CASE
Tom Coronado
There always seemed to be mistakes in figuring wages and paycheques. To make matters worse, in recent weeks, these errors had been on the increase. Reason: a new payroll system. Tom was also thinking—with concern—about a 10 o’clock meeting scheduled with the executive vice- president on this very subject. Tom would have to report on how the new system was working out. Right now, though, he needed to find at least an hour of quiet to get his report together.
Fortunately, his office was quiet, and he was able to review a couple of computer printouts. But shortly after 8 o’clock the phone began to ring. His secretary wasn’t in yet, so Tom had to take six calls personally in 20 minutes. The first five were about errors in the payroll cheques: two from shop supervisors, one from a worker on the night shift, one from the production super- intendent, and one from the local union president. This last was the most stressful; the union leader’s parting shot was “When are you going to straighten out this horrendous payroll mess?” The sixth call was from Tom’s secretary. She wouldn’t be in today.
Over the next hour, Tom was able to correct most of the payroll errors—with a little help from his friends. These included payroll clerks, the production superintendent, a junior systems analyst, and one hourly paid worker. By 9:30, Tom thought he was ready to stick his phone in a filing cabinet and sit down with his materials for a last review before the 10 o’clock meeting. Five minutes later the phone started ringing. It was Ted Brokenshire, president of the Metropolitan Personnel Association. Would Tom be willing to give a talk at the association’s next meeting?
By the time he hung up the phone, Tom realized he had talked away the rest of his prep time before the meeting. It was 9:57. Quickly he pulled together his notes and materials and walked over to the vice-president’s office. The secretary waved him right in to a meeting that lasted two hours. But they were two hours well spent, Tom thought. The problems and the progress of putting in the new payroll system were taken apart, analyzed, gone over, and put together again. And despite the recent increase in mix-ups, implementation was actually two weeks ahead of schedule.
Tom came out of the meeting feeling good and ready to go ahead on the assignment. As he entered his office, it also occurred to him that he had a few more ingredients for that talk he had agreed to give to the Metropolitan Personnel Association. Then his eye caught the clock: 12:20. Now for some lunch, he thought. He remembered that he hadn’t had breakfast, and now he felt like having a big plate of shrimp lo mein. Then the phone rang.
Tom finally left for lunch at 2:30. As he pulled into the parking lot of the Shanghai Dynasty, he recalled that they were closed on Mondays.
QUESTIONS
Please answer the following in paragraph form (you may organize with headings). It is very important to explain and justify your answers using clear evidence from the reading. Your goal should be to demonstrate your understanding as strongly as possible!
1. Which of Mintzberg’s Roles is Tom demonstrating on this day? (find and discuss as many as you can).
2. Discuss how Tom demonstrates Katz’ Managerial Skills. If you think he demonstrates more than one, is one dominant on this particular day?
3. Discuss how Tom demonstrates the managerial competencies? (find and discuss as many as you can).
4. What kind of manager is Tom (staff, line, general, functional, top, middle, lower)? Since there are different ways to categorize managers your answer might include more than one option!
