1. Juan and Al were new employees at an upscale grocery store on Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis. Both worked in the deli—they were among the 20 people who worked on the first shift. First shifters were a hearty group—they arrived at 5 am to prepare, then sell, the foods that stocked the deli. Al made daily food orders from local vendors, while Juan other took take-out orders at the deli and arranged for their delivery. Their manager, Lisa, noticed that there were a lot of mistakes and misunderstandings among the group; Al often ordered the wrong food in wrong amounts, while Juan missed deliveries because of back-ups. All of this was wearing on relationships and there was fighting among the group; Lisa needed to work on improving group dynamics. Name five activities that Lisa could organize to improve the group dynamics among the deli’s first shift and name the concept or theory that Lisa would be demonstrating for each.
2. Maria has noticed that after implementing the changes in question 2, people are getting along better. Maybe a little too much better. Everyone seems to be thinking and acting the same. So, she decides to hire a few new people—individuals who can look at the work with fresh eyes. Do the following: Using concepts and theories from the text, list five ways in which creating a more diverse workplace might impact the group’s and organization’s performanceand explain in your own words why increased diversity will help each.