DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY - DASMARIAS

Dasmarias, Cavite, Philippines

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

IEET520: Engineering Management

CASE STUDY

AJAX DISCOUNT STORE

Team Pura:
Mesizza Mae Cabrera
Roger Angelo Ciano
Sahara Malabanan
Zarah Renales
Janneane Rosales

July 25, 2015

Engr. Romeo L. Reyes

Instructor
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Case Study Problem

Introduction

Problem Statement

Analysis of Case Data

Discussion of Several Alternative Solution

Recommendation

Appendix A: References

Case Study Problem

Helen Flagg was an outstanding sales person in the Ajax Discount Store. She
knew the products well, kept up to date with her recordkeeping and was willing to work
overtime whenever necessary. None of her co-workers came near her level of overall
sales performance.
Because of this effective record Helen was promoted to manager of the childrenswear department. Almost from her first day in the new position trouble began to occur.
Flagg complained about her subordinates lack of motivation and dedication, feeling that
they were overpaid and that many should be fired.
Naturally this caused difficulty in the department, and two of the better sales people
quit abruptly. Flaggs superior discussed these problems with her, but after several such
discussions Helen still couldnt understand why she should approach her job differently.
Finally her superior offered Helen her old job back as a salesperson with no cut in
pay. At first Helen was happy about this switch back to her old job. No more problems
with those lazy employees. But then she became worried about her lack of success as a
manager, and this caused her sales to fall. Even though her boss reinforced her on
several occasions, telling her that not everyone can succeed as a manager and that
excellent sales people are very valuable to the store, nothing seemed to give assurance
to Helen Flagg.

Introduction

A managers responsibility is usually greater than authority for resolving the daily
problems and crises in context as they arise; they operates in a crisis-driven environment
of inherent chaos, and is often affected by external forces over which we has little or no
control; and nobody, particularly the manager and her subordinates, is perfect, and all
have a will-of-their-own.
To be effective as a manager, mobilize the collective-will of the group of discordant
wills (department) for which is responsible, make sound decisions (judgment) amongst
competing alternatives, the manager must not only understand the uniqueness of context,
but also how it is perceived by all significant Others, who can impact on his/her managerial
effectiveness. To accomplish this, it is paramount that it understands, and is able to
appreciate, the systems viewpoint of management, within her context.
See what Helen Flagg couldve done when she became a manager of childrenswear department on Ajax Discount Store.
Helen Flagg is an outstanding employee in the Ajax Discount Store because she
knew the products well and is up-to-date on her record keeping. Helens outstanding
performance got her promoted to manager of childrens-wear department but on her first
day of work as a manager, trouble began to occur because her subordinates lack of
motivation and dedication to their work. Helens superior then switch her back to her old
job but then caused her sales to fall because of worrying about her lack of success as a
manager.

Problem Statement

1. What are the problems Flaggs possess that being a manager at her time did not work?
Managers must look at change from multiple perspectives. They are often as
personally impacted by a change as any other employee. Yet at the same time they
are representatives of the enterprise and are expected to fly the flag for the change
within their teams. Managers are also part of their team and are impacted by the way
a change affects the workings of the team.
This creates a huge tension for managers who are trying to balance personal
concerns, team issues and enterprise requirements which often pull in different
directions. This challenge for Helen Flagg is exacerbate

2. What can the boss do for Flaggs co-worker to understand her?

Flaggs boss is maintaining the balance of relationships in the store to improve each
other individuality.

3. Flaggs is struggling with a middle management issue, what can Flaggs do for her to
understand what it means to be a manager?
The same method can be used in Flaggs co-worker to her to establish a good
relationship between co-workers.

4. Should she have been demoted back to her old position? Why? Why not?
Being demoted is the same as failing at something we are good at the fail at the end.
And as manager it is a major issue to be considered.

5. What kinds of problems might Helen have with co-workers when she was back in her
old job?
Being depressed yourself can affect others too. Helen co-workers is affected by her
change when she was demoted and it comes with many problems and cause new
arguments. And it is an issue to be solved early because it can cause greatly in Helen
being poorly performed her managerial skills and even her own skill as a sales person.

Analysis of Case Data

As the table shown, It summaries the works of Helen Flagg in the Ajax Discount Store.
Helens Actions

Result

Knowledgeable, recordkeeping
and can work overtime

No one of can near her level in the

overall sales performance

Outstanding Sales person

Promoted as Manager

She complain about her

subordinates that are

Two people with better sales

performance quit
She was back to her old position

Worried about being failure as

manager

It became the reason of her falling

sales performance

Helen Flagg was promoted as a manager. She was doing fine but she notice the
lack of motivation and dedication of her subordinates. As an outstanding sales personnel,
she also wants that her subordinates have the same attitudes as her but this led to quitting
of some people shes handling. She was caught in the middle of the situation being the
manager and change in the department. Heres some points about being middle
manager:

A. Organizational Chart

Senior Managers - responsible

for organization's stategy,
resources to implement the
strategy and deciision making

MIddle manager - they are the one

who break the span of control of senior
managers. they also support the goals
of the employes.

Skilled employees - they do the day-to-day

works that keeps the organization operating.

B. Challenges of middle management

Middle managers must look at change from multiple perspectives.
They are often as personally impacted by a change as any other
employee. Yet at the same time they are representatives of the
enterprise and are expected to fly the flag for the change within their
teams. Middle managers are also part of their team and are
impacted by the way a change affects the workings of the team.
This creates a huge tension for middle managers who are trying to
balance

personal

concerns,

team

issues

and

enterprise

requirements which often pull in different directions.

Middle managers have to work with change at 4 levels:

the
enterprises
needs

the teams
needs

supporting
individuals
in their
team

as individual
themselves.

This challenge for middle managers is often exacerbated by

simplistic applications of change management combined with some
stereotypical views of middle managers. The simplistic application
of change management focuses on those in power (the top of the
pyramid) and the masses (the skilled employees). It may forget
middle managers as a valid stakeholder group. Even if they are
remembered, they are often such a vague and disparate group that
effective stakeholder management activities can be hard to identify
and execute.

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In addition, any concerns or criticisms of the change raised by

middle managers can be seen as part of their typical reactionary
and self-serving culture. This is often unfair and usually the recipe
for a failed change.
Here some essential lessons for first timer managers to be
successful as their position:
1. Ask Questions

New to the department, not fully familiar

to the environment with that it needed to
interact with others.

2. Take Initiative

Be responsible enough and show them

you deserve the position the give to you.

3. Stay Hungry

Hungry for learning new things, stay

engaged and excited.

4. Realized You Might Not Get

Everything Done in One Day

Its nice to have move ideas and activity

in the team but learn to know you and
your team limitation.

5. Keep a Sense of Humor Handy

Too much work can led to stress and bad

attitude with other coworkers so keep
some sense of humor intact and
sometimes crack a joke to lessen up the
tension in the office.

Forbes site Dailymuse Lessons for managers.

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APPENDIX A
REFERENCES

http://www.mbsportal.bl.uk/taster/subjareas/mgmt/bl/newton13.aspx

http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/challenges-faced-by-middle-levelmanagers/1/204596.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2012/07/10/the-end-of-middle-managersand-why-theyll-never-be-missed/

http://www.jantoo.com/cartoons/keywords/demoted

http://www.middlemanagement.co.uk/

http://tinyrocketdesign.com/ublalfieportfolios/bluessinger/

http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=687

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/09/04/5-essential-lessons-for-first-timemanagers/

http://www.mbsportal.bl.uk/taster/subjareas/mgmt/bl/newton13.aspx

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