Organizational Psychology Assignment – Case Study

Assignment Overview

Purpose:

This assessment allows you to use your knowledge from the Organizational Psychology topic to:

• Apply your knowledge to a real-world simulation workplace case study

• Explain the role of an organizational psychologist and how they might be able to assist in the given situation

• Analyse data from workplace staff psychological assessments, draw logical conclusions, and discuss strengths and limitations of the survey used.

• Summarize two psychological theories related to job motivation, satisfaction and engagement

• Offer support recommendations to the general manager about ways to improve satisfaction and employee engagement of the company’s workforce

Description of Assessment:

You will need to read the following fictitious case study written by Bobby Medlin from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, taken from The Journal of Business Cases and Applications . The primary subject matter of this case involves the job satisfaction and employee engagement of a company’s workforce. The case depicts a new general manager’s concern that the constructs listed above have reached such low levels that critical organizational outcomes are being negatively impacted. The case also involves a career planning decision made by the principal character in the case.

You will analyse the data, draw conclusions about the results, and offer support recommendations to the general manager regarding ways to improve the satisfaction and engagement of the company’s workforce. You are also provided information regarding the principal character’s decision to accept the General Manager’s position in the firm. You are asked to evaluate this decision.

Note: this is a fictitious case developed for educational purposes. All statements, names, numbers, dates, etc. used herein were created for the purpose of this case and should not be construed as factual.

Part A – read the attached case study and accompanying survey instruments used to measure each of the constructs plus results from the employee surveys.

Part B – Individually prepare a report addressing 6 focus questions related to the scenario. Present your findings (maximum 1200 words if written, or a maximum of 8 minutes for an oral presentation, or the equivalent in multimodal form – excluding references and appendices).

Your report should answer the following 6 questions:

1. Explain the role of an Organizational Psychologist and how they might be able to assist the given situation.

2. Given your understanding of job satisfaction and employee engagement, explain why each is important in organizational settings.

3. Analyze the results of the employee survey. Discuss information that stands out to you. Draw conclusions from the data presented.

4. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the psychological measure used to obtain these results.

5. Using your knowledge of motivational theories (eg Maslow’s and Alderfer’s hierarchies of needs, Herzberg’s two factor theory, Adam’s equity theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Locke’s goal setting theory or other relevant theories as negotiated with your teacher) discuss what factors could be affecting team performance. What suggestions could you make to improve the job satisfaction and employee engagement of Bella’s workforce? Be sure to distinguish among jobs when making these suggestions and recommendations.

6. Evaluate Kris Jenkins’ decision to accept the general manager’s position. Given the information available, do you think she made the right decision? Why or why not?

Official

the owner. Very little recruiting took place in the initial hires beyond Illa convincing each to come and be a part of her new business. A salary was offered with a promise of "as we grow and become more and more successful, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your contribution." A year ago, Lynn Gibson decided to leave Bella's to pursue her Master's degree in education. As one who was not only resistant to and often paralyzed by change, this greatly troubled Illa- so she managed to convince Lynn to remain as a consultant to the company while working on her degree. Lynn's new role was to offer input and advice on any and all issues of Illa's choosing. Prior to this point, the basic structure of Bella's was: Lynne was the general manager of Bella's Incorporated; she also served as the store manager of its flagship location. Within her store, a Retail Manager and a Service Manger reported directly to Lynne. Additionally, the Store Managers at each of the other four Bella locations reported directly to Lynne. Within each store, individual store managers were the only employees serving in a supervisory position with each being responsible for all daily operational issues of his/her salon. All other responsibilities/decisions for individual locations are Lynne's. This includes all purchasing, marketing, financial, and human resource decisions. Individual store managers did have the opportunity to offer informal input into hiring decisions for his/her store. The salon managers' salaries averaged approximately $32,000 annually. Three had college degrees, and they averaged four years experience. Each began as a part-time sales clerk/receptionist either at Bella's or at another salon. Bella's offered a benefits package that was fairly standard for an organization of its size. This included health insurance (of which the employees shared in the cost of the premiums with Illa's and Lynne's being paid totally by the firm) and retirement (in which Bella's made modest contributions).

The Current Situation

Kris Jenkins started her job as the new general manager of Bella's a month ago today. Her career began as a hairdresser after finishing cosmetology school. Ten years later, Kris had completed her Business degree and was the store manager of a national hair salon that was located in a mall in a midsize southern city. Her ultimate goal was to own her own salon-but she did not feel that she was yet prepared either financially or from an experience standpoint. Though she had learned many valuable lessons-particularly in dealing with employees--while managing the firm in the mall, she recognized that her experience with executive decision making was very limited. Therefore she was hoping to make a career move that would enable her to have direct input regarding all top management decisions of a salon. That was the primary reason that she decided to take the General Manager's position at Bella's. Plus, her career goals were almost identical to those of Bella's owner 12 years ago. Illa had achieved exactly what Kris aspired to achieve. Also, her background was essentially the same as Illa's. Kris had discovered a new role model. What could be better? The opportunity looked ideal. As Kris sat at her desk this morning, things didn't appear nearly as ideal. She kept replaying the same events in her mind:
After the offer but before accepting the position, Kris had spent a weekend with the previous general manager of ten years, Lynne Gibson (who now served as a consultant to the organization), discussing a wide array of topics regarding the company. Bella's numbers had deteriorated dramatically in the past year. Profits were down; absenteeism was up; turnover, while not dramatic, was higher than it had been in the past five years. And while no formal performance appraisals had been done in the past year, Lynne provided her assessment of the performance of all Bella's key people. It was clear that Lynne felt each was performing significantly below their capabilities, significantly below previous levels of performance. Following these discussions, a number of things stood out to Kris. First of all, Lynne was very reluctant to criticize Bella's employees. But between promises of secrecy and reading between the lines, it became quite evident that Lynne had serious concerns-and it seemed to Kris that

Your report should answer the following 6 questions:

1. Explain the role of an Organizational Psychologist and how they might be able to assist the given situation.

2. Given your understanding of job satisfaction and employee engagement, explain why each is important in organizational settings.

3. Analyze the results of the employee survey. Discuss information that stands out to you. Draw conclusions from the data presented.

4. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the psychological measure used to obtain these results.

5. Using your knowledge of motivational theories (eg Maslow’s and Alderfer’s hierarchies of needs, Herzberg’s two factor theory, Adam’s equity theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Locke’s goal setting theory or other relevant theories as negotiated with your teacher) discuss what factors could be affecting team performance. What suggestions could you make to improve the job satisfaction and employee engagement of Bella’s workforce? Be sure to distinguish among jobs when making these suggestions and recommendations.

6. Evaluate Kris Jenkins’ decision to accept the general manager’s position. Given the information available, do you think she made the right decision? Why or why not?

Assessment Requirements Summary

This assessment focuses on applying knowledge from Organizational Psychology to a real-world simulation case study involving Bella’s workforce. The primary objectives include:

1. Role of an Organizational Psychologist

   • Explain how an organizational psychologist could assist in assessing and improving employee engagement and job satisfaction.

2. Job Satisfaction & Employee Engagement

   • Understand and articulate why these constructs are critical for organizational performance.

3. Data Analysis

   • Analyse results from employee surveys, identify trends, and draw logical conclusions.

4. Evaluation of Measurement Tools

   • Discuss strengths and limitations of psychological measures used in the survey.

5. Application of Motivational Theories

   • Relate theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, or Vroom’s expectancy theory to observed organizational issues.

   • Suggest actionable recommendations to improve employee satisfaction and engagement.

6. Career Decision Analysis

   • Evaluate Kris Jenkins’ decision to accept the General Manager position, providing reasoning and assessment of the decision in the context of organizational realities.

Deliverables:

• A written report addressing the six focus questions (max. 1200 words) or an equivalent oral/multimodal presentation.

• Reference to survey instruments, case study data, and psychological theory.

Key Learning Objectives Covered:

• Application of organizational psychology in workplace settings.

• Data interpretation and critical analysis skills.

• Understanding of motivational theories and practical HR interventions.

• Decision-making evaluation in career and organizational contexts.

Step-by-Step Mentor-Guided Approach

Step 1: Understanding the Case Study

• The mentor guided the student to carefully read the case study, noting key organizational issues: declining profits, absenteeism, turnover, and low employee engagement.

• Important background details of Kris Jenkins’ career path and role expectations were highlighted to provide context for recommendations.

Step 2: Role of Organizational Psychologist

• The student was prompted to define the psychologist’s role in assessing workforce satisfaction and engagement.

• Mentor advised linking interventions to both individual employee needs and organizational goals.

Step 3: Data Analysis & Survey Evaluation

• The student reviewed employee survey results, identifying significant patterns and anomalies.

• Mentor explained how to discuss strengths and limitations of the survey tools, e.g., reliability, validity, and bias considerations.

Step 4: Applying Motivational Theories

• The mentor helped map theory to practice:

  • Maslow’s needs hierarchy to employee growth opportunities.

  • Herzberg’s factors for job satisfaction (hygiene vs motivators).

  • Vroom’s expectancy theory for linking effort, performance, and rewards.

• This step included generating actionable recommendations tailored to different roles (store managers vs frontline staff).

Step 5: Career Decision Evaluation

• Mentor encouraged structured evaluation of Kris Jenkins’ decision using case data and personal career alignment with organizational goals.

• Student learned to weigh risks and benefits systematically.

Step 6: Drafting & Reviewing the Report

• The student structured the report around the six focus questions, ensuring clear headings, logical flow, and integration of survey data and theory.

• Mentor provided feedback on clarity, conciseness, and professional academic tone.

Outcome and Learning Achieved

• Assessment Outcome:
  The student submitted a well-structured report addressing all six questions, providing data-supported conclusions, theory-based recommendations, and a reasoned evaluation of Kris Jenkins’ career decision.

• Learning Objectives Achieved:

  1. Understanding the role of an organizational psychologist in real-world settings.

  2. Critical analysis of employee survey data.

  3. Application of motivational and organizational theories to improve workforce engagement.

  4. Ability to generate practical, role-specific recommendations.

  5. Evaluating career decisions using analytical reasoning.

  6. Developing professional report-writing and presentation skills.

Conclusion:
Through mentor-guided, step-by-step support, the student successfully demonstrated the ability to apply organizational psychology concepts to a workplace scenario, analyse data, and propose actionable solutions while meeting all assessment requirements.

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