Star Employee Management Organizational Performance Case Stu

1) What did the study examine? Why is this an important question? What was the main finding?

The study examined organizational situations where star employees must work closely with non-star employees and highlights the organizational tradeoff in utilizing stars (Chen & Garg, 2018). When an organization utilizes its star employees, it simplifies its learning process and improves organizational performance. However, the over-reliance on the str employee will lead to myopia. Therefore, the temporary absence of the star employee can assist the organization to over myopia and trigger new routines that are not dependent on the star employee. The question under study is vital since it gives insights into what happens to an organization when its star employees are not available. Organizations should also be prepared to let their star employees take a break to develop new routines that the star employee would have to adopt when they return. Most organizations’ fear of losing their star employees can be eliminated when organizations learn that the other non-star employees will adapt to the situation and create new methods for increasing performance. Star employees are given the leeway to work as they please and do their work without considering the other employees. Therefore, they believe they are irreplaceable, which would negatively impact the morale and motivation of the other non-star employees. Therefore, understanding that an organization’s performance can still be the same even without the star employee could be eye-opening for most organizations. The study results indicate that the temporary absence of a star employee assists the organization in overcoming its over-reliance on the star and improves teamwork (Chen & Garg, 2018).

2) What are star-centric routines?

Star-centric routines are those methodologies for working within an organization centered around the star employee (Chen & Garg, 2018). These methodologies rely heavily on the star employee, and they cannot be accomplished without the presence of a star employee. For example, in an NBA team, the star player could be the one who receives the ball most of the time, and the other players focus on delivering the ball to him. Therefore, the players struggle to identify who should receive the ball without the star player. All the team efforts are centered on the star player, meaning that he is the focal point of the whole team. The star-centric routines allow the organization to simplify its learning, leading to organizational myopia. The organization does not have the impetus to continue altering its interactions to improve teamwork. With all routines focused on the star, the organization does not see the need to create new routines that push away the organization’s star. Star-centric routines are simple since they center around a single person, making them easy to understand and follow (Chen & Garg, 2018). However, they create a problem for the organization when the star is no longer available, leading to decreased performance. However, without the star employee and declining performance, the organization is forced to create new routines, focusing on other employees and eliminating myopia.

3) How can organizations leverage undiscovered talent?

Organizations can leverage undiscovered talent by giving the star employee a temporary absence. Without the star employee, other employees will take the leadership role in the project to demonstrate their abilities. The star employee will always overshadow the other employee since they are always taking the lead. Therefore, other employees with the same abilities will never be discovered or natured because their talents are hidden. Forcing the star employee to take a break allows other employees to showcase their talents in a non-intimidating situation. When the star employee is not available, the non-star employees are motivated to demonstrate their abilities demonstrating their undiscovered talent. Organizations can implement routines that center around other employees and put the star employee in the background. Allowing other employees to take the lead and shine on projects gives the organization the chance to discover other talented employees. The star employee should not be included in all the organization’s projects. They should be assigned different projects that run simultaneously, allowing other employees to manage and lead the projects without the star employee. The organization should develop a more complex approach to teamwork that places greater attention on the non-star employees. Increasing the focus on non-star employees improves teamwork since all the employees are placing the same effort towards the project’s goals. With equal effort, hidden talents come to the fore, and the organization can discover new talents in the non-star employees.

4) Should organizations temporarily sit out stars?

Yes, organizations should temporarily sit out their star employees. Based on the study results, it is clear that even though performance will reduce initially, the team’s performance does improve over time, and other employees can showcase their hidden talents (Chen & Garg, 2018). Without the star employee, the other employees are motivated to exert more effort to improve their performance. When the star employee is not around, the non-star employees will become eager to display their talents to become star employees. The simple routines adopted by the organization that center around the star employee would have to be reimagined, forcing the organization to create new routines. These new routines will increase employee collaboration even when the star employee returns after the break. To allow other employees to demonstrate their talents, an organization should ensure its star employee takes a temporary absence. Temporary disruption fosters learning, pushing the organization to search for new routines even when performing exceptionally. Therefore, having the star employee sit out in some projects allows the organization to search for new routines that are not focused on the star employee, increasing the knowledge of non-star employees.