Case study

Description

When students have the English-language PDF of this Brief Case in a coursepack, they will also have the option to purchase an audio version.

Treadway Tire’s plant in Lima, Ohio must confront strong job dissatisfaction and high turnover among its line foremen. The foremen are caught in the middle of an adversarial relationship between the union and management, and they must cope with the needs and interests of both. They also perceive limited opportunity for career advancement. Solving the problem requires rethinking the philosophy that guides workforce management and changing the Treadway culture that has grown up around that philosophy. Facing mounting pressure to reduce costs and increase productivity, director of human resources Ashley Wall must work quickly to analyze the root causes of the problem and provide an action plan to reduce turnover of the line foreman segment.

Learning objective:

Demonstrate consequences of employee dissatisfaction. Evaluate both direct and indirect costs of employee turnover. Discuss methods for reducing turnover and employee dissatisfaction. Explore the challenges of introducing change into the workplace.

Subjects Covered:

Change management; Hiring; Human resource management; Job satisfaction; Labor relations; Leadership; Organizational culture; Superior & subordinate; Work force management

Setting:

• Geographic:Ohio
• Industry: Tires