Generational Differences
• Frank Davis – Baby Boomer
(1946-1964)
• Prefers face to face
communication
• Goal oriented
• Values chain of command
• Tom – Generation X (1965-1980)
• Prefers to communicate via
email or text
• Values independence
• Willing to challenge current
practices
• Not loyal to employers
McClellands theory of needs
• Frank – Need for power, Need for achievement, Need for affliation
• Tom – Need for power
Five personality traits
• Conscientiousness
• Openness to experience
• Emotional stability
• Agreeableness
• Extroversion
Conflict process
• Stage 1
Communication
Personal variables
• Stage 2
Perceived conflict – Disagreement
Felt conflict
• Stage 3
Avoiding
• Stage 4
Conflict management
• Stage 5
Functional Outcome- Enhance group performance
Summary
• Just after working for 4 months at Dynamic Displays, Thomas Green
was directly promoted to Senior Market Specialist from an account
executive by the VP Shannon McDonald.
• The decision was not favored by his immediate boss Frank Davis.
Shortly after moving into the position, Green openly disagreed with
the sales targets set by his boss.
• Davis, on the other hand, considered Green’s style of work
unacceptable. This further worsened the relationship between the
two.
• The problem in the case is for Green to save his career, while at the
same time maintaining a healthy relationship with both his bosses.
Analysis
• Working at National Business Solutions, Thomas Green enjoyed
impressive success at selling ATMs.
• Descrying the large opportunities at Dynamic Displays, he joined as an
account executive accelerating the rollout of automated kiosks in 20
airports and purchasing the upgraded 6 versions of the software.
• His fast growth and marketing prowess were observed at the
company headquarters. Moreover, the geographic connection with
Shannon McDonald and his perception of the client opportunities in
this field directly promoted him to the position of a senior Market
specialist, against Davis’s wishes who had previously chosen another
person to fill this position.
• On the surface, he was successful in his role because he identified the
industry trends, evaluated new business opportunities, and
developed strategies to obtain sales.
• However, his position required more accountability and structure
which he clearly lacked. Green followed an entrepreneurial spirit
whereas his boss had a more micromanaging style of leadership.
• So all in all, even though Green was successful in handling clients, he
failed in basic structuring and reporting of his work. Also, the
objectives of these two people were very distinct in that Green
focused more on long term returns while Davis had a short term
focus.
• Thomas Green developed new upselling and cross-selling software
program after realizing the continued financial distress in the airline
industry.
• Due to this reason, he opposed the 10% sales target. Davis however,
supported this because the company has had a 10% CAGR over the
past five years and he felt that the hotel and car rental markets were
still untapped.
• Initial apprehension by Frank Davis in the appointment of an account
executive to the post of Senior Market Specialist was aggravated
when Green openly challenged his 10% targets in the annual budget
meeting.
• This deteriorated the relationship between Frank Davis and Thomas
Green with Davis using strong words like lack of enthusiasm, illogical,
unfeasible, dangerous and negativity towards Green’s attitude.
• Green on his part did not follow Davis’s instructions on way of
working. He started confiding in other employees rather than sorting
things out with Davis one on one, which was his forte.
• Frank Davis thinks that Green is not capable enough to handle the responsibilities
nor is he experienced. Therefore he sends along negatively biased report against
Green to Shannon in an effort to remove him and get some one more able.
• Office Politics Green when became aware of a position for a senior market
specialist, tried to aggressively campaign for the post, since he knew that
Shannon held a powerful and influential position in the company, that of the VP.
This goes to show that despite Green having to work under Davis, Davis could not
choose whom to hire but was forced upon by Shannon.
• Office politics was also evident from the fact that, the email sent by Davis
regarding Green's performance sent on January 30 to Shannon, though not sent
to Green directly reached him by interoffice mail. Towards the end, Green himself
feels that he had not paid much attention to office politics and it was then that he
realized that he should have taken advantage of Macdonald's position in the
company by being more interactive with her; so that she would take his side once
the matter of his firing comes up.
Solutions
• Green has been working on the field for 3 months. Based on his experience, he
can negotiate directly with Davis about why the 10% target was unfeasible from
the beginning. Once the communication gap between them is bridged, the
differences of opinion about how to go about with the sales targets can be
resolved by negotiating with each other. Green can try resolving the perpetual
conflict between them by justifying his working style.
• Another alternative can be going to McDonald first. Thomas Green can explain to
her that the basic issue is the difference in working styles of Davis and Green.
McDonald, being their boss, will come up with a compromised solution to be
followed by both Davis and Green.
• Thomas Green can also adapt himself to Davis’s way of working. Although this
would be in contradiction with Green’s personality and values, it would resolve
the present conflict between the two.
Evaluation
• Bypassing the immediate boss and talking directly to the Vice President
might aggravate the current situation to the extent beyond a solution,
since Davis would feel left out. Involving McDonald directly by Green in the
situation would put her in a very tricky situation and that would seem to be
a sign of favoritism. Since McDonald had already asked Green to take care
of the situation with Davis, she may regard this initiative from Green as his
incapability. Hence, option 2 is unfeasible.
• A person develops his work style over years of practice and changing the
same is not possible within a very short span of time. Even if Green resorts
to Davis’s style of working, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to
continue working productively in the new style. Hence, option 3 is also
unfeasible.
Powers exercised
• Green
Expert Power
Referent Power
• Davis
Coercive power
Legitimate power
Green characteristics
• Non substitutability
• Avoided interaction with Team
• Ignored consultation and direction of Davis
• Violated group norms
• Did not participate in any brainstorming sessions within the group
• Davis had formed perception bias towards Green