Managing Diversity and Decision-Making in Organizational Behavior: A Case Study Analysis

#1. Situation

In designing the primary product line for a new joint venture, the task force had to review the new high-end market with initial design parameters for the new product that meets the world's demand. According to Mariana and Noto, the current designs were just fine. However, Jose focused on the objective of revolutionizing the product and the manufacturing based on the evidence and the industry data. In this case, constructive change-oriented communication is an organizational behavior that contributes to the current situation. Despite the need to develop the design for a joint venture, the task force considers the contemporary design without considering the costs and impact on the existing market (Ash & Lorenzi, 2017). Although the task force remained adamant that the current designs were good enough to be incorporated into the plans, there was a need to develop new designs as the current ones were too old and not easily manufactured at lower costs which could make a significant impact on the market. Taking the initiative contributed to a healthy discussion that concluded with Jose writing a memo to the president's council, recommending the use of the existing design in the manufacturing system. The task force's personality trait revealed personal initiative with the openness to experience constructive and change-oriented nature in product design. Ethical decision-making is another arising in this case.

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#2. Problem

The foundational organizational behavior problem, in this case, is workforce diversity. It entails employing various categories of heterogeneous individuals in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, relation, and community—employing such a task force aims to harness innovativeness while obtaining a synergetic effect in terms of talents and potentialities (Lazarus, 2017). The task force to design the product line for a new joint venture includes Musahiko from the Japanese company, Thomas from the United States, and Mariana from Argentina. With each need to retain their individual and cultural identity values, and lifestyle, it becomes a problem for the organization to decide what suits each individual. Besides, it isn't easy to accommodate a diverse group of people to address their different styles and tastes in design. The team leader was to treat everyone alike while recognizing the differences and responding to the differences to ensure greater productivity without discriminating (Dewe & Cooper, 2020). The diversified workforce is aimed at presenting more significant opportunities with the appropriate design for service pet caskets. However, it has led to problems in decision-making, putting the team performance on a complicated task. Besides, diversity brings challenges concerning communication and team dynamics.

#3. Case Question(s)

What are the challenges diversity poses to decision-making in an organization?

Identifying the challenges of diversity will help address the perceptual, cultural, and language barriers, thus coming up with a diversified program through teamwork and morale. Besides, it will help address resistance to change (Prasad et al., 2018). Since most of the tasks might refuse to accept the need to change the organization's makeup or design, identifying the challenge will help develop new ideas.

What is the importance of respecting and accepting the differences of others?

Answering this question will help identify and define the issue that exists within the team. It is a step to handle the diversity issue while creating acceptance and equal opportunity for everyone (Prasad et al., 2018). It will also help identify the challenges and differences existing while determining the required changes to address the problems.

How do the organization can hold people accountable for their actions?

The policy to hold the task force accountable for their actions will efficiently and quickly address the challenge of diversity and resistance to change. Part of this process entails providing members the potential to contribute their thoughts without fear. Besides, inappropriate behaviors are addressed between the involved parties with disciplinary actions (Dewe & Cooper, 2020). Although people personally differ in some way, the professional environment provides the need to respect each other regardless of rank.

#4. Alternative "Solutions"

4a. Striking a balance

Striking a balance helps respond to the urgency in decision-making to come up with the design for the primary product line for a new joint venture. Through this, the task force can propose the principles, goals, and framework for the design based on the structure and the improvement needed for the new system (Prasad et al., 2018). Striking a balance is essential for the organization as it incorporates the resources, advocacy groups, and policies that enable effective decision-making.

4b. Human element in the leadership system

The leadership in the case should entail simple mechanisms for decision-making. The human element in the leadership style will allow for exploring problems while pursuing and resolving conflicts based on the established values and negotiating solutions (Lazarus, 2017). The task force's success in designing the primary product line for a new joint venture is reflected in addressing and resolving the differences that come with diversity.

4c. Attitudes towards innovation

There is a need to encourage the task force to embrace innovation. A positive attitude towards innovation encourages risk-taking. Besides, it involves new modes with effective implementation of the changes (Dewe & Cooper, 2020). The attitude toward innovation enables the team to specify the end goals, thus focusing on achieving the organizational objectives.

#5. Recommend

The organization requires the mission to justify its existence. The mission will provide the organization with consistency in its service based on the true and internal mission that safeguards the organizational objective. The organization also needs to build existing relationships and loyalties. They have a significant influence on personality and friendship, thus influencing the behaviors in a specific situation. Tools such as liability are essential for resolving the conflict between the task force with the enforcement of regulations (Ash & Lorenzi, 2017). It entails a wide range of nature and value of resources while evaluating the current design and exploring the areas that need to be improved.

#6. Prediction

The task force coming up with the design's mission and objective and building strong relationships and loyalties would bring about effective communication with rational decision-making. It would allow the task force to focus on coming up with a new design, given that the current design is old and is not easy to manufacture at lower costs. Well-informed objectives will positively impact decision-making with members softening their thoughts on contemporary designs, thus coming up with ideas to incorporate in the design's plans in the modern market. Although the current designs seem fine, the loyalty to the presidents and the organization would allow the team to focus on revolutionizing the product based on the evidence and the industry data required by the presidents. With resolved conflict within the group, constructive change-oriented communication would lead to various considerations such as costs and the existing market for the design.

References

Ash, J. S., & Lorenzi, N. M. (2017). Organizational and behavioral issues. Fundamental Advances in Clinical Informatics, 4(1), 115-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-809523-2.00009-1

Dewe, P., & Cooper, C. L. (2020). Organizational psychology, organizational behavior, and workplace stress. Work and Stress, 3(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429331015-1

Lazarus, H. (2017). Organizational behavior: Supervision: Situation, individual, behavior, effect. ILR Review, 23(4), 623-625. https://doi.org/10.1177/001979397002300438

Prasad, P., Pringle, J. K., & Konrad, A. M. (2018). Examining the contours of workplace diversity: Concepts, contexts, and challenges. Handbook of Workplace Diversity, 3(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848608092.n1