CASE ANALYSIS OF JAMIE TURNER
SUB: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

GROUP NO. : 7

Overview of the case

Jamie Turner is a management graduate hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania who is working with Modern Lighting Industries Inc. He worked at Wolf River and Lambowland.com earlier and had found opportunities wanting there. Although both the companies were paying him well, he quit for different reasons. He thought he was stagnating in product management in Wolf River, so he went in search of a better opportunity. Although he found one in Lambowland.com, he learnt that the company had some serious cash flow binds and he had to leave that as well, and found himself in a job search in less than 18 months. Then he learnt about MLI and Cardullo, and after a few meetings with him, realised that this was what he was searching for. MLI, a struggling regional distributor of industrial lighting systems and equipment based in Chicago, has recently been acquired by a division of the much larger San Diego-based Specialty Support Services (Triple S). Cardullo, the president of MLI, is the chief proponent of the Triple S acquisition, and he has told Turner to revive MLI, implying that if Turner succeeds he will soon advance to company president.
However some time into the company he realised that he had got more than he bargained for. He felt things were moving on too fast and he would not be able to handle them at this speed. He took on the sales management responsibility only after a few days of joining, working with Tim Kelly, a 25 year old company veteran who was more than ready to share the responsibility. He hired Bill Cook and Juanita Swenson whom he thought were competent people and let go some people he thought were not competent enough.
He began to have problems with Cardullo who didn’t seem to see eye to eye with him. He had clashes with Cardullo on several aspects like when he ordered Dennis to change the layout of the warehouse. He also accused Turner of allowing his people to leak information to undesirable areas. Turner tried to calm the air between them by approaching Cardullo several times, when eventually Cardullo listened to him and agreed to implement the plans Turner had proposed, but laid them off a few days later which left Turner more frustrated.
His relationship with controller Julie Chin also mirrored his relationship with Cardullo, mainly because Julie conformed with almost everything Cardullo had to say, and even alerting Cardullo on some aspects Turner felt should have been communicated with him first.

These combined with several incidents (which Turner felt were unworthy) continued to sour relationships at MLI. He left that the very reasons for which he had joined this company seemed to be vanished. He pondered upon the issue and decided to clear the air with Cardullo and take some immediate action before the company president Alan Oliver came to a meeting with him.

Major Players:
Jamie Turner:
A management graduate and a fresh recruit at MLI. Joined the company because of the exciting prospects it had to offer, but later seemed to realise that those were slipping away. Felt that he had too much decision making powers at hand yet they seemed to be curtailed from him. Frustrated and angry at the souring relationships and the lack of advancement of his career at the firm.
Pat Cardullo:
President of MLI and Turner’s boss. He was the one who had hired Turner and seemed excited to hand over some responsibilities to Turner as soon as possible.

Causes and Problems
Cardullo
Cardullo was distant and critical and he intervened frequently in marketing decisions sometimes undermining or even reversing Turner’s decisions. Later Turner begins to feel it is him who supplies leadership at ML1 and not Cardullo. He appeared volatile and unpredictable, especially in the way he treated other people like Tim Kelly. Also he would praise in private and criticize in public. During staff meetings he raised his voice and used strong profanity.
Also issues due to the financial performance and margins in particular had Cardullo complaining. Turner had embarked on a price cutting strategy to increase sales volume and clear out excessive and aging inventories. At the same time, a spike in oil prices had increased shipping costs, further eroding ML1’s results.
First blow-ups
Turner had approved a large sale of excess-inventory halogen bulbs at below the break-even point as he believed the customer would refuse to pay a higher price. Cardullo heard of Turner’s decision from controller Julie Chin and was furious as to why ML1’s former owners were getting sensitive information about inventory levels in Kansas City. The entire discussion left Turner feeling frustrated and angry but he managed to tell Cardullo that he would bring it up in the next staff meeting.
On another occasion Cardullo wanted to send Kelly to Kansas City to monitor relationships with long-time customers there. Turner however wanted Kelly in Chicago which angered Cardullo again.
Also since Cardullo spent most of his time in San Diego, there were communication problems, a lack of central focus, and a power vacuum in Chicago.
The mobile lighting initiative also led to issues as once again Turner’s decision to get more generators was overruled by Cardullo.

Lambowland.com
Turner was considered a job hopper and highly judgemental as he often felt critical of the late hours and foul language that his co-workers enjoyed who didn’t even have graduate degrees leading to personal animosities that he had developed there harming the company’s performance and his own
Presenting the business plan, Ernie Dennis, the VP of operations who had at first seemed to be a potential rival was respectful and supportive but Turner himself was unhappy because now he would have to deliver.
Also later he is shown doubting his decision to join ML1 which is ironical as earlier he wanted autonomy and now when he has the power he feels it is almost too much to handle
Tim Kelly, current sales director was highly regimented and detail oriented but had trouble concentrating on the bigger picture. Cardullo was impatient and angry as Kelly had to check records or ask others before answering Cardullo’s questions and had concluded that Kelly was incompetent and should be fired. However Turner found Kelly to be loyal, dependable and of great help.

Firing
Since the Kansas City-based sales operation was haemorrhaging money, Turner found it necessary to release all five salespeople there, in favour of the worldwide sales group with centralized information systems in Chicago. These included a mother of two whose husband had recently died of cancer and others all had their own compelling personal stories.
Cash Flow
When Juanita Swenson, second product management hire brought to Turner’s notice what she saw as an impending cash flow problem, it was dismissed immediately by Cardullo who at the next management committee meeting emphasized the company’s strong cash position.

Cardullo vs. Ernie Dennis
Cardullo told Dennis to change the layout of the warehouse so that he Cardullo cold get a physical feel for the inventory even when Dennis countered that the new computerized system was much more efficient and would pay off in the end. In the end it was Cardullo who had his way.
Julie Chin
When Swenson raised the issue of cash flow analysis, Julie Chin took it personally and thought that the issue was raised against her. After that when Swenson asked for reimbursement of her hotel bill, without particular bill proofs she immediately refused to reimburse her with the money and when Swenson along with Turner met the clerks to get the reimbursement Julie acted very roughly mailing him to solve any issue directly with her rather than meeting her subordinates. Then Turner replied to her in the same rough manner by taking the print out of the mail and going to her cabin and throwing the paper in the dustbin telling her that he received her mail.

Solutions
Problem while working for Lambowland.com
Turner should have a Flexible character so that he can work comfortably while working overtime.
He should have Perceiving nature so that he can mix with different kinds of people at work and maintain pleasant mood while working.

Problem during Business Plan Presentation
Turner should opt for self-motivation which will drive him towards better results. Otherwise it may result in lack of self-excitement for him at work.
He should be open to receive feedbacks from others.

Problem between Cardullo and Kelly
Cardullo should discuss with Kelly and mention his problem in a polite manner and can propose ideas to Kelly regarding how to overcome his shortcomings.
Cardullo should have at least thought of not behaving with short temper with a person loyal to the company for over 25 years so that he will not be de motivated.

Firing Problem
Turner would have given the five sales people a prior notice mentioning their release so that they will be ready with other options by the time of release so that their livelihood will not be at stake due to this decision.
He would have transferred them to the other locations of the organisation rather than releasing them.

Cash flow Problem
After mentioning the problem to Chin and getting the response from him, Turner would not have met Cardullo as it is not his part of work.
Cardullo instead of pointing Turner in the meeting he would have delivered the same message to him on one to one discussion.

Problem between Cardullo and Dennis
Cardullo should not be so authoritative and rude to his subordinates. He should understand the situation when it is put before him by his subordinates.
Organisational benefit should be given priority than individual thoughts.

Problem with Cardullo’s volatile behaviour
Cardullo should maintain a particular behaviour in work place.
He should not be unpredictable to his subordinates.
He should try to raise points against his subordinates in one to one meetings rather than in public meetings.

Problem of Cardullo in Pricing
Cardullo should be receptive to Turner when the situation is explained to him.
He should give ideas of how to overcome the present crisis.

Problem regarding selling of Halogen Lamps
Turner would have mentioned regarding his decision to Cardullo in order to avoid the after effects.
At the same time Cardullo should try to explain the losses company has faced due to the decision taken rather than passing strong negative comments.

Problems between Julie Chin and Turner
Julie should be receptive to feedbacks though it is given by the persons with lesser cadre of her at work.
He should not take the issues personally and turn it into grudge.
Turner at the same time should not be so rude and try to find ways to solve the problem rather than making it large.

Recommendations
Turner should adopt a flexible character which will make him productive in different working atmospheres.
Turner should start self-motivating himself which will yield better results.
Turner should not try to indulge in other’s work and should mind his own work.
Turner should be little more organized in his thoughts which include making pre planned decisions and informing the same to the persons directly related to the decision.
Cardullo should be receptive to his subordinates.
Cardullo should maintain particular behaviour at work place rather than being unpredictable to his subordinates.
He should not be so authoritative and rude to his subordinates.
Turner should not be so rude to Julie chin.
Julie also should be receptive to feedbacks though it is given by the persons of lower cadre to her.