What can Mary Roberts do about the resentful senior employees
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Principles and Practice of Management
Case Studies
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
Bob Ford was a management trainee in a
large casualty insurance company. He had been hired 18 months previously and
was only now in the latter stages of the program. His present assignment was in
one of the large branches the company had in an urban Centre. Most of his work
involved experience analysis of the many large policy holders serviced by this
branch. John Crane, the branch manager, had mentioned the possibility of a
permanent assignment to the branch when the training period was completed. Bob reacted
favorably, since he admired Crane and they got along well. During a recent
review Crane told him that he was the best trainee assigned to the branch since
Crane had been manager. Naturally Bob was pleased with his compliment and
looked forward to the promised permanent assignment. An opening developed at
the branch when one of the senior analysts was transferred to company
headquarters. Though Bob had not fully completed the training program, Crane
offered him the position, thinking him fully
qualified for the opening. Bob accepted
and was told by his boss that the formal request was going in to the
headquarters personnel department that day and he should be ready to move into
the job in two weeks, when the incumbent’s transfer was to take place. Crane
went to the company’s headquarters the next day for a meeting with his
superior. In the course of the discussion Crane was told about the company’s
affirmative action plan, which they were required to file under fair employment
practice legislation. Crane’s boss went on to say that the company had to
promote more women to responsible positions, and since there was an opening in
Crane’s branch they were going to promote a young woman in the management
training program to fill the opening. This woman had only been with the company
11 months and still had a considerable learning period to face. Crane was
flabbergasted and told his boss of the offer to Bob Ford and its acceptance.
The boss refused to listen and said that adherence to the affirmative action
plan was paramount, since the company’s record was less than desirable in the
area of equal employment opportunity. Crane asked what he was going to tell
young Ford, and the boss replied, “Tell him not to worry; he’ll get the next
opening”. “Why, all we are doing ispracticing reverse discrimination and not
paying much attention to qualifications either”, said Crane. “That’s about it”,
the boss replied.
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
Should a company practice reverse discrimination to comply with civil rights
legislation? Explain.
Q2.
What can Mr. Crane tell Bob Ford?
Q3.
What should Ford do?
Q4.
What are the moral arguments pros and cons for affirmative action program to
reverse discrimination?
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The case summarizes the career of
Indian Cricketer Mohammad Shami. Shami was born in a remote village called
Sahaspur, Uttar Pradesh. He developed a deep passion for fast blowing from his
teenage days and dreamt of playing for the national team. Shami struggled for a
year in clubs of Kolkata before getting selected in the Bengal Under22 team.
Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian Cricket Team recognized his talent
during net practice sessions and recommended him for the Bengal Ranji team in
2010. Shami was signed on by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2011 session of
the Indian Premier League. In 2005, Tousif Ali (Ali) sent his 15yearold son,
Mohammad Shami (Shami), from Sahaspur, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, North
India, to Kolkata in the hope of securing a better future for him in cricket.
Ali, himself had been a fast bowler in his younger days in a village team. He
saw the deep passion Shami had for cricket as a teenager. He had earlier taken
him to Badruddin Siddique, a cricket coach in Moradabad, 22 km from the
village. Shami bowled exceptionally well in the under19 trials but couldn’t
make it to the team. With Uttar Pradesh not having an organized club system for
cricket, Shami had no choice but to leave his hometown to Kolkata.
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
Discuss the importance of patience, perseverance and passion in success.
Q2.
Explain how clubs, state level and domestic matches help grooming of cricketers
for the national cricket team.
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
The purpose of this case study is to
explain a specific type of intervention that is both an interpersonal
intervention, and also a techno structural intervention. A fictitious situation
of a conflict between three senior executives (called Role Incumbents) in a
work group is presented. Through an iterative process, each of these three
incumbents lists the tasks to be performed as a part of one’s role. This is
followed by an understanding of one’s tasks in relation to the others in terms
of extent of interaction. Finally, each of these role incumbents proposes a set
of behaviors expected of the other two role incumbents, leading to successful
working relation. Dave Franklin (Dave), VicePresident Operations, Agile Motors,
knew there was trouble brewing as soon as he stepped into the banquet hall.
Instead of a glittering array of crockery, vintage wine, and smartly dressed
waiters, all he could see was chaos, and two of his senior most executives Jane
Anniston (Jane, Manager Corporate Events)¸and Tim Malkovich (Tim, ManagerSales)
engaged in an animated argument. The hors d’oeuvres (appetizers) were there on
the tables but had not been arranged...
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
Discuss the reasons of conflict between the three role incumbents.
Q2.
Explain the role negotiation techniques to resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Q3.
Can role negotiation technique be applied to large work group? Give brief.
Q4.
Debate the threats or positive incentives which you think will yield the best
results in a role negotiation technique.
CASE STUDY (20 Marks)
Mary Roberts had been with the company
three years when she was promoted to manager of the tax department which was
part of the controller’s division. Roberts started with the company when she
graduated from college as an accounting major. She entered the organization as
a management trainee, and during the one year program she demonstrated
considerable leadership ability as an informal leader her peers. Mary also
impressed many senior managers in the company with her sense of responsibility
and her willingness to work hard. All of her training assignments were
completed on time with considerable skill for an inexperienced person. Since
she was very interested in tax accounting, Roberts was assigned to the tax
department to be developed further as staff
accountant. Within four months she
became a supervisor of ten staff as staff accountants to fill a vacancy created
by an unexpected early retirement. Her superior believed her to be the most
qualified individual to fill the position even though others in the department
had more experience in tax accounting. None, however, demonstrated leadership
ability or the commitment to work that Mary possessed. The tax department
manager was promoted to fill a vacancy in the financial planning department
eight months later, and he recommended to the controller that Mary Roberts be
promoted to fill the position he was leaving. He mentioned that her work was
excellent and that she was a very effective supervisor. The tax department had
45 employees including 3 supervisors, 10 clerical employees, and 3 typists.
Several people in the department were senior personnel with 10 to 30 years of
experience in tax work. Some of these were more technically knowledgeable in
taxation than Mary. There was some resentment in this group that so young a person
was made a department head, and three of these people were particularly upset
because they desired the promotion and felt they deserved it. What made them
even more upset was the fact that the tax manager did not discuss the promotion
with them.
Answer
the following question.
Q1.
What can Mary Roberts do about the resentful senior employees?
Q2.
Can higher management do anything to help Roberts make the transitions to
greater responsibility? Explain.
Q3.
Will her lack of technical knowledge hinder Mary’s managerial effectiveness?
Justify.
Q4.
Should Mary’s superior have discussed the promotion with the senior employees
before announcing it? Explain
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