Peppercorn Issues Essay

How will you analyze the data collected? How will you make consciousness of the situation at Peppercorn?This should probably take a majority of the class period, since how the consultants see the cheekal issues will, in part, determine how the feedback process will be designed.Choosing a diagnostic/analytic place is no small issue. at that place is no evidence in the berth that a particular diagnostic model is driving the data collection process (a potential problem), and at that place be at least both models that would flirt. First, the consultants could use an individual based model such as the one described in Chapter 6. For each job at Peppercorn, the consultants could ask what their data reveals ab bulge out task identity, skill variety, task signifi dealce, autonomy, and feedback in the place setting of Peppercorns structure. But this is a more limited perspective and non as good a choice.Second, and perhaps more relevant in this case, would be an organization-leve l diagnostic model such as the one presented in Chapter 5.Inputs Based on their initial discussion with Drew as well as data from the interviews, we can see that the labor market has gotten very tight. It is more and more difficult to find workers and in particular student workers. This tightened market has agonistic the dining services unit and Peppercorn to increase the pay rates twice (although with little app atomic number 18nt effect). In a related category, we also endure that a union represents full-time employees. It is this labor shortage that is driving many of the dynamics of the case.The primary node, students with meal plans, suggests that there is little likelihood that price increases can be used to offset the labor scarcity. On a more general level, we know from data in the interviews that the food-service industry is known for its low lucre levels and long and odd hours. Design Components. The observation and interview data provides nigh training on each featu re of organization design. In approximately cases, there is much data of high quality while in other cases the amount of data (and its credibility) is thin.Strategy The mission and goals for the universitys dining unit lays out their purpose and operating goals. there appears to be a broad interest in providing nutritious food, creating a good social and aesthetic atmosphere, and serving the frugal needs of the university. The goals reflect this broad interest by addressing customer satisfaction, facilities quality, management excellence, financial management, alignment with the universitys mission, and industry leadership. in that location is little in the case suggesting that Peppercorns strategy is any different.Peppercorn, according to Drew, is trying address the difficult labor market by providing an enjoyable place to work although the consultants raze a certain disconnect between what is said (decentralized and participative) and what is practiced (more centralized, less participative) based on their observations and interview data.Technology The overall fracture process is sensibly interdependent and fairly low on uncertainty. The key workflow issue seems to be the supply agreement. Supplies, in the form of food, aprons, cookware, and so on, are ordered with a computer system that isnt working very well and resulting in frequent outages of different items. Since this process sits at the front end of the transformation process, its ineffectiveness is a key source of problems for the kitchen and service staff. In some way, the whole of Peppercorn is held hostage by this computer system.Once the raw materials brace arrived, food is prepared sometimes as much as a day in advance according to meal plans and recipes that are well understood. Although some of the cooks seem proud of their recipes and interested in creating new ones, do you really want people to be very innovative in this situation? In some ways, this conflicts with the situation. The prepared meals are transferred to the serving line where customers (students) are provided with their food. One of the consultants nones that there was no portion control at this stage and that a huge amount of customization existed as workers gave students a little more of some things or accommodated specific requests. After the meal, the leftovers, utensils and plates, and trash are fed into the dish room where plates and utensils are cleaned and recycled for use.Other processes also exist but are also relatively low in interdependence and uncertainty, including order taking, cash exchange, hiring and staffing, and grievance handling.Structure A formal organization chart for both the university dining services and Peppercorn are presented in the case. Drews role is interesting because he leads two organizations Peppercorn as well as the Salt Mill and has a professional supervisor (Larry) that is assigned from the university dining organization. Larrys relationship with the different employees draws some attention from the consultants and there is a mostly negative perception of Larry and his skills.The case also points out a rather complex set of employee relationships. There are full time employees (union- represented), full-time temporary employees (a non-union position that has been added to accommodate the problems associated with the declining numbers of student workers), and student labor. The students have their own management structure and supervise themselves as well as the full-time temporary employees (although these employees receive their training from the permanent staff) which has been the point of some contention. At best, it suggests that there may be two standards of work performance at play. At worst, there could be some very divisive resentment over preferential treatment.Measurement Systems There is no information presented about how employee work is measured (goals set, performance monitored and feedback), there appears to be n o portion control on food served, and no financial information is presented. There is mention of a grievance process, but no indication of grievance activity levels. If the computer system problems are added into this category, there would appear to be a pretty big hole in the sophistication of this system.Human Resource Systems The interview data reveals a number of complexities in the way employees are salaried through the union contract and the motivational aspects of that system. In the initial interview between the consultants and Drew, he describes how some workers can actually be incented to call in sick, for example. The case also mentions that wage rates have been increased twice in recent months to address the lack of student issues.Alignment and Effectiveness Roger reports that customer satisfaction is consistently positive with the one complaint being the heat inside the facility an apparent artifact of the dining room being built over the heating plant. There is no f inancial data presented, so we cannot comment on the profitability of the unit. There is, however, considerable data on employee satisfaction. There is a fairly consistent downward trend across many of the employees interviewed, although there is a high degree of tenure among many of the full-time employees. There is also fairly consistent data with respect to tensions between the different types of employees.Within that effectiveness assessment, can we make any inferences with respect to alignment among the organization design features? The presenting problem in the initial conversation between Drew and the consultants was a hiring problem and that has certainly been confirmed, the question is why?First, the strategy for Peppercorn does not seem clear. Other than some sense of doing the best we can with what we have, there are no clear goals for the restaurant and no clear sense of why people come there other than they have a meal plan. They are a fairly captive audience and theres not much in the way of competition for Peppercorn. Does this suggest a lack of external pressure that translates into all the things seemed pretty relaxed comments in the case?Second, the computer system is a big problem, and probably not under Peppercorns control. The University dining unit probably programs and maintains the system. There is a potential big coloured hole here since we dont know how the system works. The one potential issue here is that it may not be the system it may be Larry, so that has to be confirmed.Third, how much of the tension in the restaurant is the result of the structure where students supervise adults. Understanding the rationale for this approach and what the alternatives are would be a fruitful conversation.Fourth, and related to the strategy There appears to be very few measurement systems. How do employees know if they are doing well or seedy?