Case study analysis

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Questions:
1.Based on the information provided in the case, where would you place Tom Parker and each of his team members on the “CANOE” personality model?
2.Use what you have learned about perception, emotion in the workplace, and employee motivation to explain the work behaviours of Tom Parker and each of his team members. Is Tom using the right goal-setting strategies to incentivize the field assistants? Why or Why not? What, if anything, would you suggest to Tom to obtain a higher level of performance from the members of his team?
3.What job design practices is Arctic Mining Consultants (AMC) using, based on the information in the case? Is the current job design structure effectively motivating the team members? What, if any, changes would you recommend, and why?
4.Discuss AMC’s reward system. What is the company’s current reward system, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of that system? As a consultant, what changes would you recommend, and why?
5.Did you observe any counterproductive work behaviours in the case? What, if any, are they, and what needs to happen to correct them?

answer the questions relate with course “Business Organization Behavior”, and please answer all the questions in one as paragraphs. I will upload the case later. And if you need all the chapters lectures, I also can upload that. Thank you.

Tom Parker enjoyed working outdoors. At various
times in the past, he worked as a ranch hand, high steel
rigger, headstone installer, prospector, and geological
field technician. Now 43, Parker is a geological field
technician and field coordinator with Arctic Mining
Consultants. He has specialized knowledge and experience
in all nontechnical aspects of mineral exploration,
including claim staking, line cutting and grid installation,
soil sampling, prospecting, and trenching. He is
responsible for hiring, training, and supervising field
assistants for all of Arctic Mining Consultants’ programs.
Field assistants are paid a fairly low daily wage
(no matter how long they work, which may be up to 12
hours or more) and are provided meals and accommodation.
Many of the programs are operated by a project
manager who reports to Parker.
Parker sometimes acts as a project manager, as he
did on a job that involved staking 15 claims near Eagle
Lake, Alaska. He selected John Talbot, Greg Boyce,
and Brian Millar, all of whom had previously worked
with Parker, as the field assistants. To stake a claim,
the project team marks a line with flagging tape
and blazes along the perimeter of the claim, cutting a
claim post every 500 yards (called a length). The 15
claims would require almost 60 miles of line in total.
Parker had budgeted seven days (plus mobilization and
demobilization) to complete the job. This meant that
each of the four stakers (Parker, Talbot, Boyce, and
Millar) would have to complete a little more than seven
lengths each day. The following is a chronology of the
project.
Day 1
The Arctic Mining Consultants crew assembled in the
morning and drove to Eagle Lake, from where they
were flown by helicopter to the claim site. On arrival,
they set up tents at the edge of the area to be staked and
agreed on a schedule for cooking duties. After supper,
they pulled out the maps and discussed the job—how
long it would take, the order in which the areas were to
be staked, possible helicopter landing spots, and areas
that might be more difficult to stake.
Parker pointed out that with only a week to complete
the job, everyone would have to average seven
and a half lengths per day. “I know that is a lot,” he
said, “but you’ve all staked claims before and I’m confident
that each of you is capable of it. And it’s only for
a week. If we get the job done in time, there’s a $300
bonus for each man.” Two hours later, Parker and his
crew members had developed what seemed to be a
workable plan.
Day 2
Millar completed six lengths, Boyce six lengths, Talbot
eight, and Parker eight. Parker was not pleased with
Millar’s or Boyce’s production. However, he didn’t
make an issue of it, thinking that they would develop
their rhythm quickly.
Day 3
Millar completed five and a half lengths, Boyce four,
and Talbot seven. Parker, who was nearly twice as old
as the other three, completed eight lengths. He also had
enough time remaining to walk over and check the
quality of stakes that Millar and Boyce had completed,
then walk back to his own area for helicopter pickup
back to the tent site.
That night Parker exploded with anger. “I thought I
told you that I wanted seven and a half lengths a day!”
he shouted at Boyce and Millar. Boyce said that he was
slowed down by unusually thick underbrush in his assigned
area. Millar said that he had done his best and
would try to pick up the pace. Parker did not mention
that he had inspected their work. He explained that as
far as he was concerned, the field assistants were supposed
to finish their assigned area for the day, no matter
what.
Talbot, who was sharing a tent with Parker, talked to
him later. “I think that you’re being a bit hard on them,
you know. I know that it has been more by luck than
anything else that I’ve been able to do my quota. Yesterday
I only had five lengths done after the first seven
hours and there was only an hour before I was supposed
to be picked up. Then I hit a patch of really open
bush, and was able to do three lengths in 70 minutes.
Why don’t I take Millar’s area tomorrow and he can
have mine? Maybe that will help.”
“Conditions are the same in all of the areas,” replied
Parker, rejecting Talbot’s suggestion. “Millar just has to
try harder.”
[case.1] Arctic Mining Consultants
By Steven L. McShane and Tim Neale
Day 4
Millar did seven lengths and Boyce completed six and
a half. When they reported their production that
evening, Parker grunted uncommunicatively. Parker
and Talbot did eight lengths each.
Day 5
Millar completed six lengths, Boyce six, Talbot seven
and a half, and Parker eight. Once again Parker blew
up, but he concentrated his diatribe on Millar. “Why
don’t you do what you say you are going to do? You
know that you have to do seven and a half lengths a
day. We went over that when we first got here, so why
don’t you do it? If you aren’t willing to do the job then
you never should have taken it in the first place!”
Millar replied by saying that he was doing his best,
that he hadn’t even stopped for lunch, and that he
didn’t know how he could possibly do any better.
Parker launched into him again: “You have got to work
harder! If you put enough effort into it, you will get the
area done!”
Later Millar commented to Boyce, “I hate getting
dumped on all the time! I’d quit if it didn’t mean that
I’d have to walk 50 miles to the highway. And besides,
I need the bonus money. Why doesn’t he pick on you?
You don’t get any more done than me; in fact, you usually
get less. Maybe if you did a bit more he wouldn’t
be so bothered about me.”
“I only work as hard as I have to,” Boyce replied.
Day 6
Millar raced through breakfast, was the first one to be
dropped off by the helicopter, and arranged to be the
last one picked up. That evening the production figures
were Millar eight and a quarter lengths, Boyce seven,
and Talbot and Parker eight each. Parker remained
silent when the field assistants reported their performance
for the day.
Day 7
Millar was again the first out and last in. That night, he
collapsed in an exhausted heap at the table, too tired to
eat. After a few moments, he announced in an abject
tone, “Six lengths. I worked like a dog all day and I
only got a lousy six lengths!” Boyce completed five
lengths, Talbot seven, and Parker seven and a quarter.
Parker was furious. “That means we have to do a total
of 34 lengths tomorrow if we are to finish this job
on time!” With his eyes directed at Millar, he added,
“Why is it that you never finish the job? Don’t you realize
that you are part of a team, and that you are letting
the rest of the team down? I’ve been checking your
lines and you’re doing too much blazing and wasting
too much time making picture-perfect claim posts! If
you worked smarter, you’d get a lot more done!”
Day 8
Parker cooked breakfast in the dark. The helicopter
drop-offs began as soon as morning light appeared on
the horizon. Parker instructed each assistant to complete
eight lengths and, if they finished early, to help
the others. Parker said that he would finish the other 10
lengths. Helicopter pickups were arranged for one hour
before dark.
By noon, after working as hard as he could, Millar
had only completed three lengths. “Why bother,” he
thought to himself, “I’ll never be able to do another five
lengths before the helicopter comes, and I’ll catch the
same amount of abuse from Parker for doing six
lengths as for seven and a half.” So he sat down
and had lunch and a rest. “Boyce won’t finish his
eight lengths either, so even if I did finish mine, I still
wouldn’t get the bonus. At least I’ll get one more day’s
pay this way.”
That night, Parker was livid when Millar reported
that he had completed five and a half lengths. Parker
had done ten and a quarter lengths, and Talbot had
completed eight. Boyce proudly announced that he finished
seven and a half lengths, but sheepishly added
that Talbot had helped him with some of it. All that remained
were the two and a half lengths that Millar had
not completed.
The job was finished the next morning and the crew
demobilized. Millar has never worked for Arctic Mining
Consultants again, despite being offered work several
times by Parker. Boyce sometimes does staking for
Arctic, and Talbot works full-time with the company.
Steven L. McShane and Tim Neale. © Copyright. This case is based on
actual events, but names and some characteristics have been changed to
maintain anonymity.