate. The low education skills of the employees hurt the efficiency of the research office.
Unforeseen Issues
The office of research can be closed down or the activities can slow-down due to the employees’ failure to meet project deadlines and carry out activities. The projects have been failing, and most of the activities in the research section are incomplete. The city council officials are not taking any action on improving the department’s performance. The city council officials are increasing the number of employees in the department (Ramos, n.d). The employees are not yet aware of the responsibilities of their managers and their expected conduct within the department. An increase in the number of the employees might not improve the performance and completion of the projects on time.
The managerial position can remain vacant due to the inefficiencies associated with the office of research. The current manager of the office of research can discourage an interested employee from taking the position. The city council officials and employees disregard the managerial position in the research department. The interested employees might decline the opportunity of the administrative position due to the experiences of the current manager.
The city council of Carlton might not meet some of their goals due to the inefficiency of the office of research. Most of the activities in the office of research have not been completed due to the low cooperation between the manager and the researchers. Torres claims that the employees do not meet the project deadlines. The activities of the city council of Carlton can stagnate due to the inefficiencies in the research department. The employees do not attend training which can result in low productivity. The overall performance of Carlton city council will be affected.
The financial resources of the city council of Carlton can reduce in the future due to the low performance of the research department. The city council might require financial resources to improve the efficiency of the research section. The city council needs to take immediate action to avoid financial instability in the future.
Courses of Action
Torres can advise the city council to change their approach of management from a human resource to classical view. The city council utilizes the human resource approach to management. The human resource approach focuses on meeting the needs of the employees to improve their motivation and morale. The human resource approach has a negative impact in the office of research. The city council has met the needs of the employees, and they have the freedom to carry out activities in the department. The employees have exploited their freedom which has contributed to the low performance of the research department. The employees’ motivation and morale is low. The city council needs to implement the human resource approach in their operations. The classical method focuses on efficiency, bureaucracy, and production (Knies et al., 2017) . The office of research has bureaucratic challenges, and the performance of the researcher is low. The employees and the city council officials will respect the authority of the manager after the implementation of the classical approach to management.
Torres can request for reappointment to make the necessary changes in the organization and retain her reputation. Torres is afraid that her reputation in the company and community might be destroyed due to the inefficiencies in the research department. The city council official might reconsider her to continue with the second term. Torres can be given a second chance to make the necessary changes because she is aware of the specific challenges affecting the research department. Torres might not be reappointed because there are senior councilmen who disregard her position. The city council regulations might provide that a manager should not exceed one term (Rainey, 2009) . Torres might not be successful in making the necessary changes during her second term.
Torres can attempt to appease all the employees and city council members within the last six months of her managerial term. Torres can complete her administrative term without addressing any change. Torres cannot make any changes in the six months because there is a need for creating a plan before taking any action. The employees require training for them to carry out their responsibilities in an effective manner.
Decision
The appropriate action, in this case, is to change the management approach to a classical view. Torres might not make any changes during the second managerial term. The employees have a negative attitude towards Torres. Torres might face resistance when addressing the changes. The changes in the management approach can have a positive impact on the department’s and employees’ performance. The city council needs to appoint another manager in the next term. The city council will follow a management plan to make sure that the implementation process is successful.
Management Plan
Objectives
To make sure that the organization fully incorporates the classical approach to management
To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the employees, manager, assistant manager, and city council officials
To improve the bureaucratic process in the office of research
To improve the conduct of employees towards the senior executives
To enlighten the employees on the responsibilities towards their supervisors
Actions
The employees will attend training sessions on their conduct and elements of the classical approach to management
The employees will receive on-the-job training to improve their skills and experiences
The city council officials will supervise their employees on their compliance with the classical approach to management
The city council officials will give the employees a public administration laws to read on their responsibilities
Procedures
The city council will carry out an assessment to determine the specific needs of every employee and the efficiency levels
The trainers will give employees activities that are related to research to improve their skills and experiences
The city council officials will carry out a post-analysis to assess the effectiveness of implementing the classical approach to management and training the employees. The post-assessment procedure will indicate the bureaucratic and efficiency levels.
Timeline
| Action Required | Action by | Time required/Deadline |
| Training on the concepts of the classical approach to management and employee behavior in the organization | Trainer | Two weeks/ 1 st March-15 th March 2019 |
| Implementation of the classical view to management | County council officials, manager, and assistant manager | Two months/16 March-17 th May 2019 |
| On-the-job training | Trainers, manager and assistant manager | One month 18 th May-19 th June 2019 |
| Measure the effectiveness of the training and implementation of the management approach | County council official, manager, and assistant manager | One week/20 th -27 th June |
Impacts
The bureaucratic challenges will reduce, and the manager will exercise his or her responsibilities
The efficiency levels of the organization will increase
The office of research will achieve their goals
The employees will meet the deadlines of the activities and projects on time
The employees’ behavior will improve
The employees' morale and motivation will increase
References
Burke, R. J., Noblet, A. J., Cooper, C. L., & Edward Elgar Publishing. (2013). Human resource management in the public sector . Cheltenham, U.K: Edward Elgar Pub. Ltd.
Knies, E., Boselie, P., Gould-Williams, J., & Vandenabeele, W. (2017). Strategic human resource management and public sector performance: context matters.
Rainey, H. G. (2009). Understanding and managing public organizations . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Ramos, C.M. (n.d). Working with Elected Officials: Managing Political Appointees. Case 1.
