Read and Complete Questions. Your Turn: Burger Boy on page 333 in the textbook.
TEXTBOOK: Gerhart, B., & Newman, J. M. (2020). Compensation (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Burger Boy Case Analysis
The Burger Boy case study focuses on Jerry Newman’s experience working in one of the seven fast-food restaurants. The author narrates the incidents in Burger Boy, one of the stores in Florida, during a busy Friday. An analysis of the case shows that understaffing, low wages, inappropriate job allocation, and poor management translated to a high drive through time, negative workplace behavior, and high-stress levels among employees, which could be addressed through monetary and non-monetary rewards such as proper compensation, appropriate working hours and consistent schedules.
An analysis of the case reveals that multiple issues face Burger Boy, which adversely affects customer service, increasing the average drive-through time. Some of these problems include understaffing, low wages, inappropriate job allocation, and poor management. As is evident from the case information, the typical staffing is thirteen employees, but only eight employees were on duty on this particular Friday, including the management (Gerhart & Newman, 2020). This staff capacity may not be adequate, especially considering the high flow of consumers on traditionally busy days such as Fridays. Inappropriate job allocation is also a considerable problem, crippling customer service and causing stress among the employees. For example, Marge is hired to work at the fries’ station (Gerhart & Newman, 2020). However, on this particular Friday, she is tasked with working at the front drive-through, a job that appears to fluster her considering the high consumer traffic.
Besides job allocation, poor management and low wages are blatant issues in Burger Boy that affect employees’ behavior and cause altercations among the staff. For example, Otis, the assistant store manager, fails to stock the store after his shift, overburdening Leon during his afternoon shift (Gerhart & Newman, 2020). The poor management explains why the two are involved in an altercation after Leon confronts Otis about the issue. Poor management is also exhibited in Otis’s behavior towards other subordinates. Notably, he shouts at the employees and fails to fulfill their terms of employment, as is Marger’s case. Low wages are also an issue of concern, as Otis complains of working long hours a day for “crappy wages” (Gerhart & Newman, 2020). In essence, poor management and low wages in Burger Boy are among the issues affecting the working environment and causes conflicts among the employees.
Further analysis of the case scenario also reveals that compensation issues could explain some problems such as poor management and understaff. During their confrontation, Otis mentions that he is “sick of working 10-12 hours a day for crappy wages” (Gerhart & Newman, 2020, p.334). Arguably, Otis fails to undertake management tasks as required because he feels under-compensated for his effort at the Burger Boy. Compensation issues could also explain understaffing, including a high rate of absenteeism in the entity. Arguably, when the wages are low, employees may experience job dissatisfaction, explaining why two of the employees called in sick on such a busy day.
While many of the issues in Burger Boy could be solved through compensation, others could be lessened with meticulous use of rewards other than monetary compensations. Some of these problems include low employee morale, which appears to affect staff productivity. For example, acknowledging the staff for their effort may make them feel valued and appreciated, which may, in turn, boost their morale and productivity. Therefore, besides addressing compensation, productivity and morale issues could be addressed through employee recognition for their efforts in Burger Boy.
Besides employee acknowledgment, non-monetary opportunities such as hours are also a form of reward for a firm’s staff. Arguably, offering employees flexible working hours and allowing them to work within their contracted hours only enable them to build on their personal lives. In my view, the author was happy working 20 hours per week while Chuck was unhappy with the 30 hours per week because of the low compensation. Notably, the difference between their pay is $0.50/hr, yet Chuck worked longer hours. As such, the inadequate compensation and several working hours could explain why Chuck was unhappy with his work. Besides, maintaining schedules could be used as a reward by allowing the employees to determine when to work and have a clear and consistent income.
References
Gerhart, B., & Newman, J. M. (2020). Compensation (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill