Thursday 23 April 2015

Final Project - Managing Individual Differences


Our group discussed individual differences which caused various conflicts. We considered there are many individual differences like personality difference, cultural difference, and professional/educational background difference. If we could not find the differences and solve the possible conflict in time, the conflict will become disaster.

So in order to cooperate to achieve team goal together, each team member will make effort to discover the conflict and conflict cause, and conflict solution, and reflect on the effect of the conflict.

Individual Difference


Terry will discuss personality difference, Mary will focus on cultural difference, and Damon will concentrate on professional/educational background difference. Each person will detail the conflict solution, and its effect too in individual blog.

Terry exampled that all team members (A, B & C)  have different personality origin, which cause different attitudes to the assignment. When B is busy at work and cannot catch up with his assignment part, A backs-up B's work in time, A&C collaborated and help B to complete the assignment.

Mary thought team members not only have visible cultural conflict like language difference, behaviour difference, they also have invisible differences like power distance; individualism/collectivism; long-term/short-term goal. Due to same team goal, members used problem-solving and persuasion conflict solution to fix the conflicts.

Like Damon said, each individual has different educational and working background, which cause each team member has different thinking method towards the same assignment. Finally, team members are persuaded by Damon's suggestion, and finish the assignment smoothly.


Solution and Effect

(Richard Martin)

Though there are kinds of individual differences causing conflicts, all of members considered the same team goal to finish assignment together and study successfully, we all took integrative or collaborative resolution attitudes to the conflicts.

Coercive attitudes, is "winner takes all", focus on personal's interest and goal, the winner is egotistic.

Competitive attitude, is "win or loss", when A person win something which is lost by B. While B gain something else which is lost  by A too.


Integrated attitude, is all of members try to "win win", like Terry said, B person is busy at work, he need to finish the job firstly, but to A and C, assignment are urgent too. A backs-up the assignment in time, and other members are agreed with the plan. All of the members achieved their goals. It's profitable and satisfactory to all team members.


Collaborative attitude, our team members not only consider for the assignment accomplishment, we also developed the study ability for future. Like Mary talked the cultural difference, members studied each other's language too, they take long-term goal into account.

With integrated and collaborative attitude, it helps members to communicate effectively and efficiently, increased mutual understanding and trust, developed the friendship in each other. Our team not only finish the assignment successfully, but also set up good friends relationship for future cooperation.

So all in all, we suggest to consider more others' interest, take integrated or collaborative attitude in conflicts, it will help all the parties to win or even achieve unexpected success.


Persuasion


Most of our team conflict is resolved by persuasion. There are three ways to persuade proposed by Aristotle, ethos, logos and pathos. Ethos refers to the image or characteristics of the messenger, logos refers to logical arguments and pathos refers to the emotions of the audience.

In our team, we mainly use the “logos” (i.e. logical arguments) to persuade others to resolve conflicts. It is because we do not have much authority over each other. In particular, we collaborate our experience to persuade others to follow our idea in assignments and projects.   

Conclusion



To conclude, diverse team with individual differences cause conflicts in difference aspects. If the conflicts are resolved properly, in our case by communication and persuasion, each team member could contribute their strength to the team, therefore, team performance is positively affected. As a result, our team becomes a high performing team throughout the semester.  

Links to Individual Blogs
Conflict Resolution for Personality Differences
Conflict Resolution for Cultural Differences
Conflict Resolution for Professional / Educational Background Differences

References:
Richard Martin, Beyond traditional conflict management, retrieved from: http://exploitingchange.com/2013/10/01/beyond-traditional-conflict-management/
Edlund, J., & Pomona, C. (n.d.). Ethos, Logos, Pathos. Retrieved May 1, 2015, from http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/jgarret/3waypers.htm

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Assignment 2 Letter of Complaint

Introduction

From this assignment, we will use a letter of complaint for the staff promotion selection process to illustrate the conflict between employer and employee, and recommend how to resolve the conflict.


Background story

ABC Company is an old style trading company. The organization structure is well hierarchy-based. Besides the management board, General Manager (GM) is the top management of daily operation. He is handling all divisions including Marketing & Sales Department, Accounting Department, Personnel Department and Supply Department etc. All department heads are responsible to GM separately.

In each department, there is a manager who is leading a team of 8-10 junior staff except Marketing & Sales Department. In this department, there is a Senior Manager (SM) leading TWO independent sales teams (Team A & Team B). Each of them is composed of 10 salespersons and managed by a sales manager. Now, Tom & Barry are the sales manager of these teams and Gary is the SM of Marketing & Sales Department.



Gary will be retired in three months and the management board decide to start a promotion exercise for taking up the duty of Gary as a SM of Marketing & Sales Department. GM is the in-charge person of this promotion exercise with the assistance of Personnel Department. GM setup a promotion committee for this promotion exercise and it is composed for GM, Manager of Personnel Department and one member from the management board. The GM is decided to use an interview to seek the right person and all members in the promotion committee is responsible to sit in the interview process.



Once the post of SM is posted, both Tom & Barry think himself is the right person. It is true that both of them fulfil the basic requirement of this post. However, in the mind of Tom, he is greater chance than Barry because:-

1) His working experience is longer (10yrs to 6yrs);

2) His education level is higher (Master Degree than Bachelor Degree);

3) The sales performance of his team is outstanding.



So, Tom was full of confidence at the beginning. However, Tom failed finally. Barry got the post. Tom was very depressed and dispirited. He even guess it is the result of GM dislike him. One week after announcement of the post, Tom send a complaint letter to the management board for the reason of his failure.



Complaint Letter


Dear Sir / Madam,


I am Tom, manager of Sales Team A. I worked for ABC Company since 2005. I am pleased to work at our company as it give me energy and vision for future. I hope I would not leave this company until my retirement.

In the promotion exercise last week, I doubt about the decision of the committee. I admit that Barry is also suitable for the post of Senior Manager but I do think I am better than Barry actually. Generally speaking, I have more working experience than Barry and I got a master degree while Barry is just a bachelor degree holder. Also, the sales performance of Team A under my leadership is outstanding and it was proven by the annual report. I do think I am the right person on the post of Senior Manager.

I do wonder the criteria for the promotion committee in selecting the right person. Is it just based on the performance of the interview? It’s very inconceivable. All objective factors such as working experience, education background or sales performance etc. would not be considered but just an interview. How ridiculous it is! For me, it is very unfair.

I know that it is impossible to change this result. However, I do hope the management would give me a detailed explanation on the selection process and how this decision was made by the committee. Besides, I do suggest the company should look broader in the promotion exercise. This exercise is just a black box with nobody know the criteria.

If I cannot get a satisfied response, I will seek help from the Labor Department of Hong Kong and publish it to mass media as I got an unfair treatment by our company.

Finally, I really want to say that I love my company and I respect my job. I work hard every day but just get an unfair treatment on promotion exercise. I am very disappointing for this decision.


Best Regards,

Tom


Analysis

1. Understanding of the ladder of inference

The Ladder of Inference, initially developed by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and applied by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.



This tool teaches us that we shall begin with the reality and experience, can be recorded by video, camera, tape record etc. Then we choose the selected data and pay attention to them. Give meaning, understanding to the selected data, we try to interpret the selected reality, develop assumption, get conclusion, and form beliefs, and affect the actions deeply.

The new actions form the new reality and facts.


And beliefs influence what data and reality we will select. If we directly use our narrow selection of experience and data, it will become a vicious circle, come to bias conclusion etc.


2. Analysis from Victims

At first Tom the victim was confident of him (Assumption, Conclusion, Belief) because his longer working experience, higher educational level, better sales performance (he selected these data as standard), but interview result is that he failed. He totally frustrated and couldn’t understand why it happened like this. He felt deeply hurt by the interviewing.

After first action of interviewing failed, he jumped the ladder of inference, upon fixed belief (3 standards of the promotion: working experience, educational level, performance), he selected data, the interview failing is due to GM dislike of him. He totally felt unfair. And took action quickly after promotion result announcement, Tom sent complaint letter to the management board.

3. Analysis from Offenders

There are two possible views from the management board.

Facts Possible One:
Just like Tom assumed, the general manager really dislike him because he never proactively communicate with the general manager, and always be proud of his high education level and total performance.

While Barry, though he is younger, less working experience, but he’s already enough for the senior position, and he always proactively think for general manager, though his total sales performance result is lower than Tom, but profits is valuable, and get better feedback from client.


Facts Possible Two:
Except the interview, considering working experience, educational level, performance, this company also applied 360-degree feedback for Tom and Barry from their peers, subordinates, suppliers, buyers etc. Barry got better feedback than Tom.

Considering the interview result, 360 degree feedback, enough qualification of working experience, education, performance sales skills (Select enough data), company interpret the position, assumed Barry is better than Tom, and choose Barry finally.


4. Complaint Letter

Complaint letter functions:

1. When writing complaint letter, you need to recall the facts what just happened, and need to collect the proof if possible, like Tom has longer working experience which showed in contract, higher educational level like certification of university, and performance like sales contracts. It helps we rethink the past experience more calmly and logically.

2. Of course, it avoids direct emotional and harmful behaviour, which may hurt himself or others.

3. Give others more time and space to double think. Show enough respect to others. Still looking for benefits for himself and others.



Inferior of the compliant letter:

Due to past-formed belief, the complaint letter is influenced by the belief. Like Tom, when he writing the complaint letter, he still focused on the three criteria of promotion, ignored all other realities.



Belief influence selected data again:

Due to different belief and value, victims or offenders will directly select the data in accordance with their belief.

Like Tom he believed promotion standards shall be mainly experience, education, performance, ignore other feedback of himself.


5. Learning from this case


1. No matter victim or offenders shall try to collect more objective facts, and select them from different aspects or standards, then interpret them objectively, will help us to get better assumption, conclusion, form right belief, and do the action rightly.

2. Do not use past experience to make next decision rudely. Double think more facts.

3. In order to maintain harmony atmosphere in an office, management need to consider the feeling of its staff. The situation will be much better if GM can personally talk and explain to Tom about his failure before result announcement. Tom will feel  more comfortable.

4. Staff need not to challenge the authority of his boss, otherwise, the relationship will be broken and it will be difficult to repair. In the case, GM may not dislike Tom actually. However, after Tom sending the complaint letter to management board, there must be a thorn in the heart of his boss.

Recommendations and Conclusion

To conclude for this conflict in promotion exercise, we have some recommendations to both Tom and the management.

1. Recommendation to Tom 

We recommend Tom to seek advice from more sources, say from peers, subordinates from his team and Barry's team to make sure the situation is really unfair to him before sending the complaint letter. This will help to make an objective judgement. A formal complaint will damage his relationship with the management, which is not what he desire to have. 

2. Recommendation to management

The promotion exercise aim at finding the right person for the position and to maintain or increase productivity. If the selection process is not handled properly, it will affect the morale of the unsuccessful applicants like Tom in this case, which is undesirable.

Before the promotion result announcement, we recommend management to hold debriefing discussion with every applicants to review the result of the selection process, to let the application know their strength and weakness, and why they are not as competent than the chosen candidate.  Management should set career goals and objectives for the unsuccessful applicants to proceed with their career with the company so that the applicants will feel the care from the management and will be happy to work for the company.

Reference

Argyris, C., 'Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning,' 1st Edition, © 1990. Printed electronically and reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. and Sons, Inc.



Saturday 14 March 2015

Innovating a New Kitchenware in a Team Setting (Revised)

Introduction

By practicing different team settings in discussion process of developing kitchenware, we aimed at exploring the relationship between creativity and team trust in different kinds of organization.

Our discussion process features two different settings: The first one (exercise A1) features the team setting in a traditional organization, which a supervisor has the authority controlling the discussion. The second one (exercise A2) features the team setting in an innovative organization, like Pixar.


Team Discussion Process in a long legacy company

In this discussion, Damon acted as the leader, and he started to ask Terry and Mary to contribute their ideas. Terry and Mary brought some ideas, however, Damon kept on rejecting the ideas by bringing out negative aspects of the ideas. The process was not smooth initially because of these rejecting ideas tends to lower the team morale. The situation became better after Damon explained why he rejected these ideas. Team members began to trust each other and finally the idea of the microwave oven with solar energy panel came out.




Movie Script for Exercise A1 – Kitchenware presentation in a long legacy company





















Good afternoon, CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Marketing Director, I’m Terry, the product development manager. Today I am going to present you the newly designed microwave oven. The microwave oven is designed with simple button for control, furthermore, it is designed to operate with both solar energy and electricity. Sustainable energy is a very hot topic in modern society, this microwave oven is installed with a chargeable battery and solar energy panel. During the daytime, energy is stored into the battery and the energy will be released when the oven operates.

We target to sell this microwave often in some rural areas in China, where sunshine is more readily available than in the cities. The design of simple button is for convenient control for elderly people.

We believe this simple and solar energy-operating microwave oven is very suitable to use in rural areas in China.


Team Discussion Process in an innovative company

In this discussion, all of us can freely contribute ideas of the kitchenware, a few ideas came out at the beginning of the discussion. Initially we did argue that our own idea is good. 

We further our discussion by brainstorming the pros and cons of each idea. After elaboration of each idea, and we finally compromise that the microwave oven with control over mobile phone application is the best idea.

Movie Script for Exercise A2 – Kitchenware presentation in an innovative company




Damon: Mary, you look so tired today.

Mary: Damon, yes, I am very tired after today's hard work in office.

Damon: Then you should go home to enjoy your dinner !

Mary: What? Enjoy my dinner? I have to rush to my house and cook for it. It is definitely not enjoyable.

Damon: Oh, sorry about that.

(Damon took his mobile phone out and press some keys)

Mary: Damon, what are you doing?

Damon: I am sending signal to my microwave oven for it to prepare my dinner.

Mary: How can you do that?

Damon: This newly designed microwave often is connected to the Internet by wifi.

Mary: That's interesting, tell me more about that.

Damon: Before going to work in the morning, just put the food package inside the oven. It will work like a refrigerator until the right time. When I’m about to leave office, simply give a signal to the oven by using the MyOven application on my mobile phone. The application will then detect my location, and the food will be cooked at the right time before I arrived.

Mary: This is design is very useful for busy person like me. I don’t need to worry about my dinner anymore.

Damon: This microwave often is very suitable for people who are too busy to cook. We believe this will be popular in Hong Kong.





Inhibitors to the Product Pitch



For exercise A1, this is a traditional centralized power company. As team members, when we get an idea, we have to double think before speaking to supervisor. Even our idea is good, he's always able to find out at least two negativeness of suggestions. It's a little disappointed us, there is no encouragement at all.

The atmosphere is too strict, no laughing allowed, no freedom. And we're afraid to communicate with each other. Each time, we have any suggestion, we need to hand up like pupils. Only getting permission from supervisor, then we have possibility to speak.


For exercise A2, all team members are equal. Everyone has the chance to raise or to voice out for our idea. At the beginning, there is no supervisor/leader in our team that nobody directs our discussion. So, it is not enough trust among us. Each of us often argues for our own opinion. Final decision cannot be easily made.

At the beginning of the discussion, the atmosphere is not constructive at all. Trust is important at the early stage. Our efficiency of work would be very low and conflict would be easily happened.



Facilitators to the Product Pitch



For exercise A1, due to our supervisor is reliable, credible, who have over 10 years professional working experience in the product development line, after we presented our ideas to him, he can quickly make final decision.

For exercise A2, every member can share and opine freely at every time. So many imaginative ideas were raised from different aspects at this atmosphere. After we compromised other’s opinions, the outcome is generated. Brain storming is encouraged in this situation. It is easily to generate an innovative idea.



Evaluation

Both microwave ovens in exercise A1 and A2 are creative design. For the scripts in A1, it serves as a progress reporting to the management instead of a marketing speech, the marketability is comparatively weaker. For the scripts in A2, the presentation is interactive and is able to catch the attention of the audience, thus it is better in marketability. We further analysis the discussion process with trust and creativity in the below section.


Analysis

"Under conditions of high trust, problem solving tends to be creative and productive. Under conditions of low trust, problem solving tends to be degenerative and ineffective"(Boss,1978). 

For exercise A1, since supervisor's character is integrity, reliable and have professional capability, team members trust him. But from up to down, there's little trust, and due to lack of communication between members, there's little trust too. An integrity, reliable and capable supervisor is needed for each team, it can accelerate the decision-making, and avoid the freedom too far.



In this situation, lack of communication is a major reason of low trust in team. If internal discussion is encouraged in the team, it will help to increase team member trust, and enhance team productive relationship, finally facilitate product development process.


As there is no supervisor/leader in exercise A2, every member would like to raise opinion and ideas are freely expressed. We talk straightly without concerns or worries and it will increase our perceived integrity. 




During the process of negotiation, we increase credibility and remove doubts. Then, transparency is created among our team. We build trust through discussion and transparency speaking. Supportive and constructive ideas would be made in this kind of atmosphere. After all, we extend trust by enhancing integrity, credibility and competence. As we have high trust, we can achieve our team goals easily.


Trust=(credibility+reliability+intimacy)/self-interest (David, Charles, Robert ,2000)




In exercise A1, because the supervisor with professional ability, and characteristics is integrity, so credibility is high; and according to past decision-making and other actions of supervisor, he is reliable in member's mind, can be dependable;  but intimacy is not enough, it's lack of appropriate internal talking, contact; self-interest also means self-orientation, if members pay individual interest higher than team goals, it will decrease team trust. Like exercise A1, team goal is much important than personal interest, it will help to increase trust.

In the early stage of exercise A2, there is no supervisor or leader to make a decision. Integrity is low; and each team members are not trust each other. Each of them just wants to express their own opinion instead of achieving team goal. Obviously, individual goal is over the team goal in this moment and hence, team trust is low. Hopefully, team trust can be built if all members open their mindadmit weakness and mistakes, ask for help, accept others’ opinions even in their areas of responsibility. Trusting team will be built. If there is an outstanding team member acting as a supervisor or facilitator who is responsible for decision making. Team efficiency would be improved sharply.

From this theory, the most critical is self-interest. Trust will be lower when self-interest is high. In a traditional organization, a competent team leader should be able to communicate to the team that they are working on a common goal in order to increase team trust. In an innovative organization like Pixar, it is their organizational culture to drive all individual contributors to achieve team goal



Other Concerns

Team Development

According to Tuckman’s stages of group development (Tuckman, 1965), team would suffer in several stages, i.e. forming, storming, norming and performing in order to build the team relationships and the task execution. Contribution of team members would be quite diffidence in each stage. Tuckman’s Model provides a framework for team development but it still cannot tell us how can an individual team member brings in collaborative effort. As we mentioned, the creativity is heavily linked with team trust, it is very important to build up team trust in the stages of team forming, storming and norming, so as to build up a high performing team with high degree of trust to carry out innovative thinking tasks. 

Leadership and Teamwork (reflection on action and for action)

After studying this two exercises,we reflected that suitable leaders are needed in team works. But what kind of leaders are best for team working? The leaders will not only encourage team innovation but also accelerate team work, ensure work efficiency and effectiveness.




Normally we know there are four styles of leaderships.(Hersey and Blanchard)



S1. Directing: Leaders provide specific direction and closely monitor task accomplishment.
S2. Coaching: Leaders continue to direct and closely monitor task accomplishment, but also explain decisions, solicits, suggestions, and supports progress.
S3. Supporting: Leaders facilitate and support followers' efforts towards task accomplishment and share responsibility for decision-making with them.
S4. Delegating: The leader turns over responsibility for decision-making and problem-solving to followers.


We think there's no one style leader is wrong, all kinds of leaders have its own market value. Just based on different situation, especially the followers development ability.

Like exercise A2, we can see clearly that team members are high innovative and automatically engage in work for company. At this situation, leaders shall support team members, encourage them discuss freely, trust them, will increasing innovating atmosphere. Before making final decision, ask their ideas and feeling.

From exercise A1, we cannot see directly whether followers are with high development ability, if they're low competence but high commitment, leaders can direct them, provide clear direction, and supervise their working.



Conclusion

A freely communicate environment or team setting will lead to higher level of trust among team members. And this high level of trust will foster more innovative ideas. 

credible and reliable supervisor is needed in team work, and the common goal in a team shall be more important than self-interest. Effective and freely communication shall be encouraged to increase member's intimacy. Then the whole trust can be increased constantly, and eventually help the product development process. 

Since team trust is important in an innovative team, we suggest to build up team trust in the stages of team forming, storming and norming. A supportive leadership style should be adopted towards an innovative team so that members can deliver their ideas freely.


References
Boss, W.R. (1978), “Trust and Managerial Problem Solving Revisited,” Group & Organization Management, Vol.3 No. 3, pp. 331-342

David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford, The Trusted Advisor New York: First touchstone,2000 P.69

Catmull, E. (2008, September 1). How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2008/09/how-pixar-fosters-collective-creativity(n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.firstiraq.com/sites/default/files/products/5002-1_neu.jpg
http://www.jvpservicecentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/microwave-oven-repairs-sydney-australia-service-centre.jpg
http://www.solarpanel-manufacturer.com/picture/small-solar-panels/10-watt-solar-panel.jpg
http://scottdatabases.com/images/solutions/mobile-apps-3.jpg

Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Management of Organizational Behavior – Utilizing Human Resources. New Jersey/Prentice Hall.

Tuckman, Bruce (1965) “Development sequence in small groups”. Psychological Bulletin 63(6): 384-99. Doi:10.1037/h0022100. PMID 14314073. Retrieved 2008-11-10 “Reprinted with permission in Group Faclitation, Spring 2001”