1 Bailey’s is a large toy manufacturer based in a traditional industrial region. Established in the 1970s, it has faced many changes in the market and survived. This has been due in part to employing a largely unskilled low paid staff,and maintaining its main advantage, that of low production costs based on low pay. Most of the production involves repetitive and boring work with little challenge and opportunity for innovation. Although many of the employees have

been with the company for some time, there has been a high level of employee turnover.

However, an unhappy atmosphere has been apparent for some time. There has been a number of instances ofarguments between the staff, friction between different departments, disturbance, low morale, poor production and general unrest, made worse recently by a decline in business which may lead to staff reduction and redundancy. Poor pay is leading to family problems that are affecting the commitment and motivation of the employees.

The business was recently sold to the new owner, Rebecca Stonewall. She is concerned that the negative atmosphere she has found will harm the prospects of the business and is determined to address the issues that have become apparent.

She has therefore decided that it is time to take account of opinions and views of the employees in an attempt both to identify the problems and to resolve them. She has appointed external counsellors since she thinks that a programme of inpidual counselling might be appropriate and is also of the opinion that some form. of different or improved approach to motivation might be the answer to the problems at Bailey’s.

Required:

(a) Define the role that the external counsellor must fulfil at Bailey’s. (3 marks)

1 One of the many skills that managers are called upon to use is counselling. Situations often arise in the workplace where particular and careful people-centred skills are required. It is important that managers understand exactly what counselling involv