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BOB KNOWLTONV.N.M.Nair, Professor, SBMJCE, Bangalore

22/11/2006

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Bob KnowltonCASE FACTS

MAJOR CHARACTERS

BOB KNOWLTON-  HEAD OF PHOTON LAB.

SIMON FESTER - NEW RESEARCHER ASSIGNED TO PHOTON

LAB. TO ASSIST KNOWLTON 

Dr. JERROLD-  PROJECT HEAD 

LINK- MATHEMATICIAN

OLIVER - RESEARCHER 

DAVENPORT- RESEARCHER

THURLOW- RESEARCHER

LUCY&MARTHA- SECRETARIES

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BOB KNOWLTON

BACKGROUND

THE CASE PRESENTS A TYPICAL AMERICAN RESEARCH

LABORATORY WHERE SPONSORED RESEARCH IS GOING ON

IN CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES. TYPICAL AMERICAN

VALUES PREVAIL. INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENT IS GIVEN

MORE WEIGHTAGE. EVERYBODY IN PHOTON LAB UNDER

BOB KNOWLTON IS HAPPY. KNOWLTON HAS A GOODPROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH Dr.

GERROLD WHO IS THE PROJECT HEAD.

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BOB KNOWLTON

THE WHOLE SCENARIO CHANGES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SIMON FESTER

INTO THE PHOTON LAB. THOUGH KNOWLTON WELCOMES HIM , AN

UNKNOWN FEAR CREEPS INTO HIS MIND.

FESTER IMPRESSES EVERYBODY WITH HIS SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE AND

PRACTICAL WISDOM. LINK TOO IS VERY MUCH IMPRESSED WITH FESTER

AND STARTED MOVING CLOSELY WITH FESTER. FESTER COMES OUT WITH

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE WORKING AT. Dr.

JERROLD PRAISES FESTER IN KNOWLTON’S PRESENCE. KNOWLTON

BECOMES INSECURE AND FEELS THAT HE IS VERY SMALL BEFORE FESTER.

KNOWLTON LOOSES INTEREST IN WORK AND FINALLY DECIDES TO LEAVE

SIMMONS LABORATORIES

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BOB KNOWLTON

MAJOR ISSUES IN THE CASE

WRONG PERCEPTION

COMMUNICATION BREAK DOWN

WRONG ASSUMPTIONS PERSONALITY RELATED PROBLEMS

EGO CLASH

JEALOUSY

FEAR

LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE

INTOLERANCE

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BOB KNOWLTON

OUTCOMES GROUP COHESION STARTED DISAPPEARING

LOSS OF WORK MOTIVATION

GROWING SENSE OF INSECURITY AMONG PEOPLE

FINANCIAL LOSS

SUSPICION

KNOWLTON’S RESIGNATION 

Dr. GERROLD’S UNHAPPINESS 

LOSS OF CREDIBILTY

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BOB KNOWLTON

MAJOR PROBLEMS DIAGNOSIS

PERCEPTION RELATED ISSUES

PERSONALITY RELATED ISSUES

COMMUNICATION RELATED ISSUES

BEHAVIOURAL RELATED ISSUES

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BOB KNOWLTON

QUESTIONS POSED?

HOW THE PRESENT CRISIS COULD HAVE BEENAVERTED?

WHAT IS DR. JERROLD’S CONTRIBUTION IN THISCRISIS?

WHAT IS FESTER’S CONTRIBUTION IN THIS? 

WHAT WENT WRONG WITH KNOWLTON?

WHAT IS LINK’S CONTRIBUTION IN THIS FIASCO?  WHO WON AND WHO LOST?

WAS THEIR ANY SOLID REASON FOR THIS CRISIS?

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BOB KNOWLTON

POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES

1. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED WITH KNOWLTON

BEFORE SENDING FESTER TO THE PHOTON LAB. PHOTON

LAB HEAD’S CONCURRENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN

OBTAINED

2. OFFICIAL THINGS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MIXED WITH

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

3. Dr. JERROLD SHOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN KNOWLTON FOR

GRANTED

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BOB KNOWLTON

4. FESTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIPLOMATIC

5. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD NOT HAVE DISCUSSED THINGS ALONE WITH

FESTER WITHOUT FESTER’S BOSS KNOWLTON. 

6. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE TOLD KNOWLTON THAT FESTER WAS TO

JOIN SOME OTHER GROUP LATER

7. Dr. JERROLD SHOULD HAVE CONTIUED HIS USUAL DIALOGUE WITH

KNOWLTON SO THAT KNOWLTON SHOULDN’T HAVE GOT TIME FOR WILD

IMAGINATION.

8. FULL BREAK DOWN OF COMMUNICATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

BY ALL.