Case Discussion Questions
Making local knowledge global
- How has the nature of the competitive environment and David
Martin's job changed in the eight years since he joined Lexington
Labs? What implications do these changes have for the skills
Martin needs to be an effective manager?
- How can Martin go about getting Lexington to function as a
global company, freely sharing best practices and critical
information across borders? Be specific in your diagnosis of the
problem he faces and how these problems can be solved.
The expectant executive and the endangered
promotion
- What is the specific problem confronting Jim Serra of Hunter
Peripherals?
- Should Bryant be recommended for promotion to director? Why or
why not?
- Is Bryant being naive about her ability to perform as a
director?
- What's at stake for the company in this decision, both in the
short and long term?
The floundering expatriate
- Should Waterhouse consider sending Donaldson back to the
United States?
- What accounts for Donaldson's difficulties in managing
cross-culturally?
- If you were Waterhouse planning to meet with Donaldson about
his problems, how would you approach the meeting and what would
you say?
The memo every woman keeps in her
desk
- How do you evaluate Liz Ames' allegations of sexism at Vision
Software?
- Should Ames send her memo to Vision's CEO, John Clark? How do
you assess the politics of the situation?
- What would you advise Ames if she asked you how to go about
changing the work environment for women at Vision Software?
Growing pains
- What is the critical issue facing Cyrus Maher?
- Should Maher offer Lee Carter greater compensation to prevent
her from defecting to another company? Why or why not?
- If you think Carter deserves additional compensation, in what
form should it be given?
- What are the broader implications of offering Carter greater
compensation that Maher should be thinking about?
When consultants and clients
clash
- What is the fundamental source of the conflict in this
case?
- How do you evaluate the way the consulting assignment was
handled by the Statler Group's partner, George Gray?
- What should Susan Barlow and Jim Roussos do to prepare for
their meeting with Royce Kellogg? How should they approach the
meeting?
- How should Royce Kellogg approach the meeting with Barlow and
Roussos?
The empowerment effort that came
undone
- How do you assess the introduction of empowerment by Martin
Griffin?
- Why did the effort fail? What should have been done
differently?
- How do you assess Harry Lewis?
- What should George Marlow do following the meeting?
Alan Hirschfield at Columbia Pictures
(A)
- What is the problem confronting Alan Hirschfield?
- What groups and/or factors in the situation should Hirschfield
consider in making a decision about David Begelman?
- What alternative courses of action are available to
Hirschfield? What are their primary advantages and
disadvantages?
- What action should Hirschfield take at the end of the
case?
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