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Overhead Reduction Task Force

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1. The main Organizational Behavior problem in “The Overhead Reduction Task Force” case is in creating a leading an effective team, specifically “Office of the President” team. Williams is fretting nervously and rightly so. Our take on the situation is that Dixon just “threw him under the bus”, by putting him in charge of the team and leaving for much needed two weeks vacations after being on the job for one week.
2. Dixon did not do a best possible job in setting up an effective team. An essential elements required for a team to be successful is missing. By focusing on the goal of reducing expenses, instead of focusing on the goal of improving financial standing of the division, she made it very hard for Williams to get everyone aligned. Williams will have an uphill battle convincing department heads that their expenses need to be cut. For example, Mort Burns, head of the sales department is convinced that his department is as lean as it can be. The composition of the team itself is good. “It is made up of a diverse group of the individuals who have the expertise and authority to carry out the task” (1). For the purpose of the goal set by Dixon, Williams is the right person to lead the team. But it is clear that Williams approach is based purely on the numbers and if the goal is to improve financial performance, Williams does not have all the necessary information to make the right decision. For example Williams admits to himself that he does not have information on product profitability.
3. Not everyone on the team gets along very well, but the team can be very successful. It will be up to Williams to ensure balanced power structure and collaborative climate. The main challenge Williams is facing is to get everyone to understand that the success of the division hinges on a very close cooperation between all departments. For example, Bob Erickson, product

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