個案總覽

Fifteen years later, the company has achieved widespread recognition in the industry for its innovative designs, its quality products, and its highly ethical standards for business dealings. This case describes the organization, the plant, and current concerns.

Involves the design and creation of a company with no formally-defined hierarchy. Describes the steps the founder takes to avoid the organizational politics he perceives as crushing the human contributions they were designed to harness.

Provides a discussion of both the importance and some possible pitfalls that may be encountered when one tries to talk candidly with others about their behavior on the job.

A dangerous and self-defeating pattern develops when managers hold three simple assumptions that, in combination, prevent the formation of trust: important issues naturally fall into two opposing camps, exemplified by either/or thinking; hard data and facts are better than what appear to be soft ideas and speculation; and the world is a dangerous place requiring a person to adopt a position of pervasive mistrust to survive.

Discusses the nature and dynamics of interpersonal conflict and suggests how to diagnose and manage a conflict situation. The perspective employed is that of an interested third party who wishes to intervene in the conflict to resolve or control it. Focuses on how to choose between resolution and control strategies, and suggests specific tactics for implementing each approach.

Family businesses frequently face an agonizing experience when the entrepreneur watches while others take over the business. While bitter power struggles peak, the fortunes of the company may slide downhill. To avoid problems a critical network of family managers, employees, relatives, and outsiders must focus upon facilitating family and business transitions through mediation, dialogue, and future role building. The healthiest transitions involve those old-versus-young struggles in which both the family managers and the business change partners.

Describes a young man's first job with a large corporation, where he is given a great deal of responsibility but little authority or supervision. The action takes place in the 1960s.