Management Case Study (Watkins Co.)

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Watkins Co. Case Study I, assuming the role of Pat Eckers, am supposed to present a plan to make L.J. Watkins Company, a manufacturer of large sliding glass doors, run more cost effectively and motivate workers to perform at their top level by next Monday. I am in charge of mentoring and guiding Paul Watkins, who has been appointed below me as production manager. His subordinates currently dislike Paul. My Boss, L.J. Watkins, wants to cut cost because of increased competition from another firm and some changes have already been made. Before these change Watkins Co. had a relatively laid back atmosphere in which supervisors did not frequently push or confront employees that often. Wages were considered low for the area and as a result workers would work overtime to make up for their low pay. They were unsupervised during these overtime hours and reportedly were very productive. Paul, the production manager, began to enact policies to improve production efficiency and decrease cost. He called his supervisors together and told them to maintain stricter discipline from their employees, and if they failed to do so they would likely be replaced. This fostered antagonism toward the supervisors from employees. I (Pat) then called a meeting to announce that the plant you be moving to a 10 hour a day 4 day work week and that all overtime would now need to be preapproved by Paul. As a result the employees slow down work in order get opportunities for overtime. Paul, noticing this, stopped giving out overtime all together. This caused even more resentment toward management by employees. Paul then posted strict guidelines for what is expected from employees and what punishment they may receive for not adhering to his new rules. One punishment was dismissal. Employees were strongly against these rules and when a long time employee got sent home early as a result
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