Michael works as a manager in his family’s business, which makes metal components and employs about 50 people.
One of his employees, John, is an unskilled, but loyal, worker who started working for the company when Michael’s grandfather was still running the business. Michael has known John since he was a little boy. During the last year Michael has observed that John frequently showed up late for work, usually a little drunk, or sometimes not at all. Michael knows that John’s wife and only son died in a car crash a year ago and that, to cope with his loss, John has taken to drinking alcohol. Michael has repeatedly talked with John about this problem but this has not changed John’s behaviour.
Michael’s company is currently facing some problems in the face of the current economic recession, and the resulting tendency of customers to search increasingly for cheaper products made overseas. The company survives because of its ability to deliver high-quality custom made products and a high standard of customer service, but there is always pressure to cut unnecessary costs. After some consideration Michael decides to keep John on.
Has he done the right thing?The Essay is provided by UK Assignment http://www.szdhsjt.com
Case 3
A UK high street store, TVs 4 U, sells television sets. A major percentage of sales is to customers with very low income. The company is able to sell expensive products to poor people by means of a credit system, i.e. a small amount of money is paid back each month. The interest rates charged are very high, particularly due to the high-risk nature of the debt. The credit is collected by an external credit agency. The company makes most of its profit from financial services, so pressure is exerted on the retail outlets to sell the most expensive goods on credit. The customers are generally happy with the quality of service and goods provided, and are pleased to find that they are deemed creditworthy. The salespeople are on commission.
Martin Kings is the manager of the TVs 4 U retail outlet in a North London neighbourhood. One autumn afternoon Martin sees one of his neighbours, Mrs Richards, about to make a purchase of a new big flat screen television on credit in the shop. His wife is friendly with Mrs Richards, who is 82 years old, and whose only living relative is one son who lives in Australia. Mrs Kings acts as a surrogate daughter, helping out with shopping and household chores.
Mrs Richards lives in a run-down old house and, according to Mrs Kings, cannot afford to heat the house properly in the winter, living in just one room until the weather gets warmer. Martin strongly suspects that Mrs Richards cannot really afford to purchase the television, even on credit.
What should he do?
Case 4
Dr Lisa Williams is a research chemist managing the New Products department of a firm specialising in textiles used for curtains, furniture upholstery etc. She becomes aware of a strand of the company’s research that tentatively suggests that a component of the firm’s top selling product line, accounting for 60% of the total, is highly carcinogenic*.
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