Analyzing Managerial Decisions: Bagby Copy Company

Analyzing Managerial Decisions: Bagby Copy Company
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Analyzing Managerial Decisions: Bagby Copy Company
Response to question 1
With specialized task assignment, the firm will match the staff members with tasks basing on the employee’s training and skills. Each staff member will focus on his or her particular specialty. Conversely, broad task assignment will involve the employer letting staffs to carry out various interrelated duties. Whether Bagby chooses to use broad task assignment or specialized task assignment, it would face a few tradeoffs (Brickley, Smith & Zimmerman, 2009). Should Babgy Copy Company choose to utilize the specialized task assignment, it will actually be able to reduce cross-training costs and maximize on specialization. However, it would be limiting the worker to carry out just a single function or task, rather than doing several functions or tasks. As such, using specialized task assignment may require Bagby Copy Company to hire new workers, depending on production rate as well as production technology. This is primarily because its staffs would be constrained, limited and trained to carry out just a single particular task and cannot carry out other functions.
Conversely, should the firm choose to use the broad task assignment, it would not need to employ more workers since the workers can carry out several interlinked functions (Dessein, 2010). Workers can be rotated to carry out certain functions depending on production technology as well as rate of productivity. However, since the every member of staff is expected to be skilled in multiple functions, the firm will have to provide seminars and training to its staffs, which may be expensive. Moreover, while Bagby may have staff members who can carry out various duties, it could be losing its specialist staff members, which can endanger the quality of its products.
Response to question 2
The trade-offs between 2 ways that can be used to group wire harness markers into subgroups are (i) making a subgroup basing on product, and (ii) functional subunit group. Functional subunits group will essentially allow one group of staff members to carry out the same job functions within their department. For instance, the firm can group the production wire harness into a single grouping. This will allow staff members within that department to have an easy and smooth flow of communication among themselves. Coordination among the employees in the department will also be smooth and simple. Moreover, these staff members will be able to share resources and knowledge (Dessein, 2010). As a result of the expertise of the department staffs, the workers would be able to work together to trouble shoot various issues related to wire harness. Nonetheless, grouping all staff members in wire harness within a single department might affect the company’s production. This is because as wire harness staffs are grouped within a single place, they would not be expected to discus...