Trouble began when Jordan was transferred to another store, closer to his home, and a new manager with a completely different managerial style was brought in. Wedded to rules and procedures. Jan Whitall was driven by order and discipline. On Whitall's first day on the job, she set the tone for her tenure with this announcement The company's new compensation policy will be strictly followed in this store, and some of you will have your pay reduced to adhere to the new pay scales. This is uncomfortable for me, but its the result of some questionable decisions by your previous manager.' The morale of top performers, including Adam, plummeted. By the end of Whitall's first month, she had fired an employee for violating the store's return policy. The employee had granted a full refund for a ball python after the seven-day return period. Another employee was publicly reprimanded for giving a customer a sample of a new organic pet food to try before purchasing it. Stunned by these actions, employees became indignant and bristled under her tight authority. The friendly, warm culture had vanished. Adam Gerrit confided to his coworker, I've applied for a position at the pet superstore down the road. Before I resign, I'm going to talk to Jan and see if she can lighten up on the rules' Mustering his courage. Adam tapped on Whitall's office door and asked if he could talk with her. Putting down her reading glasses and pushing away the financial reports in front of her. Whitall motioned for him to sit down. 'Irn worried about morale around here,' Adam began. Some of our best workers are leaving and I'm considering it, too. Under our previous manager. I loved coming to work and enjoyed the friendship of coworkers and customers. Now, everyone is in a sour mood and we've lost some customers.' Taking a deep breath, he continued. "If you are willing to be more flexible with the company policies. I would be willing to stay." Unflustered. Whitall kept her firm stance. 'Adam? she explained. 'I'm responsible to the district manager, who long suspected that the previous manager wasn't adhering to company policies. It's my intention to do my job the way I've been instructed, and I'm sorry to hear you will be leaving.° As Adam left her office with his head down, Whitall mused to herself that the district manager would be proud of her ability to stand firm. In fact, he had recently complimented her on her approach. Neither realized that sales would take a surprising dip in the next quarter.

QUESTIONS

1. Which store manager—Phillip Jordan or Jan Whitall—would you prefer working for? How did each leader's style affect the culture of the pet store? Explain.

2. What kind of follower was Adam Gerrit? In general. what characteristics of followers do you admire? What characteristics would you want them to display when working for you?

3. If you were the district manager. which store manager would you prefer to have working for you? Why? In your opinion, which manager did a better job of managing up? Which manager did a befter job of managing down?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 The question presented here asks one to review a case study that has to do with a local pet shop chain The challenge with the problem is for one to ... View the full answer