OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

During the height of COVID-19 in 2020, my current company, Alpha ProTech

(APT), a manufacturer of disposable protective apparel including N-95 particulate
respirators, received several large orders for N-95s from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). Within a week or so afterward, I received an email from my manager,
the senior vice president of sales, that our CEO had ordered all the government orders to
be fulfilled first, which pushed back our national distributor orders by several weeks, and
in some cases, months. Based on my manager’s tone, while diplomatic, he clearly did not
align with this strategy. Alpha ProTech is a publicly traded company, and while it is not a
formally published goal, it is reasonable to suggest that “shareholder profitability” was a
significant motivation in this decision, as the profit margins on these government orders
were higher than our traditional distributor orders.

As an Area Manager for Alpha ProTech, I am responsible for the growth and
development of my territory by establishing new customer and distributor relationships,
while effectively managing the existing relationships of our large distributors located
throughout the Western U.S. and Western Canada. Many of these distributors are aligned
with high-profile companies desperate for orders to keep their employees safe. Additional
delays in order fulfillment dates created tension between our company, our distributors,
and our end-user customers at times. This was concerning, as we are a company highly
dependent on our relationships with our distribution partners since we do not have a
direct sales business model; the U.S. government is an exception during the rarity of a
national pandemic.

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 2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

To understand how the human resources frame of the organization influenced the
situation, it’s important to understand the premise of the frame. It essentially integrates
human needs with the organization’s needs (Bolman & Deal, 2021). This integration
occurs once the workforce's talents, skills, and motivations are determined and then
strategically aligned to the needs of the business. In this case, Alpha ProTech has
employees with specific competencies who are tasked to manage a particular function of
the business (e.g., sales, operations, material planning, etc.), and as such, they exercise
these competencies regularly. As a result, there is a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of
value and worth, which positively impacts one’s self-esteem (Bolman & Deal, 2021).
However, when the CEO decided to take control of the order fulfillment process and
override those previously empowered to make these decisions, he did so without
considering (or simply ignoring) the consequences of his actions.

In this case, the CEO overrides a subordinate, such as a senior vice president of
sales or operations, which significantly impacts the Human Resources Frame. First, it
undermines the authority of the person traditionally in charge of this function in the
business, and it creates a perception that the CEO does not trust or value their input. This
can lead to resentment or disengagement from those impacted. Next, it can create
confusion or uncertainty among employees, leading to decreased morale and
productivity. Finally, it can lead to frustration and resentment due to the impact on other
members of the workforce. For example, all the area managers (including me) were
impacted as we had to diplomatically explain to our distributors why their orders would
be delayed by weeks or months. Delays happen, especially during an event like the
pandemic. However, this was challenging to digest since we all (including my boss)
disagreed with the strategy.

This situation was not about getting N-95s to those who needed them most; it was
about gross margin, plain and simple. These orders had a higher gross margin than our
traditional distributor orders. It is important to note that we only sell through distribution
and not directly to our end users. In rare instances like this, government orders are
permissible. That said, it is critically important that we maintain sound relationships with
our distributor partners, as they represent the organization's long-term financial health.
They were vital partners to the business long before “COVID-19” was in our vocabulary,
and they need to remain vital partners after it. Inevitably, the CEO’s actions strained
some of those customer relationships, and we were subjected to several order
cancellations, which did not help the sales team's morale. Nevertheless, we could do
nothing except hold on and “ride out” the challenges at the time.

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 3) Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

As mentioned earlier, several potential and actual consequences were present

when the CEO decided to assume control of the order fulfillment process and override his
subordinates. If I were in the same situation and felt I needed to be involved in the
process, I would have initially called a meeting to discuss the landscape of our
manufacturing capacity relative to the ability to meet the demand. By involving the senior
leaders who represent vital positions in the company (sales and operations), the CEO
(Lloyd) could have still been involved and expressed his opinion or concerns while still
respecting the individuals who were trusted to manage this aspect of the business,
whether during a pandemic or not. There is no reason why weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
updates could not flow up to Lloyd to keep him abreast of the progress to fulfill both sets
of orders. Employees need to feel empowered to make decisions, and I would suggest this
is even more so when someone is in a senior leadership role within the company (Bolman
& Deal, 2021).

Next, I would have considered the impact on the sales organization, focusing on
the team’s morale and any long-term liabilities with our distributor partners. By diverting
shipments to the government contracts first, it created undue challenges for the sales
team, whose primary responsibility (in addition to growing their territory sales) is
effectively managing our distributor relationships. When the sales organization (including
my boss, the senior vice president of sales) is “told” what is happening without anyone
having a voice in the decision, it does not sit well and causes distrust. Not to mention
there were considerable financial implications for the sales team, as no one was
compensated on government orders (except the CEO, of course). While this was not
uncommon, it still was not a good look, and the sales team lost sizable orders due to the
delay, which caused unnecessary tension, frustration, and impacted the team’s morale.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

When a business leader like a CEO is evaluating decisions through a Human

Resources lens, they should consider how it will affect the needs of the business. I would
suggest, even more importantly, how it will affect the workforce. While I may sound
redundant, if I were in a similar position, I would have called a meeting with my key
leadership members to discuss the landscape of the situation. I would have evaluated
what the benefits of the situation would yield, as well as the risks. I would ask for input
from the Sales and Operations side of the business to determine the best path forward. As
the CEO, I may be technically empowered to make any decision I feel is in the company's

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 and its shareholders' best interest. However, I must also weigh the risk versus the reward
when doing so.
As we learned in our text, short-term financial gains do not always translate into
long-term, sustainable (and profitable) outcomes (Bolman & Deal, 2021). By engaging
my senior leadership team, I validate that I trust their input, rather than casting an image
that this is “my” company, so I will make whatever decisions “I” want to. I would have
focused on creating an environment where communication flows freely and where trust
(through my actions) is central to the company’s culture. Moreover, I would avoid
creating an impression that I am employing a “It’s your decision, but do what I want”
(Bolman & Deal, 2021, p. 152) approach. The people hired for these senior-level roles
have the skills and talent to fulfill their duties on the company’s behalf successfully. I
need to remember and treat them with this in mind, regardless of whether it is during the
middle of a pandemic or not. The last move I want to make is one where employee
morale is jeopardized under the guise of “what is in the best interest of the shareholders.”

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 Reference:

Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2021). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership
(7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.