BUS272 TB

Chapter 14 Organizational Change 511
1. New computer-aided manufacturing technologies are being introduced in the workplace during the upcoming
2 to 18 months.
2. New federal emissions standards are being legislated by the government.
3. Sales are way down; the industry appears to be shrinking.
4. The company is planning to go international in the next 12 to 18 months.
OB at Work
5. The Canadian Human Rights Commission is applying pressure to balance the male–female population
in the organization’s upper hierarchy by threatening to publicize the predominance of men in upper
management.
The Procedure
1. Divide the class into teams of 3 to 4 students each.
2. Teams should read each scenario and identify the 5 members whose power will increase most in light of the
external environmental condition described.
3. Teams should then address the question: Assuming that the 5 environmental changes are taking place at once,
which 5 members of the organization will now have the most power?
4. After 20 to 30 minutes, representatives of each team will be selected to present and justify their conclusions
to the entire class. Discussion will begin with scenario 1 and proceed through to scenario 5. Then the class will
look at what might happen if all 5 environmental changes happened at once.
ETHICAL DILEMMA
Changes at the Television Station
A local television station had been experiencing a ratings
decline for several years. 61 In 2014, the station switched
some of its programming. That has explained some of the
ratings decline. However, in recent months, the ratings
have continued to slide. Eventually, the station manager,
Lucien Stone, decided he had to make a change to the
local newscast.
After meeting with the programming manager, Stone
called a meeting of the employees and announced his
intention to “spice things up” during the 5 p.m. and
10 p.m. local news. The 30-minute broadcasts would
still include the traditional “top stories,” “sports,” and
“weather” segments. However, on slow news days, more
attention-getting material would be used. Stone also
indicated some programming decisions would probably
be revisited. “The days of Little House on the Prairie are
over,” he said.
Madison Devereaux, 29, had been the chief meteorologist
since 2012. After receiving a degree in meteorology,
she joined the station and quickly worked her way up the
ranks, impressing viewers and management alike with her
extensive knowledge and articulate, professional, mistakefree
delivery.
Although she was religious, Devereaux was not one
to express her religious beliefs in the newsroom. Most of
those at the station were not even aware that she closely
practised a religion.
Devereaux was troubled by the announced changes to
the programming but did not speak up at the time. One
Monday during a pre-production meeting, she learned
that on Thursday of that week, one of the reporters, Sam
Berkshow, would present a segment called “Dancing
Around the Economy,” which would focus on how local
strip clubs were doing well despite the sluggish economy.
Devereaux did not think it was appropriate to air the
segment during the 5 p.m. newscast and asked both
her producer and Stone to reconsider the piece, or at
least air it in the 10 p.m. time slot. When they refused,
she asked whether she could take the day off when the
segment aired. Stone again refused. This was “sweeps
week” (when ratings are calculated), Stone wanted to air
the story, and Devereaux’s contract prohibited her from
taking time off during sweeps week.
When Devereaux did not show up for work that
Thursday, the station fired her, arguing that she had
breached her contract.