Engineers Work Related Friction Scenario Scenario: Eight

Engineers Work Related Friction Scenario Scenario: Scenario: eight male engineers and their supervisor Pet have worked in a production and distributing company for fifteen years; they have worked together steadily and have developed social relationships among themselves. Joy a female engineer and a fresh graduate with a master's degree from one of the best engineering school in the country has been hired to join the team due increase in workload.

Joy is enthusiastic and diligent with her work, she doesn't socialize so much with her team because she believe that they are; slow, too social, rip-off of the company and goldbricking and setting a work pace that is much less than they're capable of and also Joy believes that the team don't look at her as an engineer but as a woman who has broken the men's professional barrier.

The team turns her down whenever she offer to help because they believe that; she irritates everyone with her know-it-all pompous attitude and that she's not the kind of person they want to work with because she disturbs the team's morale. Pet on the other hand, warns Sue to stick to her engineering job and leave management to him otherwise she will lose her job.

Pet believes Sue is crossing the line when she assesses and motivates others and also reminds Sue that the company hired her because of her qualifications not her sex. Front End Analysis The scenario presented represents a common problem in many workforces. When a new team member is added to a team that doesn't fit in with the accepted norms, it creates a lot of friction and resistance to change from existing personnel.

Employees are naturally resistant to change and a new personality can be the spark that ignites such a phenomenon. Any disruption to the existing groups established culture can bring in a wave of contempt from the existing employees. In this scenario, Joy, a fresh graduate with an exceptional education has come into a group with a long standing culture and has virtually refused to adapt to the group's culture.

The group views Joy as a know-it-all pompous individual with something of a chip on her shoulder that doesn't fit in with the group's culture. Scholars of leadership and motivation have infrequently addressed the diversity of leaders and followers in terms of culture, gender, race and ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

This omission has weakened the ability of research and theory to address some of the most provocative aspects of contemporary leadership, including (a) the limited access of individuals from diverse identity groups to leadership roles; (b) the shaping of leaders' behavior by their dual identities as leaders and members of gender, racial, ethnic, or other identity groups; and (c) the potential of individuals from groups formerly excluded from leadership roles to provide excellent leadership because of their differences from traditional leaders (Eagly, 2010).

The team's disruption is clearly caused by Joy's entrance. However, there are many advantages that could be gained by all parties if they could work through their differences. Even though Joy has a solid education, she would benefit from the experience of the group. Joy could learn many practical skills from the existing team members if she would open up to their culture. It seems as if she is more task oriented and less relationship oriented.

In any team, member must use whatever interpersonal skills they may have to further the organizational goals. Joy seems to be less focused on the organizational goals than her own opinions. Furthermore, the existing staff could most likely learn from Joy as well. Joy has a tremendous education which could offer many insights into the latest theories and research practices that have emerged in the field. Joy stands the potential to inject new and fresh ideas from an outside perspective if the group would accept her presence.

Solution Strategy The front end analysis identified many benefits that could be gained from all parties if the parties involved. The team could benefit from Joy's perspective and Joy could benefit from the team's perspective. The main problem is that nobody seems to be willing to budge. The middle ground between the team and joy must be found if the new team composition is to be effective. However, there is much in the literature about such situations and the conflicts are actually fairly common.

Most teams go through the forming, storming, norming, and adjourning cycle is fairly consistent manners. In the current scenario, it seems as if the team has prolonged the storming part of the cycle. McClelland's acquired needs theory could be applied to identify the differing needs to the group members (McClelland, 165). Joy seems to be a high achiever with different motivations than that of the rest of the group. This model could help identify a middle ground in which all parties can fulfill their needs in accordance with organizational goals.

There are three basic options. Pet could continue being somewhat lackadaisical about Joy's membership in the team. Although he has confronted Joy in the past, his response to the situation does not seem proactive in the least. Furthermore, he could continue in the same manner indefinitely or until the situation resolved itself. However, Pet is in the position of leadership and he should most likely consider what is in the best interest of the organization.

It is unclear whether or not Pet realizes the potential that could be capitalized upon by adding a level of diversity to the team. Diversity in the workforce is more common today than ever before. Although diversity has been commonly shunned by many groups, it has become more prominent in today's business environment. Part of the reason is that, if properly managed, diversity can add substantial benefits to the organization. Pet should see that Joy's entrance into the workforce is a potential benefit.

First, because she is of a different gender than the bulk of the team but also since she is a new graduate. Today's leading businesses are learning more about the effects of diversity which has led many of them to receive and promote training on diversity and valuing the significant role it plays within their organization. While there are companies that are embracing diversity, many companies are not.