group project B case 1

Jessica’s
Case
Recommendation
Report

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S P R I N G 2 0 2 2

The board of directors
P R E S E N T E D T O

Aimy Nguyen
Karawandee Suttithanaporn
Mafaaz Faridi
Tho Trieu
Tina Najera

P R E S E N T E D B Y

Table of
Contents

The purpose Timeline

The Case Summary

Action Plan

Issues

Conclusion

Potential Solutions References

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04 10

05 13

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The Purpose

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

The Case Summary
” A C A S E O F M I S T R E A T M E N T A T W O R K ? ”

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The Case study “A Case of Mistreatment At Work?” by Mary M. Meares and John G. Oetzel details a
leadership communication problem at TechnoloComm. Jessica Martinez is a new hire under
probation working at the human resources department. She shares one office with Susan, Peter, and
Alex. Jessica is a hardworking employee who is dedicated to her new job. Her initial impression of the
company is positive and she looks forward to making a rewarding career there. However, she faces
serious diversity issues as her two male counterparts bully her over her race.

Peter and Alex keep making hurtful and demeaning comments about Jessica’s Hispanic
background. She hates it and seeks advice from her peers in the company. Jennifer, her friend from
school, recommends that she reports the matter to Tom, the human resources department
manager. However, this leader overlooks her complaints and instead praises the two men, sending
her away to complete her newsletter that should be out the following day. A frustrated and angry
Jessica returns to her desk and determines to ignore her two annoying teammates. Susan, who
observes the mistreatment, tells them that they could be infuriating her. The two men who deny
their actions decide to ask Jessica how she feels about them. She denies it and confirms that she is
OK with them. The teasing continues

Tom has been doing a follow-up on Jessica’s predicament. He is fully aware of her peers’ behavior
but keeps covering them because the company believes that long-serving talent is irreplaceable

.

However, he labels her a non-team player despite confirming from Susan about her struggle working
with Alex and Peter. He extends her probation by another three months during her evaluation, citing
this problem despite her excellent performance record. He does not create room for dialogue to
discuss the matter with her. His word is final. However, he has been dialoguing with her offenders
behind her back. He provides no solutions to the problem.

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Issues

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

The Organization’s Culture

The culture of the TechnoloComm company stood out as a significant issue associated
with Jessica’s case. According to Morcos, a company with a reputation for its position but
fails to establish a strong organizational culture can affect its organization’s teamwork
(2018). As described in Jessica’s case, the company’s culture has been nurtured to
discourage employees from expressing their feelings and grievances freely. From the way
the company’s culture was developed, when mistreatment was found, the victim could not
do anything much and had to bear with those actions since they had been told that every
company is like that, and they could not do anything with it no matter how hard they try.
We realized this through the conversation between Jessica and Jamal, who has been
working with the company for many years, as he complained about how he has been
mistreated, but he could not do anything and had to keep it himself. Jamel also pointed out
that if Jessica tries to speak up, the situation will worsen, and she will be labeled as a
troublemaker. The employee who voiced mistreatment to upper-level management often
being ignored. Furthermore, the culture encourages those guilty of mistreatment to
continue frustrating other employees. The company did not promote and give enough
support to diversity and mistreatment issues. It has taken too lightly the effects that
cultural hostilities in the workplace can have on their organizations. TechnoloComm needs
to build a culture that fosters workplace diversity and inclusion to create a better
workplace (Stanford, 2020).

Poor Communication and Ineffective Policies

In Jessica’s case, there was the insensitivity by some of the employees, especially Alex and
Peter, to Jessica’s cultural background, which made her feel uncomfortable and being
discriminated against. Jessica was being harassed by them, who were oblivious of the
discomfort they were causing her. The problem worsens by the poor communication
structures and ineffective policies governing the company’s diversity. Luthra (2015) argues
that one cannot model leadership without effective communication. This is because it
helps one monitor, guide, and inspire his team to meet the organization’s goals. The misuse
of words and communication between Jessica and the other two was not resolved in the
right way. To Alex and Peter, those comments about Jessica were out of harmless, and it
was a strategy to include her in their group. In contrast, Jessica did not feel that way and
was often offended by those jokes.

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Issues

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

The problem lasts, and both parties have never communicated more openly about their
issues. When Alex and Peter tried to approach her, they did not take her seriously enough
to confront her in a more appropriate setting. Also, Jessica was too afraid to confront and
talk directly to Alex and Peter. Thus, the lack of communication between them worsens the
situation. Also, the poor communication structures within TechnoloComm from top to down
were found to be a problem. A company can have a strong vision, but with poor
communication, it could fail to drive change (Murtadho, 2013). In addition, the harassment
of diversity that has been prolonged within the organization is caused by the lack of
coherent policies that address issues related to workplace diversity. TechnoloComm was
not thoughtfully structure policies that restrict individuals from using culture or diversity to
make other employees uncomfortable. Those actions seemed normal and lightly taken as
they were deeply ingrained as part of the organization’s culture.

Lack of Efficient Leadership

Another problem that occurred can clearly be seen during Jessica’s performance appraisal
review when Jessica tried to talk about the problem between her and the other two workers
(Alex and Peter) to Tom (the manager). Tom ignored the issue as minor and saw the
problem as unrelated to the job’s performance. He never gave Jessica a chance to explain
her side, yet he assumed he understood the situation well and told her to focus on her work
instead. This created a distance between them since Jessica felt she lost the support even
from her boss, who seemed to be supportive at first, and she did not have anyone she could
rely on. Mindfulness in communication creates a positive relationship between a leader and
his subordinates because it creates follower satisfaction (Arendt, 2019). It entails having a
non-judgmental view when making decisions. Tom lacks this trait. His view is biased and
closed-minded about Jessica’s concern because of the organization’s culture, which places
strong team players above its values (Meares & Oetzel, n.d.). Jankelová & Joniakova (2021)
also argue the importance of communication leadership skills. In their view, healthy
communication fosters healthy workplace relationships. It is unbiased and counters
challenges affecting employee satisfaction and performance. The lack of efficient leaders
whose leadership style should promote work engagement, encourage performance, and
inventive work activities can negatively affect the company (Gemeda & Lee, 2020). The
critical issue that arises the problem is that Tom adopted more task-oriented leadership
than a relationship-oriented leadership style.

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Issues

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

Tom stresses a deep concern for production but low for people. While the company hires
self-driven talent, its culture destroys the work environment. This risks its performance
through staff demotivation (Deressa & Zeru, 2019). An effective leader should exhibit a
balance between the two and optimally integrate them based on the situation.

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Diversity and Team Training

Review the Employee Handbook and
Policies

Management Training

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E P O T E N T I A L S O L U T I O N S

Solutions and Training

Work relationship
Respectful workplace environment
Communication

On-site seminars given by HR bi-annually
We will be discussing on:

Reviewing the companies employee
handbook about the policies, procedures and
consequence.

Training sessions and team building activates

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E T I M E L I N E

Timeline

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Review the Employee
Handbook and
Policies

Diversity Training

Team Bonding and
Communication

Management Training

Diversity, Equity, &
Inclusion Calendar
Event

Review the handbook and polices.
Re-read the handbook and see what are
the consequence if they are not following
the policies. ( A day with all associates
and different day with all leaders,
supervisors and managers)
Price: Free

Diversity Training Management/ Associates.
There will be a day that be all the
associates from the company. Another
Day will be all leaders, and managers.
Price: Free

Diversity and team training/ Bonding
Activity games to build team members
and to get to know each other more.
Every Friday for next three weeks.
price: free

Monday and Tuesday – review the handbook
one last time (Monday – associates,
Tuesday- Manager / Supervisors )
Friday, Take the team out for
complimentary dinner.

Team from this company will be training for a
month or two.

Week One:

Week Two

Weeks Three- Six:

Last week of training:

.

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Action Plan

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

No.1 Communication

Communication is central to managing different kinds of conflict in organizations.
According to chapter 10, Listening to Out-Group Member, using these communication
methods can lessen the angst of the conflict, help conflicting parties to reach a resolution
sooner, and strengthen relationships.

Differentiation: Differentiation requires that individuals explain and elaborate on their
own position, frequently focusing on their differences rather than their similarities. It is
essential to work through a conflict.

Fractionation: breaking down large conflicts into smaller ones is helpful for individuals to
reduce the emotional intensity of the dispute. It facilitates a better working relationship
between participants in the conflict.

Face Saving: interpersonal conflicts can be made less threatening if individuals
communicate in a way that preserves the self-image of the other.

No. 2 Strategies For Working Positively With Members of Groups

Besides managing conflicts between Jessica and her counterparts, Tom should respond to
Jessica to pull closer members together. These bellowed strategies for how a leader should
respond to handle Jessica’s problem more effectively. According to chapter ten, Listening
to Out-Group Members, Tom should practice these concrete steps to bring benefits to
members of the group.

Strategy 1: Listening to Out-Group Members
Listening requires leaders to set aside their own biases to allow the group members to
express their viewpoints freely. Listening requires paying attention to what people say, and
it also requires being attentive to what people mean.

Strategy 2: Show Empathy to Out-Group Members
The leader needs to show empathy to out-group members. Empathy is a special kind of
listening to that requires more effort than just listening. It is a skill anyone can learn to
improve their leadership skills.

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Action Plan

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J E S S I C A ‘ S C A S E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N R E P O R T

The leader can demonstrate empathy through four communication techniques:
1) Restatement
2) Paraphrasing
3) Reflection
4) Support

Strategy 3: Recognize the Unique Contributions of Out-Group Members
A leader must identify the group members’ unique abilities and assets and integrate these
into the group process to address these concerns.

Strategy 4: Help Out-Group Members Feel Included
The leader should be sensitive to the group member’s needs and cues.

Strategy 5: Create A Special Relationship With Out-Group Members
The leader should try building high quality relationships with all the team members. Special
relationships are that the team members feel validated and more connected to everyone
else in the group.

Strategy 6: Give Out-group Members a Voice and Empower Them To Act
Giving the group members a voice lets them be on equal footing with other group
members. Also, empowering others to act means the leader allows the group members to
be more involved, independent, and responsible for their actions.

Have the courage to do the right thing
Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal.

No. 3 Leadership Ethics in Practice

In addition to communication and strategies for working positively, ethical leadership is
essential for an effective leader. Chapter 12, Leadership Ethics in Practice, informs that
character is an integral component of moral leadership. Character forms the centerpiece
of a person’s values and is fundamental to ethical leadership. Ethical leadership involves
using morally appropriate actions to achieve goals.

The Six Pillars of Character:
1. Trustworthiness: The leader needs to build a good reputation.

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Action Plan

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Be considerate of others
Using good manners

Be accountable for your choice
Consider the consequences

Play the rules
Don’t take advantage of others and blame others.

Be kind and compassionate
Forgive others

Get involved
Respect authority

2. Respect: The leader should treat everyone with respect.

3. Responsibility: Leaders should think before they act

4. Fairness: The leader needs to balance the standard of justice without relevance to one’s
feelings or indications.

5. Caring: the leader should help people in need.

6. Citizenship: the leader should share with the community and protect the environment

Determine the organization’s current organizational environment
Be aware of the organization’s mission
Motivate and motivate employees
Understand and assign precise tasks
Build group activities and their cooperation

No. 4 Improving Organizational Climate

The leader needs to build an excellent organizational climate. Generally, the corporate
environment is the working conditions of a firm. The article “4 Ways To Improve
Organizational Climate” by Indeed Editorial Team states these steps for the leader to build
a constructive climate for an organization.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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Conclusion
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References
4 Ways to Improve Organizational Climate. (n.d.). Indeed Career Guide.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/improve-organizational-
climate

Arendt, J. F., Verdorf, A, & Kugler K., G. (2019). Mindfulness and leadership:
communication as a behavioral correlate of leader mindfulness and its effect on
follower satisfaction. Front Psychol.29(10), 667. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00667

Deressa, A. T., & Zeru, G. (2019). Work motivation and its effects on organizational
performance: the case of nurses in Hawassa public and private hospitals: Mixed method
study approach. BMC research notes, 12(1), 213. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4255-7

Gemeda, H. K., & Lee, J. (2020). Leadership styles, work engagement and outcomes
among information and communications technology professionals: A cross-national
study. Heliyon, 6(4), e03699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03699

Jankelová, N., & Joniaková, Z. (2021). Communication Skills and Transformational
Leadership Style of First-Line Nurse Managers in Relation to Job Satisfaction of Nurses
and Moderators of This Relationship. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 346.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346

Luthra, A. (2015). Effective leadership is all about communicating effectively: connecting
leadership and communication. ResearchGate.

Maldonado, G. (2022). Management Interview. personal.

Morcos, Michael. (2018). Organizational culture: definitions and trends. ResearchGate.

Meares, M. M., & Oetzel, J. G. (n.d.). A Case of Mistreatment At Work?” Chapter 35

Murtadho, A. (2013). Communication problem, risk and leadership attributes during
technology change initiative on multinational energy company. European Scientific
Journal, 9(29), 1857-7881.

Stanford F. C. (2020). The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Healthcare
Workforce. Journal of the National Medical Association, 112(3), 247–249.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2020.03.014

Tabira, G. (2022). HR interview. personal.

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