Organisational Behaviour: Case Study of Clarkston Industries

This report presents an analysis of an organisational behaviour case study centered on Clarkston Industries. The case explores the complexities of leadership, employee relations, and ethical decision-making within an organization. The analysis focuses on Susan Harrington, the distribution manager, and her handling of a sensitive situation involving an employee with a troubled past, Jack Reed, who is suspected of theft. The report examines the conflicting perspectives of Susan, who empathizes with Jack, and the other employees who feel insecure and demand his dismissal. It delves into the challenges Susan faces in balancing her intuition, ethical considerations, and the demands of her employees. The report also discusses the importance of ethics, employee security, and the impact of past records on workplace dynamics. Key themes include empathetic leadership, workplace conflict, and the complexities of decision-making in the face of conflicting interests and limited evidence.

Running head: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Name of the Student:
Name of the University
Author Note:

Table of Contents
Answer to Question 1.................................................................................................................1
Answer to Question 2.................................................................................................................1
Answer to Question 3.................................................................................................................2
References:.................................................................................................................................3

Answer to Question 1.
Susan’s engagement with law has taught her the basic morality that helped her in
returning to the mainstream. Therefore, it is very natural that there will be a huge difference
between the perspectives of the other employees and her. To Susan, Jack belongs to the same
background as her and urges for a second chance to return to normal life. Just as Henry
Clarkston believed her and assisted her to heal the past wounds, she also wanted to help Jack
Reed in same way. Therefore, she does not give much importance to Jack’s culmination when
an employee blamed him for theft. She was relieved finding Jack’s innocence. After the
second case of theft, the real tension begins when other employees became sure about the
thief and wanted Jack’s dismissal. Now, as an executive, she employed Jack because she had
trust on him but she can neither oppose nor ignore the employees’ demands (Lord-
Kambitsch, 2014). Beside this, the actual records about Jack have been disclosed to the
workers. In this situation she is in a dicey position whether she should dismiss Jack or listen
to her intuition.
The employees of an organisation try to work in a comfortable and secured ambience.
At first they had no negative feeling about Jack Reed and made a friendly relationship
without any knowledge about his past. Their concerns were aroused when they started
suspecting Jack for theft. After they came across his past records they started to feel insecure.
It is very natural that they are concerned about their own possessions as well as the security
of the workplace environment. Therefore, they demanded Jack’s dismissal to the manager
(Wood et al., 2016).
Answer to Question 2.
Susan Harrington is the distribution manager in Clarkston Industries and has been
serving her post for almost twenty years. Due to her past experience she recognises the value

of ethics, as well as labour. She empathises with Jack’s misfortune and provides needed help
to Jack for correcting his life (Van Loon, 2016). Susan is an empathetic leader therefore,
understands the employees’ feelings, motives and situation. Jack urgency moves her and
leads her to put trust on a convict. On the other hand, the employees’ demand for security
concerns Susan. She is not an autocrat therefore; she cannot act according to her instinct but
rethinks before making any decision.
Jack had come in a conflict with law few months ago and now he wants a new start.
He urges for second chance and wins the hearts of the executive as well as his co-workers. In
spite of getting a very low job profile he accepts and tries to do his work attentively. He
conceals his past records as that may create problem to start afresh. After few days he was
accused of stealing but asserts his innocence to the manager. He is defensive when
interrogated and convolutes his answers.
Answer to Question 3.
Susan fears to lose trust and questioned by the employees for her real intension but as
an executive she cannot just judge and fire an employee because of other’s demand (Wray‐
Bliss, 2013). Jack might be a pilferer but none has seen him to steal. Therefore, without any
clear evidence she cannot fire Jack only depending on rumours.

References:
Lord-Kambitsch, E. (2014). Introduction to empathy: activation, definition, construct. Think
Pieces: A Journal of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, 1(1), 1-8.
Van Loon, R. (2016). The secret of being a leader. Searching the essence.
Wood, J. M., Zeffane, R. M., Fromholtz, M., Wiesner, R., Morrison, R., Factor, A., ... &
Osborn, R. N. (2016). Organisational behaviour: Core concepts and applications.
John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Wray‐Bliss, E. (2013). A crisis of leadership: towards an anti‐sovereign ethics of
organisation. Business Ethics: A European Review, 22(1), 86-101.