In this paper, please discuss the Now What Do I Do with Brad and Kerry case study. In doing so, please address the following areas:

1. Identify the problem: Define the problem in human resource terms.

2. Diagnose the cause(s): What human resource situation(s) created the problem?

3. Prescribe possible alternatives: The case study provides an extensive narrative on proposed approaches to the problem. This discussion begins on page 61 of the case. Review and evaluate these solutions by highlighting the pros and cons of each.

4. Recommend a plan of action (decision/implementation): Choose which employee should be promoted.

5. In addition, each case study response should also state why this case is important and relevant to a study of business.

6. (A) Support observations with research (at least three references) and logic; (B) Discuss what limitations exist with the case study information provided; and (C) Identified what other material or information vital to the analysis.

Case study- Page 61

A quick review of the latest performance evaluations of Brad and Kerry indicated that their performance as assessed seemed identical, with ratings on all dimensions being at the midpoint of the 5 point scale. Perhaps the psychological contract now operational at NewBuild given the depressed economy has already served to attenuate the performance of the two newly hired engineers. 2. Using Simpson's (2002) article or the one by Schlesinger (1996) on why managing up matters, what might Brad and Kerry have done to have more actively managed Jason and their career at NewBuild? It is crucial for employees like Brad and Kerry to actively manage their relationship with Jason in order to produce benefits for all concerned parties. They can begin to do this by focusing in on Jason's specific context, his strengths and weaknesses, the pressure he feels from above and from his peers, and a combination of organizational and personal objectives he is trying to meet. This entails mentally shifting ones framework away from I to a broader world that includes us. Gabarro and Kotter (1993), cited in Simpson (2002), remind us that developing effective work relationships with ones boss should not be viewed as political but rather as another important relationship to manage, like managing ones customers which are crucial for business success. Some specific things that Brad and Kerry might have done were to clarify goals and expectations that Jason had for them and check regularly to determine if these changed over time. It is essential for Brad and Kerry to have determined Jason's personal objectives to ensure that they did not work against them. Another aspect of learning how to work more effectively with Jason was to assess his work style. Some areas which could be focused on include: Did he prefer a more organized and formal approach when meeting or was it acceptable to stop him in the hall at any time to convey important information? How best did Jason prefer to receive information (i.e., was he a listener or a reader)? The overall goal here is to learn how to work best to accommodate your boss rather than bend your personality to fit his. Another approach to analyzing how to best work with Jason can be found in Schlesinger (1996). Using characters from the Wizard of Oz, he suggests how to best learn and grow from working for a boss best described as a scarecrow, a cowardly lion, or a tin man. For example, if one is working for a scarecrow (a boss without brains) there exists an opportunity if one is allowed considerable autonomy, to act like a leader. This entails analyzing a situation, determining what needs to be done, then taking action (Clawson, 2009) and asking for forgiveness after the fact rather than permission to act. Brad and Kerry might then be sure to attribute value-added contributions to the organization to Jason. A different scenario unfolds when one is working for a cowardly lion that refuses to take a stand. When encountering this particular situational dynamic, one's sense of passion for an issue is heightened thereby helping you determine where your passion lies and what is really important to you and worth battling over. Then it would be up to Brad and Kerry to activate their passion by marshaling all necessary resources including information, resources, and support to provide a compelling business case for a proposed course of action. The third type of boss Brad and Kerry need to learn to work with is the tin man, the cold, aloof boss seemingly without feeling or emotion with respect to relationship issues. In this situation, the boss's passion might lie with the business but not in being interpersonally competent. Brad and Kerry might have learned most and benefited from this type of boss-subordinate relationship by concentrating on the specific feedback and content of the feedback provided by the boss, rather than the process of delivery. Practice in dispassionately receiving strong, objective feedback can develop mental toughness in Brad and Kerry. It could also tangentially lead to the development of a support network cutting across the organization that does not include their boss. The essence of Schlesinger's work is to view the boss-subordinate relationship in a positive frame with the perspective that one need not be a passive recipient of organizational circumstances. If one chooses to be proactive rather than passive one might be able to learn from different types of bosses and thus be better able to actively manage their career.