Tyrone Manufacturing Company.

Management SurveyTom Mitchell & Aron Thune

Overview

• Respondents

• Survey

• Results of Survey

• Summary of Findings

Respondents

• Total 70 of 83 Managers (85 %)

• New Jersey 34

• Elkton 33

• Other locations 3

Managers’ Tenure

Years Worked (N=70)

Years Worked

> 10 yrs5-101-5< 1yr

Fre

qu

en

cy

50

40

30

20

10

0

41

14

9

6

Survey (total 99 items)

• Communication with – Other Managers (25)– Associates (25)

• Organizational Frustration (23)

• Role Ambiguity (5)

• Role Conflict (6)

• Job Related Tension (15)

Comments Offered

• 55 comments from 27 respondents

• 5 content categories– Communication– Silo Mentality– Leadership– Recommendations– Work

Survey Findings from:

• Communication with – Other Managers– Associates

Who initiates with other mgrs?70% equally

Who innitiates

We initiate communic

Other TMC managers

You

Co

un

t

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

48

21

One on one…who listens most?72% About same

Who listens

Others do most

About the same

I do most

I do almost all

Fre

qu

en

cy

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 3

50

14

Other mgrs understand my viewpoint?

70% usually/always

Understands viewpoint

Alw aysUsuallySometimesAlmost never

Fre

qu

en

cy

50

40

30

20

10

04

45

18

3

Provide relevant information to other mgrs

40% a lot

46% some

Relevant information I provide

little or nosomea lot

Fre

qu

en

cy

40

30

20

10

0

10

31

27

“There isn't a consistent mechanism for middle managers to receive information. I think these things are discussed at upper levels but don't get communicated down.”

Others mgrs consult with me before making a commitment…

• 60 % Most or all the time

• 20% Almost never

Consult before commitment

Almost never

Sometimes

Most of the time

Almost alw ays

Fre

qu

en

cy

30

20

10

0

13

16

27

12

Associates used as intermediaries to deal with conflict

• 40 % Occasionally / frequently

• 60 % Rarely / Never !!

Associates as intermediaries

NeverRarelyOccasionallyFrequently

Fre

qu

en

cy

40

30

20

10

0

9

33

21

6

…feel put in middle of conflict between two other mgrs

• 45 % Occasionally / frequently

• 50% Almost never

Put in the middle

NeverRarelyOccasionallyFrequently

Fre

qu

en

cy

40

30

20

10

0

9

27

31

3

After being denied…go over my head

• 8% frequently

• 40% occasionally

• 52% rarely / never

Go over my head

NeverRarelyOccasionallyFrequently

Fre

quen

cy

30

20

10

0

11

2526

6

Other mgrs …work with me in an open and honest way

• 60% frequently

• 9% rarelyWork openly and honestly

RarelyOccasionallyFrequently

Fre

qu

en

cy

50

40

30

20

10

0

6

23

41

Prompt return of phone calls 80% few hours / same day

Return calls

Few daysNext w orkdaySame dayFew hours

Fre

qu

en

cy

40

30

20

10

03

13

34

20

Quality of Interactions

• Hostile………………..Friendly

• Adversarial………….. Cooperative

• Guarded (closed)….….Frank (open)

• One way………….…..Two way

• Unproductive……..…..Productive

• Blaming ………………Problem solving

• Ambiguous……………Clear

• Silo……………………Team mentality

Communication with other mgrs

Comm with other mgrs

Interactions

Un

favo

rab

le

(M

ea

n)

Fa

vo

rab

le

5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

3.3

3.63.73.73.83.6

3.84.1

Manager Interactions84 % (4 &5)

Hostile - Friendly

Hostile Friendly

5432

Fre

qu

en

cy

50

40

30

20

10

0

20

38

7

4

Manager Interactions50 % (4 &5)

Silo - Team

Silo Mentality Team Mentality

54321

Fre

qu

en

cy

30

20

10

0

8

27

19

9

6

“TMC has given way to a partisan mentality of ‘My Business Unit at all costs – I can’t be concerned with yours’.”

Asked: Why mgrs don’t involve other mgrs with problems they have

• Have enough expertise themselves

• Mgrs are overly confident in their abilities

• Don’t know capabilities of others

• Don’t respect the capabilities of others

• Bosses discourage them seeking help

• Don’t feel comfortable asking for help

Don't seek help because...A

gre

e..

...

D

isa

gre

e5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

2.8

3.5

3.0

2.72.9

2.5

Why they don’t involve other mgrs because…

• Don’t know their capability– 50% Agreed

• Don’t respect their capability– 41% Agreed

• Don’t feel comfortable asking them for help– 45% Agreed

Summary of Mgr to Mgr Communication…

• Positive findings: – Initiate communication equally– Listen well to one another– Responsive to each other– Understand one another– Friendly and get along well– Open and honest with each other

Summary of Mgr to Mgr Communication…(cont)

• Need improvement in… – Confronting others directly

• Avoid end runs and using intermediaries

• Consult and share information more• Move more from silo to team approach

• Seek other’s input and opinions before deciding

• Learn more about others’ capabilities

Recommend• Establish structured mechanisms for:

– sharing information and

– seeking others’ input

• Develop more of a cross-functional team approach • Learn to confront each other amicably

• Using problem solving strategy / not emotional response

• Learn to ask for input • Even when certain / explore other options

• Learn to feel comfortable disclosing uncertainty

Survey Findings from:

• Communication with – Other Managers – Associates

CommunicationManagers v. Associates

• Similar on all questions but: – …Having viewpoint understood– …Working in open and honest way– …Involvement of others in problems– …Quality of interactions

“…viewpoint understood by…”

“… usually, always”

…Other Managers 70%

…Associates 91%

“…work in open and honest way”

“…frequently ”

• Among managers 60%

• With associates 86 % – “The associates at TMC try to work together to

achieve what are perceived to be the most important goals.”

“… Less likely to involve other managers as opposed to associates”

• Because they… – Don’t know their capabilities – Don’t respect their capabilities – Don’t feel comfortable asking them for help

Quality of interactions… with other TMC mgrs v. Associates

• No difference on – Hostile…………………Friendly

• Associates viewed more favorably on:– Adversarial…………….Cooperative

– Guarded (closed)………Frank (open)

– One way……………….Two way

– Unproductive…………..Productive

– Blaming ……………….Problem solving

– Ambiguous…………….Clear

– Silo…………………….Team mentality

Summary: Other Managers v. Associates on

Communication

• Equally friendly to both mgrs and associates• Less likely to involve other managers than their

associates• Less confident in capabilities of other managers

compared to confidence in associates• Less comfortable involving other managers than

their associates

TMC Work Environment Scales

• Organizational Frustration (23)• (Spector, ‘75)

• Role Ambiguity (5) • (Rizzo, House, Lirtzman, ‘70)

• Role Conflict (6) • (Rizzo, House, Lirtzman, ‘70)

• Job Related Tension (15)• (Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn & Snoek, ’64)

Org Frustration

Frustration Level

Lo

w

(M

ea

n)

Hig

h

5.0

4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

1.91.91.6

3.23.33.4

Highest frustration

• Some are incompetent– 52% Agree/Strongly Agree

• Run ragged…– 55% Agree/Strongly Agree

• Too much work…– 47% Agree/Strongly Agree

Lowest Frustration

• Supervisor trusts me– 88% Agree/Strongly Agree

• Job is not boring– 92% Agree/Strongly Agree

• Work is worthwhile– 92% Agree/Strongly Agree– “Overall, I am very satisfied with the type of

work I do.”

Role Ambiguity

Percent unclear on…

24% “Authority I have”

19% “Goals and objectives for my job”

16% “What’s expected of me”

10% “How to divide my time”

8% “My responsibilities”

Role Conflict

• Percent agree/agree strongly that…

• 40% Do something accepted by one but not others– “…projects get slowed down because one department

feels it should be done differently, but never gives input until the final review.”

• 30% Receive assignments – without adequate manpower and resources

• 27% Receive incompatible requests

Role Conflict

Most is probably due to lack of close communication among managers

• Mgr interactions and

• Mgr involvement

Job Tension

Is…a person’s Adverse physical or emotional reactions caused by work related factors

Such as…• Role conflict / Role ambiguity• Work overload• Interpersonal conflict• Perceived control over decisions

(autonomy/participative)

Salient Tension Items

• Percent …often/nearly all the time

– 34 % …job interferes with family life

– 20 % …not knowing promo/advancement opportunities

– 13 % …not enough authority to carry out responsibilities

Causes for Tension

• Largest contributor:– Organizational frustration

• Some are incompetent• Run ragged…• Too much work…

• Other factors that contribute: – Role Conflict (indirectly)– Role Ambiguity (indirectly)– Mgr w/ Mgr and Mgr w/ Assoc interactions

Causal path

Mgr Interaction Mgr Involvement

Role Conflict

Frustration

Job Tension

Conclusions

• Common climate for NJ & Elkton

• Communication (among managers)– Generally quite favorable

• Mgrs communicate well, understand one another

• Open and honest, and friendly

• Improvements needed– Use positive confrontation more often

• Sharing / asking for others’ input – (as they do with associates)

Conclusions (cont’)Job Tension

…Moderate level stemming from…

• Frustration – Perceived incompetence of some others– High work demand

• Role Conflict– Lack of coordination and sharing

Recommendations

• Develop action plans to

– Increase meaningful interaction among managers on job related issues

– Encourage mgrs to solicit fellow managers’ input and share ideas

– Assist mgrs in how to better communicate to higher management their

• Resource needs and

• Constraints on meeting objectives