6. With your colleagues, discuss:

• What might be a good organizational structure for PCC using the building blocks of design?

See attached document to see the organizational structure I have created for PCC considering that PPC operate only one factory.

• How you might handle decisions about the chain of command, degree of specialization, and grouping of jobs into departments in this organizational structure?

The structure shows the natural chain of command for PCC, grouping of jobs under this organizational structure. The degree of specialization and skill depend of the level in the chain.  

PCC HHRR department has selected, trained and created and specific continue program development for each line and staff in PCC. Managers have a high degree of specialization in their task of vision for the PCC future, design the strategic, tactical and operational plans, communicate to the different organizational level of PCC, control the execution of the plans and motivating the people to achieve the objectives.

• How might you delegate authority throughout the hierarchy and determine the line and staff functions in the firm?

The attached document shows the authority hierarchy. Also, it describes the line and staff functions.

• Applying two models from the text, functional and divisional, discuss how you might select one of these designs for PCC. Note: You must base your selection on your building blocks of design. In other words, this design should use the data from PCC and be solidly based on the building blocks of design.
• Provide your reasons for creating this design.

The selection is based on the PCC value chain and in the example of the organizational structure for similar companies. A functional structure is chosen because of the focus that this structure gives to key activities, the high oriented skill, non duplication of activities and a clear understand of the hierarchy and functions.

• Discuss how the emerging 21^st century organizational designs (boundary-less, teamwork design, virtual, and learning organization) could be applied to PCC.
• Is it possible to adjust the structure of PCC from either the functional or divisional (decided in Activity 3) to one of the emerging designs?  Discuss why or why not.

These designs are the answer to the new requirement in a globalized world. PCC operates in a local and regional area. So, these designs do not look appropriate for PCC at this moment. For a manufacturing company such as PCC, learning organizations and virtual organizations do not fit correctly. It could be applied for some particular PCC department, but not for the whole PCC structure; similar for Team Organization. Boundaryless Organization looks possible to apply in a strategic alliance with some sector of the PCC value chain (e.g. retailers, farmers)

 

 

Determine employees for PCC:

• Your task is to determine the employees you will require for PCC. Use your organizational structure as the base point.
• Consider that PCC is a $100 million organization, selling potato chips in Canada and the United States only. This information should guide you in determining the number and type of employees you will need.
• Pay attention to the different levels in the structure.

See attached document.

 

Determine recruitment strategies:

• Apply the information from your text on staffing the firm, including recruiting and selection techniques you can use to staff the positions at PCC.
• Which selection techniques do you favour for each level of the hierarchy?

The HHRR department at PCC applies different techniques to attract, motivate, retain and encourage people at PCC. These techniques vary between the different levels in the PCC organization chart.

·         For staff, it requires some test of ability, skill, aptitude, or knowledge relevant to the particular job (e.g.: secretary, cleaner, machine operation)

·         For supervisor line, it requires the same previous test according to the supervisor responsibilities including people supervision. Interview and assessment centre is required.

·         For managers and general manager lines, it requires the same previous test according to the manger responsibilities including people supervision, strategic vision, planning, communicational abilities, supervision and control, and employee support and motivation. Several meetings, interviews, tests, assessments and evaluation should be conducted.

Key performance appraisal and compensation methods:

• Using the information in your text, design methods of appraising your employees in middle and front-line management positions.
• Determine several methods of training these same employees using the methods in the text.
• Finally, create a compensation system for each of the levels.
• Keep your analysis brief and concise.

PCC has developed a plan to motivate and encourage people at each level. All employees participate in different programs to increase the profit, health, work environment, safety. This programs offer different awards according to the effect of the proposed actions or performance, and the level of the people in the PCC chart. 

For manager level, the training is base on:

·         Team Building and Group-Based training methodology;

·         Instructional-based programs; and

·         Lecture or discussion approach.

The compensation system for manager levels consists of several components according to each one of the goal achievement and performance. In addition it is developed compensation program to improve personal performance (merit pay, individual incentive plans, gain-sharing program). Finally, PCC develops a profit-sharing plan for any staff and line employees.

 

 

 

7. Impact of union on PCC:

• Assume that PCC has remained a non-union firm since its inception.
• Now consider the impact that organizing the employees into a union would have on PCC’s business operations.
• Express it in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. Be very specific in terms
  of the pros and cons to the employees and to the management.

The impact of the union in PCC could be positive or negative; it depends of many factors, but essentially of the relationship between PCC line employees and staff employees.  Employees have as clear a right to organize and select their representatives for lawful purposes. If employees have decided to go into a union, it looks that this relationship (employees/PCC) has some concerns.

The potential advantages in term of efficiency and effectiveness of the union at PCC for both employees and management are:

·         Increase wages for the members employees;

·         Wages actualization (e.g. for inflation)

·         Increase employment;

·         Increase health and safety concern, actions and results;

·         Common employee voice;

·         Employee protection and representation;

·         Unions can help to negotiate productivity deals (it could increase output);

·         Unions can implement new working practices, increasing efficiency and productivity;

The potential disadvantages in term of efficiency and effectiveness of the union at PCC are:

·         Increase unemployment;

·         Decrease efficiency;

·         Unions can help to negotiate productivity deals (it could decrease output);

·         Unions can implement new working practices, decreasing efficiency and productivity;

·         The union could ignore non members;