B.R.Richardson Timber Products
Summary
This case study is about B.R.Richardson Timber Products Corporation a lamination plant located in Papoose, Oregon. Part of the management team determined that there was a need for change in the organization and decided to reach out to Jack Lawler a management trainer and consultant for help. The issues which needed to be addressed were the low morale in the plant, the authoritative plant manager, and the fact that there was a resent fatality in the plant. Bowman was in charge of industrial relations at the plant and felt that a motivation course was needed.
Question
1. How would you assess Jack Lawler’s entry and contracting process at B.R.Richardson? Would you have done anything differently?
I would say the entry and contracting process began when Bowman’s friend recommended Lawler as the person to go to in order help with the problems at the plant. That recommendation was followed up with a phone call by Bowman to Lawler this is where the contracting process began. Bowman asked Lawler to conduct a motivation course at the plant for the blue-collar employees because he felt the morale was low. In addition to that there was a fatality in the plant and it was deemed that the plant manager was a bit authoritative. Lawler decided to meet with Bowman and Richardson in an attempt to gather information about the company, having a meeting would give Lawler a bit of a scope of the issues within the organization. At the end of the meeting Lawler promised the two gentlemen he would submit a letter outlining his thoughts on the next step regarding the plant. He did forward the letter one week later with a list of three alternatives there were as follows:
1. Recommended someone in the same region as the plant who would be able to design and present the motivation course.
2. Lawler would be engaged as a consultant using an approach similar to one he used at a plant in California. In this case he would conduct a diagnosis on his own.
3. Lawler
This case study is about B.R.Richardson Timber Products Corporation a lamination plant located in Papoose, Oregon. Part of the management team determined that there was a need for change in the organization and decided to reach out to Jack Lawler a management trainer and consultant for help. The issues which needed to be addressed were the low morale in the plant, the authoritative plant manager, and the fact that there was a resent fatality in the plant. Bowman was in charge of industrial relations at the plant and felt that a motivation course was needed.
Question
1. How would you assess Jack Lawler’s entry and contracting process at B.R.Richardson? Would you have done anything differently?
I would say the entry and contracting process began when Bowman’s friend recommended Lawler as the person to go to in order help with the problems at the plant. That recommendation was followed up with a phone call by Bowman to Lawler this is where the contracting process began. Bowman asked Lawler to conduct a motivation course at the plant for the blue-collar employees because he felt the morale was low. In addition to that there was a fatality in the plant and it was deemed that the plant manager was a bit authoritative. Lawler decided to meet with Bowman and Richardson in an attempt to gather information about the company, having a meeting would give Lawler a bit of a scope of the issues within the organization. At the end of the meeting Lawler promised the two gentlemen he would submit a letter outlining his thoughts on the next step regarding the plant. He did forward the letter one week later with a list of three alternatives there were as follows:
1. Recommended someone in the same region as the plant who would be able to design and present the motivation course.
2. Lawler would be engaged as a consultant using an approach similar to one he used at a plant in California. In this case he would conduct a diagnosis on his own.
3. Lawler