1. D inesh, an young executive in Softech Ltd.
, has become irritable, unpopular
with colleagues and subordinates; and a problem for the boss. His
performance has started to slacken and mistakes plague his every action and
recommendation. What is surprising is just three months back Dinesh was
quite opposite of all these. He also has a brilliant track record. With a gold
medal from a prestigious B-school, Dinesh entered his vocational area of
finance and proved an instant success. He has revamped the cost and
budgetary control systems, set up a management accounting procedure, and
created a reliable and efficient management information system. Dinesh
received awards and is slated to climb up the organisational hierarchy
further. Yet, such a man has gone to pieces all of a sudden. Several things
transpired against Dinesh. His only son has turned out to be a spastic child,
he has been overlooked for a promotion, with a less flamboyant outsider
being preferred for the No. 1 slot by the management, which has suddenly
exhibited its preference to a traditional accountant and he has fallen foul of a
powerful line executive. To compound the problem further, what had been a
mild flirtation with an office colleague has assumed the proportion of a
major sex scandal. With his emotional relationships in a mess and worried
about his sons health and his own future in Softech, Dineshs morale has
gone bust. His self-confidence has been rudely shaken.
QUESTIONS 1. How would the knowledge of OB help describe these
sudden happenings in the life of Dinesh?
2. Compare the character of Dinesh with Vijay (opening case) and draw
similarities and dissimilarities.
3. What should Dinesh do now?
2. Differing Perceptions at Clarkston Industries
Susan Harrington continued to drum her fingers on her desk. She had a real
problem and wasnt sure what to do next. She had a lot of confidence in Jack
Reed, but she suspected she was about the last person in the office who did.
Perhaps if she ran through the entire story again in her mind she would see
the solution.
Susan had been distribution manager for Clarkston Industries for almost
twenty years. An early brush with the law and a short stay in prison had
made her realize the importance of honesty and hard work. Henry Clarkston
had given her a chance despite her record, and Susan had made the most of
it. She now was one of the most respected managers in the company. Few
people knew her background.
Susan had hired Jack Reed fresh out of prison six months ago. Susan
understood how Jack felt when Jack tried to explain his past and asked for
another chance. Susan decided to give him that chance just as Henry
Clarkston had given her one. Jack eagerly accepted a job on the loading
docks and could soon load a truck as fast as anyone in the crew.
Things had gone well at first. Everyone seemed to like Jack, and he made
several new friends. Susan had been vaguely disturbed about two months
ago, however, when another dock worker reported his wallet missing. She
confronted Jack about this and was reassured when Jack understood her
concern and earnestly but calmly asserted his innocence. Susan was
especially relieved when the wallet was found a few days later.
The events of last week, however, had caused serious trouble. First, a new
personnel clerk had come across records about Jacks past while updating
employee files. Assuming that the information was common knowledge, the
clerk had mentioned to several employees what a good thing it was to give
ex-convicts like Jack a chance. The next day, someone in bookkeeping
discovered some money missing from petty cash. Another worker claimed to
have seen Jack in the area around the office strongbox, which was open
during working hours, earlier that same day.
Most people assumed Jack was the thief. Even the worker whose wallet had
been misplaced suggested that perhaps Jack had indeed stolen it but had
returned it when questioned. Several employees had approached Susan and
requested that Jack be fired. Meanwhile, when Susan had discussed the
problem with Jack, Jack had been defensive and sullen and said little about
the petty-cash situation other than to deny stealing the money.
To her dismay, Susan found that rethinking the story did little to solve his
problem. Should she fire Jack? The evidence, of course, was purely
circumstantial, yet everybody else seemed to see things quite clearly. Susan
feared that if she did not fire Jack, she would lose everyones trust and that
some people might even begin to question her own motives.
Case Questions
Explain the events in this case in terms of perception and attitudes. Does
personality play a role?
What should Susan do? Should she fire Jack or give him another chance?
