‘DISCUSSIONS’

Onderwerp: Per week vindt er een groepsdiscussie plaats onder leiding van twee voorzitters naar aanleiding van een casus die door iedereen wordt voorbereid. Elk groepslid levert tijdens de training (dus NIET achteraf) individueel een half A4 in met zijn mening over de casus (It goes without saying that this should be done in the English language). De voorzitters hoeven dit niet te doen, maar zij leveren bij de aanvang van de training hun plan van aanpak (‘de agenda’) met structuur van de te houden discussie in bij de docent. Bij de laatste training leveren alle studenten op 1 A4 hun uitwerking in van een van de casussen, door de student zelf te kiezen.

Beoordeling: Via een Continuous Assessment, dus de beoordeling ELKE WEEK van de bijdrage aan de discussie, gekoppeld aan de kwaliteit van het ingeleverde schriftelijke werk. Good luck!

AMBM/Breda 2010-2011Propedeuse P4Engels Spreek-, Schrijf- en Luistervaardigheid

MILLARS BANK LTD.

BACKGROUND

Mr. P. D. Smothers, manager of Millars Bank Ltd. in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, paced the floor

of his stately office. Looking out the large window across the busy modern city, he contemplated his next

move regarding his newly arrived corporate loan officer, J. L. Marsh.

Ms. Marsh had come highly recommended. She had been in corporate banking for twelve years, the last ten

years in Beirut and Cairo, spoke Arabic fluently, and had been credited with arranging a number of highly

complex, yet extremely successful loans in her former position. But last week she had been assigned to his

office, and in the United Arab Emirates women did not hold such positions. Smothers had at first been

delighted. The head office in England had telexed the news that it had found a suitable replacement for the

former loan officer and had included a brief account of Ms. Marsh, an account that surpassed his

expectations. But, in typical telex fashion, the head office had only used initials: J. L. Marsh.

The last thing he expected was that J. L. would turn out to be Janet Louise.

DIALOGUE: THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?

CAST: P. D. Smothers, bank manager, Millars Bank, Abu DhabiJanet Marsh, new loan officer, Millars Bank, Abu Dhabi

Mr. Smothers and Ms. Marsh are meeting in Mr. Smothers' office in Abu Dhabi.

Smothers: Miss Marsh, I frankly don't know what to say. I would have thought, with your obvious

knowledge of the Middle East, that you would have disqualified yourself from this position.

Marsh: Mr. Smothers, I understand what you're trying to tell me, but I really don't see that we have a

problem. Believe it or not, when I was first transferred to Cairo five years ago, John Phillips,

the manager there, had very much the same reservations you have today.

Smothers: I know John. Know him very well.

Marsh: Well, it worked out beautifully.

Smothers: But, Egypt is not Abu Dhabi. Egypt is progressive, very liberal, women are acknowledged as

professionals. But in the Emirates ...

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Marsh: You don't want me to stay.

Smothers: It's not me. Please understand that I would be delighted to have you stay. But, I can't

imagine, Miss Marsh, how you could do your job. Our clients are conservative, traditional.

They expect their principal loan officer to be a man. They won't do business with us. They

won't take us seriously. (The business relations they have at the moment won’t accept a

female officer, this will be bad for the future of the Millars Bank Company. )

Marsh: Why not?

Smothers: They just won't. It's simply not done. Unheard of, even. (The business relations,spoken in

sentence above, will always reject a female officer, don’t matter what they do.)

Marsh: With all due respect, I think you're vastly mistaken.

Smothers: What?

Marsh: That's right. Mistaken. Our clients come to our bank to borrow pounds in order to finance

projects that must be paid in pounds. Nothing more, nothing less. What they are looking for is a

loan officer who can place their loan at a competitive interest rate and quickly. Isn't that

correct? ( Ms.Marsh, says that hey are looking for ANY loan officer who is right for the job, so

what’s the problem.)

Smothers: Yes. And no.

Marsh: Why no?

Smothers: Miss Marsh, you've been in corporate banking long enough to realise that personal relations

between a client and a lending institution are vitally important. I can't see how our clients could,

would relate to you. And we're not the only bank in town either. Why, just in Abu Dhabi alone

there are at least two dozen foreign banks with whom we are in direct competition, not to

mention the other two dozen Emirate owned banks plus all the other foreign banks with

representatives on restricted licenses who also can occasionally take business away from us.

( The customers will go to any other lending institution, who won’t have a female officer.)

Marsh: Mr. Smothers, I am well aware of competition and the role of the loan officer. I am so well

aware, in fact, that I feel that I can be as effective or more effective than I was in Beirut and

Cairo. I understand the Middle East. I've lived here for many years. I speak, read, and write

Arabic. I know the customs, the religion, the history, and, most importantly, the business. How

many other loan officers are fluent in Arabic? ( Ms.Marsh shows mr Smothers she has a unique

talent, she can speak/write the Arabic language fluently.)

Smothers: Not many. I'm not even myself. But that has not been a disadvantage.

Marsh: Has it been an advantage?

Smothers: No, I can't say that either.

Marsh: Besides, Mr. Smothers, let me remind you that this is a British bank, not an Arab bank and …

Smothers: But a British bank in an Arab country.

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EXHIBITS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Exhibit 1 : Telex from W. T. K Duncan, Vice-President, International Banking, Millars Bank, London, to Smothers

LND BUS 18 Jul 2001TO: P. SMOTHERSFM: W. DUNCAN RE: REPLACEMENT OFFICER

J. L. MARSH, REPLACEMENT FOR MATHERS, ARRIVING 1 AUG FOR ASSIGNMENT 15 AUG. MARSH FORMERLY CORPORATE LOAN OFFICER, BEIRUT AND CAIRO. FLUENT ARABIC. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN FORMER POSITIONS. CREDITED WITH EXPANDING CAIRO LOAN OPERATIONS BY 30%. SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASSUME EXTENSIVE DUTIES IN MIN. TIME. PLS REPLY UPON MARSH ARRIVAL.CORDIALLY,DUNCAN

Exhibit 2 : Résumé of Janet Marsh

Janet Louise Marsh Health: Excellent c/o Millars Bank Citizenship: United Kingdom 14 Talaat Harb St. Cairo, Egypt Marital Status: Single Date of Birth: 4 Jan. , 1978

Employment History:

11/97 to present Millars Bank (Cairo) Ltd. 14 Talaat Harb St. , Cairo, Egypt Position: Corporate Loan Officer Duties: Liaison with clients; Processing of acceptances and transit items; financial

investigations; Eurodollar financing; project evaluations. Supervisor: John R. Phillips

6/93 to 11/97 Millars Bank (Beirut) Ltd. POB 1028, Beirut, Lebanon Position: Assistant Corporate Loan Officer Duties: Processing of acceptances and transit items; financial investigations; liaison with

clients.

9/89 to 6/93Millars Bank, International Division 58 Lombard St. , London EC3, England Position: Assistant, International Finance Duties: Processing of letters of credit, acceptances, and transit items; Eurodollar loan financing;

Middle East finance specialist. Translator and interpreter: Arabic-English, English-Arabic.

Education: London School of Economics Houghton St. , London WC2A 2PE, England

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B.Sc. (Econ) June 1989 Programme: Monetary EconomicsMajor Studies: Monetary Economics, Finance, Accounting, Arabic, International FinancePublications: The Changing Character of International Finance in Egypt.Languages: Arabic, French (fluent) German (reading knowledge) Leisure Activities: Tennis, Swimming, Photography

( She always have been worked for the Millars Bank, in different kind of states and countries, She has a lot of experience in different economic aspects

Exhibit 3: Texts of a Series of Telexes Sent Back and Forth from Smothers to Duncan

Telex from Smothers to Duncan: JANET MARSH ARRIVED YESTERDAY. HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS AS TO HER ABILITY TO PERFORM DUTIES ADEQUATELY GIVEN STRONG TRAD ARAB CULTURE HERE. PLEASE ADVISE ASAP.

Telex from Duncan to Smothers: PLEASE, CLARIFY MESSAGE REGARDING MARSH.

Telex from Smothers to Duncan: CLARIFICATION REGARDING JANET MARSH: FEEL ARABS WILL NOT DEAL WITH WOMAN LOAN OFFICER. EMIRATES VERY TRADITIONAL, NOT ACCUSTOMED TO FEMALES IN BUS. COULD SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZE OPERATIONS. PLS ADVISE.

Exhibit 4: Letter from Marsh to Smothers (August 2)

Dear Mr. Smothers:In relation to our conversation of yesterday, I feel some further clarification of my position is desirable.Let me assure you, first, that I did not apply for this position in order to create a ‘testcase’ regarding the employment of women in executive positions in the Arab world. It is simply that the qualifications posted for the position were ideally suited to my talents.

Let me also assure you that I gave considerable thought to the possible complications involved, but felt, and still feel, that my own administrative skills are sufficient to overcome objections that might arise initially from our predominantly Arab clientele. My positions in both Beirut and Cairo have taught me much about how to proceed in the Middle East, and I trust I can draw on those lessons to ensure a smooth and speedy transition from Cairo to Abu Dhabi.

( She has a lot of experience of how to proceed in the Middle East. +)

In Cairo I worked with a number of Saudi clients and, in general, had friendly and excellent relationships with them. Although they were certainly traditional in their social views, I found them to be extremely progressive in their business outlook. This progressive viewpoint extended to our client/banker relationship, where I was simply seen as 'a banker'. Their attitude was quite clearly one of financial pragmatism, i. e. , if Millars employed me in such a position, I must be qualified.

( In her past she worked in cairo also with some Saudi clients, they saw her as a Banker and not as woman, on the contrary they thought it was very progressive. If she was a Arab woman things would have been different, but she isn’t)

Additional anecdotes abound; however, in most of them 'financial pragmatism' was more important than 'cultural tradition' . Had I been an Arab woman, things might have been different,

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but as an Englishwoman working for an English bank, I have been allowed to stand outside the 'cultural tradition'.

In conclusion, Mr. Smothers, I simply urge you to grant me the opportunity to serve Millars Bank in Abu Dhabi. If my performance is not satisfactory, I promise to step down from the position within ninety days.

I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Janet Louise Marsh

What to do with J.L. Marsh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ( Beer van Haagen & Frederique Hasselt as chairman):

As the Management team of the great Millars Bank we decided after a long discussion about the fact that our business

relations, probably won’t accept J.L. Marsh as loan officer. The reason: The religion inside the country of the United

Arab Emirates, is that the woman has a lower influence in this community than the man.

5

Bestudeer de casus.

Opdracht 1 (individueel):

Iedere student bereidt een verklaring voor van maximaal/minimaal 1 minuut waarin hij aangeeft wat zijn

standpunt is. Dit standpunt moet uiteraard beargumenteerd worden.

Opdracht 2 (groep)

Groepsdiscussie onder leiding van 2/3 studenten.

Stel je voor dat je in het managementteam van Millars Bank zit. Het doel van de discussie is om knopen door

te hakken: krijgt J.L. Marsh de functie waarnaar ze heeft gesolliciteerd, of is het verstandiger iemand anders te

benoemen? De belangen van J.L. Marsh en die van de bank moeten zorgvuldig worden afgewogen, er moet

ook een besluit worden genomen.

But after all the Millars Bank decided, as a British company in an other country, that we will give J.L.Marsh a trial

period of 3 months. To show is she’s the right one for the job as loan officer, Abu Dhabi.

In this period she will have a lot of contact with all kinds of clients. We, as the management of Millars Bank will ask

the customers if they had any problems during the conversations and appointments with the appearance of J.L. Marsh.

After those three months we will have a look at all the results of J.L.Marsh.

After this we will make a final decision. So for the next three months J.L.Marsh will be hired for the job as loan

officer. During the trial period we will treat Ms.Marsh as a full employee of the British Millars bank.

We believe Ms.Marsh is suited for the job as loan officer because she has a lot of good qualities one of them is that

she speaks the Arabic language fluently which is very unique for a British loan officer, she also has a lot of

experiences inside the Millars Bank Company, she’s well trained and after all her gender hasn’t caused any problem in

the past cities inside the United Arab Emirates, besides, they thought it was progressive from our Bank.

So good luck Ms.Marsh.

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THE EURODISNEY THEME PARK

Before the EuroDisney theme park opened, east of Paris, it received strong criticism from anti-American elements of the French media. They accused the park's management of behaving in an undemocratic, authoritarian manner. The management of EuroDisney was strongly criticised for its policy concerning the way employees should be dressed. The company had announced a strict dress code. The dress code clearly specified the ‘Disney look’ and it required all of the 12,000 workers to dress decently. Ninety-five % of those workers were French. Female staff had to wear 'appropriate underwear'. Fishnet stockings and suspenders were not allowed. Any female staff who ‘were found wearing a flashy coloured bra underneath a transparent blouse’ would be dismissed on the spot. Nor were female staff allowed to use dark lipstick, wear leather trousers, miniskirts, or false eyelashes. Highlighted hair and very high heels would lead to ‘serious warnings from the Disney management.’

Male staff had to observe certain rules too. Hair should not be too long; beards and moustaches were absolutely banned, as were visible tattoos and earrings. Piercings, visible to vistors, were absolutely forbidden. Clean shaven heads could not be tolerated either. Wearing sport shoes during opening hours was strongly disadvised. Finally, both sexes had to have a 'balance between height and weight'. The management claimed that it worried about EuroDisney’s image: a family-friendly theme park, where the young and the old can enjoy a day of fantasy and illusion. It argued that this image would ‘seriously suffer from exaggerated, indecent and uncontrolled expressions of individual tastes.’ It also announced that a special committee of ‘wise men’ would be authorised to perform random and unannounced checks on all personnel present on the premises before, during and after opening hours. In addition, the management had decided ‘that those employees who could not accept the new guidelines would be granted an exit bonus of $250.’ The management admitted that the dress code was strict, but that it had been instituted ‘in the interest of the park and its paying visitors.’

The dress code caused quite a commotion. Inside and outside the park. A government inspector supported the media critics, saying the Disney dress code violated personal liberty. A Frenchman who applied for the job of servicemanager was told that he would have to shave off his moustache. He commented, 'I wasn't interested in the job offer after I learned of the dress code. These kinds of attitude have no place in France or anywhere else in the modern world. There is nothing wrong with safeguarding your company image. However, when it takes away your individuality, it is sick. As is the management of such a company.’

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8

Bestudeer de casus

Opdracht 1 (individueel)

Iedere student bereidt een verklaring voor van maximaal/minimaal 1 minuut waarin hij aangeeft wat zijn

standpunt is. Dit standpunt moet uiteraard beargumenteerd worden.

Opdracht 2 (groep)

‘Lagerhuis’ opzet, d.w.z. standpunten kunnen vrijelijk worden gegeven en er moet op elkaars

standpunten gereageerd worden.

Discussion leaders: 2 students.

N.B. Tijdens de groepsdiscussie bepalen de discussieleiders wie het woord heeft. Als je spreekt, ga je

staan.

Disney.

I think it is quitte sick what disney is doing here. The dress code is fine but don’t ask your employees to change

there looks. If one of the employees has to shave his beard every day otherwise he will be “fired”is kind of sick.

And I think you will take the human out of the people, and make them sort of bots. Because every human being has

his own good and bad qualities, you can improve the bad things but don’t change this things completly, otherwise

Disney must make some robots to serve all the customers. Let the human be human.

And about the the clothes. I think this is fine because when this future-employees accept the job they will know the

concequenses the job will bring with it. Futermore I think the french media is taking about all these things way to

serious. The only thing Disney tries to do is activating the fantasie world inside the human brain. They want to give

the customers a day which they will never forget. And the over-the-top clothes makes this day (or days) a lot easier

to remember. So, Disney and there clothes are fine, because if you put everyone in a jeans,the customers won’t

know wich are employees and whom are customers.

After all, Disney had to change some things in there great bussines. Don’t ask the employees to be a bot and let

them be the human part of the great Disney-world. The clothes are fine the way they are now but don’t get to

excited.

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10

Sometimes an employee can be nasty, bullying, or simply hard-hearted.

What should you do, though, when that person also happens to be a top performer?

From: Jane Epstein To: Rick LazarusSent: 5/14/01Subject: settling in

Hi Rick. I'm starting to get settled in at TechniCo. I miss you and the rest of the gang, and the adrenaline of working with my ex-clients. But I am happy not to be living in airports anymore. I hope Mary and the kids are well. I've inherited a good team here. They're all strong performers, and most of them are nice, too. I'm sure they are still wondering about me -but so far, so good. My team? Caroline's been here longest; she seems pragmatic, very good with people. Juggling work-family issues and a recent divorce -but she pulls her weight and then some. She's generally trusted (I think). Tom is the joker. A natural sales guy- great talker but a worker with real drive, know what I mean? You never really get inside his mind, but I have not discovered any deep thinking in him, anyway. Jack is intense, maybe he is something like an intellectual; I haven't quite figured him out. I think he may be shy (?). Anyhow, then there's Andy Zimmerman, who's got me slightly worried - maybe because he intimidates me just a bit. He's very bright, but he's aggressive - doesn't tolerate fools. He will need my watching him, I guessI had better run now. By the way, I love being back in Amsterdam. And, glory to my hometown team. Ajax are doing O.K., aren’t they? See you. Jane.

From: Rick Lazarus To: Jane EpsteinSent: 5/14/01Subject: Hey stranger Good to hear from you, Jane. Sure, your Ajax are bashing the competition. What is it that makes you so nervous about this chap Zimmerman? Rick

Sent 5/15/01Subject: re: Hey strangerNothing I can really put my finger on. Here's a little incident. My assistant, Maureen, arranged a meeting and scheduled over something else. Zimmerman really got at her like a mad dog. Not the end of the world -she had made a mistake, and he had to rearrange an appointment he had made- but he could have got the point across more tactfully. And she is ‘my’ assistant. (And I am ‘his’ boss, and he did it in front of me.) That’s what makes me nervous, as you put it. Jane

Sent 5/15/01Subject: don't be a softieHi Jane.The Zimmerman guy doesn't necessarily sound like a problem to me. 1 hate it when people screw up scheduling, and you've always been too patient with that kind of thing. Clearly you have to establish your own authority with him, though, or he'll step all over you.What's the place like in general? Do the people in your new office tolerate incompetence? Even the incompetence of ‘your’ assistant?By the way, Mary sends her love to you. Rick

Sent 5/22/01 Subject:ha! Here is another anecdote in the the continuing "Who is Andy Zimmerman" story. Yesterday we had a discussion about our strategy. (We need to be more aggressive about growth). It was a pretty open-ended meeting and not more than a brainstorming session to get our thinking clear about new markets. Jack (-the intense, possibly shy one that I haven't figured out yet-) was going on a bit too long about a favourite idea of his. I was on the point of redirecting the conversation when Andy cut him off. "What you are proposing makes absolutely no sense, and let me tell you why."Then Zimmerman made a list all the weak points in poor Jack's thinking, one by one. It really made Jack him squirm. The thing is, that Zimmerman was right. On the other hand, it was a brainstorming meeting, so his tirade stopped the free flow of ideas. The whole meeting fell flat after that. People felt terribly frustrated.

Later, 1 heard him yelling against the group's other assistant Danielle: "This is an important customer, Girl He has called three times - WHY CAN'T YOU GET IT RIGHT! Goddammit" Once again, Zimmerman was right. But this kind of tongue-lashing and bad-mannered directness causes people to make mistakes.Jane

Sent: 5/22/01Subject: bottom line? Let me just ignore his niceness score for a moment, and let me ask you: how’s Zimmerman’s performance? Rick

Sent: 5/22/012Subject: re: bottom line?If he had not permormed so excellently, I guess he would have been thrown out a long time ago. A colleague said to me that A.Z. will never win personality contests, but he brings in big business. She said that she admires his achievements, but certainly not the man.Jane

Sent: 5/22/01Subject: re: re: bottom line?Well, then, I don't see the problem. 1 think you are overreacting, Honey!Rick

Sent: 5/23/01Subject: re: re: re: bottom line?That's what I like about you, Rick. You never make me doubt what you mean.Jane

WHAT A STAR,WHAT A JERK

Sent: 5/23/01Subject: re: re: re: bottom line?

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Sent: 5/16/01Subject: tougher than you thinkIt is funny you should ask. The atmosphere is pleasant. In fact, it's probably a little too nicey~nice. The Support staff are not up to the same standards (not paid as well, either) as in your office. And there's a little more coasting among professional staff here. Senior managers talk a lot about the lack of hierarchy and authority around here. The lack of hierarcy seems to translate into tolerating hardly average performance if the people are well liked(Then again, my impressions could be all wrong: I'm describing a place that I have only been part of for a few weeks.) Jane

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Sent: 5/30/01Subject: Holy jelly, Batman ... we're in a jam!Hi there, Rick.Can I bore you again with Andy Z., my low-likability, high-performance guy? Until now, I had thought that he was just nasty to lower-level people (I told him quietly to tone down when speaking with them, after the incidents with the assistants). I also told him that he at least try to be civil to colleagues. But Zimmerman doesn’t seem to take the point and terribly upset Caroline, the one who’s going through the divorce. Background: Caroline has enormous social capital built up here; she is respected and she is the one everyone turns to with their problems, either professional or personal. She's a good egg, but she is not at her best right now (she right in the middle of a divorce lawsuit and her mother is terribly sick). She probably should have taken some time off, but it's a bad and busy time of year. That’s why I asked her to keep on working. Okay, so here she is, this sympathetic and valuable person who is hanging on by a thread, and Andy got under her skin way too deep. She forwarded me this e-maiI he had sent her, and when I went to talk to her about it, she cried. It was a, horrible scene. Anyhow, take a look: Caroline, you screwed up! You screwed up badly. We had planned a meeting with people whom I had been trying to convince to do business with us for eight months. The meeting was set up up well in advance, and you blew it off at the last minute. The whole thing embarrassed me greatly and endangered the business. I can just hear you whining, "Things are a mess at home right now"- but you know what? Everybody's got personal problems sometimes, and if that is the case these people should stay out of the office. If I don't land this business, it will be because of your incompetence, and you can bet that Epstein and everyone else who is important in the company will hear about how you messed up.After she had stopped crying she said she was terribly sorry for making the mistake. Then we talked and she explained to me how she had ‘handled’ Zimmerman until recently (which is why she felt betrayed by his accusations). Evidently, he had often let off steam to her about what he saw as all-around stupidity. Caroline would listen to Zimmerman, calm him down, and occasionally tell him in her extremely gentle way that he was out of line and his kindness would have more effect.And other people would come to her and complain when he had said something nasty, and she would calm them down (explaining the pressure Zimmerman was under, whatever).

(continued)

. (Continued)

As he had never said a nasty word to her, she was absolutely shocked when he suddenly turned on her. Anyhow, she was not trying to blow the whistle on him - not really -but I could see that she was just fed up with the smoothing - over role. (I gather that my predecessor completely ignored the whole situation - in part because Caroline kept it under control. Surely wish I could do that.)Obviously, I have to have a chat with the big bad wolf. You know, when I left BCP to take a job with this company, I imagined focusing on numbers, products, customers -on building something up. Instead, I feel as if people-issues (stupid little blowups like this) take up most of my time. These are all highly paid people, mostly with advanced degrees.... Why do I feel like a kindergarten teacher?Jane

Sent: 5/30/01Subject could be worse...Hello Jane, in many ways, he sounds like your bad police officer: the Zimmerman bastard keeps the laggards in your office in line, and makes you become the nice guy at the same time. Understand what I am saying? Really, I could imagine worse scenarios.By the way, I am surprised that your Caroline showed you that memo, since it makes her look bad. I know you are going to tell me that the memo is abusive, but …… is it, really so? Makes me wonder.Rick

Sent. 5/30/01Subject: re: could be worse...Abusive? 1 don’t know about that, Rick. It may not be abusive, but it is definitely threatening, is not it? And it makes someone (Caroline) who is good, and who defended him in the past, feel like shit.... Oh, I don't know what to think of this.Jane

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Inherit: erven land business: een zaak/werk binnenhalenJuggle: goochelen smoothing-over: sussenBash: afranselen laggards: luiaardsSchedule over: dubbel plannen abusive: beledigendScrew up: verknallen down-to-earth: nuchter, beide benen op de grondIncompetence: onbekwaamheid dismissive: afwerendCoast: freewheelen cowed: geintimideerdLack of: gebrek aan hunched over: voorover gebogenRedirect: weer in rechte spoor krijgenCut off: ruw onderbrekenSquirm: ‘van pijn kronkelen’Tirade: scheldpartijContest: wedstrijdAchievements: prestatiesLikability: geliefdheidCivil: wellevend, beleefdUpset: van streek zijnA good egg: goede zielUnder her skin: haar van binnen rakenWhine: janken

Sent: 5/31/01Subject. whew Okay, so Andy Z. and I had a long talk. I think it went reasonably well. With Caroline's permission, I told him about the leave she should be on. And he said he had to admit that he'd never seen anything like that from her before. Looked very slightly ashamed (but maybe I just imagined that I saw it ).I wanted to make him think about of his nastiness, and I also wanted to get to the issue of his inappropriate behavior. So I got him talking about his own role in the group and how he sees the work developing over the next several months. And- surprise, surprise - we had a good conversation. He's got great insights, energy, and the man is really surprisingly smart. We talked for quite some time, in a way that was, to be honest, more productive and visionary. At the same time it was more down - to - earth than would have happened had the whole group been present. He created energy in me, and the other way around. I had to admit that it was just fun talking business with A.Z.Of course, I went back to the question of how he acts in the group. I said, basically, "Look, you're talented and quick and impatient, and you just have to slow down and bite your tongue and be a little nicer to people!' (Since we had been having a really good conversation, it was easy to say.) He was somewhat dismissive, but when I pushed it, he agreed to try to listen better in meetings and stop talking nasty to the assistants as he had done before.Jane

Sent 5/13/101Subject: wise words I always said that you make a great kindergarten teacher. So Problem Boy is tamed? Looks like he is, is not he? I hope so. But just remember what a particular famous somebody once said: ‘It ain’t always the way you hope it is.’Rick.

Sent: 6/01/01Subject: re: wise wordsOK, let’s conclude that Problem Boy is tamed, and forget about the whole thing. Jane

Sent: 6/12/01Subject: too good to be trueHey Rick, how was Italy? I bet the kids loved the beaches - I'm jealous. I could use a little time off myself.Of course it was too good to be true Problem Boy being definitely tamed and reformed (sigh!). Yesterday I came into a meeting I had asked him to chair until I could get there. I slipped in quietly - not wanting to disturb things -and the way the room was set up, he didn't see me at first. Every person in that room looked cowed: eyes down, hunched over. And it's a good group, really! He was responding to something Tom had said, and his ugly side was out in full force. He sneered, used foul language - even rolled his eyes when Tom tried to break in with a counterargument. He did not even stop after he had noticed that I had been in the room for some time. Yes, it suddenly became clear to me: This guy is a bully.Afterwards, I saw Caroline and Tom talking -about Andy-, I'm sure. Meanwhile, when I walked into Andy's office a few minutes after the meeting -and looked at him, stone cold - he just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.Damn. He is not changing. Not the slightest bit. And this isn't kindergarten --it's a business. I feel like I am between a rock (the negative effect he has on my team) and a hard place (his excellent performance).Jane

………..

Everybody at ClarityBase seemed to understand when one accountmanager, a working mother, got a special deal: Fridays off, limited travel, easy clients.

But when other employees -namely, nonparents- started asking for

14

Bestudeer de casus

Opdracht 1Iedere student bereidt een verklaring voor van maximaal/minimaal 1 minuut waarin hij aangeeft wat zijn

standpunt is. Dit standpunt moet uiteraard beargumenteerd worden.

Opdracht 2

Groepsdiscussie onder leiding van 2/3 studenten.

Stel je voor dat je als consultant het probleem zoals hierboven is beschreven in de schoot geworpen krijgt.

En stel je ook eens voor dat je er niet helemaal uitkomt en dat je daarom met een aantal collega’s van

gedachten wilt wisselen voordat je aan het management van TechniCo advies uitbrengt. Immers, de vraag

is of Jane op een zwakke manier leiding geeft, óf is het dat Zimmerman gewoon aan iedereen lak heeft en

dus moet vertrekken, óf ……….?

similar treatment, the company found itself on the brink of an organizational firestorm.

‘PLEASE DON’T TELL ME that I need to have a baby to have this time off.’ Those words were still ringing in the ears of Jessica Gonon an hour after a tense1 meeting with one of her key managers. As she sat in her office trying to make sense of a recent customer survey, Jessica, the vice president of sales and customer support at ClarityBase, was having trouble concentrating on the bar graphs and pie charts in front of her. Bits and pieces from her earlier conversation kept interrupting her thoughts. The issue seemed simple enough. Jana Rowe, an account manager in the sales support department, had requested a lighter workload: she wanted a four-day workweek, and for that she was willing to take a corresponding 20% cut in pay. Those were the simple facts, but the situation at ClarityBase was anything but straightforward. Just last week, Davis Bermett, another account manager, had made a similar request. He wanted a lighter workload so that he could train for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship held each October in Hawaii. He was a world-class athlete, and his ultimate

1 gespannen

goal was a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2004. Davis had said he didn’t need to begin full training until mid-spring, so Jessica had asked him for a couple of weeks to figure out how ClarityBase might best accommodate2 his training schedule. A complicating factor was that both Davis and Jana were well aware that Megan Flood, another account manager, had been working a reduced schedule for nearly two years. When she was hired, Megan had requested Fridays off to spend time with her two young boys, and Jessica had agreed.In her meeting with Jessica, Jana had declined to explain why she wanted the reduced hours, giving ‘personal reasons’. When Jessica had paused, wondering what those reasons might be, Jana added, ‘All I’m asking for is the same deal that Megan has. Please don’t tell me that I need to have a baby to have this time off.’ Jana was married and had no children. Davis was single and also without children. There were other subtle issues. A reduced workweek for Jana and Davis meant much more than just that. From Jessica’s conversations with them, she inferred3

2 een regeling (proberen te) vinden3 concluded

15

that any official reduction in hours -having a day off every week in Jana's case- would also mean they wouldn't have to work the occasional nights and weekends that the other account managers did, all except Megan. ClarityBase sold large database applications that helped companies run their operations, including human resources, manufacturing, and order fulfilment. The eight account managers -Jana, Davis, and Megan among them- were in charge of helping the company's largest customers install and maintain the software, which required no special or extra effort. Because Megan had an abbreviated4 workweek, the other account managers were assigned the more demanding5

clients. Davis, in particular, seemed to have the toughest customers, most notably St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Philadelphia, which required him to be available around-the-clock. Once, when its system failed on Christmas Day, Davis took the train to Philadelphia to help get the hospital's crucial patient database up and running. lf Jessica agreed to a shorter workweek for Jana and Davis, who would take over clients like St. Elizabeth's? And what would happen if the other account managers began asking for similar deals? It was Monday morning -what a way to start the week, thought Jessica. She had promised Jana that she'd get back to her by Friday, so at least she had the whole week to sort things out. That was plenty of time, or so she hoped.

Trading PlacesJessica had had second thoughts6 before hiring Megan -she had made so many demands in the interview. Her children, said Megan, were paramount7 to her, and she wanted a very flexible schedule. Not only did she want the freedom to come in late and leave early occasionally, she also wanted the Fridays off. She was not prepared to do business travels, and she would not be able to attend after-hours meetings except when her personal schedule allowed. But Megan had come highly recommended. Her three-year experience at Dawson Software, ClarityBase’s main competitor, would be a huge asset8; her technical skills were superb; and her professional and friendly demeanor9 would surely impress customers. And, last but certainly not least, Jessica had looked for months to hire someone of Megan’s caliber. None of the other candidates had come remotely close. So after thinking about it over a weekend, Jessica decided to offer her the job. Still, Megan’s demands had left Jessica feeling uneasy. Part of the reason, Jessica realized later after

4 verkorte5 veeleisend6 had zo haar bedenkingen7 het belangrijkste in haar leven8 aanwinst9 houding, voorkomen

much introspection, was because she had had it much tougher when she was starting her career in the early 1970s - a different era10 before flexible work hours, and on-site day care centers. At that time, women like Jessica, who held a bachelor's degree in computer programming from Penn State University, simply couldn't have it all, both career and children. So Jessica and her husband, who was one of the partners in an architectural firm, had decided that she would quit her job as a supervisor in Capital Insurance when they had their first child. Nine years later, after their youngest child had started kindergarten, Jessica reentered the workforce as a sales assistant at ClarityBase. She took classes at night to get up to speed on the computer industry and slowly rose to become a sales rep11, then account manager, and then head of the Northeast sales region. At the age of 52, she was promoted to her current position of vice president of sales and customer support. The road had been long, and having children had been a substantial detour. But just because Jessica had had to make trade-offs12 between career and family, should Megan have to as well?

Hidden TensionsIt was nearly 7 PM when Jessica finally crammed the customer survey reports into her briefcase and started to head home. As she walked through the sales support group, she was reminded of a conversation she happened to overhear in this corridor last week: ‘I honestly don't know if I can force myself to smile through yet another precious baby shower,’ said a woman’s voice from the other side of a thin wall. At the time, Jessica paid little attention to the comment, but now, those words made her stop and think. ClarityBase prided itself on its progressive work-life policies. The company offered all employees family medical insurance, adoption assistance13, and paid maternity and paternity leave14. But perhaps the thing that ClarityBase was most proud of was the on-site child care center that the company subsidized. Bill Welensky, vice president of human resources, liked to brag that such perks15 helped ClarityBase keep employee turnover to less than 5% annually, unheard of in the software industry. But had the company become too pro-parent at the expense of other employees? A year and a half ago, as Labor Day approached, tension between the two groups surfaced. Ed Fernandez -whom Jessica had just hired to supervise ClarityBase's call center- had drawn up the schedule for the holiday weekend in what he thought was the fairest way: people who hadn’t worked over a holiday

10 tijd(perk)11 salesrepresentative12 keuzen13 kinderopvang14 ouderschapsverlof15 secondaire arbeidsvoorwaarden

16

for the longest time would be the first to be called to duty. Many mothers were on the short list because the previous supervisor had never scheduled them to work on holidays. When the assignments were posted, the mothers were peeved16, and their reaction irritated other employees. Fortunately, Ed was able to strike a compromise. The assignments for Labor Day would be done as they had been in the past, with special consideration given to mothers. From that point on, though, every employee would have to work his or her fair share of holidays, regardless of past status or history. The only consideration would be for seniority17: newer employees, whether they were parents or not were first to serve. That solution seemed to prevent a fracture18 in the workplace between parents and nonparents. But could it be that a dangerous rift19 did exist, with only a fragile veneer of social decorum20 to conceal it? Jessica headed back to her office to reboot her computer. She composed two e-mails, one to Jana and the other to Davis, requesting that she meet with each of them as soon as possible to discuss their requests further.

Gathering informationAt lunch the next day, Jessica waited until she and Jana had comfortably settled into their booth21 and ordered their meals before asking the delicate question. ‘I want to understand your sitation, why you've requested a shorter workweek,' she started. ‘Yesterday, you cited 'personal reasons! The last thing I want to do is pry into22 your personal life, but is there anything else you would feel comfortable telling me?’Jessica watched as Jana swallowed her food and collected her thoughts. ‘I don’t mean to be disrespectful,’ Jana began. ‘Honestly, I don’t. Nor do I mean to be mysterious. But I really don’t think I should have to explain why I want time off. Suffice23 it to say that it's very important to me!' ‘I see,’ replied Jessica. 'I am sorry I have asked. I just wanted to understand your situation better.’ The two women ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Jana put her fork down and looked at Jessica intently. ‘The thing that gets me,' Jana said ‘is that somehow all the family stuff is considered more important -the soccer games, the school plays, the graduations. Well, I have important things going on in my life, too. They just don’t involve children.’ ‘Do you think that parents are treated with favoritism at Clarity?’ Jessica asked.

16 ‘waren over de rooie’17 leeftijd18 breuk19 scheuring, scheidingslijn20 een dun laagje vernis van goede manieren21 plaatsje22 neus steken in23 laat het volstaan

'I don’t think so,' Jana replied. ‘But is it so hard to believe that my reasons for wanting a lighter workload might be just as important to me as Megan’s children are to her?’ Before Jessica could say anything, Jana added ‘Don't get me wrong. I think Megan is great. She's one of our best account managers, so I have no problem about the deal she has. I am just saying that I think I deserve the same deal!' Value JudgementsOn her drive home that night, Jessica thought more about what Jana had said. She had heard of companies with a no-explanation policy for time off, but that blanket24 policy seemed unfair to her. Some people might need more consideration at a specific time -for example the birth of a child- whereas others could postpone their plans -for instance, a college course could be taken in the autumn instead of in the spring. On the hand, a blanket no-explanation policy would certainly make her job easier, she wouldn’t have to make value judgements about whose reasons were important or not. Breakfast the next morning with Davis went more smoothly. When Jessica asked him whether he felt that parents at ClarityBase were treated with favoritism25, he replied, 'I have never felt like a second-class citizen, if that’s you are asking. I really don’t mind helping out someone who’s having some kind of family emergency, because working parents have it tough. I have no idea how they juggle26 everything. I would be a nut case.’ ‘Thanks for your great attitude,’ said Jessica. 'Well, we're all on the same team! I guess what I need to know from you,’ Jessica continued, ‘is how much flexibility you might have. Excuse my ignorance, but I know very little about triathletes, and I am not sure how much time off you'll need to train!' ‘It varies; everyone seems to have a different training schedule,’ said Davis. ‘But here's what I think would work best for me: for the summer, I would like to leave work at 3 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then, during the fall, I would want to leave early maybe four days a week. But on the days I left early, 1 could definitely come in at 6 AM to make up some of that time, or I could stay later on the other days!' ‘I appreciate that,’ said Jessica, ‘and I have always been grateful for your willingness to go the extra mile. But with this new schedule, do you think you could keep up with the needs of your clients?’ 'I have thought about that a lot and, to be honest with you, I don’t know,’ Davis admitted. I realize that the customer comes first, but I also like to think that most of them would be willing to make adjustments -and I think they'd be minor ones- to accommodate27

24 rechtlijnig en voor iedereen geldend25 speciale voorrang, ‘vriendjespolitiek’26 het voor elkaar krijgen27 sporen met, inpassen

17

my new hours. Of course, I have no idea if everything would work out as smoothly as I'm hoping.’ ‘This particular triathlon is really important to you?’Jessica asked, almost rhetorically. 'Well, I have won a few local ones, but nothing big,’ said Davis. ‘And the Ironman is big. My goal is a place in the top 20. And, yes, it's very important to me. In fact, I suppose I've never wanted anything as badly in my entire life!' Jessica thought back to when she had hired Davis more than five years ago. What impressed her most about him was his passion. Davis was clearly the type of person who threw himself into everything he did, and it was evident in his work. So it was hardly surprising that he would want extra training time to prepare for the Ironman.

Decision TimeAs Jessica arrived at ClarityBase's parking lot, she noticed a Honda with a bumper sticker that proudly declared ‘Childfree (not child-less) ... and loving every minute of it.’ Could that car belong to the woman she had overheard the other night? Before heading to her office, Jessica decided to stop by the HR department to talk with Bill Welensky. ‘Bill, do you have a few free minutes?’ she asked. Bill, who was Jessica’s mentor and one of her biggest supporters at ClarityBase, listened carefully as she told him about Jana, Davis, and her earlier arrangement with Megan. ‘I know that we don't have any official policy that specifically addresses these issues’ she said, ‘but I was hoping for some advice!’ 'I’m not sure exactly what to say,’ said Bill. ‘As you know, ClarityBase prides itself on its progressive views on worklife issues, and we try to accommodate people as much as possible. But we do not have any policies at all regarding flex time.’ When Jessica told Bill about what Jana had said -that she felt parents got special consideration at ClarityBase- he paused before speaking. ‘That's not the first time that sentiment has been expressed,' he said. ‘But as far as flex time or shorter workweeks are concerned, we certainly don't have any guidelines with regard to parents versus nonparents. Supervisors just have to make those kinds of decisions on a case by case basis!' Jessica thought about that for a few seconds. ‘The problem,' she started, ‘is that I feel like I somehow have to make value judgments about what's more important, someone's parenting needs versus someone else's personal achievement goals. And I don’t feel comfortable doing that!' Bill looked at Jessica. ‘Have you tried taking a different perspective?’ he asked. ‘Think of it as two employees who both want raises but your budget will allow just one. What would you do?’ Without hesitation, Jessica replied, 'I would make a judgement about just how valuable and irreplaceable each employee was. But my situation is so much more

complicated than that. With salary requests, I could compare apples with apples. With work-life issues, I feel like I have to compare an apple with a hammer.’ ‘Then let me to speak to you as a friend and not as the HR director,’ Bill said. ‘And let me be frank with you: the reason you were promoted to vice president is precisely because of your ability to compare apples with hammers. You run a large department and, yes, it's not always easy to meet the needs of your staff while also making your quarterly numbers28. So, no, you can’t go out and hire two more account managers to cover for the people who want flex time. There is no simple, tidy solution here!'As Jessica left BilI's office, she tried to reassure herself that it was just Wednesday, she still had until Friday to figure out what to do. The problem, though, was that with each day she was becoming increasingly confused.

28 kwartaalcijfers behalen

18

Bestudeer de casus

Opdracht 1 (individueel)Iedere student bereidt een verklaring voor van maximaal/minimaal 1 minuut waarin hij aangeeft wat

zijn standpunt is. Dit standpunt moet uiteraard beargumenteerd worden.

Opdracht 2 (groep)Groepsdiscussie onder leiding van 2/3 studenten.

Op de agenda staat de vraag of er iets mis is bij ClarityBase. En als er iets mis is, wat dat dan eigenlijk

is. In feite ben je als groep bezig met het maken van een analyse van de situatie zoals die is onstaan.

Probeer dus het probleem (als dat er is) in kaart te brengen en probeer hoofd- en bijzaken van elkaar te

scheiden.

ClarityBase.

If I were Jessica, and I’m glad I’m not, I think I will have the same problems with deciding. It is very difficult to make decisions like this. My point of view is that there should be no difference in treatment if they have a child or not. If I was Jessica, I think the most reasonable decision, is to see spending time with your child as spare time and not as a “part time job”. So if Davis Bermett wants some extra time to do something he likes to do, training for the ironman contest, he should have the same rights as Megan Flood, who likes to take care of her children at her extra day-off.

But what makes this decision so difficult? Well, when Jessica agreed the request of Megan Flood, account manager in the sales support department and has some children to take care for, I think she didn’t knew there were more people who have the same needs. But Davis Bermett, who always worked hard, and also wants a different schedule, but none of his wishes where fulfilled, yet. Because he has no children to take care for. I think this is a lame excuse to still reach the target they’ve been aiming for. If Davis get his days off, they won’t have the warranty they reach this. But all the employees should have the same advantages. And there shouldn’t be any favoritism.

There was one more person involved in this story named, Jana Rowe. I think employees have the right to have some private things. But if they want some extra’s they had to give some more information then only: “personal reasons”. If they don’t want to give this extra information, the boss may ask for additional information. As employer, Jessica has the right to ask for more knowledge then, Jana Rowe has given.

So, Jessica will do the following. The things she has decided according to Megan Flood will stay the same. These things were decided in the past with a reason and they will be the same in the future. When we talk about Davis Bernett, he has given a valid reason for his different schedule. He always worked the best he can, and has a heart for the “ClarityBase Company”. According to Jane Rowe, and her bad comment for accepting on the request, I think her boss, Jessica, Has the right to ask for more additional information. Because they still have that target to achieve. So if she don’t want to tell the reason behind the request, I think it would be reasonable if she ignore the request.

FITZBURG TIRE COMPANYA situation in Mexico

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the spring of 1999. For Max Bierman, the American construction

manager of his company's partially completed Fitzburg Tire Company plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico, though, it

was a bad day. He had spent the afternoon reviewing the project and was clearly upset. Construction was

already three months behind schedule, costs were in excess of those projected, and his chief engineer, Leopoldo

Sanchez Garcia, had reported on Friday that most of the work completed in the last three weeks had to be

redone because it failed to meet specification. It seemed to Bierman that never before had he had so many

problems at one time.

This was not the first plant that Bierman had built for Fitzburg, but it was the first one he had supervised outside

the U.S. At first Bierman had been delighted with Mexico. Cuernavaca was a beautiful city in the mountains,

the people seemed friendly, and his accommodations-a huge house with servants and swimming pool-were

superior to his home in the United States.

The problems with the plant, however, had begun to change his attitudes. In uncharacteristic fashion, he began

to blame Mexican workers, Mexican supervisors, Mexican bureaucracy, in short, everything Mexican, for the

difficulties. Even his "right-hand man," Sanchez Garcia, seemed to have failed him. To compound matters,

Bierman's monthly progress report was due in a few days at the head office in Philadelphia. It appeared that

once again he would have to file a "nonprogress" report, which justifiably would concern his superiors. After

one hour of deliberating what to do, he picked up the telephone called Sanchez Garcia at home.

Present: Max Bierman, Construction Manager, Fitzburg Tire Co., Cuernavaca

Leopoldo Sanchez Garcia, Chief Engineer, Fitzburg Tire Cuernavaca

DIALOGUE: A PLANNING SESSION

Bierman: Sorry to drag you out on a Sunday afternoon, Leopoldo, we've got some problems that have to get settled, and settled quickly.

Sanchez: You're referring to the mixing pit walls that have to be taken down and done again.Bierman: Well, we might as well start with that.Sanchez: Okay. As I told you on Friday, the problem is with the H-E reinforcements. There should be

twice as many pylons for the pit to be structurally sound.Bierman: So whose fault was it?Sanchez: It's not a question of fault or blame. I suppose I'm to blamed for going on vacation. The maestro,

Munoz, is to be blamed for not following directions; John is to be blamed for not keeping a close eye on the operation. But in the end doesn't matter, it has to be redone.

Bierman: What's wrong with Munoz anyway? This isn't the first time he's made a mistake.Sanchez: Max, what you need to understand is that these workers need a lot of supervision. You can't

manage this kind of construction from the office.Bierman: Can he read?Sanchez: Who?Bierman: Munoz. John told me he can't read.Sanchez: He can read, and he's not stupid. But he is a subcontractor and he thought he could cut a corner

and save some expense by only using half the amount of steel.Bierman: So let's get rid of himSanchez: It's not that simple. Munoz is goodBierman: There are a lot of people out there who can do the job.Sanchez: I told him on Friday he'll have to rip up the concrete and do the job right.Bierman: But the delays! We're already so far behind schedule.Sanchez: I know, but it's better to do it right. Bierman: I'm not saying not to do it right. What I'm saying is that the situation is out of control. John

agrees.Sanchez: Neither John nor you have experience in Mexico. I told you at the beginning that your time

schedule was not realistic. Things are not as bad as they seem.Bierman: Oh yeah? What am I going to tell Philadelphia on Wednesday -that this is the land of manhana,

where time schedules don't matter?Sanchez: Yes, to some extent you'll have to tell them that. But you'll also have to show them that when this

plant is done, it will be a model for Fitzburg plants everywhere. Max, it is being built right.Bierman: How can you say that? Leopoldo, I'm going to have to make some changes. Up to now I've

listened to you, trusted your judgment, believed that you knew how to handle your people. But it's not working. And besides, we're not running a charity organization. We've got jobs that people need, and I want you to make sure that the people who have jobs deserve them. I also want you to tighten up operations. This whole siesta business is ridiculous. Orders aren't delivered on time, crews don't show up. Leopoldo, you've got to get this under control.

Sanchez: Max, I understand your frustration and agree things can be improved. But at the same time, having a hostile attitude toward the workers isn't going to do anything for anyone.

Bierman: I'm not hostile toward the workers. I just want to see some visible progress made without hitches, without delays, without cost overruns. I want you to make the changes as you see fit, but I want changes. I want people working, not standing around leaning on the machinery. I want things done right the first time, not the second or third time. I want to increase the work tempo, I want changes, and I want results.

Sanchez: I'll see what I can do, but, Max, you have to remember that in Mexico things are done differently. I've been building plants in this country and in Latin America for thirty years. You've been here less than a year.

Bierman: I know. I trust you. I recognize that there will be differences. But you see the spot I'm in, don't you? Philadelphia could not care less about our problems. They just want a plant built and running within a reasonable time period. And that's our job. Nothing less, nothing more.

EXHIBITS AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

EXHIBIT 1. Memo from Sanchez Garcia to Max Bierman

Interoffice Memorandum

TO: Max Bierman FM: Leopoldo Sanchez Garcia DT: April 29, 1999 RE: Procedural changes

In response to our conversation of yesterday afternoon, I have initiated the following changes:

1. I warned Maestro Miguel Munoz that another mistake would result in his immediate termination for breach of

contract. (I doubt if this is legal, but I think it sufficiently provoked a more responsive attitude. ) Demolition of the

retaining wall was begun at the expense of Maestro Munoz. A new wall should be in place by May 3rd.

2. I spoke with Juan Carillo in personnel about hiring thirty more unskilled workers. They would be used to supplement

the existing work crews. He said he could probably have them on the job within a week. This would greatly speed

up initial construction.

3. Abolishing the 90-minute siesta break is impossible. It simply flies in the face of tradition. Since the workers put

in eight-hour days anyway, I don' t see that it matters much whether they work from 8:00-4:30 or from 8:00-6: 00.

4. An obvious problem exists with the use of too many subcontractors. Because of legal entanglements, we are stuck

with them at present. A logical solution, though, is to hire three or four young engineers to supervise them closely.

This would alleviate the problem to a very great extent.

EXHIBIT 2. Memo from Max Bierman to Sanchez Garcia

From the Desk of Max Bierman

Leopoldo,

you haven't got the message. Your so-called ' changes’ amount to nothing at all. The answer is not to hire more workers,

either unskilled or engineers. The answer is to get people who are on the job working! And about the siesta break -the

workers begin to slow down an hour before siesta and take at least an hour to get back in full swing. We're losing two hours a

day of full-work productivity. Whether traditional or not, it's got to go. Work tempo has to be increased, and costs have to

remain the same.

Max

EXHIBIT 3. Bierman's Progress Report to the Head Office

Fitzburg Tire Co., S.A. de C.V.Apartado Postal 96Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

May 1, 1999

TO: Ann Block, V. P. , Overseas OperationsFROM: Max Bierman, General Construction Manager, CuernavacaSUBJECT: April Progress Report

This report covers the period from April 1 to April 30, 1999, regarding the construction of the F. Tire Plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico.Summary of Work Previously Completed

From the beginning of construction in August 1983, the foundations for the main assembly facility, curing room, and storage

rooms have been laid and the basic frame for all facilities erected.

Work Completed - April 1 - April 30

Major tasks during this time period have been confined to continued work on the erection of the structural frames, on

reinforcement (with H-shape steel covered with concrete) of the internal mixing pits, and on preparation for installation of the

tire-building machines and milling machines. Some delays were experienced because of procurement problems (the steel

arrived one week late), which were compounded by construction errors on the part of the subcontractor building the mixing

pits. The latter problem has been corrected, and the pits are nearing completion,

Work scheduled –May 1 –May 31

Continued work on the external frames, completion of the mixing pits, reinforcement of the platforms for machinery

installation (extruders, tire-building drums, molds) , and completion of the storage rooms.

Proposed Changes

In order to combat cost overruns and the slow construction progress, a number of changes will be instituted this month:

1. Tighter fiscal and supervisory control will be placed over the subcontractors. Accountability for meeting deadlines and for

the quality of workmanship will be increased.

2. Work tempo will be increased by abolishing siesta break (a 90-minute interlude in the middle of the day). In its place, all

workers, including subcontractors and their crews, will be placed on an eight-hour day with a thirty-minute lunch break.

3. John Perkins, my assistant, will be put in charge of ensuring that these changes are efficiently implemented. He will work

with the project's chief engineer/construction supervisor, Leopoldo Sanchez Garcia.

It is firmly believed that these changes will help put the Cuernavaca construction project back on line, both in terms of costs

and schedule. The outlook for the future is considerably brighter.

cc: J. Perkins

L. Sanchez Garcia

Exhibit 4: Memo from Sanchez to Bierman

TO: MaxFROM: LeopoldoSUBJECT: Progress ReportDATE: May 2, 1999

Your proposed changes won't work. You won’t gain a thing from doing away with the siesta. In fact, all you'll gain

from this is a lot of dissatisfaction from the workers. Cooperation with the workers is needed, not hostility.

John, while a good engineer, is not the person to be in charge of overseeing efficiency. His inability to communicate

in Spanish is a major handicap and can result only in mutual misunderstanding. As it is, he is not particularly liked

by the workers, being perceived as a young, inexperienced "Americano’ with no sense of actual construction. If he

is put in the role of watchdog, we will be in real trouble.

Max, this is Mexico, not the United States. You can't run a project the same way here as you can in the U.S. Just the

differences in equipment, materials, and methods are alone sufficient reason to adopt different tactics. I shall do

what I can to improve efficiency and reduce costs, but you can't impose efficiency on anyone. The workers and

subcontractors have to be educated in new methods of building, not given ultimatums.

Please reconsider your changes. Let me handle it, my way. Let us talk when you get back from Mexico City.

Leopoldo

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/culxcomp.html

My opinion is that Mr.Bierman is totally right. All the workers should work harder if they don’t work the best they can. Mr.Bierman has to make some changes, but he need the trust of Sanchez. Sanchez need to

Bestudeer de casus

Opdracht 1 Iedere student bereidt een verklaring voor van maximaal/minimaal 1 minuut waarin hij aangeeft wat zijn

standpunt is. Dit standpunt moet uiteraard beargumenteerd worden.

Opdracht 2

Groepsdiscussie onder leiding van 2/3/ studenten

Gesteld dat de directie van Fitzburg Tire Company aan jullie (als gehele groep) de opdracht heeft gegeven aan

de zorgelijke situatie in Mexico een eind te maken en daartoe een aantal duidelijke voorstellen te doen: wat

moet er dan (volgens jullie) gebeuren?

Bedenk daarbij dat er géén kostbare tijd mag worden verloren en niet veel geld kan worden uitgegeven. De

toestand in Mexico heeft al genoeg geld en tijd gekost!

kick all the under experienced workers out of the Company. And he should hire some people who will work harder than the average Mexican. Because the plant needs to be built without making too much costs.

According to Maestro Miguel Munoz, he should have discuss his opinion, on reducing the costs, with his supervisor, and let him decide. Sanchez, the supervisor of Maestro Miguel Munoz, should pay the damage and not Mr.Biermans.

The siesta is something