Case Study-The Succession Crisis

Case Study "The Succession Crisis"

There are several key factors involved in the management of a successful organisation. All of these elements play a critical function in the success of any business and lacking one or more of these elements may contribute to a breakdown in its operations. Therefore, it is imperative that management is cognizant of the importance of these aspects so as to allow the effective running of the organisation.

In the case study "The Succession Crisis", a number of major problems exist. The problem of poor recruitment and selection practices is evident in the Ministry of National Security and Justice. The recruitment and selection process plays an integral role in the hiring of the best employee to fill any position within a company. This process promotes the successful hiring decision that can truly impact the success of a department and an organisation. Mr. Campbell did not possess the necessary skills or right experience to be considered the ideal candidate for the vacant post. Additionally, the present position did not fall within the realms of Mr. Campbell's desires or ambitions. The hiring of Mr. Campbell, classified as nepotism, is not considered to be a good recruiting and selection practice. Every business should be knowledgeable about the importance of hiring the best candidate to fill any vacant position. A poor job fit results in lost productivity which is one of the many costs that the organisation bears.

In addition, the problem of poor communication procedures and information sharing was identified as contributing to the dilemma now faced by the department. Communication within companies continues to be an age-old challenge and communicating with employees especially during times of change is critical to an organization's success and survival. The introduction of Mr. Campbell to the staff in the other departments was very slow and Mr. Trottman working beyond his month extension was not immediately communicated to management. Furthermore, it was stated that word reached Miss Brown - the personnel manager, which indicates that this information was not received via the proper channels and not with the urgency that it should have been communicated. In addition, Miss Williams was unaware at the time of scheduling the meeting that her subordinate was taking a late lunch hour and would not be able to attend the meeting.

Similarly, the Ministry of National Security and Justice is faced with challenges that stem from poor workforce planning. Success in any endeavour requires careful preparation and planning. Without proper planning and preparation, failure is almost guaranteed. The Ministry of National Security and Justice have failed to take steps to deal with the retirement of Mr. Trottman before it became a problem. Not anticipating and properly preparing for the retirement of Mr. Trottman has now caused the organisation to be faced with setbacks. Workforce planning is a systematic process for identifying the human capital required to meet organisational goals and developing the strategies to meet these requirements.

An evaluation of the role that Miss Williams played in the present predicament can be classified as major. Miss Williams did not display the necessary decision-making skills that are crucial for effective management. Miss Williams was faced with a decision which was to have some input in finding an ideal candidate to fill the vacant post. This important decision that was made has now impacted not only on the department but on the company as well. Miss Campbell allowed her emotions to have a free run, when she recommended Mr. Campbell. In addition, even after no further extensions were granted to Mr. Trottman, Miss Williams as Supervisory Clerk, chose not to address the situation until she was informed by management to do so. Decisions rule our lives; however emotions cloud our ability to think rationally. Decision-making techniques are vital for the success as a leader, as this will enable leaders to achieve the organisational objectives and avoid disasters.

Another key player in the crisis is Mr. Trottman. After Mr. Trottman reached the retirement age his main concern was not the effective and efficient running of the organisation but that of a personal nature. Mr. Trottman realised that his family would be faced with some financial challenges as a result of his retirement. His request for extensions was fuelled by the fact that he is the sole bread winner in his family. Even in the days after his temporary appointment had come to an end, he saw it necessary to continue to assist in the registry and aid the new bread-winner, his son-in-law. Similarly, when Mr. Trottman approached Miss Williams with the idea of hiring his son-in-law, fear of the difficulties that the family will be faced with was the driving force behind his suggestion of a replacement. Also, even though Mr. Trottman knew that his retirement was inevitable, he had difficulties embracing it and did not prepare for his exist. Mr. Trottman did not ensure that the relevant material was available to him for the passing on of information regarding his duties to his successor and this contributed to the delays in the training process.

Similarly, Mr. Campbell can also be considered as one of the key players. Mr. Campbell does not possess the necessary skills, experience or training that would have made him an ideal candidate for the vacant post. Furthermore, the post that he undertook was not aligned with his goals or ambitions. However, as a result of soon becoming the sole bread winner of the household, Mr. Campbell took the job. Maslow's hierarchy of needs can be used to explain Mr. Campbell's actions. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which is a humanistic approach to understanding and describing human behaviour, the physiological needs must be met before a person can focus on any other aspect of their life. These needs are those required for sustenance: for example food. If an individual is lacking one of these, their behaviour will be aimed at obtaining them, whatever the cost.

There are some implications of the problems for the effective management of the department. With the presence of poor recruitment and selection practices, the department would be faced with challenges that stem from hiring someone not suitable for the job. The department would suffer because there would be greater reliance on fellow peers, who would then spend less time on their own tasks. Also, there will be a higher requirement for training and more down time causing undue delays. The department would be faced with deadline compliance challenges as a result of the new employee's poor work quality or low output levels. Also, the possibility