“Horseplay” at the Textbook Processing Center

Abstract

This case is about problems among the summer staff at a U.S. city’s textbook processing center, comprised of high school and college students. The staff members were responsible for sorting and delivering textbooks to the various schools in the city. Initially, they worked very hard, accomplishing so much that management had no more work for them to do; management laid them off for a week. After that, many workers substantially reduced their performance. Many also often engaged in horseplay, practical jokes, and other counterproductive work behaviors. Consequently, some members were productive and others were not. Performance declined even further when a substitute manager arrived. The case is told from the perspective of a new employee. It offers students an excellent opportunity to apply theories and concepts pertaining to motivation, group norms, socialization (lack of fit with the job culture), and poor management, when grappling with the problems presented in this case.

This case was prepared for inclusion in Sage Business Cases primarily as a basis for classroom discussion or self-study, and is not meant to illustrate either effective or ineffective management styles. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be an endorsement of any kind. This case is for scholarly, educational, or personal use only within your university, and cannot be forwarded outside the university or used for other commercial purposes.

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