This case focuses on the complexity of human behavior, examining ‘hidden’ aspects of individual, interpersonal, group, and managerial processes. It provides rich opportunities for student exploration of such issues as perception, inferences, feelings, needs, power, victimization, and ethical standards. It also encourages students to decide for themselves if performance appraisals can be potential management licenses to terminate. A further challenge is to understand another’s behavior, as opposed to judging and making inappropriate inferences.

An important aspect of student analysis is developing valid decision criteria on promotion, transfer, dismissal, and ethical conduct. An essential goal is recognizing that individual subjectivity cannot be eliminated. The challenge is to minimize bias and consciously formulate logical inferences as a proxy for facts unavailable at the time. To distinguish and accept what cannot be changed, to determine positive means for dealing with solvable problems, and to know when to ‘bail out’ of a personally destructive situation is a final challenge and mark of mature decision making

Jack Criste, the narrator, is assigned to work in the same New York sales territory as Willy Williams, a new hire with pharmaceutical experience. Initially, the two have infrequent contacts, until the District Manager makes them a team. Criste, a successful sales representative, finds his teammate contributing little, but claiming credit for a ‘joint’ effort. Perceived differences lead to an argument over the Yiddish term ‘Schvatsah.’ Williams, with his Afro American heritage, argues it means ‘nigger,’ while Criste, with his Jewish heritage, insists the Yiddish meaning was ‘black.’ Tensions are evident in the relationship until Williams, to the surprise of Criste and others, is promoted District Manager of the Boston sales territory.

Based on consistently negative reports from Boston division contacts, Criste is grateful he is not subject to Williams’ harsh, victimizing, but successful techniques, to boost sales. Six months later, however, he learns that Williams is being transferred to ‘realign’ the New York division. Williams would now be his manager. Criste, who had prior first-hand information on Williams, now has to operate largely on inferences. Are the Boston-based reports of individual harassment, abuse, terminations, defamation, and unpleasant working conditions, exaggerations or perceptual bias? Are these perceptions those of disgruntled or terminated employees? Timely decision and action is now essential in Criste’s career.
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Contact Person: Peter B. Venuto, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 USA
Mail: RR5 Box 511, Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Voice: 570-784-8208; FAX 570-389-3892; e-mail: venuto@uplink.net

The case was developed from an extensive review of secondary sources and from field research. The primary objectives of the case are to provide students the opportunity:

1. to better understand the issues and complexities of sexual harassment in the workplace,

2. to evaluate the company’s right to prescribe employee behavior against the employee’s right to be free from undue harassment and stress, and

3. to gain appreciation for the problems of implementation of a quality improvement program within a large, complex organization.

The case is intended for use chiefly in undergraduate and graduate courses in human resource management, organizational behavior, general management, business ethics, or legal environment. Also, the case could be used in other courses which address issues of sexual harassment, management ethics, cultural diversity, customer service, quality improvement, or business/managerial communication.

The case describes the dispute between Safeway Inc., the nation’s second largest supermarket chain, and its retail clerks about the ?Superior Service Program, a controversial quality improvement program introduced to enhance customer service in the fiercely competitive grocery business. In January 1998, Safeway renewed emphasis on its five-year old Superior Customer Service program that required retail employees to become aggressively friendly and helpful in interacting with store customers. Safeway utilized undercover or ?secret" shoppers who pose as customers and report to management on the employees’ compliance with the program’s standards.

During the spring and summer of 1998, some employees, primarily women, began to object to the program, claiming that Safeway’s orders to greet, smile, make eye contact with, use the customer’s name, and otherwise engage all patrons caused certain customers to misinterpret their behavior. They reported that some customers hit on them, making lewd comments, asking about their marital status, following them when they left work, touching them, or even grabbing them. Safeway has generally defended the appropriateness and effectiveness of the program in advancing corporate objectives. In late 1998, after five employees filed charges with the EEOC and the State of California alleging that the program encourages sexual harassment by creating a hostile work environment, Safeway must prepare its response to the plaintiffs.

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Contact Person: Thomas R. Miller, Professor of Management, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152-6460
Voice: (901) 678-4563; Fax: (901) 678-2685; E-mail: thmiller@memphis.edu

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Disability Dilemma is appropriate for use in graduate and undergraduate human resource management courses. It explores a dilemma faced by an increasing number of managers trying to cope with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students will learn what the ADA and recent court decisions say about mental disabilities in the workplace and the accommodations organizations must make. In addition, narcissistic personality disorder, which is a particularly difficult personality disorder with which to deal in the workplace, is defined. Most perpetrators of workplace violence suffer from narcissistic personality disorder. Because of the sensitivity of the material, names of individuals and organizations have been disguised, but the people and events described are real. The case requires students to do internet or library research to make their decisions.

A good alternate title for this case would be sexual harassment meets the Americans with Disabilities act (ADA) and workplace violence. Harold Warren, Dean of Faculties at Valley Tech, has to decide what do about Dr. Joseph Smedley, a tenured professor with over twenty years of experience, who has a long history of abusive behavior and sexual harassment charges. Dean Warren has received two complaints about Dr. Smedley, one from someone in the community. It has been suggested by a faculty member in Psychology that Dr. Smedley may suffer from narcissistic personality disorder which may make him eligible for protection under the ADA.

Faced with a sexual harassment complaint and a simultaneous complaint of abusive behavior at a local business establishment, Dean Warren must decide what to do about Dr. Smedley.

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Contact Person: John E. Oliver, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 31698
Mail: 1500 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31698
Voice: (912) 245-2236 FAX: (912) 245-6498; e-mail: joliver@valdosta.edu

This case highlights management problems that occur when an organization experiences a period of organizational decline and change. The case describes problems and issues relating to motivation, work environment, culture, rewards, leadership, communication, and commitment. The case is presented from the perspective of an employee at Moody’s Investors Services. The case is primarily based on field research and supplemented with information from secondary sources. The case is appropriate for graduate and undergraduate courses in organizational behavior, principles of management, and human resources management. The names of the individuals have been changed. The case could be taught in either a fifty-minute class or a one hour and twenty minute class.

This case recounts Anna Light’s work experiences as an analyst and associate editor at the Financial Information Services (FIS), a division of Moody’s Investor Services, a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet Corporation. Anna was hired straight out of college as an analyst in the Handbook Group. FIS had recently relocated from New York City to Charlotte, NC. Anna’s first few years at Moody’s were very positive. She quickly developed a reputation as an excellent analyst. When presented with the opportunity for new work, Anna quickly accepted the new challenges. During her third year at Moody’s, Anna was promoted to Associate Editor in the Handbook Group.

When Anna was hired, Moody’s was viewed favorably as an employer that provided good benefits, and had a long history, as well as a respected reputation. Not long after Anna started to work at Moody’s, working conditions began to change. Moody’s stopped giving end of year bonuses, no longer organized the Christmas party, and eliminated company paid lunches at the end of the production cycle. Employee morale declined significantly. There were two changes in the management structure at FIS. From Anna’s perspective, these changes created more problems than they solved. In addition, the technology resources at FIS were not adequate. The technology shortcomings in the Handbook Group were particularly bad. Anna and others in her department made three requests for updated computer hardware and software. Each time management had promised to address the technology problems, and each time the promises were never kept. After four years with FIS, Anna became disillusioned about her job, the company, and her prospects for the future. Anna started arriving at work late and began avoiding her coworkers. She no longer made the effort to finish projects ahead of schedule as her boss often distributed work from those who were behind schedule. Anna reasoned, "Why finish my work so I can do other’s work?" Anna wondered, "What should I do next?"

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Contact Person: I. E. Jernigan, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223. Telephone: (704) 547-4302, FAX (704) 547-3123, e-mail: ejernign@email.uncc.edu

This case captures the historicity and complexity bound into even apparently simple decisions. This case starts with an employee firing resulting from a random drug test. The case then retraces an interesting history that is useful to explain but not necessarily to condone a serious breach of policy. It has implications for human resources, business policy, management, or international studies.

This case is best suited to a graduate Human Resource Management, Organization Theory, or International Management course. It could also be useful in an Organization Development course or in a Business Policy course that stresses implementation issues or in an Advanced HR Management course at the undergraduate level. Because of the range of issues covered in this case it has many potential uses. Some of the issue available for discussion in this case include policy administration, communications, problems of an authoritarian management style and a lack of leadership. Problems were created as well by conflicts between management styles, organizational culture and work technology.

The case traces the history of a US based operation of Ceramique, S.A., a French company. The initial domestic operation based in New Jersey marketed glass lined vessels to chemical and pharmaceutical companies. They later added additional manufacturing duties. After initial successes Ceramique opened a manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The new plant was improperly managed and several management changes occurred. The case details the struggles that ensued from these changes. The new US president Mr. Warren and the new controller, Ms. Harrison appeared to coalesce but also created a highly politicized environment. The narrator of the case, Elton Gates, and his boss Chris Cobb represent the resistant coalition that must choose how to act in a firing that violated Human Resource policy and infringed on their authority.

This case provides an extensive organizational history so that the student can interpret current actions in light of historical and cultural factors. Arriving at a simple cause for the firing is unlikely because there are many plausible theories. When looked at together, all various theories are interconnected and indicative of a dysfunctional organization. Many problems can be found to have contributed to creating an environment that allowed the situation to occur.

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Contact Person : Granger Macy, Texas A&M- Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi TX 78412.  Voice 361-825-5690 Fax: 361-825-5609; E-mail: gmacy@falcon.tamucc.edu

This case consists of four incidents that cover a 20 million dollar building renovation project at San Jose State University, CA (SJSU) during its sixteen month construction period. It is intended to be used in a semester's course with the incidents being distributed approximately every three weeks.

The case was written to demonstrate the required attention to details to successfully manage a complex project. Students will obtain a feel for the real world, will understand that the successful completion of any size project requires attention to the smallest detail, and that "for the want of a nail the war was lost."

This teaching case was written for undergraduate or graduate courses in Project Management and is expected to be useful in any course to illustrate management problems in planning, monitoring and control of a project. The case will also be useful in courses in, Management, Operations Management, Construction Management, Facilities Management, and Organizational Behavior.

College of Business Dean Marshall Burak had been working on a project to renovate the Business Classroom Building for more than four years. The building was 27 years old and in need of significant repair. There were three major steps; obtaining the funding from private and public sources, installing temporary classrooms for a 12-month period, and renovating the building. The case opens at the start of the 2nd step when Dean Burak learns that the project is already 2 months behind schedule and follows through to completion.

The major source of data for the case is the actual notes taken directly from the regularly scheduled project meeting. A number of actual problems both big (obtaining approval for the fire alarm system) and small (setting up a bulletin board in the temporary units) are included in the case. The four parts of the case are: Part A Introduction, list of key individuals, and first indication of problems.

Part B Start up and set up of temporary classrooms.

Part C Demolition and abatement of toxins from Building.

Part D Renovation of building and completion of project.

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Contact Person:  Burton V. Dean, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192
Mail: 11 Susan Gail Court, Menlo Park, CA 94025-6684
Voice (408) 924-3551; Fax (408) 924-3555; E-Mail bvdean@aol.com

This case is intended for an undergraduate course in management or organizational behavior. This case can also be used in a course on entrepreneurship or conflict management. The case is positioned to discuss the managerial and organizational skills needed to bring a company through the stages of start-up, stabilization, and growth. Interpersonal and inter-group conflicts permeate the case, first as the young organization's needs exceed the skills of its young founder, and then with conflicting managerial styles and perspectives as various individuals vie for power. Cultural differences play a subtle role, as the differences in style between British, American, and Czech managers exacerbate differences in individual style. The lack of staff permanence and continuity, financial stability or predictability, and managerial and leadership competence have threatened the survival of the organization. The case focuses on the growth and development of an American-style college in Prague and the successes and conflicts among the management team. This case is based on field research, in cooperation with the host organization.

The Anglo-American College in Prague (AAC) was started in 1991, shortly after the Velvet Revolution ushered in the Czech Republic's new era of independence and market-driven competitiveness. The underfunded state universities' inability to supply the multinational companies' desires for English-speaking managers and employees, provided the opportunity for new providers of university-level education. AAC had no trouble attracting students and faculty, but sparse funding kept its administrative staff lean and facilities and student support services poor. Jansen Raichl, AAC's founder and visionary, had kept AAC afloat with a combination of personal control, financial support, and hard work. Despite his efforts, student and faculty discontent reached crisis proportions during the spring semester of 1994. Most of the founding board left to start a new, competing college and subsequent disagreements among the remaining faculty and administration resulted in changes in leadership and a reorganization of the governing board and administrative functions of the college.

This case chronicles AAC's turnaround from 1994 through 1996, and highlights the pulling together of the administration, faculty and students to save the college. The hiring of a new Administrative Director and the acquisition of a permanent building brought renewed enthusiasm and cohesiveness among the faculty and students. Aggressive fundraising efforts enabled AAC to reopen its doors with better equipment, a library, and computers. The deft negotiations skills of AAC's new Administrative Director are contrasted with his secretive and controlling management style. Further management difficulties prompted another round of faculty and student unrest, and a move by the executive committee to oust the Director who had been so pivotal in AAC's turnaround just two years before.
 

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Contact Person: Joan Winn, University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, Denver, CO 80208, 303-871-2192, fax 303-871-2294, internet: jwinn@du.edu.

This case describes the impact of rapid organizational change on an employee of Exxon, a large multinational corporation. A key issue, from the perspective of the employee, is how to adjust to the changes, particularly, whether to retire early to avoid further changes. The case also illustrates central human resource problems for multinational companies, primarily, how to retain valued employees during times of career uncertainty created by structural organizational change.

Students are expected to understand the human consequences of organizational change as well as the organizational requirement to change to remain competitive in a turbulent business environment. A key objective of the case is to illustrate the various tensions between individuals and organizations. Another objective is to focus on the dynamics of organizational change and promote discussion of alternative strategies for managing rapid change and the human beings that are affected by the changes.

The Instructor’s Manual is written for advanced undergraduate and MBA courses with titles such as The Management of Organizations, Change Management, Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management.

Jason Becker, a long-time employee of Exxon, is confronted with an unexpected career choice. After a temporary assignment in London, Jason is informed that Exxon is closing the Florham Park, New Jersey office where he has worked for many years, and permanently relocating him to London. Jason is near retirement and feels that the relocation, which is the result of corporate downsizing, is difficult to accept because of family obligations in New Jersey.

An epilogue reports that in consultation with his family, Jason decided to retire at the age of 56 rather than accept a transfer to Virginia after his assignment in London ended.

The case focuses on the actions of Jason Becker in response to the rapid changes in the organizational structure of Exxon. As such, it does not present traditional case topics such as the company’s history, employment policies, and financial condition. Instructors and students interested in this type of information--some may view it as necessary to understand and analyze the case--can use Exxon’s web site www.exxon.com for this information.

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Contact Person: Barry Allen Gold, Pace University, New York, NY 10038
Mail: 57 Sykes Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039 USA
Voice: 973 994-9847; e-mail: Bgold20028@aol.com

This case demonstrates the difficulty of predicting and preventing workplace violence. The analysis focuses on workplace security, warning signs of potential violence, and cause for and handling of the perpetrator’s dismissal. Unique aspects of violence in government employment also are addressed.

The teaching note was written for graduate courses in human resources management, organizational behavior, and conflict management. In 1990, workplace homicide became the second leading cause of death at the workplace, after traffic accidents. Suddenly, it seemed, workers were firing back at employers in response to perceived injustices at the workplace and fear of job loss. Supplemental handouts on the workplace violence phenomenon are provided.

On October 6, 1998, the mayor of the City of Riverside, California, and five city councilors gathered at City Hall for a meeting in a conference room near the council chambers. Joseph Neale, a former part-time parks and recreation employee, burst into the room shooting a 9-milimeter semiautomatic handgun. Seven people were wounded or injured, including Neale. One councilor averred the officials survived because Neale was a "lousy shot." He was shooting a powerful pistol with one hand, instead of two, which affected his accuracy. Neale’s trial on attempted murder, kidnapping, and firearms charges is scheduled for September 1999.

Neale was laid off in 1994. He sued the City in 1995, alleging discrimination based on age and race (Neale is an African-American), intentional infliction of emotional distress, and denial of free speech under the First Amendment (government employees enjoy constitutional job protections). He contended he was fired in part because of a 54-page letter he wrote in March 1994 to President Bill Clinton, Governor Pete Wilson, community and religious leaders, and local media representatives, among others. The letter protested the lack of educational and recreational activities for minority youth. A judge dismissed the discrimination and emotional distress charges, while the free speech charge was scheduled for a hearing on October 19, 1998.

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Contact Person: Dianne R. Layden, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA 92373
Mail: P. O. Box 3080, Redlands, CA 92373 USA
Voice: (909)-748-6260, (909)-793-4133; FAX: (909)-335-5125; e-mail: layden@uor.edu

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The key issue of this case is, "Is there an issue?" As such, it highlights the necessity of deciding which situations merit managerial involvement before proceeding to analysis and action.

The case relates an incident which might be evidence of a close personal relationship in the workplace, which might have come into play in a business decision. The initial debate as to why this is or isn’t an issue and what, if any, managerial action is appropriate, provides the basis for a discussion of the advisability and content of organizational policies about close personal relationships in the workplace. The case can be the basis for a follow-up group project to draft such a policy. The case is intended for use towards the end of an undergraduate level Human Resources Management course, and would also be relevant to an Business Ethics course.

Jane Michels is a young up-and-coming project manager at The Norton Group, a company which designs, installs, and trains personnel on Point of Sales (POS) computer systems. In that capacity, she heads a large work group of 42 people, four project supervisors who report to her directly, and 38 associates who nominally also report to her, but are more directly managed by the project supervisors to whom they are assigned on a project-by-project basis. Jane is responsible for selecting the supervisors and teams of associates for various projects, and she has come to trust the opinion of Bill Anderson, a senior supervisor in her work group, on these matters.

An important high-profile project has just been assigned to Jane, and she is eager to have it go well. In the supervisors’ meeting to select the team for it, Bill Anderson advocates for the inclusion of Tammy Jenkins, a relatively new but promising associate. However, Sandy Grant, the supervisor actually assigned to that project has had difficulty working with Tammy. The meeting ends without resolving the issue, but before leaving for the day, Jane decides to include Tammy on the team.

Later that evening, while Jane is out socially with a group of friends from high school, she notices Bill Anderson and Tammy Jenkins having dinner together in a quiet corner of the restaurant! This is a surprise to Jane, and causes her to wonder about Bill Anderson’s objectivity earlier that day, and to second guess her as yet unannounced decision to put Tammy on the project team.

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Contact Person: Suzanne Richardson
Mail: 90 Haig Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA R2H 0C3
Voice: (204) 237-9867; E-mail: annick@pangea.ca

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Organizational structure is a difficult topic for students to learn and faculty to teach. This case deals with perhaps the two most fundamental and important structural issues-how to achieve cross-functional integration and how to design a structure to achieve two critical objectives. The case takes place in a human service organization.

The objectives include:

• to have students struggle with organization design issues when an organization has two ostensibly different goals;
• to understand the key organizational structure problem of cross functional integration in a non-traditional context and to have students think creatively about how organizations might resolve the cross-functional integration problem; and
• to learn about an interesting social service/business organization; for (both business and non-business) students to see that some key organizational structure issues are very similar in not-for-profits.

Beacon Industries (established in Cleveland in 1975) is a community rehabilitation program serving individuals with disabilities. The company has a very clear mandate relating to the development of skills of the handicapped. But insofar as the company’s survival is dependent on standard business success of its manufacturing enterprise in a competitive, non-subsidized environment, business goals such as profitability, quality and efficiency need to be pursued with effort equal to the social service goals.

The case focuses on the dilemma that the first-line supervisors feel insofar as they are at the intersection of these two objectives. They are the ones carrying out much of the skill development mandate and they are on the "firing-line" with regard to the manufacturing operations. The key problem is how to evolve a structure and processes that serve to satisfy objectives that at times appear to be in conflict-human service rehabilitation and training objective and the need for profit.

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Contact Person: Edward G. Wertheim, College of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115 (617 373-4725), e-mail wertheim@neu.edu

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This case analyzes inter-group and inter-ethnic conflict over a publicly shared resource. The disputing organizations have diverse histories, cultures, and values that affect their interests, their interpretation of the conflict and their approaches to conflict resolution. Questions pertaining to inter-group conflict and communication, interplay of culture and organizational goals and values are intended to increase students’ awareness of the contemporary challenges facing domestic organizations as we become a more diverse society and as cultural groups within the U.S. become more visible and central players in organizational dynamics. The case illustrates, furthermore, conflict escalation and conflict resolution approaches within a cross-cultural context.

The Instructor’s Manual suggests that this case would work well in an upper division undergraduate and a graduate course in business and management. It can be utilized as a teaching module in an organizational behavior/theory course, or in a business and society course, a workforce diversity course, or a course or module on American Indian business and management.

The Pueblo of Sandia, an American Indian nation located to the north of Albuquerque, New Mexico, contends that the northwest face of the majestic Sandia Mountains has always been its homeland and was secured by the former Spanish colonial government in the 18^th century in a land grant title. The United States government and several other organizations, including a coaltion of mountainside private homeowners disagree. Since 1983, when the Pueblo staked an official claim to the contested land, political, legal and diplomatic attempts to resolve the dispute have not resolved the differences among the affected organizations.

Recently, the disputing organizations agreed to mediation as a conflict resolution strategy. Past strategies included shaping public opinion through several media outlets, federal administrative rulings, court rulings, and face-to-face negotiation. The opposing organizations, coupled with Indian gaming issues, have forced the Pueblo of Sandia representatives to negotiate using contemporary strategies and to respond to external organizations while still maintaining a traditionally-based tribal government and values.

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Contact person : Terri A. Bitsie, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
Mail: 2115 Corte del Caballo, N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87120
Phone: (505) 831-6096; Fax: (505) 277-7108; e-mail: tbitsie@unm.edu