CASE STUDY 1 Codeword Codeword is a medium-sized firm that designs and manufactures electronic systems for the mass transit industry. It competes with other firms to win contracts to provide such systems. When Codeword receives a contract, it creates a project to complete the work. Most projects range from $10 million to $50 million in cost and from one to three years in duration. Codeword can have 612 projects going on at any one time, in various stages of completionsome just starting and others finishing.

Codeword has a handful of project managers who report to the general manager; other people report to their functional manager. For example, the electronics engineers all report to the manager of electrical engineering, who reports to the general manager. The functional manager assigns particular individuals to work on various projects. Some people work full time on a project, whereas others split their time among two or three projects. Although individuals are assigned to work for a project manager on a specific project, administratively they still report to their functional manager.

Jack Kowalski has been with the company for about 12 years, since graduating from college with a BS in electronic engineering. He has worked his way up to senior electronics engineer and reports to the manager of electrical engineering. He has worked on many projects and is well respected within the company. Jack has been asking for an opportunity to be a project manager. When Codeword is awarded a $15 million contract to design and manufacture an advanced electronics system, the general manager promotes Jack to project manager and asks him to run this project.

Jack works with the functional managers to get the best people available assigned to the project. Most of the people are buddies who have worked with Jack on previous projects. However, with Jacks position as senior electronics engineer vacant, the manager of electrical engineering has no one with the appropriate level of expertise to assign to Jacks project. So the manager hires a new person, Alfreda Bryson. Lured away from a competitor, Alfreda has a Ph.D. in electronic engineering and eight years experience. She was able to command a high salarymore than Jack is making. She is assigned to Jacks project full time as the senior electronics engineer.

Jack takes a special interest in Alfredas work and asks to meet with her to discuss her design approaches. Most of these meetings turn into monologues, with Jack suggesting how Alfreda should do the design and paying little attention to what she says.

Finally, Alfreda asks Jack why he is spending so much more time reviewing her work than that of the other engineers on the project. He responds, I dont have to check theirs. I know how they work. Ive worked with them on other projects. Youre the new kid on the block, and I want to be sure you understand the way we do things here, which may be different than at your previous employer.

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On another occasion, Alfreda shows Jack what she thinks is a creative design approach that will result in a lower-cost system. Jack tells her, I dont even have a Ph.D. and I can see that that wont work. Dont be so esoteric; just stick to basic sound engineering.

During a business trip with Dennis Freeman, another engineer assigned to the project who has known Jack for six years, Alfreda tells him that she is frustrated with the way Jack treats her. Jack is acting more like the electronics engineer for the project than the project manager, she tells Dennis. Besides, I have forgotten more about designing electronics than Jack ever knew! He really isnt up to date on electronic design methodologies. She also tells Dennis that shes planning to discuss the matter with the manager of electrical engineering and that she would never have taken the job with Codeword if she had known it was going to be like this.

CASE QUESTIONS Do you think Jack is ready to serve as a project manager? Why or why not? How could Jack have prepared for his new role?

What is the major problem with the way Jack interacts with Alfreda?

Why do you think Alfreda has not had an open discussion with Jack about the way he is treating her? If Alfreda approaches Jack directly, how do you think he will respond?

How do you think the manager of electrical engineering should respond to this situation?

GROUP ACTIVITY Course participants should split into groups of four or five students to discuss the following questions:

1. What should be done to remedy the situation?

2. What could have been done to prevent the situation?

Each group must then choose a spokesperson to present its conclusions to the entire class.

CASE STUDY 2 ICS, Inc. Ivana is the owner of ICS, Inc., an information systems consulting firm of 20 employees. The company mostly designs and implements information technology projects for small- and medium-sized businesses in the metropolitan area. Although ICS has a sufficient level of business, the environment is becoming more competitive as more entrepreneurs are starting their own information technology consulting businesses. Ivana does all the marketing for ICS and is the primary contact between ICS and its customers.

ICS just received a contract from a Fortune 100 company to design and implement an e-business system for one of their distribution centers. ICS beat out several competitors, including some larger national consulting firms, to win this contract. This was due in part to ICS bidding a bare bones low price, and Ivana promising the customer that ICS would complete the project in six months, even though the customer specified that the project had to be completed in nine months or less. She knows that if ICS successfully completes this project and shows that it can beat the customers expected schedule, it could lead to a larger contract to implement similar systems in the clients other distribution centers throughout the country.

As soon as Ivana heard that ICS won the contract, she called eight of her employees together whom she wanted to work on the project. Some of you may not be aware of it, but I submitted a proposal to a very large client, our largest ever, to implement an e-business system for one of their distribution centers. This is a really important project for me because if we are successful, there will be other future projects with this customer, and ICS can become a major consulting firmmy dream come true. I must tell you, this is a fixed-price contract, and I cut our price as low as I could to increase our chances of winning the contract. I also promised them that we could complete the project in six months, even though they would have been satisfied with nine months. So I want to be very clear with all of you, this project is very important to me and ICS, so I expect each of you to put in whatever time is necessary to get it done on time. Youll have to figure out how to get your other work done in the meantime. And, I want to emphasize, mistakes will not be tolerated. There is too much at stake. I need to leave for a business lunch now. But here are copies of the proposal I submitted. Look it over, and then get together and get to it.

As they left the conference room, Patrick, a systems designer, said, Lets all read the proposal and get together about 9 oclock tomorrow morning to figure out who needs to do what.

Ivana overheard Patricks comment, and she piped in, Tomorrow! Maybe you didnt hear me say how important this project is. I suggest you read the proposal now, and get together this afternoon or evening.

Ester, a programmer spoke up, I have an appointment with my obstetrician this afternoon for my six-month checkup.

Ivana snapped, Well, youll just have to reschedule it. The babys not due for three more months anyway. Whats the big deal? My mother delivered five children with a midwife, no doctor, and we all survived.

After Ivana left, Ester, with tears in her eyes, told the others, What a witch. If I didnt need the health insurance benefits, Id quit today.

The group got together later that afternoon. Patrick took the lead in facilitating the discussions, only because he was the longest-term employee. Harvey, the other systems designer in the group, and one of the newer and younger people in the group, asked, Patrick, are you, like, going to be, like, the leader on this project?

Thats not the way things really work around here. We all know who the real project manager is, dont we? responded Patrick. And most of the group answered in unison Ivana! and laughed.

As the group discussed the proposal, many questions came up. And there was a difference of opinion between Patrick and Harvey regarding the system design approach. Patricks approach was less risky, but might be more time-consuming; Harveys approach was more risky, but would take less time if it worked. Patrick said, Let me try to meet with Ivana in the morning and get some answers, if thats possible.

Maybe we should all meet with her, said Harvey.

Ivanas not a big fan of long meetings with a lot of people. She thinks theyre a waste of everyones time, answered Patrick.

Patrick met with Ivana the next morning. Well, does everybody have everything figured out? asked Ivana.

Actually, we stayed late last night discussing the proposal, and we have some questions. The proposal seemed ambiguous in some.

Ivana interrupted, Ambiguous! The customer didnt think it was ambiguous. I dont think its ambiguous. So now you tell me why you think its ambiguous.

Well, for example, Harvey and I have come up with two different design schemes; one more risky but might take less time, the other less risky but could take longer, stated Patrick.

One meeting and you guys are arguing with each other like little children, Ivana jumped in. Didnt you ever hear of teamwork? Here is what I wantless risky and less time. No shoulds, coulds, or mights. You two are just going to have to figure it out and not waste any time. Do I have to make all the decisions around here? What else? I dont have all day. And Im glad to hear that everyone was willing to work late last night because thats the kind of commitment its going to take to get this project done on time. You know, I pay top salaries, and I expect people to do whatever it takes to get the job done. And if anybody cant handle it, they can go find a job somewhere else. Theyll see that the grass isnt always greener on the other side of the fence.

As Patrick turned and left Ivanas office, she said, By the way, as a reward for winning the contract, Im treating myself to a two-week vacation in Europe. And tell the others that when I get back, I hope to find the project is well on its way; and no fighting.

Later in the day, as Ivana was walking down the hallway, she saw Ester and said, I assume you were able to reschedule your doctor appointment.

Ester replied, Yes, but not for two more weeks. Its going to be tough trying to keep up with the work during these last three months.

Tough? responded Ivana. Let me tell you what tough is. I helped raise my four younger brothers and sisters after my mother died giving birth to my youngest sister. Then I worked my way through college, going at night for almost 10 years while raising four children of my own. So the next time you think you have it tough, just think about how tough some other people have had it. I hope you can get most of your part of the work done on the project before your baby arrives. Im counting on you.

At about 6 oclock, Harvey stopped by Ivanas office. Gotta minute? asked Harvey.

Only a minute, responded Ivana. Im meeting a friend for dinner, so make it quick.

There is a computer conference in Las Vegas next month, Harvey said, and I was wondering if I could have your approval to go? There are a lot of new things I could learn that may help us on this project.

Youve got to be kidding! answered Ivana. You want me to pay to send you to some conference to party while we have a deadline to make on this project? And everybody else is going to be back here working their butts off? Where is your sense of priorities? Dont you feel any responsibility to the rest of the project team? I swear, I am the only one around here who thinks about teamwork! Maybe when the project is over, you can find some conference thats closer and cheaper. Ive got to go. By the way, tell whoever leaves last tonight to make sure the coffee pot is turned off. It was left on last night. As Ivana walked briskly by Harvey, she murmured, Sometimes I feel like I have to be everybodys mommy around here.

CASE QUESTIONS 1.Considering Ivanas management style, how should the group of employees assigned to the project proceed?

2.How should the project members interact with Ivana throughout the project?

3.Why do you think Ivana behaves the way she does?

4.Should the project members approach Ivana about her management style? If so, how?