Group Productivity in the North Dakota Division of U-Haul Co.
Communication
Productivity model (Saari 2006)
Productivity and income distribution development (...The organization which I chose to make recommendations on how to improve group productivity in, is the North Dakota Division of the U-Haul Company. After World War II there existed the widespread need for do-it-yourself moving equipment that would be available on a one-way, nationwide basis. In the summer of 1945, 29-year-old Sam Shoen and Wife Anna Mary tried to rent a utility trailer to move their possessions from Los Angeles to Portland, Ore. It couldn't be done. They had to take only what they could fit in the car. They recognized the need and acted upon it. During the drive, they came up with the name and formulated the outline of what was to become the U-Haul Trailer Rental System. The covered wagon of the pioneers morphed into orange U-Haul trailers. In the process, an industry was born (U-Haul.com).
Within the company there are different divisions throughout the United States and Canada. The division which I was hired to conduct research on is the North Dakota Division, I will be looking for any kind of problems they may have in their group productivity. After conducting research to see what the issues where within the groups, I have found there to be role conflicts, communication breakdowns, and lack of cohesion or excessive intergroup conflict. These issues can have a negative impact on the division's productivity. These are the findings which I will make recommendations to improve the group productivity for this division.
First let's look at what a group is, it is a collectivity of individuals who define themselves and are defined by others as group members. "A group is marked by common goals and specialized tasks related to those goals that require interaction and cooperation among members"...