Problem Analysis Paper Essay Example
Problem Analysis Final Project: Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected many companies that are part of the oil and gas production industry. One of the biggest problems these companies faced after the storms was the loss and replacement of employees. Energy Logistics (ELI) was no stranger to this problem. Over half of the company facilities were destroyed, and as a result all sales employees were laid off. As the company began to regroup from the storm's damage they were looking to save money while reinstating sales duties within the company. Rather than hiring someone new or bringing back a previous sales person, the management decided to add the sales duties to the already existing duties of a current employee. The individual who was delegated sales responsibilities already had duties that included managing employees and facilities, equipment inventory and maintenance, client relations, payroll, safety regulations and training, monthly reporting, and purchasing. This one employee is now handling the workload of three employees. The question is, was this the correct course of action to take. To decide if this was the best course of action to take, management must first frame the problem. The frame of a problem is the set of assumptions and attitudes with which you approach the problem. Framing a problem involves discovering the problem, then interpreting it. One must rid themselves of all preconceived solutions to enable them to clearly evaluate all alternatives. Consider how others feel about the problem and why. Determine considerable solutions to the problem and evaluate those solutions against the outcome that is being sought. First, what is the problem? The problem that is occurring is that management is putting too much responsibility on one individual. This causes the individual to lose focus on certain aspects and duties of both the management position and the sales position. What
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected many companies that are part of the oil and gas production industry. One of the biggest problems these companies faced after the storms was the loss and replacement of employees. Energy Logistics (ELI) was no stranger to this problem. Over half of the company facilities were destroyed, and as a result all sales employees were laid off. As the company began to regroup from the storm's damage they were looking to save money while reinstating sales duties within the company. Rather than hiring someone new or bringing back a previous sales person, the management decided to add the sales duties to the already existing duties of a current employee. The individual who was delegated sales responsibilities already had duties that included managing employees and facilities, equipment inventory and maintenance, client relations, payroll, safety regulations and training, monthly reporting, and purchasing. This one employee is now handling the workload of three employees. The question is, was this the correct course of action to take. To decide if this was the best course of action to take, management must first frame the problem. The frame of a problem is the set of assumptions and attitudes with which you approach the problem. Framing a problem involves discovering the problem, then interpreting it. One must rid themselves of all preconceived solutions to enable them to clearly evaluate all alternatives. Consider how others feel about the problem and why. Determine considerable solutions to the problem and evaluate those solutions against the outcome that is being sought. First, what is the problem? The problem that is occurring is that management is putting too much responsibility on one individual. This causes the individual to lose focus on certain aspects and duties of both the management position and the sales position. What