$>>$ Code Word is a medium sized firm that designs and manufacturers electronic systems for the mass transit industry. It competes with other firms to win contracts to provide such systems. When Code Word receives a contract, it creates a project to complete the work. Most projects range from $$10$ million to $$50$ million in costs and from $1$ to $3$ years in duration. Code Word can have $6$ to $12$ projects going on at any one time in various stages of completion. Some just starting and others finishing. Code Word has a handful 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 particularly 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 Kuwalski $[$phonetic$]$ has been with the company for about $12$ years since graduating from college with a B$.$S$.$ 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 Code Word is awarded a $$15$ million contract to design and manufacture an advanced electronic 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 Jack's position as senior electronics engineer vacant, the manager of electrical engineering has no one with the appropriate level of expertise to assign to Jack's project. So the manager hires a new person, Alfreda Bryson $[$phonetic$].$ Lured away from a competitor, Alfreda has a PhD in electronic engineering and $8$ years experience. She was able to command a high salary, more than Jack is making. She is assigned to Jack's project full$-$time as the senior electronics engineer. Jack takes a special interest in Alfreda's 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. Alfreda is not pleased by this.

$>>$ Why are you spending so much more time reviewing my work than that of the other engineers on the project?

$>>$ I don't have to check theirs. I know how they work. I've worked with them on other projects. You're 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.

$>>$ On another occasion, Alfreda shows Jack what she thinks is a creative design approach that will result in a lower cost system but Jack is not impressed with it$.$

$>>$ I don't even have a PhD and I can see that that won't work. Don't be so isoteric. 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. Besides I've $[$inaudible$]$ more about designing electronics than Jack ever knew. He really isn't up$-$to$-$date on electronic design methodologies. I$\text{'}$m planning to discuss the matter with the manager of electrical engineering. I would have never taken the job with Code Word if I had known it was going to be like this.

$>>$ Do you think Jack is ready to serve as a project manager? How could he have prepared for his new role? What is the major problem with the way he 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?Watch this animated case scenario and answer the questions that follow to determine how you think the presented situation should be handled.

What is the biggest problem with the way Jack is handling Alfreda's work?

a$.$ He tries to micro$-$manage her work.

b$.$ He relies too much on her because he considers her more experienced than he is$.$

c$.$ He treats her as the new kid on the block and does not give her much to do$.$

d$.$ He is not available for help when she needs it$.$