Please read the case and answer the questions given at the end.
Ms. Renu had graduated with a degree in foreign languages. As the child of a military family, she had visited many parts of the world and had travelled extensively in Europe. Depsite these broadening exeriences, she had never given much thought to a career until her recent divorce.
Needing to provide her own income, Ms. Renu began to look for work. After a faily intense but unsuccessful search for a job related to her foreign language degree, she began to evaluate her other skills. She had become a proficient typist in college and decided to look into secretarial work. Although she still wanted a career utilizing her foreign language skills, she felt that the immediate financial pressures woudld be eased in a temporary secretarial position.
Within a short period fo time, she was hired as a clerk/typist in a typical pool at Life Insurance Company. Six months later, she became the top typist in the pool and and was assigned as secretary to Mrs. Khan' manager of marketing research. She was pleased to get out of the pool and to get a job that had more variety in the tasks to perform. Besides, she also got a nice raise in pay.
Everything seemed to proceed well for the next nine months. Mrs. Khan was pleased with Renu's work, and she seemed happy with her work. Renu applied for a few other more professional jobs in other areas during this time. However, each time her application was reiected for lack of related education and/or experi ence in the area.
Over the next few months, Khan noticed changes in Renu. She did not always dress as neatly as she had in the past, she was occasionally late for work, some of her lunches extended to two hours, and most of her productive work was done in the morning hours. Khan did not wish to say anything because Renu had been doing an excellent job and her job tasks still were being accomplished on time. How ever, Renu's job behaviour continued to worsen. She began to be absent frequently on Mondays or Fridays. The two-hour lunch periods became standard, and her work performance began to
deteriorate. In addition, Khan began to suspect that Renu was drinking heavily, due to her apearance some mornings and behavior after two-hour lunches.
Khan decided that she must confront Renu with the problem. However, she wanted to find a way to held her without losing a valuable employee. Before she could set up a meeting, Renu burst through her fdoor after lunch one day and said:
"I want to talk to you Mrs. Khan"
"That's fine," Khan replied. "Shall we set a convenient time?"
"No! I want to talk now."
"OK, why don't you sit down and let's talk?"
Khan noticed that Renu was slurring her words slightly and she was not too steady.
"Mrs. Khan, I need some vacation time."
"I'm sure we can work that out. You've been with company for over a year and have two weeks vacation coming."
"No, you don't understand. I want to start it tomorrow."
"But, Renu, we need to plan to get a temporary replacement. We can't just let your job go for two weeks".
"Why not ? Anyway anyone with an IQ above 50 can do my job. Besides,I need the time off. "
"Renu , are you sure you are all right ?"
"Yes, I just need some time away from the job."
Khan decided to let Renu have the vacation, which would allow her some time to decide what to do about the situation.
Khan thought about the situation the next couple of days. It was possible that Renu was an alcoholic.
However, she also seemed to have a negative reaction to her job. Maybe Renu was bored with her job. She did not have the experi ence or job skills to move to a different type of job at present. Khan decided to meet with the Personnel Manager and get some help developing her options to deal with Renu's problem.
Questions :
(a) What is the problem in your opinion ? Elaborate.
(b) How would you explain the behaviour of Renu and Mrs. Khan? Did Mrs. Khan handle the
situation timely and properly?
(c) Assume that you are the Personnel Manager. What are the alternatives available with Mrs.Khan?
What do you consider the best alternative? Why?
From India, Hyderabad
Ms. Renu had graduated with a degree in foreign languages. As the child of a military family, she had visited many parts of the world and had travelled extensively in Europe. Depsite these broadening exeriences, she had never given much thought to a career until her recent divorce.
Needing to provide her own income, Ms. Renu began to look for work. After a faily intense but unsuccessful search for a job related to her foreign language degree, she began to evaluate her other skills. She had become a proficient typist in college and decided to look into secretarial work. Although she still wanted a career utilizing her foreign language skills, she felt that the immediate financial pressures woudld be eased in a temporary secretarial position.
Within a short period fo time, she was hired as a clerk/typist in a typical pool at Life Insurance Company. Six months later, she became the top typist in the pool and and was assigned as secretary to Mrs. Khan' manager of marketing research. She was pleased to get out of the pool and to get a job that had more variety in the tasks to perform. Besides, she also got a nice raise in pay.
Everything seemed to proceed well for the next nine months. Mrs. Khan was pleased with Renu's work, and she seemed happy with her work. Renu applied for a few other more professional jobs in other areas during this time. However, each time her application was reiected for lack of related education and/or experi ence in the area.
Over the next few months, Khan noticed changes in Renu. She did not always dress as neatly as she had in the past, she was occasionally late for work, some of her lunches extended to two hours, and most of her productive work was done in the morning hours. Khan did not wish to say anything because Renu had been doing an excellent job and her job tasks still were being accomplished on time. How ever, Renu's job behaviour continued to worsen. She began to be absent frequently on Mondays or Fridays. The two-hour lunch periods became standard, and her work performance began to
deteriorate. In addition, Khan began to suspect that Renu was drinking heavily, due to her apearance some mornings and behavior after two-hour lunches.
Khan decided that she must confront Renu with the problem. However, she wanted to find a way to held her without losing a valuable employee. Before she could set up a meeting, Renu burst through her fdoor after lunch one day and said:
"I want to talk to you Mrs. Khan"
"That's fine," Khan replied. "Shall we set a convenient time?"
"No! I want to talk now."
"OK, why don't you sit down and let's talk?"
Khan noticed that Renu was slurring her words slightly and she was not too steady.
"Mrs. Khan, I need some vacation time."
"I'm sure we can work that out. You've been with company for over a year and have two weeks vacation coming."
"No, you don't understand. I want to start it tomorrow."
"But, Renu, we need to plan to get a temporary replacement. We can't just let your job go for two weeks".
"Why not ? Anyway anyone with an IQ above 50 can do my job. Besides,I need the time off. "
"Renu , are you sure you are all right ?"
"Yes, I just need some time away from the job."
Khan decided to let Renu have the vacation, which would allow her some time to decide what to do about the situation.
Khan thought about the situation the next couple of days. It was possible that Renu was an alcoholic.
However, she also seemed to have a negative reaction to her job. Maybe Renu was bored with her job. She did not have the experi ence or job skills to move to a different type of job at present. Khan decided to meet with the Personnel Manager and get some help developing her options to deal with Renu's problem.
Questions :
(a) What is the problem in your opinion ? Elaborate.
(b) How would you explain the behaviour of Renu and Mrs. Khan? Did Mrs. Khan handle the
situation timely and properly?
(c) Assume that you are the Personnel Manager. What are the alternatives available with Mrs.Khan?
What do you consider the best alternative? Why?
From India, Hyderabad
A) WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN YOUR OPINION?
When Ms. Renu's application was rejected, although her expectations about her dream job was high, due to SELF DE-MOTIVATION, she LOST INTEREST in her current job. Moreover, she was not feeling comfortable with her current job.
B) HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE BEHAVIOUR OF RENU AND MRS. KHAN?
Both were having excelling RELATIONSHIP at workplace. Mrs. Khan had understood Mrs. Renu's situation, which she noticed over a period of time.
DID MRS. KHAN HANDLE THE SITUATION TIME AND PROPERLY
To my knowledge and interpretation skills, Mrs. Khan tried did her best for Ms. Renu. Mrs. Khan is a good OBSERVER.
C) ASSUME THAT YOU ARE THE PERSONNEL MANAGER. WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE WITH MR. KHAN?
I don't want to assume but i would love to help Ms. Renu "TO UNLEASH HER HIDDEN TALENT" that could benefit organisation and support her CAREER GRAPH progressing within STIPULATED PERIOD OF TIME and proportional to her PERFORMANCE.
Due to BORING JOB, I don't want employee to die at workplace. I prefer to help those employees who are passionate to demonstrate their skills and wants to grow aggressively.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
288When Ms. Renu's application was rejected, although her expectations about her dream job was high, due to SELF DE-MOTIVATION, she LOST INTEREST in her current job. Moreover, she was not feeling comfortable with her current job.
B) HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE BEHAVIOUR OF RENU AND MRS. KHAN?
Both were having excelling RELATIONSHIP at workplace. Mrs. Khan had understood Mrs. Renu's situation, which she noticed over a period of time.
DID MRS. KHAN HANDLE THE SITUATION TIME AND PROPERLY
To my knowledge and interpretation skills, Mrs. Khan tried did her best for Ms. Renu. Mrs. Khan is a good OBSERVER.
C) ASSUME THAT YOU ARE THE PERSONNEL MANAGER. WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE WITH MR. KHAN?
I don't want to assume but i would love to help Ms. Renu "TO UNLEASH HER HIDDEN TALENT" that could benefit organisation and support her CAREER GRAPH progressing within STIPULATED PERIOD OF TIME and proportional to her PERFORMANCE.
Due to BORING JOB, I don't want employee to die at workplace. I prefer to help those employees who are passionate to demonstrate their skills and wants to grow aggressively.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
Here is a second case study
The reality of software development is a huge company like Microsoft-it employs more than 48,000 people- is that a substantial portion of your work involves days of boredom punctuated by hours of tedium. You basically spend your time in an isolated office writing code and sitting in meetings during which you participate in looking for and evaluating hundreds of current employees and potential employees. Microsoft has no problem in finding and retaining software programmers. Their programmers work for very long hours and obsess on the goal of shipping product.
From the day new employees begin at Microsoft, they know they are special. New hires all have one thing in common-they are smart. The company prides itself on putting all recruits through a grueling “interviewing loop”, during which they confront a barrage (an overwhelming number of questions or complaints) of brain-teasers by future colleagues to see how well they think. Only the best and the brightest survive to become employees. The company does this because Microsofties truly believe that their company is special. For example, it has high tolerance for non-conformity, would you believe that one software tester comes to work everyday dressed in extravagant Victorian outfits? . But the underlying theme that unites Microsofties is the belief that the firm has a manifest destiny to change the world.
The least important decision as programmer can have a large importance which it can affect a new release that might be used by 50 million people. Microsoft employees are famous for putting in long hours. One program Manager said “In my First Five Years, I was the Microsoft stereotype.
I lived on caffeine and vending-machine hamburgers and free beer and 20-hour work-days……I had no life…..I considered everything outside the building as a necessary evil”. More recently things have changed. There are still a number of people who put in 80-hour weeks, but 60 and 70 hour
weeks are more typical and some even are doing their jobs in only 40 hours.
No discussion of the employee life at Microsoft would be complete without mentioning the company’s lucrative stock option program. Microsoft created more millionaire employees, faster, than any company in American history-more than 10,000 by the late – 1990’s while the company is certainly more than a place to get rich, executive still realize that money matters. One former Manager claims that the human resources’ department actually kept a running chart of employee satisfaction versus the company’s stock price. “When the stock was up, human resources could turn off the ventilation and everybody would say they were happy. When the stock was down, we could give people Massages and they would tell us that the Massages were too hard.” In the go-go 1990’s, when the Microsoft stock was doubling every few months and yearly stock splits were predictable, employees not only got to participate in the Microsoft’s manifest destiny, they would get rich in the process. By the spring of 2002, with the world in a recession, stock prices down, and the growth for Microsoft products slowing, it wasn’t so clear what was driving its employees to continue the company’s dominance of the software industry.
Questions
1. If you were the programmer, would you want to work at Microsoft? Why or Why not?
2. How many activities in this case can you tie into specific motivation theories? List the activities; list the motivation theories, and how they apply.
3. As Microsoft continues to get larger and its growth rate flattens do you think Management will have to modify any of its motivation practices? Elaborate.
4. Can money act as a motivator? Explain.
From India, Hyderabad
The reality of software development is a huge company like Microsoft-it employs more than 48,000 people- is that a substantial portion of your work involves days of boredom punctuated by hours of tedium. You basically spend your time in an isolated office writing code and sitting in meetings during which you participate in looking for and evaluating hundreds of current employees and potential employees. Microsoft has no problem in finding and retaining software programmers. Their programmers work for very long hours and obsess on the goal of shipping product.
From the day new employees begin at Microsoft, they know they are special. New hires all have one thing in common-they are smart. The company prides itself on putting all recruits through a grueling “interviewing loop”, during which they confront a barrage (an overwhelming number of questions or complaints) of brain-teasers by future colleagues to see how well they think. Only the best and the brightest survive to become employees. The company does this because Microsofties truly believe that their company is special. For example, it has high tolerance for non-conformity, would you believe that one software tester comes to work everyday dressed in extravagant Victorian outfits? . But the underlying theme that unites Microsofties is the belief that the firm has a manifest destiny to change the world.
The least important decision as programmer can have a large importance which it can affect a new release that might be used by 50 million people. Microsoft employees are famous for putting in long hours. One program Manager said “In my First Five Years, I was the Microsoft stereotype.
I lived on caffeine and vending-machine hamburgers and free beer and 20-hour work-days……I had no life…..I considered everything outside the building as a necessary evil”. More recently things have changed. There are still a number of people who put in 80-hour weeks, but 60 and 70 hour
weeks are more typical and some even are doing their jobs in only 40 hours.
No discussion of the employee life at Microsoft would be complete without mentioning the company’s lucrative stock option program. Microsoft created more millionaire employees, faster, than any company in American history-more than 10,000 by the late – 1990’s while the company is certainly more than a place to get rich, executive still realize that money matters. One former Manager claims that the human resources’ department actually kept a running chart of employee satisfaction versus the company’s stock price. “When the stock was up, human resources could turn off the ventilation and everybody would say they were happy. When the stock was down, we could give people Massages and they would tell us that the Massages were too hard.” In the go-go 1990’s, when the Microsoft stock was doubling every few months and yearly stock splits were predictable, employees not only got to participate in the Microsoft’s manifest destiny, they would get rich in the process. By the spring of 2002, with the world in a recession, stock prices down, and the growth for Microsoft products slowing, it wasn’t so clear what was driving its employees to continue the company’s dominance of the software industry.
Questions
1. If you were the programmer, would you want to work at Microsoft? Why or Why not?
2. How many activities in this case can you tie into specific motivation theories? List the activities; list the motivation theories, and how they apply.
3. As Microsoft continues to get larger and its growth rate flattens do you think Management will have to modify any of its motivation practices? Elaborate.
4. Can money act as a motivator? Explain.
From India, Hyderabad
1) If you were the programmer, would you want to work at Microsoft? Why or Why not?
If i were the programmer i would love to work at microsoft but not interested to work like BULL just to become a MILLIONAIRE. I would to give preference to ADVENTUROUS and CHALLENGING WORK CULTURE but not BORING and STRESSED which will impact my PERSONAL LIFE.
2) How many activities in this case can you tie into specific motivation theories? List the activities; list the motivation theories, and how they apply.
To my knowledge STOCK OPTION PROGRAM vs MASSAGES(what kind of)
They were applied in such a way, that made employees to react based on circumstances and prevailing situation.
3) As Microsoft continues to get larger and its growth rate flattens do you think Management will have to modify any of its motivation practices? Elaborate.
MOTIVATION has a specific purpose but cannot be applied for everything. Management need to consider BITTER REALITIES that could help in making their employees understand what could be done proportional the situation prevailing. Let management seek inputs from employees rather deciding on their own.
4) Can money act as a motivator? Explain.
To some extent but not a permanent solution. NO ONE CAN LEAD A HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT ANY HURDLES BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS HAPPINESS/POSITIVE LIFE THERE SHOULD BE SADNESS/NEGATIVE TO BALANCE LIFE.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
If i were the programmer i would love to work at microsoft but not interested to work like BULL just to become a MILLIONAIRE. I would to give preference to ADVENTUROUS and CHALLENGING WORK CULTURE but not BORING and STRESSED which will impact my PERSONAL LIFE.
2) How many activities in this case can you tie into specific motivation theories? List the activities; list the motivation theories, and how they apply.
To my knowledge STOCK OPTION PROGRAM vs MASSAGES(what kind of)
They were applied in such a way, that made employees to react based on circumstances and prevailing situation.
3) As Microsoft continues to get larger and its growth rate flattens do you think Management will have to modify any of its motivation practices? Elaborate.
MOTIVATION has a specific purpose but cannot be applied for everything. Management need to consider BITTER REALITIES that could help in making their employees understand what could be done proportional the situation prevailing. Let management seek inputs from employees rather deciding on their own.
4) Can money act as a motivator? Explain.
To some extent but not a permanent solution. NO ONE CAN LEAD A HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT ANY HURDLES BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS HAPPINESS/POSITIVE LIFE THERE SHOULD BE SADNESS/NEGATIVE TO BALANCE LIFE.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
Hi
Looking at the situation from a different angle and not looking at your question of what could be the problem, lets start with the options available with the organisation for this good employee
We have various departments in the company with different requirements , why dont we try shifting the person to any other department with different set of responsibilities, you can go thru the complete process of selection for her, starting from a formal round of interview.
Secondly for the company, to be on the safeside you can start with looking for someone as trainee to replace her position , it can be temporary at the moment , if the person is shifted to another department, then you can make the trainee permanent
For the employee, once you change her department and work profile ,she would find the job interesting , if there is any work related issue, it would be sorted. along with this she can be given some counselling sessions in the office or formally with a professional , adviced by the company , with an intent to sort out any problem if this is personal.
I hope this is helpful
From India, Delhi
Looking at the situation from a different angle and not looking at your question of what could be the problem, lets start with the options available with the organisation for this good employee
We have various departments in the company with different requirements , why dont we try shifting the person to any other department with different set of responsibilities, you can go thru the complete process of selection for her, starting from a formal round of interview.
Secondly for the company, to be on the safeside you can start with looking for someone as trainee to replace her position , it can be temporary at the moment , if the person is shifted to another department, then you can make the trainee permanent
For the employee, once you change her department and work profile ,she would find the job interesting , if there is any work related issue, it would be sorted. along with this she can be given some counselling sessions in the office or formally with a professional , adviced by the company , with an intent to sort out any problem if this is personal.
I hope this is helpful
From India, Delhi
Thank you Mr. Abdul Khadeer and Ayushib for your useful and thoughtful comments. I have lot of case studies which I am trying to solve and once I do, I really dont know whether my opinion is the right one, as the book do not give the answers. But suggestions from experts like you gives me a new direction and required energy to proceed further.
If you are interested I will send few more case studies for your evaluation
From India, Hyderabad
If you are interested I will send few more case studies for your evaluation
From India, Hyderabad
Case study - 3
Patil, RK Materials, is very angry, anxious and restless. He bumped into Mehta, RK Materials, threw the resignation letter on his table, screamed and walked out of the room swiftly.
Patil has a reason for his sudden outburst. Details of the story will tell the reasons for Patil’s anger and why he put his resignation, only four months after he took up his job.
In the year 2000 Patil quit his prestigious Mittal plant at Vishakhapatnam. As a manager Materials, Patil had various powers like he could even place an order of materials worth Rs.50 Lakhs. He required nobody’s prior consent.
Patil Joined a pulp-making plant located at Kerala, as RK Materials. The plant is part of a multi-product and multi-plant conglomerate owned by a prestigious business house in India. The perks, reputation and designation of the conglomerate attracted Patil away from the public sector steel monolith.
When he joined the eucalyptus pulp making company, little did Patil realize that he needed prior approval to place an order for materials worth Rs.25lakh. He thought that he had the authority to place an order for materials by himself worth half the amount of what he used to as at the Mega Steel maker. He placed the order, materials arrived, were received, accepted and used up in the plant. Trouble started when the bill for Rs.25 lakh came from the vendor. The accounts department withheld the payment for the reason that the bill was not endorsed by Mehta. Mehta refused to sign on the bill as his approval was not taken by Patil before placing the order.
Patil felt very angry and cheated. A brief encounter with Mehta only made the situation worse. Patil was rudely told that he should have known company rules before venturing. He decided to Quit.
Questions
1. Do you think the company has any orientation programme? If yes, discuss its effectiveness.
2. If employees were properly selected, there should be no need for an orientation programme”. Comment on the statement.
3. If You were Patil, how would you react to the above situation?
4. Discuss the purpose of orientation. What are various requisites of an effective programme?
From India, Hyderabad
Patil, RK Materials, is very angry, anxious and restless. He bumped into Mehta, RK Materials, threw the resignation letter on his table, screamed and walked out of the room swiftly.
Patil has a reason for his sudden outburst. Details of the story will tell the reasons for Patil’s anger and why he put his resignation, only four months after he took up his job.
In the year 2000 Patil quit his prestigious Mittal plant at Vishakhapatnam. As a manager Materials, Patil had various powers like he could even place an order of materials worth Rs.50 Lakhs. He required nobody’s prior consent.
Patil Joined a pulp-making plant located at Kerala, as RK Materials. The plant is part of a multi-product and multi-plant conglomerate owned by a prestigious business house in India. The perks, reputation and designation of the conglomerate attracted Patil away from the public sector steel monolith.
When he joined the eucalyptus pulp making company, little did Patil realize that he needed prior approval to place an order for materials worth Rs.25lakh. He thought that he had the authority to place an order for materials by himself worth half the amount of what he used to as at the Mega Steel maker. He placed the order, materials arrived, were received, accepted and used up in the plant. Trouble started when the bill for Rs.25 lakh came from the vendor. The accounts department withheld the payment for the reason that the bill was not endorsed by Mehta. Mehta refused to sign on the bill as his approval was not taken by Patil before placing the order.
Patil felt very angry and cheated. A brief encounter with Mehta only made the situation worse. Patil was rudely told that he should have known company rules before venturing. He decided to Quit.
Questions
1. Do you think the company has any orientation programme? If yes, discuss its effectiveness.
2. If employees were properly selected, there should be no need for an orientation programme”. Comment on the statement.
3. If You were Patil, how would you react to the above situation?
4. Discuss the purpose of orientation. What are various requisites of an effective programme?
From India, Hyderabad
Dear Saleem,
Unlike others who have given solutions, I raise questions. May I know what you do and where (in which industry) and why you are seeking solutions to so many case studies? Usually, model answers are given in Instructor Manuals for the cases published in a book.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
A retired academic in the UK
From United Kingdom
Unlike others who have given solutions, I raise questions. May I know what you do and where (in which industry) and why you are seeking solutions to so many case studies? Usually, model answers are given in Instructor Manuals for the cases published in a book.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
A retired academic in the UK
From United Kingdom
A. what is the problem in your opinion?
Ans: according to me, renu has lot potentialities and calibur to take up the multi challenging tasks,the main reason for this is since from the begining she is not at all interested to take up the job which she is doing currently, compulsion made her to take this way, here interests matters a lot, watever job you do, you have to do and accept it whole-heartedly with full passion and zeal, love towards your career, its missing in case of renu, as she has not decided and designed her career properly because her qualifications are not matching the job requirements which she wants to perform.
From India, Vijayawada
Ans: according to me, renu has lot potentialities and calibur to take up the multi challenging tasks,the main reason for this is since from the begining she is not at all interested to take up the job which she is doing currently, compulsion made her to take this way, here interests matters a lot, watever job you do, you have to do and accept it whole-heartedly with full passion and zeal, love towards your career, its missing in case of renu, as she has not decided and designed her career properly because her qualifications are not matching the job requirements which she wants to perform.
From India, Vijayawada
Ans D. if I were a personnel manager I would love to analyse the situation properly, as renu has good potential in learning the new things but her qualification is not allowing her to grow,as she is an asset to the organization I would go to her personally, listen to her, take her opinions and thoughts,advices her to come back to office also give an example to her and make her to realize h the importance of job which she is carrying and what about the future scope and advantages which she gets over from this job and company, how she can brighten her career being part of this this organization. others tasks, ladders, opportunities which she is likely to get here within 5 years.
Thanks&Regards
Kalpana
From India, Vijayawada
Thanks&Regards
Kalpana
From India, Vijayawada
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