Great Expectations

Essay #1: Logan Airport TSA

Commentators: Caroline Christy, Wen-Han Chuang, Daniel Ha, Olena Javorska,

Tania Lyerly, Nikolao Mafuli, Max Moline, Austin Stevenson, and Christie Stiehl

TA: Kelsey Pasmore

Professor Adam Goodman

February 2, 2010

TSA Logan Airport Security Breach Analysis

Requested by Mina OReilly, TSA Logan Airport STSO

Critical Issue & Justification

Mina, our analysis of TSA indicates a work environment unconducive to TSO
focus and motivation in providing protection and security for air travelers.
TSOs are dissatisfied with their co-workers due to their incompatible views
regarding their jobs purpose. Older TSOs envision their job as a matter of national
security while newer TSOs consider it simply a job. This growing rift between the
two waves is reflected in complaints by older TSOs who feel they cannot hold their
newer counterparts accountable. Due to this conflict, the employees lack of focus
created a work environment allowing the recent security breach.
Sanchezs decision to call his daughter while working illustrates a larger lack
of focus among TSOs in providing protection and security for air travelers. If an
exemplary employee felt being on the phone while working was appropriate, the
prevailing social norm regarding workplace conduct amongst TSOs is faulty.

Solution & Action Steps

Our action plan aims to create an environment that encourages TSOs to
maintain a high level of focus and motivation in order to provide the best possible
security and protection for air travelers. The solution features a two-step approach.
On the micro-level, you are given steps to drive change yourself. On the macro-level
you will have to initiate change by advocating change to your superiors.

Micro-Level

The TSO job description states that TSOs must be focused and aware on the
job but neglects to provide guidelines and expectations detailing how this can be
achieved. This lack of explicit expectations and enforcement thereof has
transformed the former statement into little more than a formality. To avoid this, it
is necessary to establish norms expected during work shifts and consequences for
breaking rules. A short seminar introducing your new expectations is in order.
Continue to reinforce and clarify these expectations in follow-up meetings. The
possibility of fines and suspensions may be necessary to change the existing social
norm. When employees see that expected social norms are becoming more serious,
the social norms will begin to realign with the established rules. Also, officially
instituting breaks into the work schedule will reduce the temptation for employees
to take a bathroom break or make a phone call when they are on duty. By providing
a separate time to engage in those behaviors, they can keep their minds focused
during work without being distracted by other needs.
In addition to establishing the norms and consequences expected during
TSOs shifts, you must renew focus and motivation by encouraging TSOs to work
together as a team. While Sanchezs inattention led to a security breach, it is
extremely likely that other TSOs engaged in similar behavior. To address this, have
weekly TSO group meetings in which TSOs can suggest improvements, receive
recognition, and provide intra-group feedback. Feedback forms for STSOs and TSOs
serve as methods of encouraging open communication between you and your
employees. Open communication will help build teamwork and a better work
environment which will, in turn, lead to higher levels of focus and motivation. You
can also encourage focus by rewarding exemplary service. Unlike Evolution, verbal
recognition can provide both personal and instantaneous gratification to the

outstanding employee. By rewarding outstanding work, a direct result of focus and

attention, you are positively encouraging the very behavior vital to the success of
this security layer.

Macro-Level
Although you cannot actively implement the above changes on a macro level,
you can advocate spreading them throughout the TSA. Ask your superiors to provide
guidelines on how to handle certain infractions based on risk assessment, rather
than the actual infraction. Your superiors prefer to handle situations in a policyoriented manne, as evidenced by their preference to make an example of Sanchez.
You must emphasize that the guidelines are not being implemented to crack down
on your TSOs. Instead, advocate creating new norms to build a positive and
enjoyable work environment that will better motivate TSOs to maintain a high level
of focus. The rules exist to support STSOs in their new expectations and if
disciplinary action is necessary.
In order to increase focus, you should also advocate a higher volume of
practice runs to help keep TSOs on their toes. Studies show that the more TSOs
expect to encounter illicit materials, the more likely they will be able to catch them
(Bazerman 2006). Quarterly TSA-wide meetings in which organizational policies are
implemented and feedback forms between TSOs and upper management will
reduce the disconnect between upper and lower level TSA staff. While your bosses
may attempt to reject these changes citing cost, you should argue that these
measures would greatly reduce the risk of costly blunders stemming from TSOs
current level of focus and motivation.

Measurements
Mina, here are some tools to measure success. If the number of practice runs
is increased, successful screenings will measure increased focus. The feedback
forms for STSOs and TSOs give insight into the cohesiveness of a TSA team on a
micro level. The feedback forms between the upper level management and the
TSOs also provide insight about whether the work environment is a positive one that
expects and maintains the focus necessary.

Ludo Sanchez
Mina, you should make Sanchez fully accountable in adapting to the new
changes and expectations promptly. He should also be tasked with making sure that
his other teammates are doing so as well. He should be able to adhere to this, given
that he has a positive influence on people around him and should be eager to prove
himself after the breach. Justify your approach to your supervisors by pointing to
the above action steps that are tailored to solving the larger critical issue at hand.

Conclusion
You now have a two-step framework to solve the critical issue on both the
micro and macro levels. Using our advice, you can foster a work environment that
encourages employees to focus on providing top-notch security and protection for
passengers. We wish you the best.

Annotated Bibliography

Bazerman, M. H. a. C., Dolly (2006) Decisions Without Blinders. Harvard Business

Review Volume, 88-97.

Bazerman defines and explains bounded awareness as cognitive blinders that

prevent a person from seeing, seeking, using, or sharing highly relevant, easily
accessible information during the decision-making process(81). If employees do
not expect to see information, they stop looking for it. Hence, Mina must implement
more practice runs to increase the chance of employees coming across a dangerous
item. This expectation of possible security breaches will reduce bounded awareness
and help employees stay concentrated on their work.
--Goldsmith, M. (1996). Ask, Learn, Follow Up, and Grow. The Leader of the Future. F.
Hesselbein, Goldsmith, Marshall, and Beckhard, Richard. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass:
227-237.

Goldsmith explains that the world is changing too rapidly for any person to keep up
with all available information. Therefore, it is important for the managers today to
constantly follow up with, acquire feedback and obtain advice from the employees
and the superiors. For Mina and her situation, there is a lack of understanding and
agreement within the team. By establishing weekly meetings and feedback forms,
the TSOs will be able to voice their opinions and express concerns so that their
superiors will be fully aware of flaws in the work environment and implement
changes when necessary.

--Heifetz, R. A., Laurie, Donald L. (2001). The Work of Leadership. Business

Leadership. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass: 543-576.

Heifetz and Laurie discuss how companies have to continuously adapt to changes,.
They stress that it is important for leaders to mobilize their organizations to adapt
its behaviors in order to thrive in new environments. As technology improves, TSA
must constantly re-adapt to new technologies, new tactics in security breaches, and
new ways of security as a whole. Mina, as the leader, has to set direction by
defining problems and providing solutions, set orientation by clarifying roles and
responsibilities, manage conflict, and maintain company norms.
--Hesselbein, Frances, and Marshall Goldsmith, eds. The Leader of the Future 2
Visions, Strategies, and Practices for the New Era (J-B Leader to Leader Institute/PF
Drucker Foundation). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006. Print.

Hesselbein and Goldsmith define leadership as the mobilization of different groups

within the context of problems and challenges. Instead of leaders and followers
there are active participates who, when mobilized, often lead by taking
responsibility for tackling challenges presented to them. Mina needs to mobilize the
TSOs in order for them to feel ownership over the situation. Once this occurs the
TSOs will have a stake in their work environment and will be motivated to address
problems or concerns that may arise.
---

Rogers, P. a. B., Marcia (2006) Who Has the D?: How Clear Decision Roles Enhance
Organizational Performance. Harvard Business Review Volume, 53-61.

Rogers talks about the decision making process with the key points including
aligning decision roles with the most important sources of value, making sure that
decisions are made by the right people at the right levels, and letting the people
who will live with the new process help design it. Mina was faced with a big decision,
and needed a framework with which to structure her decision-making and the
solution. With this information, it is possible to align the decision with the most
important sources of value within the company, and to make sure that the decisions
were directed at the right levels (micro and macro), and that the TSOs themselves
are involved with creating the new work environment.
--Rowe, W. G. (2007). Team Leadership. Cases in Leadership. W. G. Rowe. Thousand
Oaks, California, Sage Publications: 271-276.

Rowe identifies the internal and external actions necessary for leaders in order to
promote team effectiveness. He focuses on three specific actions within a leaders
capacity, including task, relational, and environmental. Mina has many internal task
leadership actions as well as internal relational actions she must implement to
benefit the TSA. The internal task leadership actions that are beneficial to Mina
include making sure her team is focused on appropriate goals, training team
members through developmental/educational seminars, and setting and
maintaining appropriate standards for individual and team performance. The
internal relational actions that are beneficial to Mina include encouraging

collaboration among team members (through intragroup feedback which

ultimately holds the team members accountable), enhancing team commitment,
satisfying the trust and support needs of team members, and being fair and
consistent in exercising principled behavior.
--Schein, E. H. (1992). Defining Organizational Culture. The Leader's Companion:
Insights on Leadership Through the Ages. J. T. Wren. New York, The Free Press: 271281.

Schein explains how important cultures are in influencing the effectiveness of

organizations. As we have indicated, we feel that the norms and expectations
currently set in place at TSA are contributing to an ineffective culture in which
employees lack the focus and motivation to provide protection and security for
airport travelers. While Schein defines organizational culture as, the customs and
rituals that societies develop over the course of their history, we believe there are
critical changes in the culture at TSA that Mina can implement in order to foster a
culture in which employees feel stimulated in their work environment. As Schein
details, it is of utmost importance for Mina to understand the cultural issues taking
place within her organization for the facilitation of change to occur.
--Wren, J. Thomas. The Leader's Companion Insights on Leadership Through the Ages.
New York: Free, 1995. Print.

Wren focuses on situational leadership, and explains it to be a way of adapting

leadership behaviors to features of the situation and the followers. The leader

provides what is lacking in the situation. Mina needs to assess her situation. There
is a lack of clear expectations, guidelines, and rules regarding proper workplace
conduct and she therefore must provide a behavioral model that will fit the given
situation in order to achieve the desired results of focused and motivated
employees.