SECTION B Read the case and answer ALL of the following questions. Your answers for all parts of Section B COMBINED should NOT exceed 800 words. Hampton Bank is a long-running international high street bank. It has branches in many towns in the UK. There was consistently high footfall in their branches, but this has been steadily dropping as more people move to online banking. This is a trend observed globally. In order to compete with disruptive changes to the market, with new online banks gaining customers, providing in store services more cost effectively is the only way to survive. Hampton Bank have moved to a hybrid in-store approach - with customers encouraged to use machines for basic banking services such as paying in, transferring money and withdrawing. Only seeing bank tellers for large financial transactions and financial advisors for life-changing decisions, such as requesting large loans, organising mortgages and looking for financial advice. The updated software, processes and job changes have been mandated by Head Office managers, who have identified significant improvements in time taken to complete transactions. Using the streamlining of work processes, more work can be done by fewer staff members. The managers believe this will enable the cost savings needed to keep the organisation competitive. In the store in Bridgend, South Wales, there have been some significant problems with implementation of this new process. The bank tellers are very angry at having had their hours reduced because much of their work is being done by the machines and they are anxious about having a job in the longer term. They are directing their anger towards the store manager, who they feel did not inform them about the upcoming changes in sufficient time for them to find other ways to make the money they need to support their families. They also are surprised and unhappy that they have not been offered training to become financial advisors as an alternative to their reduced workload. The store manager, Sandy, is aware that they are likely to have to make some redundancies (staff will be let go if their role is no longer needed). There will be lower demand for face-to-face tellers once customers are more used to automated service and make more use of Hampton Banks new online banking service. A number of branches in the bank have already closed, but Bridgend branch has a large area to serve, and Sandy is hoping this will not happen in their location. Sandy, is upset, because in the past, people have said that she is a kind, soft leader who is more focused on her staff than on outcomes. However, they are now saying that she's too focused on results, authoritarian and uncommunicative. She is particularly aware that people are unhappy with her because they feel she kept the changes as a secret when she knew about them. It is true that she was aware of the upcoming changes, but was not allowed to discuss them with other, more junior members of staff until they had been fully agreed and worked out by the senior leadership team of the chain of banks. Sandy is now becoming aware of the big impacts this is having on the atmosphere at the bank: several customers have complained about poor service from the bank tellers; and there has been overt conflict between the bank tellers and the financial advisors, with the bank tellers seeming to be taking out their frustration and jealousy on the financial advisors. So, Sandy decides it may be best to have a staff meeting to allow staff to air their grievances, and to let them know that she will be looking into opportunities for skills development with her manager. She will also make it clear that there is no possibility of going back to the old ways of working, and ask for ideas that will help with the transition. Questions 1. Identify and briefly explain two aspects of Scientific Management that are evident in this case. (5 marks) 2. Sandy is using compromise for conflict resolution. Briefly explain whether this is an appropriate approach, and suggest one other approach that could be taken. (10 marks) 3. Using the leadership grid, identify the type of leadership style that Sandy could take in this context, briefly explaining why. Does her current leadership style seem appropriate? (10 marks)