Organizational Communication Challenges in Business Expansion: Analysis of Downward Communication at Sundown Bakery
Overview
This case study analyzes communication problems at Sundown Bakery following its expansion and the hiring of operations manager Hans Mikelsen. The paper examines how the shift from collaborative, face-to-face communication to a downward communication model created organizational dysfunction, examining the limitations of top-down communication in maintaining employee morale and engagement during business growth.
What this case study covers
- Introduction and context: Sundown Bakery's rapid expansion and hiring of Hans Mikelsen as operations manager
- Analysis of downward communication model: examination of how Hans employed top-down communication for dress code changes and employee orientation
- Critique of downward communication: discussion of authoritarian nature, lack of feedback, message distortion, and negative impacts on organizational morale
- Comparison of communication styles: contrast between original collaborative management and new hierarchical structure
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Sundown Bakery Case Study
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Sundown Bakery Case Study
Sundown Bakery is faced with communication problems between its management and employees that threaten to derail its daily functions. The major catalyst of the situation is Hans Mikelsen, the newly hired operations manager. He employed the downward communication model to convey changes in the dress code and orient new employees. The essay will analyze Han's communication to employees and consider the various elements of the process to recognize the aspects that contribute most to the apparent lack of understanding.
Sundown Bakery started as a single shop that quickly expanded to include two new shops and two kiosks in local malls. This rapid growth necessitated an operations manager to oversee the business activities of all divisions. Therefore, Carol and Bruce hired Hans as the new operations manager. The new manager brought a wealth of experience to the growing enterprise, given his previous role as a regional manager of a national chain of coffee shops. He quickly started to implement several changes in the business's operations, including launching a new website, improving the menu, instituting two dress codes, and putting together an employee manual to save time spent orienting new employees (Quintanilla & Wahl, 2019). These changes, especially the last two, were communicated to the employees using the downward communication model where work-related information flows from the superior to his or her subordinates.
Hans employed the top-down communication approach to explain new changes and inform job rationale.