Please read the case attached
A key part of the learning process in this course is to take the lessons and apply them to real business situations. To facilitate this process and allow you to test your skill in applying the material, you will be assigned to complete a Leadership Development Exercise (LDE), which challenges you to answer questions about a case using course concepts.
This assignment should be uploaded to Canvas by 09:59pm on M
onday
April 19th.
The LDE must be typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and 12-point type. Papers are limited to no more than 3 pages in length.
Part A - 50 points (25 for each proposed factor) Identify thetwo most prominent bases of powerthat have led to the “regrettable” situation between Thomas Green and Frank Davis. Support your choices using facts from the case.
Part B - 50 points (25 for each proposed action) Using the nine tactics described in section 10.3 of the textbook, identifytwo influence tacticsyou would use to help Thomas Green to improve his current situation. For each tactic explain why it would improve the situation, how it addresses one of the bases of power described in Part A, and acknowledge a risk associated with this influence tactic in this situation.
Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ HBS Professor W. Earl Sasser and Heather Beckham prepared this case solely as a basis for class discussion and not as an endorsement, a source of primary data, or an illustration of effective or ineffective management. This case, though based on real events, is fictionalized, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental. There are occasional references to actual companies in the narration. Copyright © 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard Business Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu. This publication may not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. W . E A R L S A S S E R H E A T H E R B E C K H A M Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis Another long day at the office had drawn to a close. Thomas Green felt the pulsing in his temples that usually preceded a migraine. As he stepped outside Dynamic Displays’ corporate headquarters in Boston, the brisk air made him catch his breath. It was now February 5, 2008. Green could not believe that in five short months his dream promotion had turned into a disaster. When Green had been promoted to his new position in September, he was a rising star. Now, he would be lucky to celebrate his one-year anniversary with the company. His boss, Frank Davis, had sent the division vice president, Shannon McDonald, two scathing emails criticizing Green’s performance. Green and Davis had yet to see eye to eye on work styles or market trends. Tension had also risen when Green did not enthusiastically endorse the sales forecasts made by Davis. Green felt the forecasts were either overly optimistic or outright fabrications. Before he left for the day, Green had reread the series of emails regarding his performance and was certain that Davis was setting him up to be dismissed. Davis’s most recent email had made it clear to Green that his position as a senior market specialist was in jeopardy. He did not have much time to rectify the situation. McDonald had emailed a formal request to him that afternoon, asking for his perspective on his performance and how he was going to improve the situation. With this in mind, Green started his commute home and began to analyze what went wrong and what he could do to save his job. Company and Industry Background Dynamic Displays was founded in 1990 as a provider of self-service options to banks via Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). In 1994, Dynamic Displays launched a new division aimed at the travel and hospitality industry, and deployed their first self-service check-in kiosk for Discover Airlines. In 2007, Dynamic Displays’ Travel and Hospitality Division had 60% market share with 2095 M A Y 1 , 2 0 0 8 This document is authorized for use only by Paul Wen (
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[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies. 2095 | Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis 2 BRIEFCASES | HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL over 1,500 self-service kiosks in use at more than 75 airports. Customers included regional, national, and international airline carriers, as well as various hotels and car-rental agencies. Eighty percent of the Travel and Hospitality Division’s 2007 revenue came from airline carrier clients, 15% from hotels, and 5% from car-rental agencies. The company was a full service provider, offering hardware, software, engineering, and maintenance support. Kiosks were an attractive option for airlines to quickly and easily check in passengers while reducing processing costs. Dynamic Displays’ kiosks not only reduced costs but also improved customer service, shortened passenger wait times, and provided valuable information to these travelers. In 2006, Forrester Research estimated the average cost for an airline passenger to check in through an agent was $3.02, versus a range of $0.14 to $0.32 for kiosk check-in.1 This impressive savings was realized by allowing the repetitive tasks of selecting or changing seat assignments and printing and distributing boarding passes to be handled by the passengers themselves. Airlines reduced headcount or assigned the agents to more value-added tasks, such as solving complex customer service issues and ensuring compliance with safety and security standards. The cost savings were particularly important for the airline industry during a period when margins were razor thin and fuel costs were continuing to climb. Airlines were also aggressively promoting another self-service option for travelers. Web check-in allowed passengers to complete the entire check-in process via the internet from a remote location, utilizing their personal or office computer. Cost savings using online check-in was of even greater benefit because the airline did not have to purchase and install a kiosk, and passengers printed their own boarding passes using their own paper. According to a 2006 Forrester report, airport kiosks were a mature application with 75% of U.S. leisure passengers using kiosk in 2006. Web check-in on the other hand, was still experiencing dramatic growth, increasing from less than 45% of U.S. leisure passengers in 2005 to 64% in 2006.2 Thomas Green: Path to Senior Market Specialist Thomas Green was born in 1979 in Brunswick, Georgia, the son of a postman and a school secretary. At the University of Georgia, he worked in a warehouse and washed cars while earning a bachelor’s degree in Economics. His first full-time job was in sales for National Business Solutions in Atlanta. Green enjoyed impressive success in the Banking Division, focusing on ATM sales to regional banks in the Southeast. In March 2007, Dynamic Displays recruited Green for an account executive position in the Southeast territory for the Travel and Hospitality Division. To Green, Dynamic Displays seemed to present a great chance for a fast climb up the managerial ladder. Green hit the ground running at Dynamic Displays. In his first four months as an account executive, he completed a contract for one of the largest airline carriers, Journey Airlines, to accelerate rollout of kiosks in 20 airports and purchase upgraded software for kiosks in the majority of their locations. Green had told a close friend, “I wanted to come in and dazzle them at Dynamic Displays. This was no easy feat. But I wanted more than an account executive position. I had heard there was a lot of opportunity for fresh talent at corporate headquarters and I made it my mission to get noticed immediately.” 1 Harteveldt and Epps, “Self-Service Check-In Clicks with Travelers,” Forrester Report, February 23, 2007 2 Ibid. This document is authorized for use only by Paul Wen (
[email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies. Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis | 2095 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | BRIEFCASES 3 Senior executives at Dynamic Displays quickly took notice of Green’s performance and were eager to strengthen his relationship with the company. In July 2007, Green attended a week-long training session at corporate headquarters. Shannon McDonald, the division vice president, and Mary Jacobs, the national sales director, made a concerted effort to get to know him better. Green and McDonald were both University of Georgia alumni and Georgia natives. They had an instant connection, and McDonald seemed to take Green under her wing. McDonald had several informal meetings with Green, and by the end of the week Green became aware of an open position for a senior market specialist. Green aggressively campaigned to be considered for this position. Over the next month, Green made several trips to corporate headquarters to meet with McDonald. Green discussed his various client relationships, and McDonald agreed that in a short time he had developed unique insights into their markets. Following a dinner meeting at which Green offered lengthy explanations of the client opportunities he perceived and his strategies for winning them, McDonald promoted him to the position of senior market specialist. McDonald told Green, “Tom, you are obviously a bright and ambitious account executive. You have a great rapport with your clients. You have made a strong case for your promotion and I’m willing to take a chance on you. I think this group needs a fresh perspective. However, I do have a couple of reservations about your lack of managerial experience. You have only held sales roles, and the senior market specialist position is very different. This new job will require you to think strategically as well as tactically, and you will have to coordinate between several different functions and layers of corporate management. I am hoping you compensate for your lack of experience by seeking out guidance from some of our more seasoned managers.” Green was assigned to work out of corporate headquarters in Boston. The division’s organizational structure is shown in Exhibit 1. The promotion had been a giant step upward for Green; an account executive interested in joining the marketing team usually moved first to a market specialist position and then put in a number of years in the field before reaching “senior” status. The other senior market specialists in the division were in their forties. Green was 28. His salary was