The following case studies contain real situations that occur within many Mexican organizations, with which it is intended that there be a development of analysis skills for decision-making and the creation of scenarios that allow having a perspective of complex human behavior.
Key words: workers, organizations, files, wages, organizational environment, …………………………………………….
Abstract:
Executive Summary:
The following case studies contain real situations that happen in many Mexican organizations, with which it is intended that there is a development of analytical skills for decision-making and the creation of scenarios to gain a perspective of complex human behavior.
Introduction:
Currently, many companies face a variety of external and internal problems that directly affect them, in response to which the human factor considered as an intellectual capital for companies is sometimes underutilized since the application of sanctions can lower the performance or capacity of workers resulting in low performance or low quality, below are some cases that occur within organizations.
ERRORS THAT RECRUITERS DO NOT FORGIVE :
Human resources personnel can rule out being harassed with calls, emails, and visits; Wear casual clothing or show little seriousness in the interview and they will move away from the vacancy. The desire to have a job can cause mistakes when looking to become a recruiter's first choice. One in five human resources managers, for example, acknowledges that employees' tactics to get their attention have changed, betting on looking like a persistent candidate, even if it reaches the point of 'harassing' the interviewer.
Of 2,543 interviewees, 12% in the last three years, the attitude of the workers when looking for a meeting with the recruiter changed, although it does not always translate into proactivity, if not in unusual practices that can dismiss the person from the position. In the list referred to by the interviewees, actions that are not 'recommended' among the candidates stand out, such as:
- Wait outside the building or at the reception for the Human Resources manager to deliver the CV. Arrive at the company without an appointment and pose as someone's acquaintance to be treated. Get the Facebook page or some other portal where the recruiter is. to send personal messages and include the CV. There was the case of a candidate who sent the wrapped CV as a gift and said that his skills “were a gift for the company.” Others use the technique of speaking several times the same day. and send emails ensuring that they get in touch because, perhaps, their messages have not been heard. There are employees who, under some of these techniques, got an appointment and when having the talk they were completely unaware of the characteristics of the company.
The policy of a recruiter can be translated into the following phrase "I feel calm to let this person go to my house, which is the company", if, before interviewing the person, they show attitudes such as lying or harassing, it shows their lack of professionalism and ignorance about the processes to be hired, look for contact names on Linkedin, or call human resources to confirm who to send the resume, do not represent a failure, but dial all day and saturate the recruiter's email with emails, yes it is a mistake, because a candidate must adjust to the dynamics of the company to be interviewed, not exhaust the patience of the interviewer, in addition to the mistakes that can be made to look for an interview,once you have this opportunity, it is also possible to fall into behaviors that leave the candidate out.
For example, four out of 10 recruiters mention that it is a challenge to talk to well-trained employees, who know what the challenges of that workplace are and how their profile would fit, if the competition is high and there are fewer jobs, why give the luxury of failing when offered an opportunity. These are the situations that damage the image of an applicant for employment:
- Show little seriousness. "There are people who come to the interview as if they were going to the cinema", showing themselves to the interviewer as a person who knows little about themselves and without being clear on how they want to project themselves into the future, makes them look like someone who "accepts to accept" the job Informal 'sin'. Although the personality is very casual, it must be understood that a job interview requires compliance with codes, and one of them is to show respect, having an idea of the scope of the position and the company where you will work. Clothing also comes in at this point. Avoid giving false expectations: During the conversation with the recruiter, the person will realize if the job meets the objectives and has the ability and willingness to meet the demands of that position. If there is no requirement that is valuable to the company,or the position does not meet expectations, you have to say "No". If it is pretended to be 'something more' and then they give the contract, impressions are generated that are unreal and that will weigh when working in the company. "There are people who last two days in jobs and it is because when facing what they will have to fulfill they realize that they do not want that responsibility and end up resigning."
PRACTICAL CASE 1. PRACTICAL CASE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Development:
Lucas, León and Luis started working the same day in the American specialty factory, by a rare coincidence, the 3 men were not only the same age and came from the same neighborhood, but they looked somewhat similar, their colleagues used to To say that the only way to distinguish them was to look at their card numbers, Lucas's was 8291, León's was 8292 and Luis's was 8293.
At first the 3 were assigned to the pawn reserve, under the orders of a rather rough and expeditious foreman, they carried out different jobs every day, one day they shovel sand in department A, the next day they loaded trucks in the shipping department and the other helped the packers of the assembly line to close boxes, but at the end of the day the 3 returned to the pawn reserve to present themselves to the foreman, they were comfortable with him and he had a good opinion of them, "those boys they work, ”he said, they will fit into any factory job.
As the “3 Musketeers” (as they were called in the factory) acquired seniority, they were assigned one after another to permanent positions, Lucas worked as a forklift operator in the shipping department, León as a pumper in the manufacturing department and Luis she went to the training workshop as an assistant. After a year of performing their permanent jobs, the chief of staff removed from his files the files of the three men, which he saw was not surprising, Lucas, León and Luis had excellent records while they worked in the crew of pawns, except for an occasional and excused absence, their attendance and behavior had been almost perfect, but now their records told a very different story.
Lucas's personal file indicated that he had been late to work nine times during the year, was absent for one reason or another, 27 days, had an accident that caused him to lose time, and was assisted in the infirmary more than 15 times for several For these reasons, his boss had sent him 2 written warnings for infractions of company rules. Leon's job assistance and safety record was roughly normal to the factory, but although he did not do production-type work, his supervisor had reported that he was a poor producer, and there was also a notation that Leon was He had filed several times during the year at the personnel office to complain about minor matters: about a mistake in his pay once and twice about the kind of work he was ordered to do.
Luis's record was normal in terms of attendance and security, but his supervisor had had special interest in stating that Luis was fast and had a desire to cooperate, and also recommended him for promotion to a Class B mechanic when the first occasion arose. The chief of staff was frankly intrigued by the difference between the files of the 3 workers, so all of them had behaved in a promising way at first.
Questions:
- What kind of work experience could Luis, Lucas, and Leon change? What kinds of factors, at home or in your life outside of work, could have caused those changes? If you were chief of staff, what kind of Would you draw conclusions about the supervisor of each of the three? Why?
CASE 2.
José supervises 2 men who work together on an assembly line of a car factory, their job is to assemble fittings on the painted body. For some time, Francisco and Antonio, the men in question, have been complaining that the handling of the metal parts produces scratches and cuts, José finally decides that the best way to solve the problem is to insist that the 2 operators use gloves to perform their work, on Monday he approaches them and says: "boys, the security department has arranged for gloves to be delivered to perform the work, so it will be avoided to continue cutting, here is a pair of gloves for each one, from now on I hope they will always carry them ”
The next day José had to ask Francisco 3 times to put on the gloves, however Antonio wore them all the time, at the end of the week, Antonio was convinced of the value of the gloves but Francisco kept keeping them in his pants pocket. "They hinder my work and I cannot follow the speed of the assembly line" he said to José, but Antonio said to him: "this idea of gloves is nothing more than an excuse to justify an increase in the speed of the assembly line, if you give in to this they will demand more from you next time ”
Question:
- Why do two men, treated the same way in the same situation, have such different reactions? Were not José's intentions good? Was he not trying to attend to Francisco and Antonio's complaints about the cuts? His solution was not logical?
CASE 3. WHY DID THEY RUN FROM THE HOSPITAL TO DR. ESPINDOLA
(Duality of command)
The case of DOCTOR ESPINDOLA.
It is a problem that arose in a public hospital institution, and that also occurs continuously in other institutions, especially in those where regulations are the basis of decision-making, so we have called doctors again, administrators and accountants of various public and private institutions. Dr. Manuel Hernández, director of a public hospital in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, faced the resignation presented by Dr. José Espíndola, the best cardiologist at the hospital, wanted to retain him by offering him a small salary increase and allowing him a better work schedule than the other doctors, as long as they treated the assigned patients.Dr. Espíndola argued that he lost a lot because he could not attend to the patients who were looking for him in his private practice and that, on the other hand, the salary he received at the hospital was not enough. Despite the strength of his arguments, Dr. Espíndola ended up yielding to Dr. Hernández's request, both agreeing that the latter would be responsible for carrying out the necessary procedures to fulfill what was promised.
When Dr. Hernández asked the public accountant Sergio Ruiz, the institution's chief financial officer, to carry out the necessary procedures to raise Dr. Espíndola's salary, it was informed that this was not possible according to internal regulations. Faced with the refusal, Dr. Hernández argued that they could not be bureaucrats. He added that the talent of Dr. Espíndola gave prestige to the hospital and that, in addition, the increase requested for him was small, since it only amounted to $ 500.00 per month, which he affirmed, was little, compared to the cost of the demands that Hospital had had to pay for mistakes made by other doctors. The last one had been $ 70,000.00, which raised the annual sum of this concept of expenses to $ 500,000.00. On the other hand,the director considered that it would be extremely difficult to replace Dr. Espíndola, due to his high professional level. Despite this argument, the accountant Ruiz continued to object, until Dr. Hernández left unsatisfied because he had not reached any agreement.
On the day of the fortnight, Dr. Espíndola realized that his salary had not been increased. He went to the finance department, where he asked the accountant Ruiz about his increase, who informed him that this was not possible, since it did not proceed in accordance with the salary regulations in force at the hospital. Dr. Espíndola immediately withdrew and proceeded to prepare and sign his resignation, delivering it to the director. This fact bothered Dr. Hernández, who immediately sent for Ruiz. Having it in front of him, he requested his resignation. He limited himself to answering that there was no valid reason to be dismissed, and that in any case he would sue the institution, because if he did not apply the rule he would incur liability and if he did not comply with the director's orders he would be dismissed,even when he tried to make his performance conform to the established regulations.
Questions:
- Was the performance of the accountant good? Was there duality of command? What strategists could have been applied so that the doctor did not leave but did not harm the company?
CASE 4: WHY DON BLAS GOED?
Background.
Rodamientos Automotrices, SA de CV is an industry licensed to use a Japanese brand of bearings and other bearings for the automotive industry. It was established in 1969 in the municipality of Juriquilla, Querétaro state. Its share capital is 100 million pesos. It has 700 workers in two shifts, including management and administrative staff, as well as the sales force. Its production is basically destined for automotive parts manufacturers and mobile auto parts manufacturers. Its production system consists of semi-automated processes and strict quality control of the inputs of the finished product. It has been planning for a long time to integrate quality controls in all phases of its processes.
Stage.
In one of the meetings that were held on Mondays of each week, the engineer Velázquez, a graduate of the Regional Technological Institute of Guanajuato and at that time five years old in the company, who directed it in his capacity as production manager, vehemently pointed out that The flared forceps ("spells") should no longer be used in the bearing assembly, since the Japanese licensing company had designed the tool called "oyster" for that. He also reported that Don BIas had been fired the previous Friday for not obeying authority; dismissal of which all the workers of the plant already had knowledge. Don BIas was precisely the one who had designed the flared tongs on a time when there were no 'oysters' available in good condition, and new ones were on their way from Japan.The flared tweezers became known as the "flatties" in the Operators' secret slang, which allowed them to be used in secret, since their daily use was done despite the prohibition of the engineer Velázquez. The workers preferred to work with the flared forceps because with them they could carry out the assembly operations in less time (approximately 25%).
Among the workers there was a rumor that Don BIas had challenged the engineer Velázquez by assuring him that his design was better than the Japanese one because it allowed time savings in the process and with it the company would earn more; that, due to the envy of some, their improvement to the "oyster" clamps was not accepted, since they would allow the workers to earn more money, by producing more pieces per shift, since the employment contract stipulated an economic incentive for higher than standard individual production volumes. Another argument by Don BIas in favor of his tongs was that the "oysters" had been designed to work with foreign steels, the type of which is not produced in our country and that, ultimately, to the best of his knowledge,There had been no case of customer returns of any of the bearings he had processed, which could be easily identified by their serial number., It was learned that don BIas, before leaving the company highly dissatisfied with his dismissal, had stated that he would demand his reinstatement before the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration.
Juan Pérez, an employee with more than 17 years of service in the company and recently promoted to the position of deputy head of the same process in which Don BIas worked, considered the dismissal as an injustice. Juanillo, as his friends told him, exercised a high degree of moral authority among the workers due to his charisma and manual dexterity. Nor did the reasons stated by the engineer Velázquez seem to him to be valid as regards that «scientific» control, as the engineer told him, was an unquestionable norm that should be followed to the letter. Mr. Pérez dared to tell the engineer Velázquez that they could demonstrate to the company that the parts assembled with the flared tweezers were better than those that are assembled with the "oysters", so the dismissal of Don BIas was not justified,and that if production ultimately fell, it was not the fault of the workers, since, as Don BIas stated, the "oyster" was made for Japanese steels and it took longer to do the work with them. Very annoying, the engineer Velázquez replied that, In accordance with the Federal Labor Law in force in our country, it is the power of the company to set the production methods and procedures, and that according to article 47 of said law in section XI, they are indicated as a cause for termination of the labor contract., without employer responsibility, "disobeying the worker to the employer or his representative, provided that it is the contracted work", Therefore, if any worker of Automotive Bearings did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be dismissed as Don BIas.since as Don BIas affirmed, the "oyster" was made for Japanese steels and it was slower to do the work with them. Very annoying, the engineer Velázquez replied that, according to the Federal Labor Law in force in our country, it is the power the company set the production methods and procedures, and that according to article 47 of said law in section XI, are indicated as a reason for termination of the employment contract, without employer liability, "disobeying the worker to the employer or his representative, always that it is the contracted work », Therefore, if any Automotive Bearings worker did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be fired as Don BIas.since as Don BIas affirmed, the "oyster" was made for Japanese steels and it was slower to do the work with them. Very annoying, the engineer Velázquez replied that, according to the Federal Labor Law in force in our country, it is the power the company set the production methods and procedures, and that according to article 47 of said law in section XI, are indicated as a reason for termination of the employment contract, without employer liability, "disobeying the worker to the employer or his representative, always that it is the contracted work », Therefore, if any Automotive Bearings worker did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be fired as Don BIas.In accordance with the Federal Labor Law in force in our country, it is the power of the company to set the production methods and procedures, and that according to article 47 of said law in section XI, they are indicated as a cause for termination of the labor contract., without employer responsibility, "disobeying the worker to the employer or his representative, provided that it is the contracted work", Therefore, if any worker of Automotive Bearings did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be dismissed as Don BIas.In accordance with the Federal Labor Law in force in our country, it is the power of the company to set the production methods and procedures, and that according to article 47 of said law in section XI, they are indicated as a cause for termination of the labor contract., without employer responsibility, "disobeying the worker to the employer or his representative, provided that it is the contracted work", Therefore, if any worker of Automotive Bearings did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be dismissed as Don BIas."Disobey the worker to the employer or his representative, provided that it is the contracted work", Therefore, if any worker of Automotive Bearings did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be dismissed as Don BIas."Disobey the worker to the employer or his representative, provided that it is the contracted work", Therefore, if any worker of Automotive Bearings did not accept his decision without just cause, he would be dismissed as Don BIas.
After what was said, the engineer Velázquez addressed the audience reminding them that work is a source of self-realization and that if a company wants to achieve quality production, it must respect manufacturing standards, in addition to that if the license is obtained, it must be respected. the norm, since otherwise there is danger of losing it, One of the employees stated: Don Blas had just cause because the only thing he was looking for was to take out the production, because the money given as an incentive is frankly not worth it, in addition the company when it is convenient if it allows the tongs to be used, when there are no "oysters", I consider that the rule should be even. "
The engineer Velázquez replied:
"That is a discretionary power of the company. We command and you obey. »And he withdrew. Once on his back and almost upon reaching the door, an anonymous whistle was heard, before which, the engineer indicated Juan to accompany him to his office. Upon arriving at this office, the engineer threatened Juan saying that if he continued to be leader of the workers would suffer the same fate as Don BIas. The only thing that replied was: «It is not my fault that the boys follow me and if they cannot speak at the meetings we are coming to, better tell us everything in writing. Nor do I understand why the gentleman of the total quality course came to tell us about continuous improvement, participation and initiative, »Having said that, he withdrew saying that if he suffered the same fate as Don BIas, he would notify him of the cause on solid grounds,We invite you to reflect a bit on this and answer the following questions:
- As the superior of the engineer Velázquez, what would you do in a case like this? Would you proceed to investigate if the flared tongs are better than the "oysters"? and if so, how would you do it? If you confirmed that the flare tongs work better, what should be done, and what would you do otherwise? What method would you apply to analyze the differences between the two tools? Do you consider it practical to invite the workers, or at least crew leaders, to discuss the rejections and the causes of them on a statistical basis? In the event that the workers participated in the statistical analysis described in the previous point, and that prove that the flared grippers work better, do you think that their use should be approved and implemented? With these organizational climate conditions,Do you consider that this company is really prepared to adopt the Japanese methods of total quality through continuous improvement processes? In your case. Where would such a process start? How successful can continuous improvement processes be in companies that produce under license, since it is not in their capacity to modify processes and products without authorization?
CASE 5. ILLUMINATES:
“Ilumina2” is a company dedicated to the manufacture of light fixtures whose plant is located in the Paternal neighborhood. Its owners founded the company in 1983 and at this time two generations share the Board of Directors, with discussions arising due to the different ideas of its members. Formally, whoever occupies the position of General Manager is the eldest of the three founding brothers, José Luz. One of the sons, Enrique Luz, an engineer and plant manager, is in charge of Production Planning, Maintenance and Manufacturing tasks. The plant works in two shifts, from 6 to 14 and from 14 to 22, and in this sense the plant has a Production Manager on each shift who responds to Enrique. Operators have 45 minutes to eat in the company's dining room, from 11 to 11,45 in the first turn and from 20 to 20.45 in the second. As part of the manufacturing area there are four sections: Tooling, Electricity, Screens and Assembly, each one by a supervisor who reports to the Production Manager on duty. Likewise, in each area, the technical supervision of a foreman for every eight operators was arranged, and Enrique Luz has an engineer who advises on methods and times who collaborates in the planning of production.Likewise, in each area the technical supervision of a foreman was arranged for every eight operators, and Enrique Luz has an engineer who advises on methods and times who collaborates in the planning of production.Likewise, in each area the technical supervision of a foreman was arranged for every eight operators, and Enrique Luz has an engineer who advises on methods and times who collaborates in the planning of production.
For the calculation of overtime and presenteeism payment (those who have not missed, with or without justification, are rewarded with 5% of the gross salary throughout the month and have a maximum of two late arrivals), the operators record each time they are removed from the line. The operators have at their disposal a nursery in the plant to take care of their children during working hours. Once a week the operators participate, after work, in an annual soccer tournament. The prize of $ 5000.- for each member of the winning team, is formed based on contributions from the sponsoring companies. In addition, the company annually awards a productivity award to the best employee, consisting of an extra salary and a stay for four people for 7 days in a hotel in Mar del Plata.
Luciana Luz is responsible for Administration with three sections in charge: Accounting, Finance and Auditing. The administrative staff work in a comfortable environment and enjoy certain privileges such as no obligation to check in, permission to leave without discounts, and flexible hours. In Marketing, by Raúl Luz, the following tasks are carried out, personally handled by each of Luciana Luz's children: Sales, Programming and Development of new products. In the area of new product development, a line of pedestals and ceiling lamps with handcrafted lampshades is being designed, for which the opening of an own sales premises in Palermo Soho is expected. Peter Luz, the youngest of Enrique's children, would be in charge of the production,Decentralized in several artisans who would charge for a finished piece, and one of Luciana's children would be in charge of the new sales location in Palermo. Consequently, it is requested that for the company “Ilumina2”:
- Identify the different contributions of the Classical, Neoclassical and Human Relations School present, especially whether or not the company can adapt to a Weberian bureaucracy. With reference to supervisors and foremen, to which model of supervision do they correspond: that of Taylor or that of Fayol ?. What is the opinion of the bureaucratic school, the neoclassical school and the theory of organization regarding the referred Fayol principle.
CASE STUDY 6 “ECLIPSE”
The Mexican company «Eclipse» has a commercial line of home furniture, and has a wide variety of products; but he is faced with the decision to put a mark on the furniture line that he manufactures and sells, since until then he lacks it. Therefore, the suitability of this measure is being evaluated, as the possibility that the public can identify and distinguish its products over time is being considered. The following alternatives to be considered are considered: whether or not to mark the furniture; put the name of the factory or some other brand. Regarding the line of house-room furniture that it sells, «Eclipse» is widely accepted by the consuming public due to the quality of the products and their low price compared to the lines of the competitors.
In its beginnings "Eclipse" saw the convenience of opening a showroom and sales, as an independent part of it. This company was established in the south of Mexico City, and its main interest was to satisfy the needs of furniture and decoration for homes. In a short time the property was insufficient, since it was small and lacked a cellar. A more appropriate building for negotiation was found along the same path, allowing a better display of furniture and a warehouse with sufficient space. Everything has been happening because currently in the Federal District and conurbation areas, house-rooms, condominiums and apartments continue to be built. Consequently, sales have been on the rise, and the consuming public needs to purchase good quality furniture at reasonable prices.Due to the address changes, the board of directors decided to introduce, to increase its sales, competing furniture, which has conservative and modernist designs, from reputable and highly demanded brands that have a quality image among the public. Complementary home décor items were also introduced. Distribution is given as a service to customers; the cost is absorbed by the company for having its own fleet of removals.Distribution is given as a service to customers; the cost is absorbed by the company for having its own fleet of removals.Distribution is given as a service to customers; the cost is absorbed by the company for having its own fleet of removals.
Sales prices for non-branded furniture are considerably lower than those set for trademark furniture sold in "Eclipse" and corresponding to the same level of quality. Marketing management, based on the research they conducted, thinks this is why sales of unbranded furniture are superior to branded furniture, despite the latter being supported by advertising from their respective manufacturers.
- What decision would you take as the marketing manager of «Eclipse», to make it known to the general manager, whether or not to brand your products, in a way that guarantees a high probability of success?
- In the event that it would be beneficial not to brand the products for now, would you recommend that it be done in the long term?
2.1. If the answer is yes, how would you do it?
2.2. If the answer is negative, justify it.
- In case it was beneficial to put a brand, what policy or strategies, as well as characteristics, would you recommend as manager of «Eclipse» to select it and why?
3.1. Brand family.
3.2. Individual brands.
3.3. Brand extension.
3.4. Multiple brands.
- Explain what would be the advantages and disadvantages of branding products.
CASE STUDY 7 “MIJO, SA DE CV”
MIJO, SA DE CV, is one of the great companies that handles flour of atoles in its different flavors for tamales, churros, hot cakes, tortillas, etc. It has a wide variety of products, which is why it has long been the market leader in the Federal District and metropolitan area.
Sales have decreased, so the market research department has been commissioned to carry out a study to find out the reason for the drop in sales. In a short time, the director of the department began to carry out the study, randomly taking a sample that was representative among housewives, self-service and miscellaneous stores. This allowed him to make a precise statement about whether the competition has launched a new product or products, if it is mis-distributing before reaching consumers, if it has higher prices than the competition, if the packaging is appropriate or if it is inadequate, etc.
Once all the information was gathered by the marketing department, it was found that, during the investigation, the most important points to be solved by the company were: the packaging and the packaging that are not appropriate enough, because when arriving at the stores of self-service or miscellaneous some of the products come broken or in poor condition. Therefore, this also has an impact on consumers. The housewives said that the semi-rigid paper wrapper is very thin and when it is brought home it breaks sometimes, which is why they decided on better packaging.
- What decision would you make as Marketing Director: would you change or remodel the packaging and packaging or both, but in such a way that the price of the products did not increase? What type of packaging would you recommend and why?
Conclusion:
Various motivational theories have been written about the development of human capital, which take into account personnel under normal conditions or when motivated, but the perception of workers is different when under pressure or their desire to belong to a certain group, family or personal problems, make them act in different ways within organizations, the 3 figures that appear in this presentation, hint at the way of perceiving things, since each individual person has their own point of view, also influencing the person's age, or sex, determining how they see things.
Bibliography:
Cnnexpansion. (2016) Practical cases of human resources. Mexico. Edit. cnnexpansion
Magazine Register Today. (2014) Case studies of human resources.
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