Case Study Analysis

Carla Buckner

Dr. Tom Steinhagen

BUS 600

January 30 2012

In the case of Case 10-1 Oak Brook Medical Systems, Inc., a successful Hospital Supply Division is experiencing a shift in demographics due to frustration among management and lack of effective communication skills while engaging with employees. Effective communication skills can increase productivity among employees and create a healthy work environment.

Ms. Harris is a successful manager of a relatively new division bringing in $40 million business deals. Ms. Harris has been an excellent asset to the company; she is hard working and is looking to move up. Although Ms. Harris has made great achievements in her life, she has poor communication skills with her employees. Her employees have stated that she is curt, sometimes defensive and overwhelming with facts. This makes Ms. Harris unapproachable and hard to work for. Employees feel that they are being talked down to. Ms. Harris is frustrated with senior management’s lack of attention to her successful division. Ms. Harris has many assumptions about management and their reasoning for overlooking her division. Ms. Harris feels she is being discriminated against racially and by gender. Furthermore, Ms. Harris does not know that her employees find her difficult to work with. Most importantly, upper manager is focused on numbers rather than creating a productive and open work environment. Ms. Harris and upper management decided for her to continue to stay in the division because she can identify with changing demographics and bring a different perspective to the business. Sadly, no plan has been designed or implemented by upper management to lessen Ms. Harris’s frustration. In turn, her frustration is trickling down to her employees who have low morale.

There are a number of problems and concerns