個案總覽

On October 26, 2004, Norman Nicholls ― partner of the consulting company "Seattle Management Consultants" in London (UK) ― received a phone call from Jesper Lind, board member of Telco-Equipment-Experts. Jesper told Norman: "If you don't change your recommendation on the outsourcing job you are doing for Damotel, our business relationship might suffer in the future."

Anna Frisch had tried to initiate change at Aesch AG, a large global provider of medical devices for the healthcare industry. As a marketing director, she had identified major shifts in German healthcare which demanded that Aesch changed its ways of approaching customers. Instead of targeting the specific needs of doctors in hospitals, Aesch should address the new decision makers: the CEOs, CFOs, or CIOs of hospitals, who followed a different buying logic.

Supplement for ES1041

The "Drawbridge" is the short story of a baroness who, despite orders by her husband not to leave the castle, pays a servant so that she can leave the castle to visit a lover overnight. On her way back to the castle, she is killed by a madman after she unsuccessfully tried to get help from her lover, a boatman, and a friend. The half-page story has been circulating for more than three decades and is widely used for educational purposes throughout the world. Even though it is a classic, it has not been used as a case study in the context of management and leadership classes. It is available as a text version or comic strip.

This three-part case-study illustrates key concepts and lessons about leading adaptive change in organizations in the context of turning around Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies. The case portrays some of the efforts undertaken by Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann after his ascent to the CEO position in that organization. The case illustrates the challenges associated with resistance to adaptive change, management of expectations of organizational members from their leaders, and the psychological challenges of leading necessary, but unpopular, change efforts under the conditions of pressure from organizational stakeholders, who consciously or unconsciously attempt to divert the change-oriented leader from pushing the organization forward. The A case briefly describes Deutsche Telekom's background of a former state-owned monopolist and its struggles in a current competitive environment, provides information about René Obermann and his ascent to the CEO position, and outlines some of the change initiatives undertaken by the organization. It culminates in a letter sent to René Obermann and Board members of Deutsche Telekom by a company's technician in Berlin. In the letter, which later became associated with the feelings of many of Deutsche Telekom's employees, the author accuses the Board of the company in having no interest in the development of the company, well-being of employees, and service to the customers. The B case shows the reaction to the letter (which quickly leaked to the media) within Deutsche Telekom and in German society, and provides an account of an emotional response from René Obermann, who chose to respond publicly to the letter. The C case provides an overview of the change actions undertaken at Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann and describes the outcomes known at the time of preparing this case study.

This three-part case-study illustrates key concepts and lessons about leading adaptive change in organizations in the context of turning around Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies. The case portrays some of the efforts undertaken by Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann after his ascent to the CEO position in that organization. The case illustrates the challenges associated with resistance to adaptive change, management of expectations of organizational members from their leaders, and the psychological challenges of leading necessary, but unpopular, change efforts under the conditions of pressure from organizational stakeholders, who consciously or unconsciously attempt to divert the change-oriented leader from pushing the organization forward. The A case briefly describes Deutsche Telekom's background of a former state-owned monopolist and its struggles in a current competitive environment, provides information about René Obermann and his ascent to the CEO position, and outlines some of the change initiatives undertaken by the organization. It culminates in a letter sent to René Obermann and Board members of Deutsche Telekom by a company's technician in Berlin. In the letter, which later became associated with the feelings of many of Deutsche Telekom's employees, the author accuses the Board of the company in having no interest in the development of the company, well-being of employees, and service to the customers. The B case shows the reaction to the letter (which quickly leaked to the media) within Deutsche Telekom and in German society, and provides an account of an emotional response from René Obermann, who chose to respond publicly to the letter. The C case provides an overview of the change actions undertaken at Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann and describes the outcomes known at the time of preparing this case study.

This three-part case-study illustrates key concepts and lessons about leading adaptive change in organizations in the context of turning around Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's largest telecommunication companies. The case portrays some of the efforts undertaken by Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann after his ascent to the CEO position in that organization. The case illustrates the challenges associated with resistance to adaptive change, management of expectations of organizational members from their leaders, and the psychological challenges of leading necessary, but unpopular, change efforts under the conditions of pressure from organizational stakeholders, who consciously or unconsciously attempt to divert the change-oriented leader from pushing the organization forward. The A case briefly describes Deutsche Telekom's background of a former state-owned monopolist and its struggles in a current competitive environment, provides information about René Obermann and his ascent to the CEO position, and outlines some of the change initiatives undertaken by the organization. It culminates in a letter sent to René Obermann and Board members of Deutsche Telekom by a company's technician in Berlin. In the letter, which later became associated with the feelings of many of Deutsche Telekom's employees, the author accuses the Board of the company in having no interest in the development of the company, well-being of employees, and service to the customers. The B case shows the reaction to the letter (which quickly leaked to the media) within Deutsche Telekom and in German society, and provides an account of an emotional response from René Obermann, who chose to respond publicly to the letter. The C case provides an overview of the change actions undertaken at Deutsche Telekom under the leadership of René Obermann and describes the outcomes known at the time of preparing this case study.