Management - Your Task Assessment Answer

Your task is to produce a 2,000 word report on communication within the workplace, applying relevant theory to the case study below.

Case Study

Terrance Thomas is the owner of a medium sized Grocery store in Neath. He employs a total of 27 people of varying ages and experience. Five employees work in the stockroom, accepting deliveries and filling the shelves, three are cleaners, fourteen are sales assistants, two are security guards and the final three are managers. Most employees are part-time, working varying hours during the stores opening hours between 7.00am – 10.00pm, some stock room staff do night shifts only (with no manager on duty). One sales assistant is off on long term sickness. There are currently no formal teams within the workforce, only ad hoc ones based on who may be working a particular shift, which can lead to a breakdown in communications and information not being shared effectively. At any one time there is a maximum of 7 workers working in the store. As new staff are taken on they are trained on the job by the manager on duty at the time.

The business has grown rapidly and a year ago was a small grocery store, employing only four people. This rapid expansion has driven the need for more formal processes to ensure the business runs smoothly. As a result Terrance has asked you, as a business consultant, to advise on possible team structures to facilitate and enable effective channels of communication amongst the rapidly expanding workforce, to prevent small issues becoming big problems.

Please produce a report that covers the following points:

1.    Explain why effective communication (verbal and non-verbal) is important for the continued success of the organisation, specific to this case study

2.    The importance of two-way communication (using models to illustrate your points).

3.    How the application of teamwork theories (Tuckman and Belbin) can improve teamwork in the organisation.

Please include a list of recommendations to ensure effective teamwork and communication at the store.

The report should contain a title, executive summary, contents list, introduction, findings, conclusions, recommendations, action plan and reference list.