Ammar Hussain – TAM041

Human Resource Management – HRM

Case Study 1
The Denied Promotion
Spring 2021
Abstract
This assignment is intended to answer the case study “Denied Promotion” and to be submitted to
Dr. Huda for HRM.
The case study had three questions which will be answered below.

Question

1. If you were Nolan, what would you do?

If I were Nolan, first of I would be upset and slightly hurt that I did not get the promotion despite
being deserved one according to Mrs. Smith.

I would first let Mr. Brown know that I am not okay with this decision and do not appreciate the
decision being made. I would also inform Mrs. Smith that Mr. Brown blocked my promotion due
to reasons that are not performance related, and in fact admitted that I am the best employee out
of all his subordinate.

From thereon I would be forced to work the same position, but I may be open to new opportunity
elsewhere.

2. What do you think about the staffing practices (recruitment & selection) of the
company? What policies, if any, would you recommend?

I personally do not thing that the recruitment/selection process is the efficient one for this
company. The main reason is that for the promotion it was for Mrs. Smith’s department, while
Nolan who worked for Mr. Brown’s department. So despite the fact that Mrs. Smith liked Nolan
and wanted him to work for her department, it was not possible due to Mr. Brown. This in my
opinion should not be allowed as there was a mutual agreement for both Nolan and Mrs. Brown.
The policy I would suggest is that if the superior employee (Mrs. Smith) wanted a promotion of
an employee and have them work under her department (Nolan) she should not be stopped or
blocked by the employee’s current manager (Mr. Brown).
 3. What do you think about the managerial behavior of Mr. Brown?

I personally think that the behavior of Mr. Brown is not acceptable and is in fact very selfish,
which in fact makes him a poor leader.

Yes, Mr. Brown was only making sure his department is okay, but now he is demotivating his
best employee and hurting his superior as well (Mrs. Smith). If he was a true leader he would
have been happy for Nolan and would have trained and motivated a different employee to take
over Nolan’s duties.

Ammar Hussain TAM041