CASE STUDY PREP: RAMESH & GARGI

A. DISCUSSION:

1. The abysmal communication differences, compounded by Gargi’s disrespect for

organizational hierarchy, Kamla’s irrational decision-making, and Ramesh’s distorted
cognition, highlights the problematic nature of individual and cultural differences
affiliated with employee behavior and performance.
2.
- I am Gargi, and I strive to ensure that roles and responsibilities align with my skills
and abilities to build a progressive organizational structure for the company’s sake.
My passion drives to be efficient in all of my endeavors. Introducing a dynamic
spectrum of programs and initiatives excites me beyond all else as they are sure to
benefit Chrysalis in the long run. Through establishing a positive brand that
highlights our company culture, I intend to portray Chrysalis as a more competitive
player in the pharmaceuticals industry. The work I provide, produce, and innovate is
reflected in the ebullient and confident personality that has allowed me to strive for
better. Upholding practices to improve productivity in others, as well as my work has
caused others to find my presence overwhelming. Whatever the case, my role in
Chrysalis is precisely the challenge I’m up for as I am confident in my ideas to create
a more robust working environment for the company’s benefit.

- I am Kamla, and I work tirelessly to ensure that all company goals are met with
efficacy. As a leader, my work ethic focuses on the fulfillment of employee roles and
responsibilities. My decisions may seem irrational, but they are only intended to
project an optimistic image of our organization. I am eager to be that catalyst of
progress through implementing strategic decisions, of which I am confident will only
serve to benefit Chrysalis. I firmly believe that bringing Chrysalis towards greater
heights requires full cooperation of the company, and I  am ready to spearhead and
usher in significant changes for the company’s success. 
- I am Ramesh, a man of honesty, respect, and integrity. As a leader with vast years of
experience, I bring a balance of professionalism and sensitivity that are vital in
maintaining progressive operations. I firmly believe in establishing a sense of
community within my team by encouraging open communication, and supportive
feedback to ensure the company’s success. I also believe in the value of transparency
in ascertaining that all team members are on the same level of understanding in terms
of company goals. There is nothing more I want than to be able to balance creating
opportunities for self-improvement for my team while at the same time pushing our
company to greater heights due to efficient fulfillment of our roles.

3. Throughout the story, I have found myself identifying most with Ramesh’s character. His
work culture exemplifies the saying of, ‘No man is an island,’ through establishing open
communication and improvement areas within his work team. Though menial, my first
job as a Starbucks barista has taught me the difficult reality of working effectively with
others. Regardless of my daily 5am shifts, my supervisor’s great leadership kept us alert
and engaged. His leadership style primarily focused on building a team-work
 environment. From multiple spills and mistakes to a clean and communicative
workspace, our store kept the drinks flowing out the door with ease and incurred the most
sales within the entire district. Ramesh’s work ethic was similar to that of my
supervisor’s, of which I firmly believe is a vital asset in an organizational leader. As
someone with social anxiety, there’s nothing more important to me than feedback and
open communication for promoting a supportive and inclusive work environment. My
ability to function effectively in an unfamiliar work culture is living proof of its benefits
towards employee performance and behavior. In studying to become an Entrepreneur
myself, I largely identify with Ramesh’s working style because I am someone that always
considers others perspectives in everything I do. Thus, I resonate with Ramesh’s mindset
in developing a familial relationship with others for the effective attainment of company
goals. It’s more effective to nurture an environment of support and collaboration than one
that’s too focused and individualistic.
4. Ultimately, if there's anything I would change with how Ramesh handled the situation,
it'd be to talk directly to Gargi. Ramesh could have engaged more with Gargi and directly
communicated with her to openly discuss his concerns. It may not be reassuring that
Gargi couldn’t embrace the team culture that Ramesh worked so hard to create, but some
effort would still be there from Ramesh’s end. Ramesh could’ve engaged in his
perceptual process more profoundly to fit into his conceptual map of the environment. In
this way, he would have understood, recognized, interpreted, and responded to the
situation effectively. Additionally, he wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of leaving
Chrysalis and his work life would not have affected his personal life as much as he
allowed it to. Though he had approached Kamla while she was busy, and failed to
articulate his distress of Gargi’s working style when she was not, Ramesh neglected to try
again another time which only further suppressed his emotions. Ramesh also had the
opportunity to do as such with his wife, which could have regulated his emotions and
helped him think more clearly to some degree. If I were to be in Ramesh’s position, I
wouldn’t have stopped approaching Kamla with my concerns about Gargi. At least this
would allow me to get my message across, and alleviate some of the distress that has
affected my productivity and focus. In the event that it does not, my next best alternative
is to directly approach Gargi and convey my utter distress for her working style. Through
this, we could compromise with one another to remove any more dysfunction that may
arise given our conflicting work-relationship.

B. ESSAY:

As the case unravels, the defining chain of events emphasizes the discrepancies in
communication and work cultures that have obscured perceptions while fostering Ramesh's
insecurities, prompting his predicament to depart Chrysalis. This inconsistent behavior is no
stranger to the real world, where individuals fail to disintegrate the details of what was said
and are compelled to jump to conclusions. Such behavior is prevalent within organizations,
where the influential power of distinct perceptions can easily affect employee behavior and
performance. (OpenStax College, 3.1 The Perceptual Process) Her abrupt emergence drove
Ramesh's presumptions of Gargi and the rapid changes in the work environment that
followed. Resulting only in his inability to convey his distress; his distorted view has
underlined the significant determinants of employee performance — of which he lacked.
 (OpenStax College, Ch. 7 introduction - organizational behavior) Despite his capability and
resource capacity to excel in his role, Ramesh was constrained by his inaccurate perception.
Such determinants, characterized by a dynamic spectrum of abilities, motivation, perceptions,
and environmental factors, cannot compensate for a deficiency in one or the other. (OpenStax
College, Ch. 7 introduction - organizational behavior)
The case paints a portrait of the value of perception in a work team. Group structures are
characterized by a matrix of variables that guides an understanding of distinct group
processes in an organization. (OpenStax College, 9.2 workgroup structure - organizational
behavior) Their differing backgrounds and working styles likely triggered Ramesh's impaired
perception. The perceptual process is the most influential factor in organizational roles, as an
employee's position on the organizational hierarchy can influence their perceptual process.
(OpenStax College, 3.1 The Perceptual Process) Gargi exhibited an egalitarian behavior
when she frequently bypassed Ramesh's authority by making unprecedented changes and
reporting directly to Kamla— all without his knowledge. (OpenStax College, 3.1 the
PERCEPTUAL process - organizational behavior) This insulted Ramesh as he began treating
her as a competitor and not a team member.
While at the top of his field, Ramesh's poor emotional intelligence, the ability to
recognize, understand, and manage one's emotion, as well as those of others, was instigated
by Kamla's ineffective leadership. (OpenStax College, 6.2 how the brain processes
information to Make Decisions: Reflective and reactive systems - organizational behavior)
Though Gargi's mere presence was triggering, Kamla kept Ramesh out of the loop since the
case began. Ramesh felt blindsided by his own colleague, especially when Kamla made the
irrational decision to recruit Gargi suddenly. Their conflicting decision-making norms
contributed to a dysfunctional relationship. Gargi is defined by a very direct and explicit
communication style. While Ramesh applies a great deal of analysis and preparation in his
decision-making process (OpenStax College, 3.1 the PERCEPTUAL process - organizational
behavior), his communication style may be unproductive or passive-aggressive in teams —
which could've undermined his authority in Gargi's perspective. This striking distinction has
inevitably entailed a mass of conflict between these characters. (OpenStax College, 3.1 the
PERCEPTUAL process - organizational behavior)

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