Case Analysis: Organization Behavior

Bob Knowlton

Case Analysis

Marina Burson

Description

     Bob Knowlton was very happy with his new position as leader in the photon laboratory, that is, until Simon Fester joined his group.  Knowlton is impressed with Fester’s ideas, suggestions and involvement of the project, and even brags about him and praises him for his work. He realizes that Fester’s involvement is as asset to the team. However, secretly, he despises him for coming in and changing the way things are.

     Fester feels superior over the group, he destroys the group dynamics and feels the need to put them down in front of Jerrold.  Knowlton doesn’t know how to tell Jerrold that he does not want Fester to join his group, and in fact, tells him he does indeed want him on his team.  The more Knowlton keeps his feelings to himself, the more it boils, and eventually he feels the need to leave the company.  Bob Knowlton lacked the ability to communicate effectively with upper management (Jerrold).

     The ironic part of the case is that Jerrold was not going to keep Fester with Knowlton’s group, Fester wasn’t going to stay with the company, and Knowlton left a job he enjoyed and loved because he couldn’t say what he wanted and he no long felt as if he was needed. This was in part because Jerrold would have meetings alone with Fester (Knowlton should have been invited) and Fester should NOT have been invited to the meeting that was only supposed to be for department heads.  Also, Jerrold did not inform Knowlton that he was going to place Fester head of another project, and if he had, Knowlton would have stayed.  

Diagnosis

     The cause of the problem here is that Knowlton couldn’t speak up and say how he really felt, he didn’t want to disappoint Jerrold by telling him he didn’t want Fester on the team, because it seemed Jerrold really had a liking for Fester.  Also, Fester came into the group feeling superior over everyone and trying to make changes and proving everyone’s theories wrong.  He belittled the group to Jerrold, tried to make them feel inferior by not having them at the meetings and dogging their theories that had been worked on by all of them for so long.  However, I don’t feel as if Fester really knew that he was taking over, per se.  He was excited about his project, was smart, and wanted to have a hand in it, at least for the time being.  Fester lacked the ability to see that he was being pushy, overbearing, arrogant and rude.

     Knowlton believed that strong group dynamics is important, hence having everyone (including secretaries) join in on all meetings.  Fester, on the other hand, feels as if that is time wasted and has a very low opinion of its abilities.  Fester became distant and wanted to run the project by himself, stating that things get done better and faster when working alone.  It was apparent that others saw how Fester was trying to take over (finding reasons why a particular project shouldn’t have been dismissed), but yet no one said anything and just allowed the group to fall apart.