Read the case study and solve the problem

Jan is a white male and is a manager of a company in one of the Cape Town's industries, the company employs 110 people and the employees race and gender profile is provided below .

1. 5 Indians [no females, all of them are in middle management and one is in charge of the finance or accounts in the company.
2. 15 are blacks and mostly employed as general workers, there is one woman who does the cleaning of the toilets, offices and makes tea for the staff.
3. 30 are whites, only two females and the rest are men, the junior most are two young men aged 24 who are supervisors in production units of the firm, they have matric as their highest qualification and have been trained on the job.
4. 60 are Coloreds, 7 of which are females working exclusively in administration, reception, and dispatch as clerks. The rest of the Colored men are supervisors [3] and the rest are either technicians or assistant supervisors with an average age of 30 years.

An announcement is made by the white management that in view of the political changes, the company has adopted a policy to bring about diversity by freezing all supervision and management positions and reserve them for blacks. The understanding was that all people who resign or any new positions in a supervisory category should be given to blacks and women first before any other people can be appointed to these positions. The definition used for blacks was in special reference to Africans and not according to the constitution.

The management is aware that there is need to bring these people together and make them work as a team for good productivity, which will lead to profitability. The Colored folk protest against this decision because they know they are by far the majority in the Cape Metropolis, and are accusing the management of trying to practice reverse discrimination on them. Close on fifty percent [50%] of the customers are blacks, the rest is divided between the remaining three racial groups. It is common knowledge and it is talked about openly in the company that Coloreds are about 70 % of the population in the greater Cape Town region.

One white male supervisor retires and another moves to another company, these two [2] are quickly replaced by two whites, one male and one female, and the workers seem contended. Two blacks who have worked as machinists-assistants for 18 years are upgraded to technician level with some supervisory capacity. The Coloreds protest that these people are incompetent and illiterate, besides, they are not from Cape Town but come from the Eastern Cape. There are other Colored young men who could speak good Afrikaans and are better educated and more hardworking than these two old blacks.

A few weeks later there is a physical conflict between a group of Coloreds against a black employee accused of having stolen a cell phone. "You are the only one who came to that place, so, it is you who took the phone." The black boy speaks very little English and no Afrikaans at all, he is brought to the manager for punishment, during the interrogation he fails to defend himself. But the phone is not found on him and he never left the premises. The owner of the cell phone remembers that the last time he had the phone was when he was having tea. This was the only other man who was in the area when the Colored boy last saw his phone, later he noticed that his phone was missing, he could not say exactly when. No one else was searched except this black boy, the reasons were; because everybody knows who the thief is, and blacks are well known for stealing.

A few days later, the Coloreds sign a petition and protest that they do not want to use the same toilets and facilities with the blacks because;

1. blacks are dirty and they mess the toilet always
2. blacks are thieves and can not be left unattended
3. blacks are lazy and do not pull their weight on the machines
4. blacks are always late to work and they never keep time
5. blacks are absent from work the first Monday after every pay day

The toilet facilities at the factory are classified thus;

1. the managers [all male whites] have their own toilet [four urine bowls and 2 WCs]
2. ladies staff toilet - 2 WCs used exclusively by the white females
3. workers' toilet [for all the male Coloreds and blacks] has two urine bowls and 1 WC
4. other female [except the black cleaner]use the general worker's toilet
5. 1 toilet outside is for the black cleaner - she can't use any other toilets she cleans

QUESTIONS

You are expected to solve this problem, and you need to consider a number of things you studied in your management class.

1. Identify the problem (s)and state why you think that is the problem [5]
2. Using an identified decision making model, formulate a solution to this problem. [10]
3. What leadership model will you use to solve the problem, and Why? [10]
4. State its features and why you choose to use this model [5]
5. State all possible causes of the problems and explain them in terms of diversity and AA [20]
6. Using the data from your research [on CT] provide tabulated information on;
7. Racial profile of the company at present [5]
8. Work out the city's racial ratios from data supplied [Smith and Dorrington] [5]
9. Work out two current ratios for the company [gender ratio and race ratio [5 ]
10. What changes will you need to effect to meet legal diversity requirements? [5]
11. What ratio would you use as project manager in this case? [5]
12. How will you seek to overcome resistance to change?