How Mismanaging Performance could result in Firing of a Valuable Employee: A Case Study *

How Mismanaging Performance Could Result in Firing of a Valuable Employee: A Case Study

It was April 30^th 2014. Sarah, standing at the window of her air-conditioned workplace was looking at the blazing sun sipping her cold coffee. She was thinking about the same date two year’s back and her achievements.

April 30^th 2012: Sarah was busy grading students when the Human Resource Manager informed her that Director wished to meet her. Surprised at the sudden call from the Director she stacked the quiz papers, locked her desktop, took a sip of water and confidently moved upstairs thinking about what could be reason behind meeting  her now.

Politely, she knocked at the door and with consent entered into the room.

Director: So, Ms. Sarah, how are you doing?

Sarah: Very well Ma’am. (With a smile)

Director: What is progress report of courses you are dealing with, university exams are going to start by mid-May?

Sarah: Well Ma’am, I have finished my course in B.Com as well as B.B.A and few topics are left in B.C.A. class, which would be completed in next four sessions?

Director: You can handover everything to Mr Sanjay, he will continue with your further responsibilities.

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How Mismanaging Performance Could Result in Firing of a Valuable Employee: A Case Study

Synopsis

The case deals with Performance Management and Training aspects of Human Resource Management. The case revolves around Sarah, a young faculty at a management institute and the handling of this employee by the Director, Faculty team, Founders and organizational culture of the Institute. Sarah, the young multi-talented MBA graduate from a small city joins as a Lecturer in a recently inaugurated management institute that was established by four young  entrepreneurs. She faces problems related to her attitude and way of working towards her existing colleagues and prevailing culture in the Institute. Her talent was used at numerous occasions in the Institute. Furthermore Institute utilizes her writing and editing skills in developing its brochures and prints ad. Students praised her for her teaching and mentoring skills. Her feedback from students was up-to-the-mark but poor from colleagues. Regardless of her efforts of adjusting with Director, colleagues and organizational culture all the way maintaining her performance and delivering the expected outputs to the Institute, she failed and was fired from her job without any prior notice. The role of Director was of critical importance but her favor towards existing faculty members and not giving Sarah the authority and responsibility which she fairly deserved, disappointed Sarah more. Later she joined one among India’s top most management Institute and proved her there. The case henceforward deliberates about how institute can prevent from happening of this type of incident again wherein performance management is driven by people and not by processes. The case will discuss about what went wrong at the institute’s part and Sarah’s part imparting the teachings of Performance  Management and Training.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Performance and management is an on-going process of identifying measuring and developing the performance of individuals and teams and aligning performance with the strategic goals of the organization.

This case tries to familiarize participants with:

Performance Management

• • Contribution of Performance Management
• • Aims and Role of Performance Management System
• • Characteristics of Performance Management System/Need of Performance Management
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