Name: Ronalyn B.

Martinez
Course, section &year: BSBA-MM-1G
Subject: Human Resources Management
Class Schedule: 2:00pm-3:30 pm TTH

V. Learning Activities

THE 30-YEAR EMPLOYEE

John Brown, 62 years old, has been at the State Bank for 40 years. For the past 20 years, he has worked
in the bank’s investment department. During his first 15 years in the department, it was managed by Bill
Adams. The department consisted of Bill, John, and two other employees. Bill made all the decisions,
while the other performed recordkeeping functions.

Tom Smith took over the investment department after Bill Adams retired. Tom, 56, has worked for the
State Bank for the past 28 years. Shortly after taking control of the department, Tom recognized that it
needed to be modernized and staffed with people capable of giving better service to the bank’s
customers. As a result, he increased the department’s workforce to 10 people. Of the 10 employees,
only John and Tom are older than 33.

When Tom took over the department, John was able to be helpful since he knew all about how the
department has been run in the past. Tom considered John to be a capable of employee; after about a
year, he promoted John to assistant vice president.

After he had headed the department for about a year and a half, Tom purchased a new computer
package to handle the bond portfolio and its accounting. When the new system was implemented, John
said he did not like the new system and preferred the old system. At that time, his attitude created no
real problem since there were still many other records to be kept. John continued to handle most of the
daily recordkeeping.

Over the next two years, further changes came about. As the other employees in the department
became more experienced, they branched into new areas of investment work. The old ways of doing
things were replaced by new, more sophisticated methods. John resisted these changes; he refused to
accept or learn new methods and ideas. He slipped more and more into doing only simple but time-
consuming busywork.

Presently, a new computer system is being acquired for the investment section, and another
department is being put under Tom’s control. John has written Tom a letter stating he wants no part of
the new computer system but would like to be the manager of the new department. In his letter, John
said he was tired of being given routine tasks while the young people got all the exciting jobs. John
contended that since he had been with the bank longer than anyone else, he would be given first shot at
the newly created job.

Questions:
1. Who has failed, John or the company? Explain
In the case above, John has failed as an employee. Although John was with the company for 40
years he never showed interest to give innovative ideas or to think about being flexible in able
to improve his career development. Also John is complaining about his work though he does a
time-consuming busywork. John said he was tired of being given routine tasks while the young
people got all the exciting jobs. John contended that since he had been with the bank longer
than anyone else, he would be given first shot at the newly created job.

2. Does the company owe something to a 40-year employee? If so, what?

The company doesn’t owe something to a 40-year employee because its not just how long how
you have stayed in a company but how you go with the improvements happening everyday, how
competitive you are with the new technology, how competitive you think just to collaborate
with other companies and many more.
3. What type of development program would you recommend for John?
The type of development program I would recommend John would be adaptability. Adaptability
means your ability to adjust quickly and easily to new things. People who handle change well
often get along with a variety of personalities and thrive in any environment. They can also
remain calm in surprising situations. And leadership because leadership means the ability to
guide people. Good leaders can motivate others and help them reach a shared goal. They build
confidence and improve morale.