CASE ANALYSIS

Martha Rinaldi:
Should She Stay or Should She Go

Analysis by: Group 8

PGPM-PT APRIL 2014
Manek Narang

(Roll No

21)
Manoj Aggarwal
22)

(Roll No

Introduction: Martha Rinaldi

PERSONAL
Third child in a family of four daughters
Liked sports, enjoys soccer in particular
Helps father in bookkeeping & maintaining web site
Computer graduate with intended focus in I.T field
MBA from top-10 business school located in Chicago
During MBA, inspired to switch to marketing

Introduction: Martha Rinaldi

PROFESSIONAL

Completed summer internship at Deep Dive Pizza, regional restaurant

chain headquartered at Chicago
Joined as an assistant product manager in health drink division of Potomac
Waters
At first meeting, her boss, Natalie Follet commented on Generation Y; Good
with technology, rumored to be impatient and demanding
Frustrated of relationships with her boss & co-worker, associate product
manager Jamie Vaughan
Unsuccessful at pleasing her boss, received a negative performance
evaluation
Concerned for future in company, considering calling her previous summer
employer for a job

About: Deep Dive Pizza

A regional restaurant chain headquartered in Chicago

Having local notoriety with flashy new products eg.

pizza of week
Combined

strategies

of

family

dining

&

high

end

restaurants
Lean and mean organisation
Careful with costs
Attention to customer
Rinadlis

contribution

towards

investments in MIS Systems

evaluating

ROI

on

About: Potomac Waters

A beverage company with a nationwide presence
3 major divisions: Sports, Health & Carbonated drinks
A job in marketing at Potomac Waters was fast paced &

demanding
Reputed company for grooming & training newly hired very well
Potomac was a more stable firm
Rinaldi had to join a recently commenced division of Health

Drinks (more conflicts in making a new division successful)

Q1: How did Martha Rinaldi get in to this mess?

Potential Reasons
More importance given to size/brand rather than the first hand
knowledge / experience about the organization
Not

fully probed opportunities that Deep Dive could have offered

Ignored

relationship aspect of Deep Dive & relationship with their

employees
Didnt

fully understand the pros and cons of taking her decision

Marketing

job at Potomac would always be fast paced and

demanding
Potomac

didnt seem to hold up to its reputation of training its new

hires as Rinaldi researched

Q1: How did Martha Rinaldi get in to this mess?

Organisational Conflict and Politics
Politics is high when uncertainty is high and there is disagreement over
goals and priorities
No clear priority of work assigned
Vaughan and Follets casual attitude towards her
Vaughan viewed MBAs as a threat and Follet said that Gen Y is
impatient
Given little acknowledgement of work
Confusing instructions from management
Rinaldis attitude of withholding true feedback and giving to Bautista
She felt if she gave true feedback it would be impolite
She was quiet at meetings and didnt give feedback

Q1: How did Martha Rinaldi get in to this

mess?......contd
Potential Reasons

Lack of cognitive awareness

Inability to effectively use power/personal influence at the

workplace

Failed to apply OB knowledge / theory at work place

Highly Judgmental

Lack of informal networking with other colleagues

Buy time for self to introspect and understand people in

department

Q2 : Could she have done any thing differently

Alongside the work, should have gathered information

about the personality traits of seniors

Chose not to react assertively with seniors

She could have used positive aspects of personal power to

succeed

Should not have been egoistic and shouted/fought

Should have been more flexible

Should have exhibited more energy and stamina to multitask

Should not have got worked up or stressed

Could have communicated effectively with peers and

Q2 : Could she have done any thing differently

Should have understood that organisational changes in

companies (like in Potomac)- hiring of New MBAs have
great political significance

Should have recogonised the backgrounds of Vaughan and

Follet who were non MBAs

Although she was new, she should have asserted that she
would be the one to be thrown insignificant tasks to

Should have sternly confronted Follet about her concerns

Should have used a negotiating approach and not a

confrontationist approach

Q3 : What should she do now ?

Options Available

Stay at Potomac and work through differences with

co workers

Stay at Potomac and request a department transfer

Leave Potomac and take up offer from Deep Dive

Q3 : What should she do now ?

Understanding seniors goals and objectives
Should understand seniors
o Strengths and weaknesses,
o Pressures and
o Working style
Adopting compatible work styles
Recognizing and adjusting difference in style
Examples of different styles:
o Listeners Vs. Readers
o Authoritative Vs. Delegated (Decision making style)

Q3 : What should she do now ?........contd.

Unambiguous Mutual Expectations:
Burden to find out boss expectations falls on subordinate
It is subordinates duty to understand seniors expectations
Should develop and maintain a relationship that fits the both
and is characterized by mutual expectations
Understanding
-

Resigning

and
from

securing

Potomac

in

an

new
amicable

- Learn from this experience and apply it to her new role

role
way

Questions are welcome

Thank You