Triple S Case Study

Jamie turner

Triple S is San Diego based specialist support service Firm. Triple S has acquired MLI INC after the death of its founder. MLI is a struggling regional Distributor of industrial lightening systems and equipment based in Chicago. Pat Cardullo, the president of MLI, is the chief proponent of Triple S acquisition. Jamie Turner joined the MLI as a Vice President of Marketing & Sales.

Pat Cardullo made many commitments at the time of appointment of Turner including the autonomy for making major marketing decisions but later he lost the sight of his commitment. The whole conflict starts off with task conflict when Cardullo impose sales task on Turner in the early April which eventually turns into a relationship conflict. Pat Cardullo by nature is an unpredictable & frustrating person and the way he manages his subordinates is destructive. Whereas Turner by nature, is a person who quite often becomes sensitive on different issues example Hiring & Firing. Both persons believe on different management views and beliefs. The relationship is affected by ineffective communication between Cardullo & Turner & the cultural differences between MLI INC & the Management style that Turner was accustomed to with the previous companies for which he worked. The diminishing relationship is evident through conflict between Turner & Julie Chin on Cash Flow; conflict between Cardullo & Ernie Dennis as Cardullo insisted Dennis to change the layout of the warehouse but both Turner & Dennis rejected the change which also tarnish Cardullo & Turner relationship. On other occasion Cardullo become annoyed on the decision taken by turner to sale excess-inventory of halogen bulbs at below break-even point and the decision taken by Cardullo himself, to send Tim Kelly to Kansas City one day a week which was opposed by turner.

The story turns in favor of Turner when during the flight, Cadullo after identifying the communication problem accept the suggestion of Turner to hold regular conference call in order to stay connected & updated with MLI.  Turner by taking advantage of Cardullo’s mood, suggest him to obtain more generators to expand MLI’s mobile lighting business which was first appreciated but later disapproved by Cardullo. Things seemed going well until Turner made a decision of price cutting strategy to increase company’s sales volume. Cardullo who was the president of MLI didn’t agree with the decision & they continually had conflict with each other after that. These types of incidents tend to create “Organizational fault-lines”, interfaces in a firm where tension builds causing potential damage. The Search Advisor that had introduced Turner to MLI had informed him that Julie Chin & PAT Cardullo had a strong working relationship. After Julie felt threatened by Turner, it was apparent that there were some organizational fault-lines. As a result of this Turner turned out to be an outcast in the company & start considering possibilities of resigning.