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1 – 2 of 2Katina Williams Thompson and Susan Dustin
The authors used Sue’s (2010) microaggression process model and Freeman et al.’s (2010) stakeholder theory as a theoretical basis for this case.
Abstract
Theoretical basis
The authors used Sue’s (2010) microaggression process model and Freeman et al.’s (2010) stakeholder theory as a theoretical basis for this case.
Research methodology
Information for the case was gathered from publicly available sources. No formal data collection efforts were undertaken.
Case overview/synopsis
Guess Who’s Coming to Deliver is a case that examines an event that occurred at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse in late July and early August of 2015. A customer who had purchased some products from Lowe’s requested that only White delivery people were dispatched to her home because she did not allow African–American people in her house. The case is factual and was written from information that was publicly available in the media. The case is designed to help instructors facilitate a meaningful classroom discussion about microaggressions from the different stakeholder perspectives.
Complexity academic level
The case is relevant for undergraduate and graduate organizational behavior and human resource management courses.
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Keywords
Mohanbir Sawhney, John Miniati, Patrick (Junsoo) Kim and Pallavi Goodman
After it introduced the extremely successful Droid smartphone into the market in 2009, Motorola quickly moved to develop the next-generation Droid 2 before the next wave of…
Abstract
After it introduced the extremely successful Droid smartphone into the market in 2009, Motorola quickly moved to develop the next-generation Droid 2 before the next wave of smartphones (including the rumored iPhone 4) flooded the market. The development process was moving smoothly for the company when Verizon, its biggest partner, dropped a bombshell. It wasn't happy with the mechanical camera button on the Droid 2 (citing customer feedback) and wanted it to be changed to a software button like the iPhone's. This request immediately placed Motorola in the proverbial horns of a dilemma. On the one hand, it couldn't brush away the request of its biggest and most important partner. On the other hand, changing the camera button now would mean delaying the Droid 2's entry into the market. Should the Droid 2 team remove the camera's hardware button in favor of a software button per Verizon's request, or not?
John Smith, the product manager, leads the cross-functional Droid 2 team. The case setting is an emergency “war room” meeting to address this critical issue, just weeks prior to launch. John's objective is to obtain the salient facts and opinions of team members quickly so he can make an informed recommendation to his boss by the end of the day. He is concerned that this last-minute request for a design change will not only threaten to delay the launch, which would have significant financial implications, but could potentially create deep fissures in a hitherto effective team that had been running like a well-oiled machine.
The case puts students in a situation that simulates a real-world discussion and allows them to experience what it is like, as a product manager, to orchestrate a meeting with cross-functional teams that have conflicting priorities and agendas. It illustrates the challenges a product manager faces while striving to make important decisions with little or no direct authority over the various teams.
After reading and analyzing this case, students will be able to:
Experience the dynamics of cross-functional teams in product management
Practice running effective and productive meetings
Practice bringing together various personalities and points of view
Understand the importance of setting goals and clear expectations
Internalize the importance of building relationships and influencing teams, even when you do not have direct authority
Experience the dynamics of cross-functional teams in product management
Practice running effective and productive meetings
Practice bringing together various personalities and points of view
Understand the importance of setting goals and clear expectations
Internalize the importance of building relationships and influencing teams, even when you do not have direct authority
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