OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

In Module one, I described the struggles of Elon Musk on the operations of Tesla.

I was curious to know what was the main contributors to the success of Tesla and the

obstacles that the organization has gone through. Initially, the problem I was interested in

was what are the challenges of specifically selling electric cars in the United States and

how the CEO has managed employees. My role in this is an outside journalist who will

cite specific stories that describe the treatment of employees. I have now done the

research of how the employees were treated and what happened in order for the company

to succeed.

2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

The human resources of the organization known as Tesla has many controversial

aspects involved. According to The New York Post, “Musk wasn’t social at all in the

workplace and would rarely interact with his subordinates unless he needed to address a

pressing issue” (Barrabi, 2022). In this specific example, Elon Musk takes a distant

approach to leadership and human resources. However, even though Elon Musk takes a

distant approach to leadership he is key on hiring people who are independent. A person

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 who worked at Tesla stated, “If Elon’s micromanaging you, you’re probably on your way

out, ‘cause he hires good people and lets them do their thing. He’s smart, but he also

knows how to hire smart people” (Barrabi, 2022). I relate this example to what I have

read in Module three, Chapter 3 Reading and Conversations. In this module we learn

about the idea of vertical coordination. Vertical coordination is means “higher levels

coordinate and control the work of sbuordinates through authority, rules and policies, and

planning control systems”. It seems in this case at Tesla that Elon Musk has taken the

opposite of this approach. Elon Musk hires the key people he needs and them gives them

autonomy to complete the tasks necessary. I would relate this specifically to later

coordination in the same module. Lateral coordination is “formal and informal meetings,

task forces, coordinating roles, matrix structures.”

3) Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

After reading Module 3, Chapter 5 Reading and Conversations, I was surprised

that many of the structures in this chapter recommend the style of leadership that Elon

Musk has created. According to the text, “Self-directed teams typically produce better

results and higher morale than groups operating under more traditional top-down

control”. This is almost identical to the action’s that Elon Musk took towards his

approach to hiring and leadership. According to Business Insider, “Tesla is hemorrhaging

highly talented, ferociously driven people who truly believe in the company’s vision and

continue to hope for its success”. I believe that this is a great process to hiring. However,

I learned from the same article, employee remark’s about Musk’s treated employees was

that they were, “bullied by Elon into making unrealistic commitments” (Kay, 2024). After

reading this, I would use human resources to create a healthier environment that didn’t

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 lead to so much stress to the employees. According to Module 3, Chapter 5 Reading

and Conversations, there is an approach where “Two individuals have authority over

specific areas of the group’s work. Information and decisions flow through them”. I would

take this human resource approach towards the issue at Tesla where employees feel

frustrated by tasks that feel impossible. By using this approach, I believe the employees

don’t have to respond directly to Musk but instead they can talk to the person above

them and ask for advice.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

The thing that I would do differently given what I have learned about this frame is

structuring Tesla in a way that allows employees to effectively and easily communicate

their frustrations without feeling scared or threatened. From my courses at ASU, I’ve

learned ways that promote healthy ways of dealing with issues within organizations. The

number one most important thing that I believe will help Tesla is creating a system that

values healthy communication overall. The first thing I would do at Tesla is ask the

employees what they feel they are struggling with while working for the company. This

would allow for a way for employees to come out and directly or indirectly voice their

opinions. After hearing what the opinions are of the employees, I would put new structure

into place that addresses these issues and makes sure the employees do not feel like their

tasks are impossible.

Overall, I find that between the Perusall readings about effective teams and what

Elon Musk has implemented in his own company are very similar. The approach to a

lateral organization creates many benefits that not only promote healthy communication

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 among employees but creates a safe way for them to voice their opinions. With this in

mind, I would not do much differently than Elon Musk has done with his company.

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 References

Barrabi, T. (2022) Ex-Tesla employee reveals what Elon Musk is like at work: ‘don’t argue with
him’, New York Post. Available at: https://nypost.com/2022/08/16/ex-tesla-employee-
reveals-what-elon-musk-is-like-at-work/ (Accessed: 28 January 2024).

Kay, G. (no date a) Read the internal tesla employee survey from 2018, where employees called
Elon Musk an ‘unapproachable tyrant’ who fires people ‘because of his ego’, Business
Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-employee-survey-elon-
musk-leadership-culture-compensation-complaints-2022-11 (Accessed: 28 January
2024).