Babson Case Number: BAB080 | Length: 13 Pages

Abstract

The protagonist of the case, a department manager at Consumer Material Enterprises, Inc., wanted to make a start on improving employee satisfaction in his department and thought he should start with his own immediate subordinates. Satisfied that earlier production problems were under control, he wanted to create the atmosphere of “one big happy family.” But suddenly after the visit from a summer intern, he had found that there was more tension among his staff than he had realized, and he was wondering how to proceed.

This case can be used for intergroup and change discussions. It provides students with a good opportunity to see how individual behavior is affected by situational factors. Much of the case is devoted to data that reflects differences in perceptions, attitudes, and assumptions between supervisors who are new and college graduates, and old-timers who are high school graduates.

The design for the case provides students with the opportunity to see how structure shapes perceptions, attitudes, assumptions, and consequently behavior.