Introduction

This paper presents an analysis of the personality behaviors of the employees in the marketing of team of the case company (Mullins Company). The paper also gives an explanation of the most suitable personality that would have been useful in getting the team work towards accomplishing the marketing objectives. The reasons for the failure of the meeting held between the CEO and the heads of department are also analyzed based on the attribution. The paper also provides a discussion on the management strategies that can be adopted to manage differences within the workplace to ensure that organization teams are successfully. Finally the paper looks at the role of operations, engineering, design and marketing departments in ensuring that the marketing objective are accomplished as well as the challenges that organization face in their achievement of the marketing goals.

Task 1

A. Using Myers Briggs theories identify the different types of personality in the Marketing meeting and briefly explain which would have been useful to get the most of the people involved

The Myers Briggs theory indicates the personality preference for individuals based in four major dimensions. The first dimension is where an individual focuses his/her attention that gives the two major types of personality extraversion and introversion (E &I). The individuals who prefer the extraversion style focuses their attention in dealing with situations and people, on the other hand, those who prefer the introversion direct their attention to deal with beliefs and information (Fretwell, Lewis & Hannay, 2013). The next dimension is on the way one takes information that leads to two major styles sensing or intuition (S&N). The third dimension is on how people make decisions, resulting into two types those who make decisions based on objective facts and logic (thinking) and those who make decisions based on what they think is important (feeling) (T&F). The last dimension focuses on the kind of lifestyle adopted by an individual leading to two major personality styles judging, those who prefer their lifestyle to be planned and well organized, and perception, those who prefer to maintain flexibility in life and respond to issues as they occur (J&P) (Hodgkinson & Sadler-Smith, 2014).

The personality type of the four employees engaged in the marketing meeting is determined based on the four dimensions of personality preference. For instance David Banks has a personality type of extroversion, intuition, thinking and judging. J, Tokunbo Jegede has a personality type of Extroversion, intuition, feeling and, perception. Zainab smith has a personality of introversion, intuition, feeling and judging. Gloria Brown has a personality of Extroversion, intuitive, thinking and perception.

The personality of Gloria was the most suitable in getting the entire group achive their main goal. The fact that her personality allowed her to deal with people and situation means that she was capable of managing the other team members. Moreover, she has a personality of intuition, and as Sadeghi et al (2012) indicate this personality would have allowed her look into the unknown and assist the entire team generates new possibilities of marketing. Her ability to make decisions based on facts also ensures that there is no form of subjective bias in the decision-making process. Being flexible is also necessary when dealing with different since the possibility of providing an opportunity for everyone to participate is high. As such, the personality type of Gloria would have been significant in accomplishing the marketing objective.

B. Critically explain using the Attribution Theory how you think Toluwa, Ralph, Suzzane, Emeka, and Temitope perceptions of each other have resulted to an unproductive meeting

The attribution theory refers to the process through which individuals interpret the events occurring around them and how the interpretation relates to their thinking and behavior. Based on this theory, it is observed that people will tend to see a cause and effect relationship in any event that occurs around them (Harvey et al., 2014). The interpretation of the events can be done in two major influential ways; firstly, assigning the cause of the effects observed to the internal characteristics of individuals rather than the external forces. This is mainly observed when an individual is explaining the behavior of others (Coombs, 2012). The second approach of interpreting events is the assigning of the cause of the effects to some external events that are without the control of an individual (Coombs, 2012). This is mainly observed when one is explaining his/her own behavior.

The departmental heads that were engaged in the meeting adopted the attribution theory in their interpretation of the events that occurred amongst the selected marketing team. Each of the departmental managers assigned the cause of the outcomes that was reported to the internal characteristics of the individuals while explaining the behavior of the other employees apart from the employee coming from their department. On the other hand, they tend to assign the cause of the outcome to the eternal forces when analyzing the behavior of their own staff. As such, all the heads believed that their chosen staff did not contribute to the failures reported, but rather the nature of the external environment, in this kind the kind of the team that he was working with did not allow him to work better. Since the same analysis approach was adopted by all the heads, identifying the real cause of the effects that was observed was impossible thus resulting into the unproductive meeting that was observed.

Task 2

Four ways of managing individual differences at work

Recognition of the differences

The first approach in the management of differences within the workplace entails the recognition of the existence of the difference. The manager needs to recognize that the employees within the workplace have differences whether generational, physical or cultural and one cannot assume that the difference have been broken. It is vital that the management celebrate the differences observed and focus in encouraging every person within the workplace to ensure that there individualities are observed. As Barak (2013) indicates, this approach is effective in ensuring that the employees within the workplace gain a sense of belonging and are certain that there are wanted despite having their own unique personality and behaviors.

Through communication and encouraging interaction

Communication is another effective strategy that can be adopted in the management of difference. According to () through communication, the marketer will be able to convince the employees to integrate freely with each other within the workplace. The manager can communicate the benefits of the values and beliefs held by each and every person and the need for the employees to interact with everyone regardless of the difference in their attitude, perceptions and behaviors. An effective communication process will ensure that the employees agree to integrate with each other and accept the belief of every individual as presented.

Fairness treatment of the employees

According to Martín et al (2013) acting uniformly is different from acting fairly. It is not correct to state that by treating the employees within the workplace similarly and uniformly means that a fair treatment is accorded to all of them. Demonstrating a fair attitude is not accomplished by offering a similar treatment to the employees of the organization. Rather, respecting the values and beliefs of individuals during their control or management result into their fair treatment. It is only the fair treatment of the employees that will enable the management to deal successfully with the differences observed in the organization. For instance it is not fair to schedule a compulsory meeting that falls in the worship day of some of the employees. The management, ought to put into consideration the cultural and religious beliefs of the employees, any form of generational difference that is likely to be observed in their management process, to ensure that any mandatory meetings and duties do not go contrary to the belief of either of the employees.

Training and development

The employee differences may be known to some individuals within the workplace, however, some employees are likely to be unaware of the existence of such differences. As such, they are likely to behave in a way that does not consider the values and beliefs of other individuals within the workplace. It is also possible that some group of individuals is likely not to know how to interact with the other individuals that have different opinion from their own perception or belief (Guillaume et al., 2013). Training and development is an effective approach that can be adopted by the manager in the management of the difference observed. Through the training process, the manager is able to enhance the knowledge of the employees on the nature of differences that are likely to be observed within the workplace.  The training process will also provide an opportunity for them to learn how to deal with the differences. The manager is also likely to communicate the benefits of having a diverse workforce so that the employees do not focusing on convincing the others to adopt by their values but focus on accepting them irrespective of their  difference in attitude, beliefs, values or perceptions (Olsen & Martins, 2012). This approach is effective in ensuring that the employees know how to handle any form of differences that are likely to be reported within the workplace.

Task 3

Operations department

The role of the operations department in the case organization presented is to design efficient process that will ensure the product is produced. The operations department ensures that there is a timely acquisition of raw materials and that the product is produced to meet the set quality standards. The operations department also ensures that the workers of the organization are properly trained and have the required skills to produce a product that will be acceptable to the consumers based on the quality standards set (Leeflang, Verhoef, Dahlström & Freundt, 2014). The operations department has significant contributions to offer in the marketing plan. The department has a duty of ensuring that any marketing campaigns initiated by the organization are actually undertaken. Through the provision of the available resources and ensuring that the employees participate fully in the marketing of the newly produced mob, the operations department will contribute significantly towards the accomplishment of the set marketing goal.

Engineering Department

The engineering department has a duty of controlling and managing the machines that are used for product manufacturing in an organization. They have a role of ensuring that the production process runs smoothly without any form of interruptions due to machine breakdown. The engineering department also has a duty of carrying out research to come out with the new technologies that can be adopted in the manufacturing of new product (Khan, 2014). The engineering department has a duty of ensuring that the technology used in the production of the new mob is maintained. This is necessary in ensuring that the product offered to the consumers has a consistent quality. The department will therefore contribute towards the achievement of the marketing goal by ensuring that the quality of the product is maintained throughout the product life cycle.

Marketing Department

The marketing department is responsible for building a strong product or organization brand in the market. The department also has a duty of increasing the sales volume of the product being offered by the organization as well as acquiring a larger market share within the market under which the company operates. Leeflang, Verhoef, Dahlström & Freundt (2014) have also indicated that the marketing department has a duty of positioning effectively the organization’s product in the market. The marketing department therefore has the major role towards the achievement of the marketing goal. They have to be involved in promotions and advertisements of the product such that they build a strong brand name as well as position the product properly within the market. The marketing department also has the duty of ensuring that their sales persons convince the consumers to make purchases so that they acquire a larger clientele base as well as a larger market share.

Design Department

The design market plays the role of carrying out innovations to come up with new product designs. The department also has a role of evaluating the designs offered to ascertain their level of acceptability by the consumers (Alagaraja, 2013). The design department is then engaged in the production of the mob that they consider as having the best design. The department will also be involved in marketing by communicating the benefits of their design to the consumers such that they are convinced to make purchases. This will contribute positively towards the attainment of the market goal.

B) Explain any TWO challenges faced by the organization in achieving company’s Marketing goal.

Inadequate Resources

Marketing of any product requires an organization to incur additional monetary resources. The promotions, advertisements or personal selling strategies that are adopted in the marketing of a product require the organization to spend additional cash. Apart from the monetary resources, additional human resources are also needed to effectively carry out the marketing process (Leeflang, Verhoef, Dahlström & Freundt, 2014). Inadequacy of any of these resources will present a major challenge that will prevent the organization from accomplishing its marketing objectives.

Unclear marketing goal

The marketing team and all other departments within an organization should be aware of the marketing goal that they are required to accomplish. According to Khan (2014) clear statement of the marketing goal provides a direction to the sales persons, the managers and other employees on the tasks they are expected to execute to ensure that the goal is accomplished. In the event that the goal is not clearly defined, then the employees will be operating under unclear direction and thus the marketing tasks will be executed for the sake. This presents a major challenge in the attainment of the desired marketing goals.

Conclusion

The personality differences amongst the employees of an organization can influence their ability to accomplish a certain goal. Some employees have certain personality that can allow them manage the members of the team to ensure that the desired goals is attained. As much as team work may result into the attainment of the organization’s objective, if not properly managed the difference observed amongst the employees can affect negatively the team performance. Recognition of the differences, fair treatment of the employees, training and development, and encouraging interaction are some of the strategies that can be adopted to effectively manage employee differences. The analysis have also indicated that all the major departments have a role to play towards the realization of the marketing goals thus must be actively involved in the marketing process of the desired goal is to be accomplished.