Assig nm en t:
A nsw er t h ese e ssay q uestio ns:
E ssay # 1: C ase S tu dy: R estv ie w H osp it a l
M ary C arte r w as th e a cco untin g m an ager a t R estv ie w H osp it a l, a la rg e r e sid entia l
healt h c a re fa cilit y . T he fa cilit y a dm in is tr a to r, J a ck M ore lli, e xp la in ed th at h e w ante d to
m odern iz e R estv ie w ’s s yste m o f a cco unts b illin g. H e a ske d M ary to in ve stig ate
a va ila ble s o ftw are p acka ges th a t w ould b e c o m pa tib le w it h th eir c o m pute r s yste m . J a ck
e xp la in ed th at h e a nd th e R estv ie w b oard o f d ir e cto rs w ould lik e to m ake a d ecis io n
about th is m atte r a t th e b oard m eetin g n ext m on th .
A w eek la te r, J a ck a ske d M ary a bout h er p ro gre ss, a nd s h e r e porte d th at s h e h ad
id entif ie d tw o v e ndors w it h a ppro pria te s o ftw are p acka ges. J a ck a ske d w hy h er lis t o f
pote ntia l v e ndors d id n ot in clu de S ta ndard S oftw are S yste m s, th e v e ndor fr o m w hic h
th ey p urc h ase d th e s o ftw are c u rr e ntly u se d to p ro ce ss R estv ie w ’s p ayro ll. S ta ndard
h ad ju st r e ce ntly d eve lo ped a s o ftw are p acka ge fo r a cco unts b illin g a s a n ew a ddit io n
to th eir p ro duct lin e, b ut fe w h osp it a ls w ere u sin g it . T he p re lim in ary in fo rm atio n
gath ere d b y M ary s u ggeste d th a t S ta ndard ’s s o ftw are p acka ge w as le ss a ppro pria te fo r
R estv ie w th an th e p acka ges o ff e re d b y th e o th er v e n dors . H ow eve r, M ary k n ew th at th e
pre sid ent o f S ta ndard S oftw are w as a p ers o n al- fr ie nd o f J a ck, a nd s h e a gre ed to
in clu de S ta ndard a m ong th e v e nd ors s e le cte d fo r fu rth er c o n sid era tio n.
D urin g th e n ext tw o w eeks, s a le s r e pre se n ta tiv e s fr o m e ach v e n dor w ere in vit e d to
m ake a p re se nta tio n a t R estv ie w to d em on str a te a nd e xp la in th eir p ro duct. M ary h ad
pla nned to in vit e th e b oard m em bers to th ese p re se n ta tio ns, b ut J a ck s a id th ey w ere
to o b usy to a tte nd. Wh en th e p re se n ta tio ns w ere h eld , M ary a nd h er o ff ic e s ta ff a ske d
m any q uestio ns, b ut J a ck lo oke d b ore d a nd s a id v e ry lit tle . M ary a ls o v is it e d s o m e
oth er h osp it a ls th at w ere a lr e ady u sin g e ach ty p e o f s o ftw are p acka ge to g et fir s th and
opin io ns a bout h ow w ell th ey w ork e d a nd th e d if f ic u lt ie s e xp e rie nce d in in sta llin g th em .
Durin g th e c o urs e o f h er in ve stig atio n, s h e le arn ed th at S ta ndard ’s n ew s o ftw are
p acka ge w as le ss fle xib le a nd le ss u se r-fr ie ndly th an th e o th ers . A ll th re e s o ftw are
p acka ges w ere a bout th e s a m e p ric e , b ut th e s o ftw are p acka ge fr o m R elia ble
C om pute r w as c le arly th e b est o ne fo r R estv ie w ’s n eeds. S he p re pare d a s h ort r e port
to J a ck d eta ilin g th e a dva nta ge s a nd d is a d va n ta ges o f e ach p ro duct a nd m akin g h er
re co m mendatio n.
T he n ext d ay M ary m et w it h J a ck to g iv e h im th e w rit te n r e port a nd s u m mariz e h er
fin din gs in p ers o n. S he e xp la in ed th e r e aso n s fo r h er r e co m mendatio n to p urc h ase th e
so ftw are p acka ge fr o m R elia ble C om pu te rs , a nd s h e r e vie w ed th e e vid ence s u pportin g
it . M ary a ls o o ff e re d to p re se nt h er fin din gs to th e b oard o f d ir e cto rs a t th eir n ext
m eetin g, b ut J a ck s a id h e c o uld h andle it h im se lf . T he b oard m eetin g w as h eld th e
fo llo w in g w eek, a nd a fte rw ard J a ck in fo rm ed M ary th at th ey d ecid ed to g o w it h th e
so ftw are p acka ge fr o m S ta ndard . H e e xp la in ed th at th e b oard w ante d to r e w ard
S ta ndard fo r e xce lle nt c u sto m er s e rv ic e la st y e a r w hen in sta llin g th eir p ayro ll s o ftw are at R estv ie w . T w o y e ars la te r, a ft e r th ousa n ds o f d olla rs o f u nnece ssa ry e xp ense , th e
acco unts b illin g s o ftw are w as s till n ot o pera tin g s m ooth ly fo r R estv ie w .
Q uestio ns
1. H ow w ould y o u e xp la in th e b oard ’s d ecis io n to p urc h a se th e s o ftw are p acka ge
fr o m S ta ndard ?
2. H ow m uch p ow er r e la tiv e to th is d ecis io n d id M ary , J a ck, a nd th e p re sid ent o f
S ta ndard S oftw are p osse ss, a nd w hat ty p e o f p ow er w as it ?
3. Wh at c o uld M ary h ave d one to g ain m ore in flu ence o ve r th e d ecis io n?
E ssay # 2: C ase S tu dy: S portin g G oods S to re
B ill T hom pso n is th e n ew m anag er o f a r e ta il s p o rtin g g oods s to re in V erm ont th at is
p art o f a n atio nal c h ain . B ill, w ho is 2 5 y e a rs o ld , h as b een w ork in g fo r th e c o m pany fo r
fo ur y e ars . B efo re h is p ro m otio n, h e w as th e a ssis ta nt m an ager fo r tw o y e ars a t a
c o m pany s to re in D ela w are . L ast w eek h is b oss, th e r e gio nal m anager, b rie fly
i n tr o duce d h im to th e e m plo ye es.
T he p ro fit p erfo rm ance o f th is s to re is b elo w a ve ra ge fo r it s lo ca tio n, a nd B ill is lo okin g
fo rw ard to th e c h alle nge o f im pro vin g p ro fit s . W hen h e w as a n a ssis ta nt m anager, h e
w as g iv e n m ostly m in or a dm in is tr a tiv e d utie s a nd p aperw ork , s o th is a ssig nm ent w ill b e
his fir s t o pportu nit y to s h ow h e c a n b e a n e ff e ctiv e m an ager. T he c o m pany s e ts th e
base s a la rie s o f th e 2 0 e m plo ye e s w ho w ork in B ill’s s to re , b ut a ppra is a l r a tin gs b y th e
sto re m anager in flu ence th e s iz e o f a n e m plo ye e ’s a nnual m erit r a is e . T hese
re co m mendatio ns m ust b e ju stif ie d to th e r e gio nal m an ager, e sp ecia lly if th ey a re n ot
co nsis te nt w it h in div id ual a nd d epartm en t s a le s. B ill c a n s u sp e nd o r fir e e m plo ye es w it h
t h e a ppro va l o f h is b oss, b ut in p ra ctic e it is d if f ic u lt to d o s o u nle ss th e
re co m mendatio n is s u pporte d b y a s tr o ng c a se .
T he h eadquarte rs o ff ic e s e ts th e s to re la yo u t a nd m ost p ric e s. H ow eve r, th e s to re
m anager c a n a ff e ct s to re p erfo rm an ce to a lim it e d e xte nt. O ne w ay is to k e ep th e c o st
o f e m plo ye es lo w is b y m akin g s u re th ey a re w ork in g e ff ic ie ntly a nd n ot ta kin g
exce ssiv e s ic k d ays. A noth er w ay is to e nsu re th at e m plo ye e s a re p ro vid in g a h ig h le ve l
of c u sto m er s e rv ic e s o th at c u sto m ers w ill r e tu rn to m ake o th er p urc h ase s r a th er th an
goin g to a d if f e re nt s to re n ext tim e. C usto m er s e rv ic e d epends o n k n ow in g th e p ro ducts
w ell, b ein g p olit e , p ro vid in g p ro m pt s e rv ic e , a nd m akin g s u re th at in ve nto rie s o f p opula r
goods a re m ain ta in ed s o th at c u sto m ers c a n fin d w hat th ey w ant. P ay is lo w fo r th is
t y p e o f r e ta il s e llin g jo b, tu rn ove r is h ig h, a nd it ta ke s a fe w m on th s fo r a n ew e m plo ye e
to le arn th e m erc h andis e w ell e n ough to b e h elp fu l to c u sto m ers . T hus, it is a ls o
d esir a ble to k e ep c o m pete nt e m plo ye e s s a tis fie d e nough to s ta y w it h th e c o m pany.
A lt h ough it is o nly h is fir s t w eek o n th e jo b, B ill b elie ve s th at h e h as a lr e ady d is co ve re d
so m e o f th e p ro ble m s a t th is s to re . A m on g th e v a rio us d epartm ents in th e s to re , th e s ki
d epartm ent h as th e h ig hest p ote ntia l p ro fit s d urin g th e w in te r, b eca use s kiin g a nd
sn ow board in g a re p opula r w in te r s p o rts in V erm on t. A t th e c u rre nt tim e th e
departm ent’s s a le s a re a bout a ve ra ge fo r c o m pa ny s to re s in th e N orth east r e gio n, w it h pote ntia l fo r c o nsid era ble im pro ve m en t. O n s e ve ra l o cca sio ns B ill n otic e d a lin e o f
cu sto m ers w ait e d to b e s e rv e d in th e s ki d epartm en t, a nd h e o ve rh eard s o m e o f th em
gru m blin g a bout h ow lo ng it ta ke s to g et s e rv e d . O ne c u sto m er s a id h e w as le avin g to
g o to a noth er s to re th at d id n’t m ake h im “ w ait a ll d ay to h ave th e p riv ile ge o f s p endin g
hundre ds o f d olla rs o n s ki e quip m en t.” B ill o bse rv e d th at S ally J o rg enso n, th e
departm ent m anager, s p ends a lo t o f tim e s o cia liz in g w it h h er s a le sp eople a nd w it h
c u sto m ers , in clu din g fr ie nds w ho d ro p in to v is it a nd ta lk a bout s ki c o ndit io ns, r e so rts ,
fa sh io ns, e quip m ent, r a cin g, a n d s o fo rth . B ill, w ho d oesn ’t s ki, c a nnot u nders ta nd w hat
th ey fin d s o in te re stin g to ta lk a bo ut. H e w onders w hy a nyb o dy in th eir r ig ht m in d w ould
w ant to s p end a s m all fo rtu ne a nd r is k p erm an ent in ju ry to h urtle d ow n a m ounta in in
b liz za rd c o ndit io ns, a nd th en s ta nd in lo ng lin es a nd r id e u p a fr e ezin g c h air lif t ju st to d o
it a ll o ve r a gain !
Q uestio ns
1. H ow m uch o f e ach ty p e o f p ow er d oes B ill h ave a t th is tim e?
2. Wh at in flu ence ta ctic s c o uld b e u se d in th is s it u atio n to in flu ence S ally ? E xp la in
w hat y o u w ould a ctu ally s a y to S ally in th e p ro ce ss o f u sin g e ach ta ctic .
3. Wh at s h ould B ill d o to im pro ve s to re p erfo rm an ce ?
E ssay # 3: B rie fly d efin e th e fo ur p ro activ e c o re ta ctic s. W hic h p ro activ e ta ctic s a re
m ost lik e ly to r e su lt in ta rg et c o m mit m en t? H ow c a n o th ers u se th e p ro activ e ta ctic s to
r e sis t o r m odif y in flu ence a tte m pts ? F ro m th e In te rn et id entif y a c a se s tu dy w here
p ro activ e ta ctic s h ave b een u se d .
E ssay # 4: B rie fly c o m pare th e fo llo w in g e arly c o n tin gency th eorie s:
1. F ie dle r’s L P C c o ntin gency m odel
2. F ie dle r’s c o gnit iv e r e so urc e th eo ry
3. H ers e y a nd B la nch ard ’s s it u atio nal le aders h ip th eory
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