Below is the scenario:
Recently, Orange Computers, a well-established computer company had their in-house I.O. Psychology Practitioner, Dr. Happenstance, working on a project designed to improve the performance of the phone-based customer service team. Dr. Happenstance identified the following issues during his data-gathering phase:
- Customer Service Representatives are experiencing burn-out
- Shifts for Customer Service Representatives are 10 hours 4 days of each week with schedules varying between day shift, night shift, and swing shift
- Workers with seniority have first choice of schedule, and invariably have the Monday-Thursday work week, while other Customer Service Representatives always work at least 1 shift on the weekends negatively impacting their personal time, and do not have a 4 day in a row work week, as they may work 3 days, have a day off, and work their fourth day following their off day.
Fortunately for Dr. Happenstance, but unfortunately for Orange Computers, Dr. Happenstance received a more lucrative job offer from a direct competitor, Macrosoft Computers. As a result, Dr. Happenstance has left the Orange Computers project unfinished. You have been called upon to complete his work. As you will not be using assessments from this point forward, you are able to perform these tasks as a Masters Degree Level Organizational Psychology Practitioner. Your mission over the course of the next 8 weeks is to design and implement a planned course of action to improve or eliminate these problems. Your plan must be heavily rooted in and supported by the existing literature in the field.
