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Q . 5 Set. ( B ) Read the below case study and answer the two questions Case study Trans Act Insurance Corporation ( TIC
Q Set. B Read the below case study and answer the two questions
Case study
Trans Act Insurance Corporation TIC provides automobile insurance throughout the southeastern United States. Last year a new president was brought in by TIC'S Board of Directors to improve the company's competitiveness and customer service. After spending several months assessing the situation, the new president introduced a strategic plan to improve TIC'S competitive position. He also replaced three vice presidents. Eduardo was hired as vice president of claims, TIC's largest division with employees, claims center managers, and regional directors. Eduardo immediately met with all claims managers and directors, and visited employees at TIC's claims centers.
As an outsider, this was a formidable task, but his strong interpersonal skills and uncanny ability to remember names and ideas helped him through the process. Through these visits and discussions, Eduardo discovered that the claims division had been managed in a relatively authoritarian, top down manner. He could also see that morale was extremely low and employee management relations were guarded. High workloads and isolation claims adjusters work in tiny cubicles were two other common complaints. Several managers acknowledged that the high turnover among claims adjusters was partly due to these conditions. Following discussions with TIC's president, Eduardo decided to make morale and supervisory leadership his top priority. He initiated a divisional newsletter with a tearoff feedback form for employees to register their comments. He announced an opendoor policy in which any claims division employee could speak to him directly and confidentially without going first to the immediate supervisor.
Eduardo also fought organizational barriers to initiate a flextime program so that employees could design work schedules around their needs. This program later became a model for other areas of TIC. One of Eduardos most pronounced symbols of change was the "Claims Management Credo" outlining the philosophy that every claims manager would follow. At his first meeting with the complete claims management team, Eduardo presented a list of what he thought were important philosophies and actions of effective managers. The management group was asked to select and prioritize items from this list. They were told that the resulting list would be the division's management philosophy and all managers would be held accountable for abiding by its principles. Most claims managers were uneasy about this process, but they also understood that the organization was under competitive pressure and that Eduardo was using this exercise to demonstrate his leadership. The claims managers developed a list of items, such as encouraging teamwork, fostering a trusting work environment, setting clear and reasonable goals, and so on The list was circulated to senior management in the organization for their comment and approval and sent back to all claims managers for their endorsement.
Once this was done, a copy of the final document was sent to every claims division employee. Jim also announced plans to follow up with an annual survey to evaluate each claims manager's performance. This worried the managers but most of them believed that the credo exercise was a result of Eduardos initial enthusiasm and that he would be too busy to introduce a survey after setting into the job. One year after the credo had been distributed; Eduardo announced that the first annual survey would be conducted. All claims employees were to complete the survey and return it confidentially to the human resources department where the survey results would be compiled for each claims center manager. The survey asked the extent to which the manager had lived up to each of the items in the credo. Each form also provided space for comments. Claims center managers were surprised that the survey Eduardo had promised a year ago would be conducted, but they were even more worried about Ram's statement that the results would be shared with employees. What "results" would employees see? Who would distribute these results? What happens if a manager gets poor ratings from his or her subordinates? "We'll work out the details later," said Eduardo in response to these questions. "Even if the survey results aren't great, the information will give us a good baseline for next year's survey. The claims division survey had a high response rate. In some centers, every employee completed and returned a form. Each report showed the claims center managers average score for each of the items and how many employees rated the manager at each level of the fivepoint scale. The reports also included every comment made by employees at that center. No one was prepared for the results of the first survey; most managers received moderate or poor ratings on the items. Very few managers averaged above out of a fivepoint scale on
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