Nepotism

Posted: August 12th, 2013

Nepotism

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Nepotism

1. Summarize the major problems that Mary Smith has caused in her short tenure with the company

Mary Smith has been hired as an administrative assistant. She does not seem to have the necessary qualifications and skills, and this is clear in the way she performs her duties. Within the first three weeks of employment in the company, Mary has disrupted the normal working conditions in the office. She has delayed the performance of some of her duties, after being late for her assignments. She does not know how to file and organize documents, or how to treat her coworkers, yet these are key principles of an administrative assistant. She seems to be mixing personal affairs with business, judging from the way she socializes with some of the employees. Mary happens to have family connections in the business, seeing that she is the daughter of one of the people who founded the companies. The other employees have realized her incapacity, and they are angry when they realize that she is going to be working with them.

2. From the perspective of her immediate supervisor, prepare a job description that details the necessary tasks that Ms. Smith should perform in her role as administrative assistant.

This job will include assisting the administrator with some of the responsibilities, and it will entail the following:

• The assistant will relieve the administrator in performing some of his duties
• He or she will be responsible for managing the administrator’s schedule and ensure that he does not meet any appointments
• The assistant will assist in interviewing and hiring potential applicants
• He or she will assist in training and supervising employees who work directly with the administrator
• He or she will handle the organization’s daily correspondence from other company stakeholders
• The potential employee will prepare correspondence and reports for the company
• He or she will answer phone calls and take messages on behalf of the company
• The assistant administrator will be responsible for setting up, and coordinating company meetings
• He or she will prepare the meeting documents such as presentations and handouts
• The assistant administrator will be responsible for monitoring the company’s websites, and dealing with customers concerns from the websites
• He or she will ensure that he reports any problems regarding the website to the company’s technical team
• The administrative assistant will manage all the records of the company, and ensure that they are available when needed
• The administrative assistant will perform other duties as required and requested by the administrator and other management (Masters & Wallace, 2006)

3. State the steps you would take to resolve this situation if you were her supervisor and how you would or would not include the founder in your communication.

If I were Mary’s supervisor, I would first talk to her about her work performance. I would point out her inadequacies and inform her how they are affecting the smooth running of the company. I will then give her a description of her duties, and answer any questions that she might have. In case of a repeat performance, or if I perceive that she has not taken my advice seriously, I will give her a warning concerning taking the matter further. If everything else fails, I will write an official complaint letter to the management, highlighting all the mistakes she has done, and the measures I have taken to resolve the situation. I will ensure that I have written down all the areas where the company is experiencing problems, because of the lack of seriousness that Mary is showing in her work. I will note any delays that the company is experiencing, and the added responsibilities that some of the employees have to take, because of Mary’s incompetence. I will ask the management to provide a solution to the problems. Many organizations have policies that protect all employees regardless of their status in the company. A supervisor can take advantage of bringing such cases to the management. Employers are also concerned with the federal laws against discrimination, and organizations do not want to be implicated in such cases. Nepotism is a form of discrimination, as it can contribute to other qualified people missing their chances of employment. Therefore, they will ensure that they act on complaints in different ways.

4. Describe the negative and positive effects on a workforce for hiring an unqualified individual who is related to a founder of the company.

Hiring an unqualified person who is related to the founder has more positives than negatives. The first disadvantage is that the person will disrupt the smooth running of the company, because he or she will not know how to perform her duties well. This will affect the company’s performance and productivity. It will also cause problems with other employees who feel that they have to do more work to compensate for the employees lack of qualifications. The other disadvantage is that the employees might consider it a right to work for the company, and he or she might fail to recognize the company’s authority (Samuel, 2012). This can be a significant problem for the supervisor, seeing that the supervisor will not know how to correct the employee. If the employee fails to recognize the company’s authority, there will be no guarantee that he or she will do any work within the company. The other disadvantage is that the employee might treat the other workers badly, or treat them with indifference. The employee might not respect the workers, and he might even interfere with their work. This can cause disagreements and conflicts in the workplace (Padgett & Morris, 2006). Employing an unqualified person in the organization reduces the chances of getting a qualified person for the company, who will be in a better position to improve the company by increasing performance and productivity. Since the management cannot fill one position with two employees, it will have to work with the unproductive employee because of the influence that the employee has. Such situations can lead to more problems at the work place, and if the person is in leadership and management, he or she can lead to the business closing down.

Hiring an unqualified individual related to the founder may have a positive effect. Such a person can act as the voice of the other employees, and he or she can take an active role in asking for better working conditions for the employees. Such a person can act as a liaison between the management and employees, and she can improve the working relationship between the two groups. Because the person will work under the same conditions as the rest of the workers, she can identify the problems that the employees have when working and she can take their concerns to management. The management will listen to her more than they will listen to the other employees, seeing that she has family connections to the firm. Such a person can also benefit the company’s founders. The founders might need someone to ensure that things are running smoothly in the company. This is especially beneficial if all the founders are retired, and if they do not have any surviving relatives in the workplace. They need someone to ensure that the company sticks to the original purpose and mission. Such a person will report what is happening to the founders. An unqualified person might have more loyalty to the company, and he or she may be more willing to invest her time in the company. She will be more dedicated despite her lack of qualifications and this can be beneficial for the company.