Reference no: EM132359043

Lead and Manage Effective Workplace Relationships Assignment -

Assessment Task 1 - This task requires you to outline legislation relevant to managing effective workplace relationships.

Questions -

1. What is the main legislation that governs the employee / employer relationship in Australia? (The title and date of the Act)

2. What is the name of the government authority that administers the above legislation?

3. If there is an employment dispute that cannot be resolved within the organisation, who has the authority to arbitrate?

4. This legislation applies differently in each State/Territory jurisdiction. Identify the entities it applies to in your own jurisdiction.

5. What part of the Act contains the obligations for employers to comply with the National Employment Standards?

6. Division 2 Section 61 of the Act states "The National Employment Standards are minimum standards applying to employment of employees". What do these minimum standards relate to?

7. What information does the Act state must be included in the Fair Work Information Statement?

8. When must an employer give an employee the Fair Work Information Statement?

9. Reading the Act, do you think that all employees should be given the Fair Work Information Statement, even when they are existing employees?

10. Part 2-3 of the Act refers to Modern Awards. What may a modern award set?

11. Which Part of the Act relates to Enterprise Agreements?

12. Locate the anti-discrimination legislation for your own State/Territory. What is the title and date of the Act?

13. What is the mission of the Australian Human Rights Commission?

14. What is an employer obliged to provide under WHS legislation?

15. If the employer elects not to comply with a code of practice in relation to health and safety, what type of method would they be permitted to substitute?

16. If you were placing a notice on the noticeboard to explain common law duty of care, how would you word it?

17. In order to comply with WHS legislation, the organisation needs a documented WHS Management System. What key things need to be included?

18. Define the term "sustainability"

19. What is the name and the web address of the Environmental Protection Authority in your State/Territory?

20. In relation to sustainability and environmental protection, how would you describe "best practice"

Assessment Task 2 - This task requires you to develop documentation to communicate work responsibilities to team members.

Research various codes of conduct on the internet and, if your organisation has a code of conduct, include this in your research.

Determine the key information that needs to be included in a code of conduct so that it incorporates the responsibilities of employees in relation to compliance with legislation and ethical behaviour.

Document the code of conduct.

Include the core values of the organisation that underpin the requirements of the code.

Ensure that it is in clear, professional language that will be understood by employees at every level of the organisation. Include the following key areas:

• Safe work practices and duty of care
• Discrimination
• Harassment and bullying
• Ethics
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Environmental responsibility

Assessment Task 3 - This task requires you to design a process to ensure that employees have the opportunity to contribute to issues related to their work role.

Read the following information

The Code of Practice Work Health And Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination can be downloaded from Safe Work Australia. This Code of Practice provides practical guidance to persons conducting a business or undertaking on how to effectively consult with workers who carry out work for the business or undertaking and who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter. It includes information on mechanisms to facilitate worker participation and representation.

The Worker Representation and Participation Guide can also be downloaded from Safe Work Australia. It provides information on the representation and participation of workers in health and safety matters at the workplace, as well as guidance on resolving health and safety issues. It supports one of the objects of the Work Health and Safety Act (the WHS Act), which is to provide for fair and effective workplace representation, consultation, co-operation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety.

For this task you should assume that you manage a number of different work groups, each with their own supervisor or leading hand. The organisation's policy is that each work group should have an elected health and safety representative (HSR) - regardless of whether any members of the work group have requested this. The role of each HSR is to represent their work group on WHS matters. They raise issues of WHS and ensure their work group is kept informed. The organisation has established a health and safety committee (HSC) which meets on a quarterly basis and all HSRs are entitled to attend - and should be encouraged to do so.

It is essential that the supervisory personnel support and facilitate this consultation process, and you have therefore decided to draft a fact sheet for these personnel, explaining their role in ensuring that employees have opportunities to raise issues relating to WHS and are kept informed of any WHS matters that relate to their work role.

Type the fact sheet including the following information. Ensure that it is written in a way that will be clear and concise, so that the supervisory staff understand their responsibilities.

Use the information in the Code of Practice and summarise it. Do not copy and paste.

The importance of WHS consultation

Explain why consultation is important.

Worker representation

Explain the role of a HSR.

Explain the legal requirements and the company's policy in relation to HSRs.

Explain the role of a HSC.

Explain the legal requirements and the company's policy in relation to HSCs

HSR election process

With regard to the legislative requirements and your company's policies, think about the most appropriate process for elections, assuming that each work group has approximately 10 members and describe the process you have determined.

HSR training

Explain the rights of HSRs to training and the time frame.

Explain the rights of HSRs to receive payment when not performing their usual work duties.

Work Group Supervisor responsibilities

Explain the responsibilities of the work group supervisor in relation to encouraging active participation of all workers in health and safety consultation.

Assessment Task 4 - This task requires you to facilitate feedback on the outcomes of a consultation process.

Read the following scenario

ABC Consulting is a multi-national company, specialising in providing high level accountancy services to large corporations and banks. You are the manager of the Collections Branch, with 10 debt collection officers based in Sydney Head Office. The purpose of your team is to track invoices and payments, and follow up by telephone to deal with any issues that prevent payment.

There has been consultation between the Australian branch of the company and branches in other countries. The outcome is a decision that routine collections should be performed offshore in China. The plan is to centralise collections where possible for the sake of efficiency and reducing costs. Complex and non-routine debts will still be the responsibility of the Sydney team.

As a result of this, there is to be a re-structure in Sydney. This is a two year plan. Three members of your team will be needed to visit China to train the workers and you will need to select these personnel and offer them the opportunity. Over time, the work will be transferred across to China. This will result in a reduction of the staff required in Sydney.

Management consider that natural attrition will deal with the reduction of staff. They have no intention of making people redundant. They do intend to offer transfers to other departments and this may involve re-training.

Consider how you will communicate this information to your team.

Consider how you will seek feedback from your team on this decision and what you will do to ensure any of their concerns are properly addressed.

In your Word document, type a subheading Information to communicate and use bullet points to list the information you will need to communicate to the team.

Type a second subheading Likely concerns of the team and list the issues that you think the team may raise when you communicate the information

On a new page type the heading Speech and then write a short speech that communicates this information to the team and also addresses any concerns you think are likely to be raised.

On a new page, type the heading China Training.

Read the following -

You have delivered the information session and the team have "accepted the inevitable" with good grace. Your speech has reassured them with regard to their main areas of concern.

Marian is the longest serving member of your team and she is quite enthusiastic about the idea of an overseas trip and training people. She would be your first choice for this role, as she has been instrumental in training team members in the past.

She approaches you after the meeting and says that she doesn't know how well she will manage in China, since it is a different country with a different culture. She knows she can train Australians who have good English language skills but would like to prepare herself for what she can expect in China.

You decide to do some research and get back to her. Hint: this site may help:

Conduct internet research on how the Chinese business culture differs from Australian culture.

In your Word document, write notes which you can use to give Marian tips on what to expect and how to communicate in a way that is culturally appropriate.

Assessment Task 5 - This task requires you to establish and implement systems to develop trust and confidence in a diverse workplace.

Read the following

Your organisation has a diversity policy, as follows:

ABC Company's diversity mission is to mirror the variety of Australian society and be recognised for diversity, inclusion and fairness in all aspects of our business. We strive to create a work environment that gives all employees equal opportunities. By building an inclusive workplace environment, we seek to take advantage of a greater range of talent and ideas. We see diversity as more than just policies and practices.

It is an integral part of who we are as a company, how we operate and how we see our future. ABC Company is committed to:

• Encouraging inclusion, participation and the full contribution of all employees to the goals of the company
• Actively looking for and capitalising on the benefits of having a diverse workforce
• Ensuring compliance with legal obligations such as safety and equal employment opportunities.

You have been given the task of designing a presentation that is appropriate to be delivered to all employees in order to promote positive working relationships, trust and confidence.

Create PowerPoint slides to achieve the objectives of the policy, as follows:

Note: Use pictures, graphs etc. to illustrate your message

Title slide - Benefits and Challenges of Diversity

Slide 1 What is Diversity? (provide a short, clear definition of diversity)

Slide 2 What are the Benefits for the Business? (bullet points with benefits to the business as a whole)

Slide 3 What are the Benefits for Everybody? (bullet points with benefits for the workers as a whole - teams)

Slide 4 Our Diversity Policy (summarise the company's diversity policy)

Slide 5 Building Trust (either a short statement or bullet points explaining why trust is essential for a team to be effective)

Slide 6 Ethics (a statement that connects ethical behaviour to building trust)

Slide 7 What are the Challenges? (bullet points of barriers to communication, differences in interpersonal styles, etc.

Slide 8 What are Our Responsibilities? (bullet points explaining what each worker must/must not do)

Slide 9 Things We Can All Do (bullet points giving tips on how to communicate effectively and the required mind-set)

Slide 10 Final Slide (a final short "slogan" summing up)

Assessment Task 6 - This task requires you to demonstrate professional conduct that promotes and maintains trust and confidence.

Scenario 1 - George is the manager of a retail hardware store in a small town. He is well-known to most people in the community and well-liked. He has a staff of 3 part-time retail assistants who work on a roster basis, so that there are always 2 personnel available to serve customers at any one time.

A customer, Ingrid, comes into the shop to ask for a key to be cut. While chatting with George, she says that the key is for Anna's house, because Anna has asked her to do some cleaning for her while she is away overseas.

A few days later, Anna comes into the shop and George asks her about her overseas trip. Anna says "what overseas trip".

Questions:

• Was it professional for George to cut the key for Ingrid? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Now that George knows the situation, what should he do immediately?
• What else can George offer to do, so as to resolve the situation?

Scenario 2 - Barbara is the manager of a plumbing and electrical company with two departments: one related to new construction and the other to customer service calls. The Director of a local aged care facility telephones requiring a plumber to fix their hot water system which has broken down.

This is an urgent call and must be dealt with immediately. There are no service department plumbers available and Barbara calls one of the construction job sites and leaves a message to send a plumber.

She receives a call at 4:00 from the aged care facility, asking where the plumber is.

Questions:

• Has Barbara's action encouraged confidence and trust in the customer? Explain what is likely to be the outcome from the point of view of the customer and from the point of view of the company.
• What did Barbara do right?
• What went wrong?
• Why did it go wrong?
• What should Barbara have done differently and why?
• What can she do now to resolve the problem?

Scenario 3 - Kyle is the manager of the warehousing division of a manufacturing company. He has 15 workers. There are 2 leading hands who direct the day to day operations. Kyle spends most of his time in his office, working out logistics and schedules for moving stock.

Apart from the leading hands, there are usually 2 other workers on site who are licensed to drive the 2 fork-lifts. One of these workers is on sick leave.

Both fork-lifts need to be in operation at all times, and so one of the leading hands directs a non-licensed worker to operate it. The worker refuses.

Questions:

• Who did the right thing and why?
• What are the safety implications of this situation?
• When Kyle finds out about the situation, what should he do?
• Why did the situation occur in the first place?

Scenario 4 - Judy is the manager of supermarket A. John is the manager of supermarket B. They both sell equivalent goods at equivalent prices and are located within a short distance from each other.

They are both experiencing the same problem: customers are not returning trolleys to the trolley bays. Trolleys are scattered around the car park, occasionally roll into vehicles causing damage to vehicles and trolleys.

Both supermarkets have the same size car park with 4 trolley bays located at each corner. They both have 3 trolley collection workers who are refugee migrants. These workers are intelligent and qualified but, because of prejudice and discrimination, have been unable to find other work.

Judy and John take a different approach to resolving the trolley problem.

Judy: Decides to purchase coin operated trolleys. This will be costly but will be offset by:

• The ability to remove 3 trolley bays and just have one immediately outside the store
• This will give 3 extra car parking spaces
• The ability to dispense with trolley collection workers

John: Decides to talk to the trolley collectors about the problem and ask for suggestions. They suggest adding 2 extra collection points, painting them with a bright colour and providing large signs indicating the location, which can be seen over the top of the vehicles.

John takes their advice.

Judy notices that turnover has dropped. John, on the other hand, is noticing a significant increase in turnover.

Questions:

• Who (out of Judy and John) behaved in the most professional manner and why?
• Why did customers move to supermarket B?
• What is likely to be the effect on the morale of the remaining staff at supermarket A of: the drop in sales and the sacking of the trolley collectors.
• What is likely to be the effect on the morale of all staff at supermarket B of: the increase in sales and John's action in consulting the trolley collectors.

Assessment Task 7 - This task requires you to identify how you will manage the development and maintenance of relationships through networking.

Type a report with the following information

The organisation:

• Describe your organisation and the overall objectives / purpose of the organisation.
• Identify all of the teams or departments within the organisation and explain how they contribute to achieving the organisation's objectives.
• Identify your own team. (Note: If possible, provide an organisational chart)
• Describe the line of reporting (chain of command)

Inter-dependencies

• In relation to your own team, explain which departments or individuals within the organisation provide an essential service to enable your team to achieve its objectives.
• If your own team is at the front-line of customer service, explain why your team does not have "internal customers".
• If your own team is not at the front-line of customer service, explain how it provides essential services to other teams so as to achieve their objectives.

Internal networking

• Explain the strategies that you use, or could use, in order to build relationships that will help your own team achieve its objectives.
• Include the personal networking strategies that you use in order to maintain relationships with individuals throughout the organisation (including senior management).
• Include the ways that you can encourage your team members to establish and maintain inter-departmental relationships.

Consider the external networks that you have built - or could build. These can be for personal or professional purposes: e.g. sporting or other clubs, voluntary organisations, professional organisations, on-line networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn. Your external networks can also include relationships that you have developed with colleagues and now share activities outside of work.

On the following page, type the heading External Networks

Type a report with the following information

Personal and Professional Networks

• List your personal or professional networks - a minimum of 3.
• Describe the diversity of the people in your networks in terms of country of origin, language, culture, age, sex/sexuality, ability or disability, beliefs etc.
• Discuss the ways that you have learned to communicate effectively with diverse people, adjusting your interpersonal style.
• Discuss the benefits of this learning, in terms of continuously improving your management skills in building workplace relationships and promoting trust and cultural sensitivity.

Assessment Task 8 - This task requires you to manage difficulties to achieve positive outcomes.

Read the following scenario

You are the manager of the assembly department of a vehicle parts manufacturer. Your team is required to assemble products made to orderforindividual customer companies. There is a large order for a part, and assembly is not able to fulfil the order on time because they are missing a component.

The process is for design department to specify the components required and to provide technical drawings for assembly. Design department receives the order. Once the component specifications and drawings are completed, they forward the order, component specifications and drawings, to supply department and assembly department at the same time. This is the first notice of the order that supply and assembly receive.

Most of the components for this order are standard and in stock. There is one unusual component that needs to be sourced from an external supplier and there is a 10 day lead time for delivery.

You investigate and find that supply department did receive the correct specifications from design department but did not place the order for the component until a member of your team approached supply department and asked for the component. It appears that the requirement was overlooked by a member of the supply team.

You wonder how much you can improve the situation by building better relationships between the departments, where each team understands the constraints and requirements of the other teams. Even though the problem occurred in supply, the bottleneck could relate to the overall process of sharing information, starting with the Design department.

Write an email that can be sent to the supply manager and the design manager with a copy to the senior executive of the company, explaining the difficulty and requesting a meeting between the three of you.

Read the following continuation of the scenario -

During the meeting, it was agreed that human error on the part of one of the supply team was the cause of this problem - but the error was probably the result of being rushed. The process was analysed with the following result:

Week 1 Design team received the order. Deadline for delivery is the end of week 6.

Week 2 Design completed the parts specifications but waited until the drawings were also completed before forwarding to supply.

Week 3 Design completed the drawings and forwarded the specifications, drawings and order to supply and assembly departments.

Week 4 Supply ordered the parts - this was a rush order to allow time for assembly.

Week 5 Assembly commenced - queried missing component - supply ordered the component (lead time for the component is 10 days).

Week 6 Assembly cannot complete.

Assessment Task 9 - This task requires you to establish a system to ensure that conflict is identified and managed appropriately.

Read the following

The CEO of your company has recognised your high level interpersonal skills, and the fact that your own team works harmoniously together to achieve shared goals.

Some of the other teams are not working harmoniously. There are what the CEO calls "personality clashes" between individuals that impact on the morale and performance of the whole team.

She has asked you to design a step by step process that can be communicated to the other managers. The process will be communicated by you in a presentation. At the end of the presentation, you will give the managers a checklist that they can use to follow the process.

You realise that the presentation needs to motivate - and so it needs to explain why conflict needs to be managed. Once the audience understands the importance of conflict management, the presentation should show the steps. The presentation will be a PowerPoint and you know that it will be more persuasive and clear if you add pictures, flow charts or other graphics.

Identify whether there is conflict and whether it is damaging.

Is there a strained atmosphere?

Are people gathering in groups and talking behind people's backs.

Is the body language closed, negative, unfriendly.

Does one person appear isolated?

Has sick leave increased?

Has productivity dropped for no apparent reason?

Assessment Task 10 - This task requires you to develop and implement an action plan to assist workers in resolving work difficulties.

Read the following scenario

You are the manager of a team of 15 office support personnel. Your team is distributed over 4 different locations in the company. Because of this, the four teams tend to work in isolation and have little contact with one another. Each team is required to submit a monthly report, which is then consolidated into a single report for senior management. The reports contain a great deal of data, which is exported from a database and then analysed using Microsoft Excel.

You have recently employed a new team member who is very expert in Excel and able to write code (VBA code / macros) that will automate the process of analysis. You give them permission to develop a prototype to demonstrate the system. The team member develops the process and demonstrates it to their own team, who are a little concerned that they don't have the technical skills for the task but otherwise enthusiastic.

You have decided to implement this improvement but before you can do so, you need to ensure that all four teams will embrace the change.

Questions

1. Only one of the teams has been involved in the consultation process. You have already made the decision to implement the change without consulting them. What strategies can you use to introduce this process to the other 3 teams without making them feel the decision was imposed upon them without consultation?

2. Consultation in all 4 locations indicates that the team members can see the advantages of the process but do not feel confident in use of Excel. They also do not understand exactly what the VBA code is doing. As a result, they are concerned that they will not be able to double check whether the data has been correctly analysed. How can you overcome these problems?

3. The implementation of the system is completed and working well. However, now you notice that the team member who developed the system is giving direction to the other team members rather than working as a equal. You can see a conflict situation developing. The other team members are more experienced in the overall operations. The new team member is more technically expert but is new to the team.

What guidance, counselling and support will you give to the new team member in order to resolve this work difficulty?

Attachment:- Workplace Relationships Assignment File.rar