When Carol Telnchek and Bruce Marshall first started Sundown Bakery, the business was fairly simple: Carol...
Fantastic news! We've Found the answer you've been seeking!
Question:
Transcribed Image Text:
When Carol Telnchek and Bruce Marshall first started Sundown Bakery, the business was fairly simple: Carol ran the shop up front, while Bruce ran the bakery and ordered supplies. When the business began to grow, Carol hired two part-time clerks to help out in the shop. Marina had moved to the country two years earlier from El Salvador, and Kim was a newly arrived Koreen working his way through college. Bruce hired. Maurice, a French Canadian, as an assistant. The ovens were soon running 24 hours a day, supervised by Maurice, who was now master baker, and two assistants on each of three shifts. Marina and Kim supervised the shop because Carol was usually too busy managing general sales distribution to spend much time with customers. Bruce still spent 3 or 4 hours a day in the bakery whenever he could get out of his office, but he devoted most of that time to coordinating production and solving problems with Maurice. Over the next year, Sundown expanded from its original location, adding two new shops as well as two kiosks in local malls. Carol and Bruce hired an operations manager, Hans Mikelson, formerly a regional manager of a national chain of coffee shops. Hans had plenty of new ideas about how to operate an expanding business: He launched a website, added an extensive range of drinks and meal items to the menu, and instituted two dress codes-one for all counter help and another for kitchen employees. He also put together an employee manual to streamline the process of orienting new employees. Hans announced all of these changes by memos, which store managers distributed to the employees. Sundown's expanding size led to a change in the company. The "family feeling" that had been so strong when Sundown was a small operation became less noticeable. The new employees barely knew Bruce and Carol; as a result, there was less give-and-take of ideas between the owners and workers. Hans's memos on the dress code and the employee manual created a crisis. Old-time employ- ees were furious about receiving orders from the bureaucrats," as management came to be called. Bruce and Carol recognized the problem and wanted to keep the lines of communication open, but they weren't sure how to do so. "I'm just a baker" Bruce confessed in exasperation. "I don't know how to run a big company" Another set of challenges grew out of the changing character of the employees. In the original - location alone, Sundown now employed workers from seven different countries. José, who was born in Brazil, confessed to Bruce that he felt uncomfortable being managed by Carol. "It's nothing. personal," he said, "but where I come from, a man doesn't take orders from a woman." The Sun- down employees profile was different in other ways as well: Two of the assistant bakers were openly gay, one of the sales clerks got around by wheelchair. Carol, Bruce, and Hans know that good products alone aren't enough to guarantee Sundown Bakery's continuing success. They need to improve the quality of communication among the grow- ing team who make and sell their products. 1. Apply the Communication Model to analyze Hans's communication to employees regard- ing the employee manual and uniforms. Consider the impact of the sender, message, decoding, feedback, context, and probable sources of noise. Which ele- ments seem to contribute most to the apparent lack of shared understanding? 2. Identify the changes that have occurred in the com- munication channels between employees and manage- ment as Sundown Bakery has grown. Suggest alternative communication strategies that might have reduced employee resentment. Explain why these channels could help improve management's commu- nication about workplace changes. How might an organization's culture affect its choice of communica- tion channels? 3. Identify the instrumental, relational, and identity mes- sages that employees seem to have received from management as Sundown's business grew. Which functions of downward communication do you notice? Can you find examples of upward and hori- zontal communication in this case study? How could Sundown improve its upward communication flow? How have Sundown's formal and informal communi- cation networks changed as the company expanded? In which ways have both the formal and informal net- works contributed to Sundown's growing pains? In which ways can these networks be used to improve the relationships between management and employees? 1. How do the changes in the demographic makeup of Sundown Bakery reflect transformation of the larger workforce as described in Communication in a Diverse Society 2. Reflect on the six parts of the Customs and Behavior section, Cite a specific instance or predict the impact of three of these customs and behaviors in this workplace. 3. Consider the following hidden dimensions of culture as you describe the impact of culture on communica- tion within the company: high- and low-context styles, individualism and collectivism, power dis- tance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and long-term orientation. 4. which specific advice would you give to Sundown's management team about how to communicate most effectively in the face of the com- pany's growth? When Carol Telnchek and Bruce Marshall first started Sundown Bakery, the business was fairly simple: Carol ran the shop up front, while Bruce ran the bakery and ordered supplies. When the business began to grow, Carol hired two part-time clerks to help out in the shop. Marina had moved to the country two years earlier from El Salvador, and Kim was a newly arrived Koreen working his way through college. Bruce hired. Maurice, a French Canadian, as an assistant. The ovens were soon running 24 hours a day, supervised by Maurice, who was now master baker, and two assistants on each of three shifts. Marina and Kim supervised the shop because Carol was usually too busy managing general sales distribution to spend much time with customers. Bruce still spent 3 or 4 hours a day in the bakery whenever he could get out of his office, but he devoted most of that time to coordinating production and solving problems with Maurice. Over the next year, Sundown expanded from its original location, adding two new shops as well as two kiosks in local malls. Carol and Bruce hired an operations manager, Hans Mikelson, formerly a regional manager of a national chain of coffee shops. Hans had plenty of new ideas about how to operate an expanding business: He launched a website, added an extensive range of drinks and meal items to the menu, and instituted two dress codes-one for all counter help and another for kitchen employees. He also put together an employee manual to streamline the process of orienting new employees. Hans announced all of these changes by memos, which store managers distributed to the employees. Sundown's expanding size led to a change in the company. The "family feeling" that had been so strong when Sundown was a small operation became less noticeable. The new employees barely knew Bruce and Carol; as a result, there was less give-and-take of ideas between the owners and workers. Hans's memos on the dress code and the employee manual created a crisis. Old-time employ- ees were furious about receiving orders from the bureaucrats," as management came to be called. Bruce and Carol recognized the problem and wanted to keep the lines of communication open, but they weren't sure how to do so. "I'm just a baker" Bruce confessed in exasperation. "I don't know how to run a big company" Another set of challenges grew out of the changing character of the employees. In the original - location alone, Sundown now employed workers from seven different countries. José, who was born in Brazil, confessed to Bruce that he felt uncomfortable being managed by Carol. "It's nothing. personal," he said, "but where I come from, a man doesn't take orders from a woman." The Sun- down employees profile was different in other ways as well: Two of the assistant bakers were openly gay, one of the sales clerks got around by wheelchair. Carol, Bruce, and Hans know that good products alone aren't enough to guarantee Sundown Bakery's continuing success. They need to improve the quality of communication among the grow- ing team who make and sell their products. 1. Apply the Communication Model to analyze Hans's communication to employees regard- ing the employee manual and uniforms. Consider the impact of the sender, message, decoding, feedback, context, and probable sources of noise. Which ele- ments seem to contribute most to the apparent lack of shared understanding? 2. Identify the changes that have occurred in the com- munication channels between employees and manage- ment as Sundown Bakery has grown. Suggest alternative communication strategies that might have reduced employee resentment. Explain why these channels could help improve management's commu- nication about workplace changes. How might an organization's culture affect its choice of communica- tion channels? 3. Identify the instrumental, relational, and identity mes- sages that employees seem to have received from management as Sundown's business grew. Which functions of downward communication do you notice? Can you find examples of upward and hori- zontal communication in this case study? How could Sundown improve its upward communication flow? How have Sundown's formal and informal communi- cation networks changed as the company expanded? In which ways have both the formal and informal net- works contributed to Sundown's growing pains? In which ways can these networks be used to improve the relationships between management and employees? 1. How do the changes in the demographic makeup of Sundown Bakery reflect transformation of the larger workforce as described in Communication in a Diverse Society 2. Reflect on the six parts of the Customs and Behavior section, Cite a specific instance or predict the impact of three of these customs and behaviors in this workplace. 3. Consider the following hidden dimensions of culture as you describe the impact of culture on communica- tion within the company: high- and low-context styles, individualism and collectivism, power dis- tance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, and long-term orientation. 4. which specific advice would you give to Sundown's management team about how to communicate most effectively in the face of the com- pany's growth?
Expert Answer:
Answer rating: 100% (QA)
1 Applying the Communication Model to Hanss Communication Sender Hans Mikelson Message Memos regarding dress code and the employee manual Decoding Employees receiving and interpreting the memos Feedba... View the full answer
Related Book For
Auditing a risk based approach to conducting a quality audit
ISBN: 978-1133939153
9th edition
Authors: Karla Johnstone, Audrey Gramling, Larry Rittenberg
Posted Date:
Students also viewed these business communication questions
-
What role does leadership behavior play in modeling and promoting advanced OCB among subordinates within the organization?
-
Planning is one of the most important management functions in any business. A front office managers first step in planning should involve determine the departments goals. Planning also includes...
-
The Crazy Eddie fraud may appear smaller and gentler than the massive billion-dollar frauds exposed in recent times, such as Bernie Madoffs Ponzi scheme, frauds in the subprime mortgage market, the...
-
Data-2-Go manufactures and sells flash drives. The company produces only when it receives orders and, therefore, has no inventories. The following information is available for the current month:...
-
Propose structures that meet the following descriptions: (a) Two isomeric esters with the formula C5H10O2 (b) Two isomeric nitriles with the formula C4H7N (c) Two isomeric disulfides with the formula...
-
Use Formula 11 to show that date-a- sino=e16-e-m and
-
The loop of Figure P27.43 is partially in a region where there is a \(2.0-\mathrm{T}\) magnetic field pointing out of the page and partially in a region where there is a \(1.0-\mathrm{T}\) magnetic...
-
At the beginning of the current fiscal year, the balance sheet of Cummings Co. showed liabilities of $219,000. During the year, liabilities decreased by $36,000; assets increased by $77,000; and...
-
1 Define Management? Explain its features, importance and nature? 2 Briefly explain about functions of management 3 Define leadership and explain leadership styles? 4 Briefly explain about decision...
-
Hotel DelRay is located at the heart of the city of Brussels, in Belgium. Brussels is a major hub for international politics, a home for several international organizations and diplomats, and a...
-
One-way analysis of variance is most similar in its objectives to: 1. A test of population mean 2. A test for equality of two sample proportions 3. A test for equality of two population means 4. A...
-
Explain the difference between classification and character variables.
-
Describe the four broad processing categories of services, and provide examples for each.
-
Identify two new service developments that have failed. Analyze the causes for their failure.
-
Make a list of classification variables, which a retailer might use when trying to identify an online target market for (a) high-tech training shoes, (b) organic beauty products.
-
Evaluate and compare the factors likely to affect (a) a construction company, (b) an insurance brokerage contemplating setting up a transactional website aiming to develop online market share.
-
CPT Code(s): 70. Bilateral shunt of corpora cavernosa-saphenous vein for priapism. CPT Code(s): 71. Vasovasorrhaphy. CPT Code(s): 72. Exposure of the prostate for insertion of radioactive substance....
-
The process of collaborative goal setting by a manager and subordinate, the extent to which goals are accomplished is a major factor in evaluating and rewarding the subordinate's performance. It is...
-
Refer to the Auditing in Practice feature "Weaknesses in Performing Substantive Analytical Procedures: The Case of Deloitte's PCAOB Inspection Report." Describe the errors that Deloitte's auditors...
-
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS 1. The auditor is testing the operating effectiveness of controls in the revenue cycle and notes the following: (a) the organization does not regularly follow its credit...
-
Locate and read the article listed below and answer the following questions. Johnstone, K. 2000. Client-Acceptance Decisions: Simultaneous Effects of Client Business Risk, Audit Risk, Auditor...
-
Describe the issues that you considered in each of these facets when you made a recent important purchase.
-
The area of a rectangle is calculated according to the following formula: Design a function that accepts a rectangles width and length as arguments and returns the rectangles area. Use the function...
-
Design a program that gives simple math quizzes. The program should display two random numbers that are to be added, such as: The program should allow the student to enter the answer. If the answer...
Study smarter with the SolutionInn App