Improving Motivation and Morale in Stephenson Electrical

Briefing Paper
Stephenson Electrical is a medium-sized electrical manufacturing company. They employ
approximately forty members of staff. About twenty-five members of staff work in the factory
on a variety of production related activities. These range from machining and manufacture of
parts, to packaging and quality assurance. There are also a number of members of staff who
are primarily employed in administrative roles ranging from marketing manager, finance and
administrative positions and support duties. These roles are primarily desk-bound jobs.
There are four travelling sales staff.
The chief executive, Kevin Stephenson, is also the owner of the business. His father, George,
started the business some 50 years ago and through his hard work and dedication he grew the
business to its present size. Kevin’s wife, Jennifer Stephenson, is the financial controller.
The daughter of the chief executive, Sarah, is assistant to the marketing director. The
marketing department also employs an advertising and website officer. There are two other
members of staff working in the finance department, one is a wage clerk, the other deals
with the purchase and sales ledgers. There are two drivers who take care of deliveries. The
company also employs a cleaner, who is part-time and a receptionist, Debbie, who greets
visitors, answers the phone and acts as Kevin’s personal assistant.
Kevin has been concerned recently that morale in the business has been to flagging. The staff
do not seem to be as motivated as before. Absenteeism, and lateness has increased and many
staff in the factory are refusing to work the new flexible working hours that Kevin wants to
introduce into the factory to make it more efficient and save money. There are mumblings
and rumours that more redundancies might be in the air. It is true that the business has
suffered from the downturn in the world economy, and sales are dropping and profitability
has been affected. The business has had to tighten its belt and Kevin’s wife, Jennifer, has
introduced a series of cost-cutting measures into the business that have not been popular
with many members of staff. About a year ago, as part of a move to increase the efficiency
of the factory, the company bought a new machine that does the work of up to ten members
of staff. Soon after the introduction of the machine, five of the factory workers were made
redundant.
You have been asked by the CEO to put together a report outlining how he could improve
morale in the company. Outline in your report some practical measures that you think might
improve motivation and morale in the company. Base your analysis and recommendations on
the theoretical concepts that may be relevant to Stephenson Electrical. Although, ostensibly,
a business report you should include a reference section/bibliography as part of your report,
which will not be included in the word count.
General Instructions:
Word Count: 1500 words. This excludes, Cover Sheet, Table of Contents, References and
Appendices. Word count should not be exceeded (an allowance of +/ – 10% of the stated value
is allowed).
Please state your word count in the box on the Submission Cover Sheet (see below for cover
sheet).
Referencing: The Harvard Reference Standard should be used for all submission. For
guidance on use please see this guide: Harvard Referencing Standard Guide
Figures & Tables: All figures and tables should have a number, clear description and note any
source reference(s) used in their creation.
Presentation and submission of Assignment:
1. Assignments should be typed using 11-point font size (Arial or Calibri), with 1½ line Please
set the page size to UK A4. All pages must be numbered.
2. Your assignment must be submitted online via Turnitin by INSERT. If you are experiencing
any difficulty in submitting your assignment please email immediately to the Student Hub:
studenthub@afg-aberdeen.com
3. Note: Late submissions will receive a penalty as per the University‘s Regulations and
Guidelines.
Your report will be assessed on the basis of its Structure, Content and Presentation.
In terms of the Structure Requirement students are respectfully reminded that reports should
have:
▪ A title Page
▪ An Executive Summary
▪ A Table of Contents
▪ Sections (numbered + with a title) including a Conclusion & Recommendations section
▪ References
In terms of the Content Requirement you will be assessed on your reasoning and evidence as
directed to the brief.
Finally, please ensure that your work is written in your own words. A report cannot be a
simple ‘cut and paste’ of material found on the web or in journals or books. Moreover, you
must accurately acknowledge the contributions of others (i.e. your work must properly
reference quotes, idea etc.). A full list of the references you use (listed alphabetically) must
be included at the end of your report – use the Harvard Referencing System.