BOB KNOWLTON

v.n.m.nair, sbmjce, Bangalore

11/22/2006
 Bob Knowlton
CASE FACTS
MAJOR CHARACTERS

BOB KNOWLTON- HEAD OF PHOTON LAB.

SIMON FESTER - NEW RESEARCHER ASSIGNED TO PHOTON
LAB. TO ASSIST KNOWLTON
Dr. JERROLD- PROJECT HEAD
LINK- MATHEMATICIAN
OLIVER - RESEARCHER
DAVENPORT- RESEARCHER
THURLOW- RESEARCHER
LUCY&MARTHA- SECRETARIES
 BOB KNOWLTON

BACKGROUND
THE CASE PRESENTS A TYPICAL AMERICAN RESEARCH
LABORATORY WHERE SPONSORED RESEARCH IS GOING ON
IN CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES. TYPICAL AMERICAN
VALUES PREVAIL. INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT IS GIVEN
MORE WEIGHTAGE. EVERYBODY IN PHOTON LAB UNDER
BOB KNOWLTON IS HAPPY. KNOWLTON HAS A GOOD
PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH Dr.
GERROLD WHO IS THE PROJECT HEAD.
 BOB KNOWLTON

THE WHOLE SCENARIO CHANGES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SIMON FESTER

INTO THE PHOTON LAB. THOUGH KNOWLTON WELCOMES HIM , AN
UNKNOWN FEAR CREEPS INTO HIS MIND.

FESTER IMPRESSES EVERYBODY WITH HIS SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE AND

PRACTICAL WISDOM. LINK TOO IS VERY MUCH IMPRESSED WITH FESTER
AND STARTED MOVING CLOSELY WITH FESTER. FESTER COMES OUT WITH
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE WORKING AT. Dr.
JERROLD PRAISES FESTER IN KNOWLTON’S PRESENCE. KNOWLTON
BECOMES INSECURE AND FEELS THAT HE IS VERY SMALL BEFORE FESTER.
KNOWLTON LOOSES INTEREST IN WORK AND FINALLY DECIDES TO LEAVE
SIMMONS LABORATORIES
 BOB KNOWLTON

MAJOR ISSUES IN THE CASE

 WRONG PERCEPTION
 COMMUNICATION BREAK DOWN
 WRONG ASSUMPTIONS
 PERSONALITY RELATED PROBLEMS
 EGO CLASH
 JEALOUSY
 FEAR
 LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE
 INTOLERANCE
 BOB KNOWLTON

OUTCOMES
 GROUP COHESION STARTED DISAPPEARING
 LOSS OF WORK MOTIVATION
 GROWING SENSE OF INSECURITY AMONG PEOPLE
 FINANCIAL LOSS
 SUSPICION
 KNOWLTON’S RESIGNATION
 Dr. GERROLD’S UNHAPPINESS
 LOSS OF CREDIBILTY
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MAJOR PROBLEMS DIAGNOSIS

 PERCEPTION RELATED ISSUES

 PERSONALITY RELATED ISSUES
 COMMUNICATION RELATED ISSUES
 BEHAVIOURAL RELATED ISSUES
 BOB KNOWLTON

QUESTIONS POSED?
 HOW THE PRESENT CRISIS COULD HAVE BEEN
AVERTED?
 WHAT IS DR. JERROLD’S CONTRIBUTION IN THIS
CRISIS?
 WHAT IS FESTER’S CONTRIBUTION IN THIS?
 WHAT WENT WRONG WITH KNOWLTON?
 WHAT IS LINK’S CONTRIBUTION IN THIS FIASCO?
 WHO WON AND WHO LOST?
 WAS THEIR ANY SOLID REASON FOR THIS CRISIS?
 BOB KNOWLTON

POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES

1. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED WITH KNOWLTON
BEFORE SENDING FESTER TO THE PHOTON LAB. PHOTON
LAB HEAD’S CONCURRENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN
OBTAINED

2. OFFICIAL THINGS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MIXED WITH

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

3. Dr. JERROLD SHOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN KNOWLTON FOR

GRANTED
 BOB KNOWLTON
4. FESTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIPLOMATIC

5. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD NOT HAVE DISCUSSED THINGS ALONE WITH

FESTER WITHOUT FESTER’S BOSS KNOWLTON.

6. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE TOLD KNOWLTON THAT FESTER WAS TO JOIN
SOME OTHER GROUP LATER

7. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE CONTIUED HIS USUAL DIALOGUE WITH

KNOWLTON SO THAT KNOWLTON SHOULDN’T HAVE GOT TIME FOR WILD
IMAGINATION.

8. FULL BREAK DOWN OF COMMUNICATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

BY ALL.