Paper Example on Work-Related Challenges: Think and Problem Solving

Introduction

Problems are an inevitable part of life that accompanies human beings since birth and continues until the twilight of their lives. This understanding is important to avoid getting unnecessary upsets instead perceive their occurrence as a welcome relief that signifies need to change. If all individuals could welcome and seek solutions to problems as they arise, it would yield less pain. Such course applies to the case study captured below indicating that each situation presents a choice to act and ease the challenges. However, critical thinking provides a disciplined process to actively and skillfully analyze and synthesize the problem to make rational inferences. This report illustrates critical and creative thinking skills applied in a problem-solving cycle to solve the case hypothesizing work-related challenges faced by single parents.

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Issues of the Case

The sudden death of a spouse involves a life-altering event that besides grief brings with it unique and traumatizing challenges. Young widows and widowers experience physical loss of their companion, shattered dreams and unfulfilled expectations (Lowe, 2005). The single parent in this case study confronts similar challenges complicated by the looming workplace crisis that plunges her to further emotional disturbance. The case reveals a situation of a single parent likely to struggle to raise three children after the spouse involved in a recent motor-road accident passes away in a tragic accident. Bergman, Haley, and Small (2010) found that a single parent likely experiences psychological suffering and grief from the sudden loss. The death of the spouse took away who was the primary breadwinner, leading to a sizeable decline in the household income.

The overwhelming nature of financial requirements to cater for the three children makes the income of the surviving integral for their wellbeing. The workplace challenges threaten to complicate the financial burden the spouse has to bear being the sole breadwinner in the family. Information conveyed by the grapevine sources suggests the company may downsize, thereby making the forced resignation of some employees inevitable. The risk of unemployment would worsen the financial burden when the family lacks a regular source of income (Reinhard & Feinberg, 2015). Close colleagues confirm the downsizing news citing the huge debts plunging the company into imminent insolvency. A split in the workforce treating the news as gossip says the company financials remain in good shape. The contradiction brings confusion on whether to seek employment elsewhere amidst the struggle to secure and settle in new workplaces. Seeking new employment opportunities would compel shifting the entire family, thereby complicating the scenario.

How to Judge to Accept or Reject Reasons and Claims Given by Colleagues

Office grapevine has been and likely will be a source of information that occurs from the inherent desire of humans to communicate with colleagues. Although featuring informal discussions, it has the potential to complement official channels of communication. Like other informal channels of communication, it is important to sieve the information conveyed before considering to take actions (Scott & Lewis, 2017). The contradicting information over the financial health and possible downsizing of the company necessitates careful evaluation. Often, grapevine communication is prone to distortion risks since the message conveyed changes with the person giving such information (Scott & Lewis, 2017). Such a situation is evident with Rita, Shidi, and Janet restating the looming downsizing while Zana, Ramli, and Jamil dismiss such news as gossip.

The secrecy observed in grapevine information leaves the message conveyed susceptible to increased misunderstandings. Efforts by the employee to seek clarification from the second batch of colleagues confuse. Besides, neither group indicates the source of their information particularly those alleging the company is overly indebted. Equally, the second group comprising Zana, Ramli, and Jamil could be a channel to convey a positive impression of the struggling company. The potential of grapevine communication from either side distorting facts compels creating a baseline to authenticate the conflicting claims (Mosley, Mosley, & Pietri, 2014). Particularly, the tension caused by downsizing news and rumors to eliminate certain employees obligates examining the claim against facts and figures.

The tension surrounding alleged downsizing to save the company from the debt burden necessitates seeking credible information. Its achievement would involve working out to identify credible channels that upon independent evaluation proves the claims right or wrong. Clarifying with official communication channels holders may raise the alarm, thereby causing further tension and potential backlash to the colleagues (Scott & Lewis, 2017). For that reason, independent evaluation of the company's financials for the past three years would provide the baseline to authenticate the claims. Scrutiny of the company financials is essential given that the allegations relate to the resource endowment of the company. The scrutiny focuses on operating results and financial conditions of the company. More specifically, a quick review of the financials featuring ratio analysis on the solvency, liquidity and activity ratios will show the financial health of the company.

The examination of the three-year financial performance on the working capital management will demonstrate instances of strangling debt levels. Here, the review of liquidity ratios such as the current and quick ratio will indicate the ability of the company to meet its short-term obligations as they fall due (Peterson & Fabozzi, 2012). Declining trend on the current and quick ratio will confirm increasing liabilities, thereby signaling potential solvency. Such pattern may affirm the liquidity challenges of the company that may necessitate rightsizing. An important indicator here is reviewing the current ratio confirming if the company can pay off its current liabilities using its liquid assets. An extended evaluation could capture the interest coverage ratio to reveal whether the company is profitable enough to pay the accruing dues from debt finances (Weil, Schipper, & Francis, 2014). A company in financial crisis would struggle to meet such emerging obligations thereby causing an inevitable default.

The volume and nature of concerns raised by other stakeholders could signify the health status of the company. A company undergoing financial crisis would attract increased criticism from the regulators and auditors who would issue red flags citing overwhelming debts (Campbell, 2018). The primary company lenders may express doubts of recouping the funds they advanced the organization. A review of the financials of the primary lenders may be a source of reliable information to authenticate the indebtedness of the company. The classification of funds advanced to the firm as doubtful or non-performing loans by the primary lenders confirms the news of inability to finance debt repayment (Weil, Schipper, & Francis, 2014). Moreover, the auditor report captures red flags warning looming crisis. Downsizing being a significant decision for the firm would attract opinion of financial analysts expressing uncertainty over the company prospects. However, the absence of warning by financial analysts and auditors justifies assurances issued by Zana, Ramli, and Jamil.

Companies in financial distress struggle to remit the recurrent expenditures timely as opposed to counterparts who exercise prepayment policy. This awareness forms a baseline to judge the truth or falsehood in the claims by the colleagues. Signs of the company dishonoring deadlines to pay taxes indicates the firm being in severe financial crisis (Peterson & Fabozzi, 2012). Similarly, employees' complaints about delayed salaries would support the insufficiency of the firm's working capital. Complaints lodged by labor unions and courts expressing dishonored pledges and bargaining agreements demonstrates a struggling company (Weil, Schipper, & Francis, 2014). The absence of charges expressing default and default shows the firm ability to meet the recurrent expenditure and honor financial pledges in salaries and work benefits increment.

Six-Step Conceptions of Problem Solving By Hayes (1981)

Hayes six-step conceptions framework provides a systematic approach that recognizes a need to bridge the gap between the current and desired spot. Hayes model features six sequenced actions when solving a problem. Firstly, the individuals should acknowledge the existence and the identity of the problem to solve. Next, one must understand the nature of the gap constituting the problem and its complexity (Sternberg & Frensch, 2014). Following the mental representation of the problem, the individual should initiate the search for solutions and choose the approach to bridge the gap. Next, one should execute the planned solution to the problem. However, a detailed evaluation is necessary by reviewing the problem statement and checking the satisfaction of the solution attained. Lastly, the individual should initiate a consolidation process to reflect on the problem-solving experience and derive skills applicable for easier solving in the future (Sternberg & Frensch, 2014). Successful application of the model involves backtracking to align the solutions to the problems solved.

Identify the Problem

Haye framework prioritizes the need to recognize the existence of the problem is the gap to the desired state. The concern presented in the case is uncertainty over the continued employment of the single parent who after the sudden loss of the spouse in a motor accident would lack a livelihood. The threat of dismissal under the downsizing of the organization would render the single parent jobless. The employee faces uncertainty on the job security given the likely hood of being part of the workforce the company will lay off. This uncertainty extends to the confusion confronting the employee from the contradicting information. Some colleagues support the looming downsizing rumors citing the huge accumulated debt while dismiss such as gossip by restating the financial health of the firm.

Understand Nature of the Difficulty

Haye model requires mental representation of the situation by figuring out the cause of the problem, its nature at the moment. By doing so, it allows the party to learn the urgency, complexity and various ways the problem may affect the employee. The uncertainty on continued employment opportunity in the company arises from the fear the workforce members have over the rising debt levels. The high dependency on debt financing convinces the company is carrying enormous debt that may cause the default and potential bankruptcy. The fear of working for an insolvent company gripped employees among them Rita, Shidi and Janet. The fear has caused panic and thought of downsizing to wade of the huge wage bill the company has in its recurrent expenditure. The source of information is a guarded secret by the colleagues.

The fear of being part of employees facing the sack compels a second opinion from Zana, Ramli, and Jamil who downplays the news as usual gossip since the company is financially healthy. However, the uncertainty brought by the contradiction information places the employee in a dilemma of waiting or applying for a job elsewhere. The challenge of securing another job opportunity, relocating and settling the entire family warrants calmness and waiting. However, the uncertainty surrounding dismissal may catch the employee unawares, therefore a need to seek alternative employment opportunity. The occurrence of such terminatio...