Task: Real-Life Creative Problem Solving
Come up with an original and creative solution for the following real-world problem:
The Upper Management of Acme Company has been holding wage increases to a 6 percent level. The decision to hold wage increases came about from an effort to reduce product twice in the past year due to increased shipping costs of materials, and upper management does not feel that Acme can remain competitive if there are any future increases in the cost of their product. Unfortunately, the engineering job market in the area stands at about 12 jobs for every one trained engineer. Because of this, recruiters are cropping up and are enticing Acme's engineers with better jobs and better benefits. As of late, turnover among Acme's engineers has increased and productivity has decreased. Also, there is a considerable grumbling among current engineers about Acme's policy on wage increases. Mr. Wentworth, an executive vice president, has directed Scott to improve the situation in the engineering department. Mr. Wentworth feels that much of the dissatisfaction is based upon the recruiters' enticements of better opportunities in other places. The concern at Acme is to maintain a quality group of engineers at a high level of productivity. Management at Acme does not know how to solve this problem..

Response: Give the engineers and increase in wages or more vacation time to make them happier and to make their productivity go up. If their wages are increased then other projects will have to suffer because the money won't just fall out of the sky. Workers that aren't as important and whose job performances aren't  as good can be fired and a new workers can work for lower wages.
Human originality rating (0-100 scale): 31

Response: I think workers wages should be kept the same, but add a monthly bonus as an stimulus to keep working with ACME depending on their productivity.
Human originality rating (0-100 scale): 31

Response: Workers will stay at a place of work for various reasons, some of which include security of their job, positive and pleasurable work environment, adequate pay, and interest in work. All of which are controllable to some extent by management. Ensure the employees feel they're jobs are secure, perhaps with contracts. Emphasize positivity in the work place. Install a way of communication with the workers to ensure their pay and hours are acceptable. Finally, keep things new and innovative. Giving workers opportunities to have self-accomplishment will keep them intrigued in their work.
Human originality rating (0-100 scale): 31

Response: Try to recruit the less desirable engineers and spend more time in training them. Make small changes to the office aesthetics. It is proven that just adding plants increases productivity. Focus on the small things that make the day go smoother. These may cause difficulties in the short term but in the long term productivity should be up.
Human originality rating (0-100 scale): 39

Response: My suggestion to improve both the companies financial standing, and the wages of Acme engineers is to open up new material manufacturing and shipping locations. If financially plausible, this would provide the best return to the company over time by cutting the cost of both manufacturing and shipping product by reducing the amount of movement a product requires before it reaches the market. By reducing these shipping costs, over time the company will have a larger return and can increase the wages of Acme engineers. To combat this situation immediately, it may also be necessary to put some engineers in charge of the designing and building aspect of these manufacturing plants. This will keep engineers interested in their job by giving them some accountability for the success of the company, as well as a sense of pride for jobs because they know they are needed for such a specialized venture. While this doesn't' immediately solve the problem of reduced wage increases, being honest and straightforward with company employees about the situation will go a long way in keeping engineers content with their job. With the way the market is, people can understand that some companies need some time to turn themselves around and get back on their feet. If employees are notified of the smaller wage increases and projected future increases, they might be more willing to stick around in order to reap the rewards of an expanding, thriving company. As long as future wage projections are honest, there will be no reason for dissatisfaction or a decrease in productivity. Honesty is the key, and while some engineers may still be lost to other companies, it's very likely that many will hold their ground with a company that is very revealing and honest about its approach to business and how wages will be handled.
Human originality rating (0-100 scale): 50