INTRODUCTION TO OB: CASE STUDY
Birmingham Fitness Gym (BFGym) is a medium-sized gym that is very popular among the residents of Birmingham City Centre. The gym has an excellent location right at the heart of the city and is reputable for its friendly staff and amiable atmosphere. The gym consists of a main workout room along with a studio where designated courses take place. The gym used to have a breakout room for staff but this has recently been converted into another training space as the number of customers increased from 200 to 540 subscribers. In total, the gym employs 50 people, distributed among management, personal trainers, class instructors, administrators, and cleaners. Overall, BFGym has a clear operating structure. Management, consisting of former trainers, puts down a schedule of classes and sessions to be taught and cascades it down to its trainers. So far, customers seem to enjoy coming to the gym primarily because of the professional services that it provides and management was assured that the gym was being effectively managed with satisfied customers and engaged workforce. Strolling around the gym one day, Kate, the head of BFGym, was surprised to have overheard several of the employees talk about quitting their jobs. Knowing how crucial her employees are for the effective functioning of the gym, Kate took the remarks seriously and decided to look further into the issue. She wanted to gain more information in an attempt to keep her staff from quitting. After all, turnover costs are high and Kate did not want to disrupt the atmosphere at the gym. She started off by talking directly to the employees and found out several issues among the class instructors that need to be addressed.
You are required to write a 2000-word essay (+/- 10%, excluding references, tables, figures, and appendices) analysing some of the OB issues at BFGym. Please answer all questions from the blue box labelled “Compulsory” and one question from the yellow box labelled “Elective” (totalling FOUR questions): Compulsory:
1. Using 2 motivation theories, explain some of the reasons behind the lack of motivation of staff at BFGym.
2. Guided by theory and research on group and teamwork, highlight some of the process losses and some of the process gains of the group work at BFGym. What recommendations would you give them to enhance their group work better?
3. What is the dominant culture at BFGym? Based on what you learnt on culture, what would a more suitable culture be and why? Elective: 1. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of BFGym bureaucratic structure? Use examples from the case and from the literature to support your answer. 2. Using theories on individual differences, analyse the behaviour of 3 of the trainers. What is the impact of their personality, skills, or perceptions and attributions on their performance? 3. In light of leadership theories, analyse the leadership of Kate and Philip. Compare and contrast their leadership styles. What recommendations would you give them to be better leaders? 4. With respect to power, how do Philip and Jane differ in their sources of power? What recommendations would you give them to gain better influence with 1) their group members and 2) the management team? 5. Analyse some of the stress factors at BFGym. What types of interventions would be most suitable to deal with stress?
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