CASE ANALYSIS OF: CASE: Accidents Happen

1. Identify problematic issue

2. SWOT analysis

3. Alternative courses of action

4. Conclusion and recommendation

Part 1 Background

Betsy Wheeler had been a supervisor in the Data Production Center of American Security, Inc. for two years. She was responsible for 6 data entry clerks who worked the 4:00pm to midnight shift. Four of the clerks worked full time in a keypunching capacity and two of the clerks combined some keypunching with clerical and administrative chores.

The Data Production Center was responsible for keypunching data taken daily at the 65 office locations spread across the state. It was a production job with high and demanding standards (150 items per hour). Betsy had worked 3 years as a data entry clerk before assuming her current job. She knew that after a reasonable training period, these standards could be met by mostly anyone.

Betsy had done well as data entry clerk and was doing well as a supervisor. She liked supervising others, especially dealing with the multitude of people problems that came her way during each shift. Nonetheless, she was not prepared for the latest problem that had developed. There seemed to be no solution for it, and it was starting to wear her out.

Betsys problem was centered on Bob Jenkins, a recently hired data entry clerk, although she was not sure whether the problem was caused by Bob or by her boss, Sharon Leigh. Betsy reviewed the situation, going back two months to the very beginning.

At that time, one of Betsys data clerks had quit, and she had sent a hiring order to

Personnel. Three days later, one of the interviewers in Personnel called to say that they had found a good applicant by the name of Bob Jenkins. The interviewer explained that Bob was disabled (confined to a wheelchair) and had been referred by the State Rehabilitation Department.

The interviewer told Betsy: He has been extensively trained by the State in keypunching. I think youll like him.

The next day, Betsy went to Personnel about 20 minutes before her shift started in order to interview Bob Jenkins. Rather than ask a lot of questions, she listened to Bob talk about himself. He said h3 was finishing his associate degree in finance at the local community college and that this night shift job would allow him to go school while he worked. He also mentioned that he had a colostomy (removal of a portion of the bowel, which required him to wear a collection bag for his waste matter). Betsy asked if Bob would have transportation problems getting to work and he assured her there would be no problem.

Betsy liked Bob. She was also in a rush to start her shift and decided to end the interview on that note. Although Bob was the only applicant she interviewed, she decided to rely on her intuition.

PART 2. Learning the Ropes?

As supervisor of six data entry clerks on the night shift at the Data Production Center, Betsy was eager to find good quality employees. She thought she had found one in Bob Jenkins, a wheelchair-bound student. After a brief interview, she hired him, and he began working a week later.

On Bobs first night on the job, Betsy wondered whether she made a mistake in hiring him. After showing Bob around the area and introducing him to co-workers, she took Bob to his keypunch station and briefed him on the work. She gave Bob her usual orientation speech and then left him alone to start work.

By mid-shift, it was clear to Betsy that Bob was not doing well. He was laboring at the job and was very far behind in the work, even for someones first day.

She came over to Bobs station. Hows it going, Bob? she asked. She was clearly worried.

Bob sensed concern in her voice. Oh, Im coming along, he said. It will just take me a little time to get used to this machine. He waited a moment as Betsy looked over his shoulder at the pile of work still needing to be done. You see, although I received two weeks of keypunch training with the state, this is my first job as a keypuncher.

Betsys expression registered the surprise and worry she felt inside. Bob realized he may have said the wrong thing. He added hurriedly Look, dont worry, Ill get the hang of it real soon.

Betsy did not look very relieved. Bob looked at her rather desperately: I really need this job. I promise that with some time and practice, I will be the best keypuncher youve ever had.

Betsy still liked Bob and admired his courage and conviction. She was sympathetic to his plight. But she also realized that she did not have much time to spare in training him. Her unit had a demanding production schedule, and she needed to have a fully capable production team as soon as possible. Although there was some leeway in the schedule due to varying weekly and monthly loads, her flexibility was limited.

PART 3. An explosive problem

Betsy decided to cross-train Bob for some of the clerical and administrative duties her unit had to perform. In this way, he could still do limited keypunching while also getting other important work done. For three weeks, this strategy worked well. Betsy was very impressed with Bobs general work habits. He worked very had and, on many occasions, even refused to take breaks. Betsy told one of the other supervisors: If it werent for his handicap, hed be an ideal employee.

Then came the night of the accident. As Betsy later told a friend, Wouldnt you know itwould happen on the night I was off?

The problem was this: Bobs colostomy bag ruptured. There was nothing special leading up to the event. Bob was doing his work as usual. At one point, he reached across his desk for some papers, wading the bag at a bad angle, and it just ruptured. He tried to be calm about it as he headed to the restroom. At one point, a co-worker visiting the restroom saw Bob.

Ive had a slight problem, Bob stated. Ill be in here for a while.

Bob spent about an hour in the restroom, trying to clean up. When he came out, his co-workers could see that he was upset and that, despite his efforts, Bob had not been able to clean his soiled clothing or the evidence of the accident in the restroom. To make the situation even more difficult, there was a pronounced odor hanging in the air. Bob was embarrassed and so were his co-workers. They tried to ignore the situation until the end of the shift.

When the day shift arrived the next morning, the restroom was still unpleasantly soiled and smelly. The manager of the day shift received many complaints, and he had to arrange for a cleaning crew from building maintenance to clean up the restroom. The day shift manager called Sharon Leigh, the night shift manager (and Betsys boss) at home and woke her up. He was belligerent and caustic as he complained about the mess that cripple left.

Sharon was angered by the phone call and was still angry when she came to work that evening. Sharon immediately called Betsy to her office and angrily complained to her about what had happened. She concluded the ten-minute lecture by announcing to Betsy that if that kind of accident happens again, Ill fire him. Betsy left Sharons office, shaken and unsure what to do.