November 19, 2012
Introduction In this case study the situation is Ruth Cummings was put in charge of a store by her boss Ken Hoffman. “Ruth, I’m putting you in charge of this store. Your job will be to run it so that it becomes one of the best stores in the system. I have a lot of confidence in you, so don’t let me down.” That was what was told to Ruth by Ken on her first day. After a couple of calls from her boss Mr. Hoffman, Ruth decides to make an appointment with him. Resolving and defining the issues of this case will assist in developing a preferred alternative and implementation plan for resolution to the case. (Leffler, 1999)
Defining the Issue(s) In order to resolve this case it is necessary to define the issues. The issue in this case is that Ruth took to heart what Ken said to her, about running the store as she saw fit. Ken is now calling and questioning her every decision. Data analysis of this case will help to further clarify the issues in this case.
Analyzing the Case Data The data in this case are the steps Ruth has taken to try to do what Ken told her on the first day. Ruth hired an administrative assistant, made a TV appearance, and she told a customer that she was not authorized to let him charge over $1,000 at het store and he must go to the main store in Denver. After each of these events Mr. Hoffman called Ruth to make her aware he was not happy with her decisions because, the decisions she makes reflects upon him. Part of the problem in this case study is that Hoffman did not mentor or train Ruth nor did he set a clear set of rules to live by. He essentially gave her free rein in the store and then did nothing but criticize her for it. The review of the data helps in the progression of generating some alternatives to use in this case.
Generating Alternative
The issues and data analysis has provided a foundation for generating alternatives.
Some
References: Leffler, K. (ED) (1999) Critical incidents in management Needham Heights, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing. Pierce, J. L., & Newstrom, J. W. (2011). The manager 's bookshelf: A mosaic of contemporary views. (9th ed.). NJ: Prentice Hall