Green Mountain Resort Dissolves the Turnover Problem

Questions: 1. Which of the six change images discussed in this chapter can be identified in the assumptions about managing turnover that were held by Gunter? Gunter is a mentor to the new students who provide exceptional customer service at the resort. These students receive superb training for this reason. Green Mountain has an excellent reputation for the outstanding training they provide to employees. With the first-rate training at Green Mountain, each employee will advance in their career. The hospitality literature plays the role of the navigator. The hospitality literature makes suggestions to reduce the effects of turnover.

The hospitality literature gave a vague description of the turn over problem. It was described as persistent and it is to be carried through. The consultant played the role of the interpreter. The consultant presented the problem of turnover as he perceived it and was able to convince Gunter of the issues at hand. Green Mountain took pride in the amount of employees that were successfully trained. 2. How did these assumptions influence prescriptions for dealing with “the turnover problem”? Each of these assumptions influenced the prescriptions for dealing with the turnover problem.

As Gunter played the role of the nurturer he tried to solve the problem. When the problem was reinterpreted for Gunter he became a coach. Gunter liked the situation and turned it into a positive, an advantage. Gunter obtained a large number of young men that wanted to begin a career for themselves. The hospitality literature was the navigator and saw the problem as one to be endured. Management should work on reducing its incapacitating effects. Management should streamline training, simplify jobs, and not depend on individuals. The prescription informed management to make the HR process more proficient. The consultant was the interpreter.

The consultant reinterpreted the problem for Gunter. The consultant explained to Gunter to not look at the problem as a problem, however, look at it as a positive and find the positive in the situation. 3. Choose another change image and apply it to “the turnover problem. ” To what new insights does it lead? A change image is an obstacle to be overcome. The strategy will need to be avoided and work will need to be outsourced by temps from a hiring agency. This would be the process in which he strategy would be overcome by avoiding it as much as possible. Gunter would have to reduce the number of full time employees he employed.

Several jobs would be eliminated. Using mechanical devices and machines would make it very difficult to provide exceptional, first rate service. 4. What conclusions do you draw from this about the statement at the start of the chapter that “if we only draw upon one particular frame, then this will take us away from thinking about what is going on from an alternative perspective”? We can draw several conclusions about the statement “if we only draw upon one particular frame, then this will take us away from thinking about what is going on from an alternative perspective”.

When a problem is viewed from different perspectives we get a different view of the problem as well as different suggestions for solving the problem. From the perspective of the consultant, the turnover problem had its advantages and if these were enlightened, there would be advantages for Gunter. From the perspective of development literature relating to the hospitality business, turnover was a chronic problem that had to be endured but its effect minimized. From the perspective of Gunter, turnover was a problem for which a solution has to be found.

Finally, we took the perspective that turnover was an obstacle to the development of the resort and so had to be avoided. Every alternative perspective gives suggestions and that makes the analysis richer. However, it also provides the opportunity to assess the different perspectives and select that perspective that best addresses the problem in hand. References Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach written by Ian Palmer, Richard Dunford, and Gib Akin (2006)Irwin/McGraw-Hill