$142$ Part Two Individual Behaviour and Processes

manager about the store's high wastage over the previous

week and month. One team leader who reported several acci$-$

dental wastage incidents eventually quit after being snubbed

by co$-$workers who attended the same college classes.

Barrie Super Subs gives employees a food allowancy if they

work continuously for at least four and a half hours. Staff com$-$

plain that the allowance is meagre and that they are often ineli$-$

gible for the food allowance because many shifts are only three

or four hours. Employees who work these shorter shifts some$-$

times help themselves to food and drinks when the managers

aren't around, claiming that their hard work justifies the free

meal. Some also claim the food is a low company expense and

makes up for their small paycheque, relative to what many of

their friends earn elsewhere. Several $($but not most$)$ employees

give some of their friends generous helpings as well as occa$-$

sional free soft drinks and chips. Employees say handing out

free food to friends makes them more popular with their peers.

Five months ago, the Barrie restaurant's wastage $($mainly

deliberate wastage$)$ had risen to the point where the two man$-$

agers no longer received a bonus. The restaurant manager

reacted by giving the food allowance only to those who work

for six or more hours in a single shift. This action excluded

even more staff from receiving the food allowance, but it did

not discourage employees from eating or giving away food.

However, almost $20$ percent of the experienced college staff

left for other jobs over the following two months. Many

of those who stayed discouraged friends from considering

jobs at Super Subs. Morale declined, which dampened the

fun atmosphere that had existed to some extent in the past.

Relations between employees and managers soured further.

With relatively low unemployment, the restaurant man$-$

ager found it difficult to hire replacements, particularly peo$-$

ple with previous work experience of any kind. Temporary

staff shortages required the two managers to spend more

time working in food preparation and training new staff.

Their increased presence in the restaurant significantly

reduced deliberate wastage, but accidental wastage increased

somewhat as the greater number of inexperienced staff made

more mistakes.

After three months, Barrie Super Subs' manager and assis$-$

tant manager were confident that the situation had improved,

so they spent less time training staff and serving customers.

Indeed, they received a moderate bonus after the third month

in the store. However, wastage increased again soon after the

managers withdrew from daily operations. The experienced

employees started eating more food, and the new staff soon

joined in this practice. Exasperated, the restaurant manager

took bolder steps. He completely removed the food allow$-$

ance and threatened to fire any employee caught consuming

or giving away food.

Wastage dropped somewhat over the next month but is

now creeping upward again.

Discussion Questions

What symptoms in this case suggest that something has

gone wrong?

What are the main causes of these symptoms?

What actions should Barrie Super Subs' managers take

to correct these problems?