Workplace Discrimination at Caribbean Bauxite Company Limited - Case Study Example

Executive Summary This report reviews some of the issues affecting Caribbean Bauxite Company Limited. The report begins by assessing the main issues, their causes, and impacts on organizational performance. The report then examines the most effective intervention strategies that can be adopted to prevent these issues from negatively impacting on the business performance of the company. The main issues identified are poor workplace communication, workplace discrimination, and differences in personality styles and workplace behavior. The report finds that workplace discrimination and poor communication can be counterproductive to organizational performance. In addition, the issues can harm good relationships between employees and lead to failure to achieve strategic business objectives. The report recommends that the management should engage employees in discussing issues affecting them and in finding solutions to these issues. The report further recommends that employees should be consistently encouraged to embrace behaviors and practices which promote the objectives of workplace collaboration and teamwork and avoid issues which cause rifts and divisions. Discussion of Issues From the facts presented in the case, a number of issues are evident, and all these issues have direct influence on the ability of the management to manage its human resources and coordinate important business functions. The main issues are discussed below: 1. Work Place Discrimination Workplace discrimination occurs when some employees are treated less favorably than others. This can occur on grounds of gender, racial origin, sexual orientation, nationality and religious beliefs. Discrimination in the workplace is a negative factor which not only causes disharmony and lack of cooperation among employees, but also kills employee motivation and morale. This in turn impacts negatively on employee productivity and performance (Poncini, 2002). Employees who are subjected to persistent workplace discrimination are likely to lose interest in the duties of the company. This sends the morale of such employees into a downward spiral, which results in loss of productivity. In the case under consideration, Rennalls resigns because he feels members of his racial group are discriminated against by the company’s management, the majority of which are of European origin. This shows that discrimination in the workplace can severely affect a company’s business operations as it results in the loss of skilled and experienced workers. The case also shows that the company limited itself by restricting rapid advancement of non-European employees. According to Poncini (2002), there is direct correlation between workplace discrimination and employee discrimination. In fact, employees are likely to relinquish their job positions when they feel they have been wronged by discriminatory practices. This explains why Rennalls reacts angrily to what he considers discriminatory remarks by Baker and opts to resign, despite the fact that he was about to be promoted to a senior position within the company (De Mooij, 2000). Workplace discrimination is a serious problem that business managers have to contend with, with more subtle and new forms emerging, (Trentham & Laurie, 1998). Sending the slightest discriminatory signal to employees can effectively kill their morale and productivity. The biggest negative effect that results from discrimination in workplaces is the poor working atmosphere that it creates. The workplaces of modern business organizations are increasingly diverse and multi-cultural. As such, an instance of discrimination demoralizes not only the victim, but also a significant number of other employees who associate with the victim’s group. This can easily lead to a culture of mistrust, resentment, suspicion and rivalry among employees. All of these factors harm workplace relationships, especially teamwork and free flow of information (Zaidman, 2001). 2. Workplace Behavior and Personality Styles Business workplaces are a dynamic collection of individuals with unique perspectives and approaches to interpersonal relationships and the job. Numerous theories about personality styles have been postulated to guide individuals, teams and managers towards greater understanding of self and others, to improve interpersonal styles, and to elevate business culture. Turban and Cable (2003) have noted that effective collaboration in the workplace requires the skills and talents that each individual brings to the workplace. When employees understand what drives their preferences to work, they can easily set appropriate work goals and opt for work positions that suit their personality profiles. Understanding each other’s personality styles is the key to unlocking elusive human qualities such as empathy, leadership and motivation. Unproductive workplace behaviors and failure to understand and appreciate each others’ personality traits can be counterproductive to effective team work performance. The case of Caribbean Bauxite shows that Rennalls and Baker had different personality and leadership styles. It is, for instance, clear that when Baker is in the position of authority, he is likely to adopt directive leadership styles whereas Rennalls is likely to adopt a delegatory type of leadership. While Baker likes insisting on what should be done and how it should be done, Rennalls prefers giving thought to the impact of any event to the people involved. Appreciating differences in personality types is critical to understanding that, while employees are different, they all have a value and special qualities and strengths and everyone should be treated with respect (Sapp and Zhang, 2009). Differences in workplace behavior are easy to appreciate by first understanding that differences in people are personality-based. Zaidman (2001) explained that understanding and appreciating each employee’s personality style is necessary to help them become great achievers and to enhance the company’s business objectives. Essentially, each personality style has its own tendencies and traits associated with it, hence the differences in motivation factors and response to pressure exhibited by employees. The behavioral characteristics associated with different personality traits helps provide insight into what should be done to enhance the employee’s group interaction abilities. 3. Poor Workplace Communication All professionals working in the corporate world understand the importance of communication in business. Effective communication in the workplace plays a critical role in the smooth running of the business and in enhancing understanding among employees. In Muchinsky’s argument (2004), people who do not have good communication skills are likely to experience serious problems in the workplace. If there is no clear or efficient impartation of information in the workplace, then there is likely a situation where there is lack of understanding, which can have adverse impacts on a number of key deliverables and hence lead to loss of productivity. For organizations to survive the stiff competition evident in the modern business world, they must develop and nurture the communication styles of their employees (Turban and Cable, 2003). In the workplace, people can be classified as open or reserved communicators. Open communicators are receptive and like expressing their feeling and emotions freely. Undoubtedly, this is the category to which Baker belongs. Similar people like getting to know important business partners and like doing things in rather informal sessions. On the other hand, reserved communicators do not like other people to know or intrude into their personal lives. Their talk is intentional and they do not like loud, aggressive or provocative talks. This is the group to which Rennalls belongs. On top of this, reserved communicators like concentrating more on facts rather than mere assumptions. This is why Rennalls gets annoyed with Baker’s claim that the Barracanian knowledge of business matters is very young in relation to that of the European. Varner (2000) has explained that effective communication in the workplace is the backbone of any business, without which the business can miss out on several important opportunities, waste productive time, and cause employees and customers to feel frustrated. Most problems in the workplace arise due to poor communication. In fact, one of the reasons that caused Rennalls to tender a resignation letter was the perceived unconsidered communication by his senior. Arming employees with the right communication skills enables them to remain loyal, work efficiently, and navigate any obstacles that arise. Recommendations The issues discussed above were directly responsible for the failure of Baker and Rennalls to reach any meaningful conclusion regarding the company’s future after Baker’s transfer. It is, therefore, important that the issues be addressed in light of the particular consequences that they caused to the company and the individuals involved. The issue of workplace discrimination can be effectively avoided by establishing no-tolerance policies in regard to discrimination. The policies should be in writing and explained to all employees (Zaidman, 2001). It is also important for the management to discuss the problems of discrimination with their employees. Employees should be encouraged to give clear incidences of workplace discrimination and share the consequences of such incidences (Collins and Stevens, 2002). Communication and personality style issues can be avoided by establishing and informing employees of appropriate standards of workplace communication. Senior managers should avoid making accusations and instead strive to create safe, open corporate cultures that foster teamwork and openness (Sapp and Zhang, 2009). Employees should be encouraged to respect each other’s cultural backgrounds. It is also important for management to closely observe employee interactions so as to understand the particular issues which cause troubles. It is also important to involve employees in decision making and to ask them about their communication approaches and if they are aware of what can be done to improve their communication approaches (Hedge, Borman and Lammlein, 2006). Conclusion Good communication and collaboration among employees and the management are essential for effective organizational performance. Effective communication and collaboration are enhanced by understanding each other’s personality styles and cultural and social orientations. This helps create an atmosphere of tolerance and respect in the workplace. It is the duty of a company’s management to institute policies that promote a positive working environment and understanding among employees. 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