MOTORS AND MORE INC.
You are hired as the HR director for the fictitious Motors and More, Inc. This business to busiess sales company manufactures small motors and accessories for industrial and bome products. The industry is highly competitive and the company follows a prospector strategy
A prospector strategy takes advantage of new markets and products. Organizational emphasis is on growth, innovation, and new product development. A prospector wants to be first to the market. To respond to competitive and rapidly changing markets, prospectors have flexible, flat, and decentralized organizational structures.
Motors and More is headquartered in a small southern town of 28,000 people, with a low unemployment rate of 3.1%. This means that demand for workers exceeds labor supply. There is a technical school and a community college within 50 miles of Motors and More. Motors and
More’s president is a former military and is highly patriotic. He is committed to staying in the
community. Recently, other local companies have experienced labor organizing activities.
Motors and More employs 116 people. Until you were hired, there was no HR department.
Recently, the organization’s employee turnover rate has been higher than normal. The marketing
and sales department continues to sell products to an expanding market. Because of this
increased product demand, output must be increased by 96 percent.
In Motors and More, 88% of the employees are Caucasian. Except for one female supervisor in
the customer service department, the president and all other managers are Caucasian men.
Promotions have been based on seniority. Local labor market is approximately 48% minority,
with a growing Hispanic and Kurdish population not fully accepted into the community
All the employees in manufacturing (including quality control), customer service and operations
(responsible for shipping and receiving; distribution of raw materials, components parts and
finished goods inventory; and maintenance and cleaning) have at least a high school degree or
GED. The organization provides some skills training courses. Please refer to the organizational
chart in Figure 1 for more details