please answer All the Qs in 4 to 5 lines?

3: GEORGE THE BANKER George did not know what to think. The walk to the train, the train ride, and the drive home involved no effort at consciousness. His world was in turmoil, and he did not know whether to feel anger or relief, exhaustion or despair. George hadhat most would consider a "good job," vice president in the accounting department of Obelisk Bank.' Obelisk was a medium-sized regional bank with just more than $2 billion in deposits. At 54 years of age, George had believed he would retire comfortably from Obelisk on his own terms and when he decided it was time. George had begun working at Obelisk nearly 23 years ago. After high school, he had spent 4 years in the marines and then used the GI bill to get his bachelors degree in accounting. After spending 6 years in public ac- counting, during which time he gained his CPA, George joined Obelisk as an as- sistant controller. His early career at the bank had progressed nicely, but he had held his current position for the past 8 years. George was generally pleased with his work and his record of achievements, although since his mid-40s a vague sense of unfulfillment and even disenchantment had taken hold. He knew that the lack of an MBA prevented him from advancing, and he recognized that he had been passed over for promotion, in deference to much younger colleagues, twice within the past 4 years. He even half-heartedly entertained the notion of returning to school for his MBA, but age and a lack of real desire, he believed, precluded this. George's oldest daughter was graduating from college this year, and she was planning to attend graduate school in the fall. His youngest daughter was enter- ing college as well. George was proud to tell his co-workers how he was putting his two daughters through college. George's wife returned to work 5 years ago, managing a gift shop. Her salary was a nice addition to the family income, but it really did not go very far in paying the bills. College tuitions were a real financial strain, and there were still 9 more years to go on the mortgage. As was the case with his father before him, George saw his primary life role as breadwinner of the family. For financial, emotional, and psychological reasons, George was nowhere near ready for retirement. George had gone to work that morning as always. For the past 3 months, Obelisk had been abuzz with rumors that it was the object of a takeover by a large bank from another state. The bank's senior management had even written an open letter to the employees, telling them, in no uncertain terms, that the bank was not for sale and that the management would resist any and all takeover bids. 255 256 CASE 3 GEORGE THE BANKES George felt encouraged by the letter to the employees. He personally believed that the bank's senior management would take whatever steps were necessary to keep the bank from being acquired. George began to reflect back on one of the many maxims his high school foot- ball coach had told his players-"the worst hit in football is when you're blind sided, because you never see it coming and you really can't prepare for it." George now had a better appreciation than ever for his old coach's words of wisdom. In the late afternoon that day, he had gotten a call from one of the secre taries in Human Resources that the head of HR needed to see him immediately. The message from the senior vice president of Human Resources was delivered bluntly. Obelisk was cutting costs as a means to stave off the takeover, and several officers were being targeted for dismissal. George was given two options. The bank either would "credit" him with an additional 3 years of service so he could take early retirement and earn a full pension when he turned 59.5 years of age, or it would give him a severance package of 1 year's salary, 6 months of medical coverage, and 3 months of outplacement services. George was given until the next day to make a decision, but with either option, his last day at Obelisk would be on Friday, just 3 days away. When George got home, the house was empty. His two daughters were out, and his wife was working until 10 that night. George rarely had a drink after work, but tonight was different. He eased back in his chair, sipped his drink, and thought. About 20 years ago his college roommate had prodded him to join his firm. The salary was about the same, but they would pay for his MBA degree. Also, the chances to move beyond accounting and into more general manage- ment were strong. Twelve years ago, George's cousin had encouraged him to join her at her fledgling CPA firm. He could have come in as her partner, but the income was less certain and the benefits were nowhere near as good as they were at Obelisk. George networked extensively when he was younger, which had led to other solid job opportunities over the past several years. But each time he had a chance to move, he would remember what he would be giving up by leaving Obelisk. The bank was like a rock. And he knew two things-the bank offered security, and they would never let him go because he was too valuable. George became depressed as he grasped the reality that he had opted for security over opportunity every time. George started feeling bitter. He had given his life to Obelisk, willingly working nights and weekends when necessary. He recalled the times he missed his daughters' school functions because he was so dedicated to the bank. He had never even taken more than 1 week of vacation at a time because he believed he was needed too much at the office to spare more than a week. George tried to figure out all the questions he needed to answer in the next few hours. They came to him quickly and in no logical order. How much is college tuition going to cost me over the next 4 years? How many more years am I going to live? Will my wife and I be able to travel the world like we had planned? What company would be willing to hire a' 54-year-old accountant with a limited range of work experiences? What severance package makes the most sense? Should I think KALENDAR SOM VI GEORGE THE BANKER about opening my own business? Should I hire a lawyer and hit Obelisk with an age discrimination lawsuit? Will my family think I am a failure? Should we sell the house and move to something smaller? George poured himself another drink. He heard the garage door closing and the familiar words "Hi honey, how was your day?" 1. How would you rate Obelisk's approach to the dismissal of George? What could/should they have done differently? 2. Why do you think George was blind-sided by his dismissal? Do you think there was any way he could have seen the dismissal coming? 3. Why do you think George "opted for security over opportunity every time?" 4. Do you think George has a right to be bitter at Obelisk? 5. What do you see as the key issues for George as he decides what to do with his career in the short run and over the longer term? What actions should he take in seeking reemployment? 6. If you were to make a prediction, what do you think George's career and life will look like 5 years into the future? 257 CASE ANALYSIS QUESTIONS