Answer only Q1 & Q2

Frank Choy is normally a quiet person, but his patience has also won't let go of it. He also gets Hunt too enthusiastic. already becn wom thin by interdepartmental battles. Choy But Doc's too optimistic; we've had hundreds of production joined Resonus Corporation, a hearing aid designer and change orders already this year. If I were in Frank's shoes, manufacturer, eight months ago as director of engineer- "Fd put my foot down on all this new development." ing. Production of the latest product has been delayed by Soon after joining Resonus, Choy realized that ESD two months and Choy's engineering services department employees get most of the blame and little of the credit for (ESD) - which prepares final manufacturing specifica- their work. When production staff find a design fault, they tions-is taking the heat as the main culprit for these delays. directly contact the research design engincer who developed Similar delays have been occurring at Resonus for the past the technology rather than the ESD group who prepare the few years. The previous engineering director was fired after specifications. Research engincers willingly work with pro18 months; the director before him quit after about the same duction because they don't want to let go of their project. amount of time. Bill Hunt, CEO of Resonus for the past 15 years, one of us (ESD) tries to help," Choy explains. responded to these problems by urging everyone to remain Meanwhile, production supervisors regularly critique civil. "T'm sare we can resolve these differences if we ESD staff whereas they tend to accept explanations from the just learn to get along better," he said whenever a dispute higher-status research department engineers. "Production broke out. Hunt disliked firing anyone, but felt the previous routinely complains about every little specification error, engineering director was too confrontational. "I spent too many of which are due to design changes made by the much time smoothing out arguments when he was here," research group," says one frustrated ESD technician. "Many Hunt thought to himself soon after Choy was hired. "Frank of us have more than 15 years' experienoe in this work. We (Choy), on the other hand, seems to fit into our culture of shouldn't have to prove our ability all the time, but we spend collegiality." as much time defending curselves as we do getting the job Hunt was groomed by the company's founder and took done." great pride in preserving the organization's family spirit. He Choy's latest troubles occurred when Doc excitedly told also discouraged bureaucracy, believing that Resonus oper- Hunt about new nano-processor technology that he wanted ated best through informal relationships among its managers. to install in the forthcoming high-end hearing aid product. Most Resonus executives were similarly informal, except As with most of Doe's previous last-minute revisions, Hunt Jacqui Blanc, the production director, who insisted on strict endorsed this change and asked Choy and Blanc (the proguidelines. Hunt tolerated Blanc's formal style because duction director) to show their commitment, even though soon after joining Resones five years ago, she discovered production was scheduled to begin in less than three weeks. and cleaned up fraudulent activity involving two production Choy wanted to protest, knowing that his department would managers and a few suppliers. have to tackle unexpected incompatibility design errors. The organizational chart shows that Frank Choy over- Instead, he quietly agreed to Hunt's request to avoid acting sees two departments: ESD and research. In reality, "Doc" like his predecessor and facing similar consequences (getting Kalandry, the research director, informally reports directly fired). Blanc curtly stated that her group was ready if Choy's to the CEO (Hunt) and has never considered the director of ESD unit could get accurate production specifications ready engineering as his boss. Hunt actively supports this informal on time and if the sales director would stop making wild reporting relationship because of Doc's special status in the delivery promises to customers. organization. "Doc Kalandry is a living genius," Hunt told When Doc's revised design specs arrived more than a Choy soon after he joined the firm. "With Doc at the helm of week later, Choy's group discovered numerous incompatiresearch, this company will continue to lead the field in inno- bilities that had to be corrected. Even though several ESD yation." Hunt's first job at Resonus was in the research group staff were assigned to 12-hour days on the revisions, the and Choy suspected that Hunt still favoured that group. final production specifications weren't ready until a couple Everyone at Resonus scems to love Doc's successful of days after the deadline. Production returned these specs products, his quirky style, and his over-the-top enthusiasm, two days later, noting a few elements that required revision but some of Choy's ESD staff are also privately concerned. because they were too costly or difficult to manufacture in Says one engineer. "Doc is like a happy puppy when he their current form. By that time, the production director had gets a new product idea. He delights in the discowery, but to give priority to other jobs and move the new hearing aid product further down the queue. This meant that manufactur- 2. What influence tactics were evident in this case study? ing of the new product was delayed by at least two months. Would you define any of these influence activities as The sales director was furious and implied that Frank Choy's organizational politics? Why or why not? incompetence was to blame for this catastrophe. 3. Suppose you are a consultant invited to propose a solution to the problems facing this organization's prod- Discussion Questions uct delays. What would you recommend, particularly 1. What sources and contingencies of power existed among regarding power dynamics among the executives and the executives and departments at Resonus? departments