OCEANVIEW MEDICAL: IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE LIKE THIS
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
A life-changing event prompted marketing professional Stacey Walker to leave her successful career in
media and entertainment to join dynamic, fast-growing healthcare provider, OceanView Medical
(OceanView). Initially drawn to, and inspired by, the company’s mission and values, Walker quickly
discovered that the role for which she had been hired had expanded drastically in terms of responsibilities
n
and challenges in the five weeks since her interview. Although initially excited by the opportunity to build
tio
and lead her own team, the reality was not at all what she had expected. After months of working in stressful,
high-pressure situations without adequate support from her boss, Walker began to get calls from recruiters
offering significantly better salaries than what she was currently being paid. The events that ensued became
lu
increasingly frustrating for Walker, leaving her to decide whether to stay with the team she had built at
OceanView or to find a new job.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Explores the concept of a psychological contract, how it is developed, and how it can influence
employee attitudes and behaviour.
• Highlights the importance of managing up by proactively building an effective relationship with one’s
manager.
• Considers the complexities and challenges of managing others, especially for those managing others
for the first time.
• Discusses the importance of building and effectively wielding power within organizations and other
social contexts.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
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pl
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
m
1. What initial expectations do you think Walker had regarding the company and her role in it? What
Sa
problems were created when these expectations weren’t met?
2. What events led to Walker’s situation at the end of the case?*
3. Who or what contributed to the situation Walker is facing at the end of the case?
4. How might Walker have managed her boss more effectively?
n
5. Given Walker’s situation at the end of the case, what should she do?
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
,3. Who or what contributed to the situation Walker is facing at the end of the case?
e
Work Environment
pl
Through several instances presented in the case, students will be able to infer that the work environment at
OceanView was chaotic and fraught with challenges. Based on the employee reviews (see Exhibit 3), the
m
company was experiencing several challenges related to its rapid growth. Reviewer comments described it
as being “a nightmare that lasted 11 months of my life” and “a company that doesn’t practice what it
preaches,” as well as, “a highly stressful environment where management lack professional etiquette.”
Sa
These comments are clearly not consistent with the organization’s espoused values (see Exhibit 2) of
compassion, commitment, togetherness, and excellence.
Aspects of work environments that inhibit or otherwise limit an individual’s job performance are referred
n
to as organizational constraints.4 These situational inhibitors can include a lack in factors such as adequate
tio
budget, managerial support, training, time, personnel, equipment, physical space configuration, and other
resources. Importantly, organizational constraints are often related to other work-related stressors such as
interpersonal conflict, role ambiguity, and co-worker incivility. Alone or working in combination, these
constraints are strongly correlated with several employee health and well-being variables, such as increased
lu
stress, decreased job satisfaction, frustration, anxiety, and withdrawal that can lead to negative behaviours
in the form of withdrawal, absenteeism, and counter-productive work behaviours, including turnover.
So
Shaun Wells
Shaun Wells, Walker’s supervisor, can play an important role in managing and mitigating many of the
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, EXHIBIT -1: OVERVIEW OF FRENCH AND RAVEN’S BASES OF POWER
Locus Power Base Description
Legitimate This capacity to influence comes from holding a position of authority
within a formal or informal social hierarchy (e.g., a CEO in a
company, an elected city official, or an appointed member of the
clergy).
Reward The ability to offer rewards (e.g., raises, promotions, desired
opportunities) or provide resources is also typically associated with
positions of authority. Additionally, recognition or praise by authority
figures can also be viewed as a form of reward. As a form of
Positional
extrinsic motivation, rewards must be valued by the receiver and
may lose their motivational or persuasive capacity over time.
Coercive
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
A life-changing event prompted marketing professional Stacey Walker to leave her successful career in
media and entertainment to join dynamic, fast-growing healthcare provider, OceanView Medical
(OceanView). Initially drawn to, and inspired by, the company’s mission and values, Walker quickly
discovered that the role for which she had been hired had expanded drastically in terms of responsibilities
n
and challenges in the five weeks since her interview. Although initially excited by the opportunity to build
tio
and lead her own team, the reality was not at all what she had expected. After months of working in stressful,
high-pressure situations without adequate support from her boss, Walker began to get calls from recruiters
offering significantly better salaries than what she was currently being paid. The events that ensued became
lu
increasingly frustrating for Walker, leaving her to decide whether to stay with the team she had built at
OceanView or to find a new job.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Explores the concept of a psychological contract, how it is developed, and how it can influence
employee attitudes and behaviour.
• Highlights the importance of managing up by proactively building an effective relationship with one’s
manager.
• Considers the complexities and challenges of managing others, especially for those managing others
for the first time.
• Discusses the importance of building and effectively wielding power within organizations and other
social contexts.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, e
pl
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
m
1. What initial expectations do you think Walker had regarding the company and her role in it? What
Sa
problems were created when these expectations weren’t met?
2. What events led to Walker’s situation at the end of the case?*
3. Who or what contributed to the situation Walker is facing at the end of the case?
4. How might Walker have managed her boss more effectively?
n
5. Given Walker’s situation at the end of the case, what should she do?
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
,3. Who or what contributed to the situation Walker is facing at the end of the case?
e
Work Environment
pl
Through several instances presented in the case, students will be able to infer that the work environment at
OceanView was chaotic and fraught with challenges. Based on the employee reviews (see Exhibit 3), the
m
company was experiencing several challenges related to its rapid growth. Reviewer comments described it
as being “a nightmare that lasted 11 months of my life” and “a company that doesn’t practice what it
preaches,” as well as, “a highly stressful environment where management lack professional etiquette.”
Sa
These comments are clearly not consistent with the organization’s espoused values (see Exhibit 2) of
compassion, commitment, togetherness, and excellence.
Aspects of work environments that inhibit or otherwise limit an individual’s job performance are referred
n
to as organizational constraints.4 These situational inhibitors can include a lack in factors such as adequate
tio
budget, managerial support, training, time, personnel, equipment, physical space configuration, and other
resources. Importantly, organizational constraints are often related to other work-related stressors such as
interpersonal conflict, role ambiguity, and co-worker incivility. Alone or working in combination, these
constraints are strongly correlated with several employee health and well-being variables, such as increased
lu
stress, decreased job satisfaction, frustration, anxiety, and withdrawal that can lead to negative behaviours
in the form of withdrawal, absenteeism, and counter-productive work behaviours, including turnover.
So
Shaun Wells
Shaun Wells, Walker’s supervisor, can play an important role in managing and mitigating many of the
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, EXHIBIT -1: OVERVIEW OF FRENCH AND RAVEN’S BASES OF POWER
Locus Power Base Description
Legitimate This capacity to influence comes from holding a position of authority
within a formal or informal social hierarchy (e.g., a CEO in a
company, an elected city official, or an appointed member of the
clergy).
Reward The ability to offer rewards (e.g., raises, promotions, desired
opportunities) or provide resources is also typically associated with
positions of authority. Additionally, recognition or praise by authority
figures can also be viewed as a form of reward. As a form of
Positional
extrinsic motivation, rewards must be valued by the receiver and
may lose their motivational or persuasive capacity over time.
Coercive
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
