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Management: Problem Analysis

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Management: Problem Analysis
This model of the Research Report addresses the case study of Andrew Bartlett 's plumbing business in Western Australia.
See attached copy of the case, taken from ‘Andrew Bartlett: Managerial dilemmas '. In Bartol, K., Tein, M., Matthews, G. & Martin, D. (2005). Management: A Pacific Focus, McGraw-Hill and Irwin, p.p. 471-2

Introduction
[1] Team-structured organisations are becoming increasingly popular in many different industries and in situations where companies have geographically distributed offices. Jehn and Mannix (2001, p. 238) note that work teams provide many benefits to an organisation, including increased innovation and discussion of ideas, knowledge-sharing and commitment to goals. However, teams have also been negatively associated with conflict within organisations. While some conflict within teams is now considered beneficial, it is essential that it be managed effectively to avoid problems (De Dreu & Weingart 2003, p. 741). [2] The high level of conflict that exists in Andrew Bartlett 's business is a serious managerial problem [3] because the negative effects of conflict can result in low employee morale, leading to reduced productivity and effectiveness, and staff turnover. [4] In this report, I will argue that this conflict is due to poor communication and a lack of structured work processes in the Bunbury office. In order to address this problem, [5] Andrew Bartlett must restructure the Bunbury office by appointing an administration manager to handle non-technical matters and by introducing a structured communication process to deal with issues as they arise. Implementation of this strategy will result in an improvement in both team effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

Problem Identification
.
[5A] The Australian plumbing industry is currently facing major changes with the introduction of the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005. The Act is aimed at improving occupational health and safety practices, reducing



References: DeChurch, LA & Marks, MA 2001, ‘Maximising the benefits of task conflict: The role of conflict management ', International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 4-22. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. De Dreu, CKW & Van Vianen, AEM 2001, ‘Managing relationship conflict and the effectiveness of organizational teams ', Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 309-328. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. De Dreu, CKW & Weingart, LR 2003, ‘Task Versus Relationship Conflict, Team Performance and Team Member Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis ', Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 741-749. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from Ovid database. Goodman, K & Truss, C 2004, ‘The medium and the message: communicating effectively during a major change initiative ', Journal of Change Management, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 218-227. Retrieved October 30, 2005 from ABI/INFORM Global database. Jameson, JK 1999, ‘Toward a Comprehensive Model for the Assessment and Management of Intraorganizational Conflict: Developing the Framework ', International Journal of Conflict Management, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 268-294. Retrieved October 23, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Jehn, KA & Mannix, EA 2001, ‘The dynamic nature of conflict: a longitudinal study of intragroup conflict and group performance ', Academy of Management Journal, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 238-251. Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA) 2005, Statement by the Master Plumbers Backing Building Reforms. Retrieved October 31, 2005, from http://www.plumber.com.au/MPMSAA_Statement.pdf Medina, FJ, Munduate, L, Dorado, MA, Martinez, I & Guerra, JM 2005, ‘Types of intragroup conflict and affective reactions ', Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 20, no. 3/4, pp. 219-230. Retrieved September 12, 2005, from Emerald database. Meyer, JP, Gemmell, JM, & Irving, PG 1997, ‘Evaluating the Management of Interpersonal Conflict in Organizations: A Factor-Analytic Study of Outcome Criteria ', Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l 'Administration, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 1-13. Retrieved October 23, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. Swift, T 2005, Careers for the Plumbing Industry Discussion Paper. Retrieved October 31, 2005, from http://www.plumbing.org.au/

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