NA0041
Bright and Dedicated:
What More Do You Want?
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
H. Richard Eisenbeis, Colorado State University–Pueblo
Sue Hanks, Colorado State University–Pueblo
Linda Shaw, Colorado State University–Pueblo
CASE SYNOPSIS
Susan Reynolds, a successful auditor with a big-six public accounting firm, was hired as controller in the
accounting department of Marco Pictures, a medium-sized, highly successful motion picture company.
Having just received her first yearly employee evaluation review, Susan was unhappy about the written
document and the ensuing discussion with her supervisor, Anita Lockwood, vice president of finance.
Anita indicated in the review that Susan was a valuable addition to the accounting department, was
reliable, had strong technical skills and had been very helpful in completing projects. However, Anita
believed Susan was severely lacking in the interpersonal skills necessary to be successful in her present
position as controller. Anita suggested that Susan attend the company’s monthly production meetings
enabling her to interact with other supervisors and to be kept informed of the status of the company’s
projects. Anita also told Susan that she would work with her to identify other ways in which she could
develop her interpersonal skills.
The case ends with Susan wondering what she can do to acquire the level of interpersonal skills
needed to function effectively in her current managerial position and having doubts about whether she
should try or perhaps seek employment elsewhere.
RECOMMENDED COURSES
The case is appropriate for use in undergraduate and graduate level courses in organizational behavior and
human resource management. The case addresses organizational structure; motivation; leadership;
communication; and employee selection, training, and performance evaluation. It might also be used
effectively in an upper-level accounting course to illustrate how performance expectations may differ in
response to mechanistic versus organic structures.
CASE OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE
The objectives of this case are as follows:
1. To illustrate what can happen when highly qualified technical professionals are
promoted into upper management positions without having developed the
interpersonal skills needed to be successful in those positions.
2. To demonstrate the need for a company to identify the knowledge, skills, and ability
requirements for a particular position and the need to use proper selection and
placement procedures to identify whether a candidate will be successful.
3. To consider what a supervisor’s role is when one of his or her reporting managers is
not motivated to manage.
4. To address the consequences that occur when performance expectations are not fully
communicated to new employees.
, 5. To address how important it is that individuals take responsibility for managing their
own careers.
6. To show how important it is for individuals to know their strengths and weaknesses
and how those strengths and weaknesses translate into potential career paths and
management positions.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This disguised case is based on the personal experience of one of its principal characters. The names of
the characters and the company have been changed.
TEACHING STRATEGY
It is best to assign this case toward the end of a traditional organizational behavior or human resource
management course after the topics cited previously have been assigned. One way to begin the classroom
discussion is to ask whether Anita’s evaluation of Susan’s performance is fair and the concerns each
should have regarding Susan’s future with Marco. Anita and Susan’s work-related behaviors should then
be compared in terms of how these behaviors led up to the current situation. Typically, the discussion will
evolve toward identifying the red flags that a knowledgeable manager would have recognized and
addressed during the review period. Next, students should be asked to identify the major problems and
underlying issues confronting Susan, Anita, and Marco’s accounting and finance departments. Students
should also be asked to explore Susan’s alternatives, what Anita must do if Susan is to become a more
effective manager, and what additional difficulties may be encountered. The discussion should end by
exploring how—from an organizational and/or human resource perspective—situations such as this can
be prevented. A second way to begin the analysis is to initiate a role play between Anita and Susan. This,
in turn, can be used to guide discussion in the direction of the topics identified above.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are the major problems in the case?
2. What theories of organizational behavior can be used to explain the behaviors observed in the
principal characters in the case?
3. Why was it not possible for Susan to perform effectively?
4. What were some of the causes of the problems identified in the case?
5. Given Susan’s background, motivational need structure, and work ethic, should she have been
placed into a position that requires a high level of interpersonal skills?
6. How could the selection process for the controller position at Marco Pictures have been improved?
7. How does one manage a person with Susan’s strengths and weaknesses?
8. It is plain that Susan is very upset concerning her performance appraisal. What alternatives are open
to her concerning her future employment at Marco?
9. Discuss the apparent sources of the conflict that exists between Anita and Susan.
10. What are Anita’s alternatives should she become aware that Susan is seriously considering
terminating her employment with Marco?
11. What can be done to salvage or improve Susan’s position, or to improve the situation or for her
successor should she decide to leave?
Bright and Dedicated:
What More Do You Want?
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
H. Richard Eisenbeis, Colorado State University–Pueblo
Sue Hanks, Colorado State University–Pueblo
Linda Shaw, Colorado State University–Pueblo
CASE SYNOPSIS
Susan Reynolds, a successful auditor with a big-six public accounting firm, was hired as controller in the
accounting department of Marco Pictures, a medium-sized, highly successful motion picture company.
Having just received her first yearly employee evaluation review, Susan was unhappy about the written
document and the ensuing discussion with her supervisor, Anita Lockwood, vice president of finance.
Anita indicated in the review that Susan was a valuable addition to the accounting department, was
reliable, had strong technical skills and had been very helpful in completing projects. However, Anita
believed Susan was severely lacking in the interpersonal skills necessary to be successful in her present
position as controller. Anita suggested that Susan attend the company’s monthly production meetings
enabling her to interact with other supervisors and to be kept informed of the status of the company’s
projects. Anita also told Susan that she would work with her to identify other ways in which she could
develop her interpersonal skills.
The case ends with Susan wondering what she can do to acquire the level of interpersonal skills
needed to function effectively in her current managerial position and having doubts about whether she
should try or perhaps seek employment elsewhere.
RECOMMENDED COURSES
The case is appropriate for use in undergraduate and graduate level courses in organizational behavior and
human resource management. The case addresses organizational structure; motivation; leadership;
communication; and employee selection, training, and performance evaluation. It might also be used
effectively in an upper-level accounting course to illustrate how performance expectations may differ in
response to mechanistic versus organic structures.
CASE OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE
The objectives of this case are as follows:
1. To illustrate what can happen when highly qualified technical professionals are
promoted into upper management positions without having developed the
interpersonal skills needed to be successful in those positions.
2. To demonstrate the need for a company to identify the knowledge, skills, and ability
requirements for a particular position and the need to use proper selection and
placement procedures to identify whether a candidate will be successful.
3. To consider what a supervisor’s role is when one of his or her reporting managers is
not motivated to manage.
4. To address the consequences that occur when performance expectations are not fully
communicated to new employees.
, 5. To address how important it is that individuals take responsibility for managing their
own careers.
6. To show how important it is for individuals to know their strengths and weaknesses
and how those strengths and weaknesses translate into potential career paths and
management positions.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This disguised case is based on the personal experience of one of its principal characters. The names of
the characters and the company have been changed.
TEACHING STRATEGY
It is best to assign this case toward the end of a traditional organizational behavior or human resource
management course after the topics cited previously have been assigned. One way to begin the classroom
discussion is to ask whether Anita’s evaluation of Susan’s performance is fair and the concerns each
should have regarding Susan’s future with Marco. Anita and Susan’s work-related behaviors should then
be compared in terms of how these behaviors led up to the current situation. Typically, the discussion will
evolve toward identifying the red flags that a knowledgeable manager would have recognized and
addressed during the review period. Next, students should be asked to identify the major problems and
underlying issues confronting Susan, Anita, and Marco’s accounting and finance departments. Students
should also be asked to explore Susan’s alternatives, what Anita must do if Susan is to become a more
effective manager, and what additional difficulties may be encountered. The discussion should end by
exploring how—from an organizational and/or human resource perspective—situations such as this can
be prevented. A second way to begin the analysis is to initiate a role play between Anita and Susan. This,
in turn, can be used to guide discussion in the direction of the topics identified above.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are the major problems in the case?
2. What theories of organizational behavior can be used to explain the behaviors observed in the
principal characters in the case?
3. Why was it not possible for Susan to perform effectively?
4. What were some of the causes of the problems identified in the case?
5. Given Susan’s background, motivational need structure, and work ethic, should she have been
placed into a position that requires a high level of interpersonal skills?
6. How could the selection process for the controller position at Marco Pictures have been improved?
7. How does one manage a person with Susan’s strengths and weaknesses?
8. It is plain that Susan is very upset concerning her performance appraisal. What alternatives are open
to her concerning her future employment at Marco?
9. Discuss the apparent sources of the conflict that exists between Anita and Susan.
10. What are Anita’s alternatives should she become aware that Susan is seriously considering
terminating her employment with Marco?
11. What can be done to salvage or improve Susan’s position, or to improve the situation or for her
successor should she decide to leave?
