The Garden Depot Case Analysis

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Problems

Job Responsibilities: One of the major problems seen in The Garden Depot case is the inability of the employees to adhere to their job responsibilities. Sampson noticed that Bowman was involved in too many areas of the business that he decided to loosely define her job title as “Office Manager,” which included tasks such as inventory management, computer system management and logistics. Despite defining her job responsibilities, she is still involving herself in areas that she deems are her responsibility in an effort to solve many of the company’s issues. King expressed that he had wanted Sampson to be responsible for the operating efficiency of both the landscaping and maintenance divisions. However, Sampson spends majority of his time in the retail division and thereby, neglecting the other divisions that require his attention. The responsibilities that are to be expected of Sinclair as the Landscaping Manager are clearly stated in four different categories, yet he is still subpar in his duties as he is unable to accomplish any of the necessary tasks.

Unprofessionalism: Another major problem presented in The Garden Depot case is the lack of professionalism within the company. When Bowman is taking calls concerning the customer complaints she mixes her personal feelings into the business, thus, establishing a bad reputation for the company. Another example of unprofessionalism can be seen when Sinclair shifts his responsibility to a part-time landscaper, John Campbell, who has no prior experience or training in entering invoices. Also, King has hired his son-in-law, Sinclair, despite his under qualification to be the manager of the Landscaping Division. Jayme Strong is a full-time landscaper who is suspected of being dishonest in recording his time cards and also potentially stealing goods from the company. Hence, there is a pattern demonstrating that the employees lack the professionalism necessary for a company to remain reputable in the eyes of their customers.

Knowledge: The final problem exhibited is the lack of knowledge among employees at The Garden Depot. As the president of the company, King is completely unaware of the day-to-day activities that occur within the company. King comments that Sinclair was doing a superb job and he was happy with his performance. King was unaware that Bowman was the one who had taken over the majority of Sinclair’s job responsibilities. The customer’s invoices are grossly underpriced as the employees of the Landscaping Division lacked the knowledge about the materials necessary for a job. Sinclair’s ignorance leads him to be incompetent in providing accurate quotes to customers. Therefore, the lack of knowledge establishes an unclear chain of communication within the company and could lead to the company’s downfall.

Causes

Job Responsibilities: The reason that employees do not adhere to their job responsibilities is due to a lack of fit between tasks and the company’s organizational processes. There is an internal problem with the company’s organizational processes. Performance Appraisals are not done with the organization nor are there any defined job responsibilities. As a result, many employees are not performing to standards due to the fact that there are no standards put into place or monitored within the company. The employees are not aware of what is needed in order for the company to run efficiently. As a result, Bowman feels obligated to ensure the success of the company by taking on the duties of others.

Unprofessionalism: There is a lack of fit between the individual people and the organizational processes. The company hires underqualified employees which speaks negatively towards their hiring processes. Sinclair was hired by his father-in-law who happens to be the President of the company which results in a conflict of interest between employee and employer. The root of the company’s main issues stem from Sinclair’s inability to perform at an efficient level.

Knowledge: There is a lack of fit between the individuals within the company and their individual tasks. Employees of the Garden Depot are underqualified and lack the basic knowledge needed to allow the company to run efficiently. The President himself is not aware of the negative day-to-day occurrences happening within the company. The people are also unaware of what needs to be done in each of their specific roles. They also do not have the minimal knowledge required to complete their tasks efficiently.

Goals

- Within 2 months period employees will be aware of their job responsibilities and be able to perform tasks with this knowledge.

- 2 weeks to reorganize the job slips so they are easier to understand (i.e., colour coded inventory system).

- Complete all jobs within the specified timeline per operational season.

Action Alternatives

The first action the Garden Depot can take is to terminate Sinclair’s employment. Sinclair is the main cause of the majority of problems in the company. There was lack of knowledge for both Bowman and the landscapers in the work environment. As a result of poor managerial leadership and a large number of unqualified employees, it was very difficult to have work done efficiently. With the termination of Sinclair, Bowman would take over his role. With her previous managerial experience, she would be able to answer customer calls, keep track of invoices and ensure all the landscapers were aware of their job responsibilities which were things Sinclair was unable to do. By having the Landscaping Department under new management the company will be able to achieve the goal of completing all assigned jobs within their operational season.

The second action is to clearly define employee job responsibilities. Sinclair was unable to give his employees clear job roles because of the lack of structure he created in the landscaping division, thus, they were unclear of what exactly their job entailed. There is an internal problem with the company’s organizational process, as none of the employees were given high expectations and standards for their work. This alternative will drastically aid in the company reaching the goal of making employees aware of their job responsibilities.

The third course of action that can be taken is to create training for landscaping employees. The amount of jobs that Garden Depot completes is less than the amount demanded. Garden Depot could be increasing their revenue if the landscapers were more knowledgeable and efficient. Many of the