CMT is a leading innovator in the telecommunications industry with a culture that emphasizes problem solving and meeting customer expectations. It has a new hardware product under development with associated software which entails development of a CD-ROM self-study course for the customers of the new product. Two managers of the company: Seamus, in-charge of technical publications department, and Jeremy, responsible for the software training department, are aggressively competing for the opportunity to tackle the new project. Each manager brings needed expertise to the project: Seamus and his department provide technical expertise and close working relationship with technical manuals development engineers while Jeremy and his unit offer experience in course development and presentation. The competition for the new project has led to open animosity between the two managers, setting hurdles to the possibility of a joint undertaking between the departments. To complicate the situation even more, the Director of Software Support, Henry Matthews, took a vacation and assigned Dave Peterson, Manager of Customer Software Support and peer to both Sheamus and Jeremy, to make the decision. .
Questions .
1. Describe aspects of the political decision-making model that are evident in this case.
The political decision-making model is evident in this case. First, CMT's organization is made up of groups with diverse interest and they accept conflict that is based on doing the best job for the customer. In the case of Seamus and Jeremy, the level of conflict escalated to the point where they would openly declare each other's inadequacy or incompetence in doing the project. In this model, managers disagree about problem priorities and may not understand or share the goals and interests of other managers. Secondly, information is ambiguous and incomplete. .
The company had no experience of using CD-ROM technology for training required for the new product.