Latoya Washington-Department of Marketing Case Study

Study Case Questions

1- What source of power does Carl have, and what type of power is he using? Which influencing tactic is Carl using during the meeting? Is negotiation and/or the exchange tactic appropriate in this situation?

2- What source of power does Washington have, and what type of power is she using during the meeting? Which two influencing tactics is Washington primarily using during the meeting? Which influencing tactic is Washington using with the memo? Is the memo a wise political move for Washington? What might she gain and lose by sending it?

3- What would you do if you were Carl? Would you talk to the dean, letting him know that Washington said she would appeal the policy decision? Which influencing tactic would this discussion involve? Which political behavior would the discussion represent? Would you draft a policy directly stating that graduate assistants can-not be used to grade objective exams? Would your answer to be influenced by your answer to?

4- If you were Washington, knowing you had no verbal supporters during the meeting, would you have continued to defend your position or agreed to stop using a graduate assistant? What do you think of Washington sending the memo? As a tenured full professor, Washington is secure in her job. Would your answer change if you (as Washington) had not received tenure or promotion to the top rank?

5- If you were Washington, and Carl drafted a policy and department members agreed with it, what would you do? Would you appeal the decision to the dean? Again, would your answer change if you had not received tenure or promotion to the top rank?

6- If you were the dean of the School of Business (SB), knowing that the vice president does not want to set a college-wide policy, and Washington appealed to you what would you do? Would you develop a school-wide policy for SB?

7- At what level (college-wide, by schools, or by departments within each school) should a graduate assistant policy be set?

Should Eddie Accorsi have spoken up in defense of Washington during the meeting? If you were Accorsi, would you have taken Washington’s side against the other seven members? Would your answer change if you were or were not friends with Washington, and if you were or were not a tenured full professor?