Industrial Psychology Consulting Case Study Diagnostics Phase

Diagnostics

Industrial Psychology Consulting Case study - Diagnostics Phase

The inter-group situation

The current situation at the described office is marked by intense, apparent divisiveness. On the surface, there seems to be no cohesion to the existing organization. Sales reps are said to be more interested in bolstering their personal reputations than the reputation of the company, hence their tendency to make promises that they cannot fulfill to clients. They are, however, highly motivated to promote the company, given that they work largely on commission. In contrast, the operations staff is unionized and actually has a motivation to work more slowly, rather than swiftly, thwarting the goals of the salespersons.

The issues of this company are organizational, informational, and psychological. First and foremost, there are two sets of employees with apparently very different goals. The sales staff is profit-driven, while the operations staff is procedure-driven. Both are necessary for the company to succeed -- high levels of sales and exemplary performance are required, but it is also necessary for the operations staff to fulfill their requirements in a meticulous fashion. There are signs that the sales staff, for all of their desire to put on a good performance, may be playing 'fast and loose' with the rules and promising more than the organization can give to clients.

There may be a clear cultural division between both organizational spheres. Sales staff tends by nature competitive risk-takers -- this personality type is often attracted to this particular profession. The personalities of the unionized operations staff may be attracted to a profession that is relatively stable and does not 'rock the boat.' Unionized wages, benefits, and other stable job components as well as relatively routine and bureaucratic jobs attract a professional mindset very different from that of sales staff. Also, the educational backgrounds of both workers are likely to be different. Sales staff tends to be drawn from the middle-class, have a college education, and are required by the demands of the job to be eloquent, well dressed, and suggest a certain level of deportment and 'class.' Unionized operations staff members at most organizations work behind the scenes and are less likely to be college educated. The positions are less personality-dependent and more dependent upon fulfilling the specified job requirements and specifications in a narrow fashion. Finally, in general, sales staff at all organizations tends to be transient, because of the commission-driven nature of the job. A salesperson can relatively easily transfer his or her skills to another sales job; an operational staff member is trained in a highly specific, technical function for the job. This can create resentment of salespersons earning high salaries who are relatively new employees. All of these components of the different staffing areas should be analyzed -- education, duration at the company, and results from personality screening tests (if conducted) to see if these classic profiles of sales vs. lower management hold to be true. A clear demographic portrait of both groups should be constructed.

Given this likely lack of organizational cohesion, the second step is to talk to the members of the organization to understand their perceptions of one another in detail. The nature of this division suggests that the consultant should speak with representatives of both sides separately, to discern their perspective on an individual basis. This enables the consultant sift through their opinions to find the truth. What precisely does the operational staff believe is disingenuous about the words of the sales staff? How does the sales staff perceive that the operations staff is hampering its ability to engage in competitive practices? The very process of articulating the problems to a third party can be cathartic. It is vital to get both warring groups 'on board' even during the diagnostic process, so they understand that the consultant is not taking sides. They are also more likely to buy into the eventual solution if they believe they have had an important role in shaping the final result (Block 2011:42).

After determining the mood and overall professional atmosphere of the company, the second phase requires understanding why the company is currently using its troublesome motivational structure for employees. What organizational mandates have created a situation in which salespersons have little accountability regarding their truth claims and so operations staff can work deliberately slowly to get overtime, without appropriate managerial controls (if this is the case)? The organizational structure of the business as a whole must be evaluated, with a clear notation of the chain of command (or lack thereof), regarding these issues.

To better understand potential areas of weakness, the industry itself must be analyzed: is the company hierarchy fundamentally in keeping with the performance of its competitors, or is it notably eccentric in its structure? Why is this the case? Has it been performing or out-performing its rivals? A realistic portrayal of company finances is also demanded to ensure the degree to which the personality conflicts between the operations and sales staff have impacted its business. Although the organization may be tense and uncomfortable, it still may have areas of strength which should not be undermined with the change effort.