I am struggling with this case study. I could really use some help with understanding this.

Anita has been the head of the Engineering Department at the Strawberry Point Branch of Norand Corporation for eight years. Norand makes bar code readers and competes with corporations such as NCR. The engineering department has ten employees and develops new bar code readers to complete in the market. Her responsibilities include supervising the seven engineers, managing the department budget, (sort of) organizing the schedules of three administrative assistants, and writing performance appraisals for all ten. The company has a significant administrative assistant staff who could transfer between departments if there is a shortage on a particular day. The human resource management department is able to move administrative assistants to different departments with little warning to the department chairs.

Anita had significant problems with staffing her administrative assistant position. One admin, Debra, eight years ago developed medical problems and used her entire Family Medical Leave benefits. She occasionally returned to her position in the department when her condition improved. Hiring a short term (one month) temp was impractical because the administrative position required considerable training and Debra occasionally came back. Budgeting and accounting functions within the department languished. A longer term temp (Amanda) was eventually hired for six months. Amanda nominated Brooke to replace her in a long term position because she had significant admin experience. Brooke was hired but did not work out well because she had difficulty understanding the budgeting and accounting functions within the department.

Anita was bound to meet various deadlines mandated by the collective bargaining agreement between staff employees and management. Deadlines include completing annual performance appraisals September 1 and reimbursement for work-related travel within ten days. Her insufficient admin and a staff of ten employees created delays past the deadlines. Some staff members filed grievances concerning the delays.

The collective bargaining agreement also outlined that staff schedules should be changed only on a week to week basis. Anita found this rule absurd due to the staff shortage within the department and the practical need to move staff around different programs on a daily basis. The collective bargaining agreement contains this provision that hurts patient care. Anita openly violated the rule. Surprise, surprise. Some staff members filed grievances concerning the schedules.

Anita was passed over for the chief engineer position by her department chair who had been there only four months. That chair was clearly less qualified (looking at resumes) than Anita.

Instructions: Below are seven questions that you will answer. Your score on each question will be based on how thoroughly you answered, the strength of rationale and reasoning that you offer in support of your decisions, and how well the answer exemplifies Human Resources Management Best Practices.

Based on what a shop steward normally does, how should a shop steward best handle the grievances of the staff employees?

What are three ways the company could handle staffing shortages other than the obvious---hire more staff?

Given the limited information about Anita, how can she best complain about being passed over for a position?

If you were the chair, how would you handle the performance appraisal and travel reimbursement problem?

If you were the Chair, how would you handle the scheduling problem?

If you were the Chair, how would you handle the problems with the administrative assistant?

What changes (if any) in the collective bargaining agreement would you recommend considering the needs of the department chairs and the staff?