Small Group Breakout Exercise $0\mathrm{.}02*2,2*3,2*4,2*5$

Making Difficult Decisions in Hard Times

Form groups of three or four people, and appoint one member ses the spokesperson who will communicate your finding to the whole class when called on by the inatructer. Then discuss the following scenario:

ou dire on the top management team of a medium$-$size company that manufactures card board boxes, containers, and other packaging materials. Your company is foeing increasing levels of com: petition for major corporate cus tomer accounts, and profits have declined significantly. You have thed everything you can to cut costs and remain competitive, with the exception of laying off employees. Your company has had a no$-$layoff pollcy for the past $20$ years, and you believe it is an important part of the

organization's culture. However, you are experiencing mounting pres sure to inciease your fiem's pertor. mance: and your no$-$layotf policy has been questioned by shareholders. Even though you haven't decided whether to lay off employees and thus break with a $20$ year tridition for your company rumors are ram pant in your organization that some$=$ thing is a foot and employees are worried, You are meeting today to address this problem.

Develop a list of options and potential courses of action

to address the heightened competition and decline in profitabillty that your company has been experiencing.

Choose your preferred course of action, and justify why you will take this route.

Describe how you will communicate your decision to employees.

If your preferred option involves a layoff, Justify why. If it doesn't involve a layoff. explain why.