Read the Case "The Blue Skye Project" at the end of the chapter 10 and response to the following questions:

Garth Hudson was a 29-year-old graduate of Eastern State University (ESU) with a B.S. degree in management information systems. After graduation he worked for seven years at Bluegrass Systems in Louisville, Kentucky. While at ESU he worked part time for an oceanography professor, Ahmet Green, creating a customized database for a research project he was conducting. Green was recently appointed director of Eastern Oceanography Institute (EOI), and Hudson was confident that this prior experience was instrumental in his getting the job as information services (IS) director at the Institute. Although he took a significant pay cut, he jumped at the opportunity to return to his alma mater. His job at Bluegrass Systems had been very demanding. The long hours and extensive traveling had created tension in his marriage. He was looking forward to a normal job with reasonable hours. Besides, Jenna, his wife, would be busy pursuing her MBA at Eastern State University. While at Bluegrass, Hudson worked on a wide range of IS projects. He was confident that he had the requisite technical expertise to excel at his new job.

(Rest of case not shown due to length.)

1. If you were Hudson, how would you respond to the director
2. What mistakes did Hudson make?
3. What are the lessons to be learned from this case?

 

Case Study (The Blue Skye Project)

1. If you were Hudson, how would you respond to the director

If I were Hudson, I would respond by highlighting my strengths compared to Tom Jackson. Hudson, for starters, was familiar with Eastern Oceanography Institute’s information system. No one, not even Tom, was more conversant with the system. Hudson had experience with information systems from his former employer’s Bluegrass systems. He had the technical expertise.

Two, I would highlight my role in the transition. Together with the institute’s accountant, Hudson came up with a cost/benefit analysis that was the basis and backbone of the transition. They showed how moving the Institute’s databases would have IT savings, no replacing and upgrading obsolete computers and servers, and increase flexibility as resources and software would be accessible from anywhere and anytime. Three, Hudson was the only one who dealt directly with the cloud service providers. Firing him now would create a void in the Institute. It would take time to create a good working rapport with the new person in charge.

2. What mistakes did Hudson make?

Hudson made several mistakes that put him in the limelight. First, unlike Tom, he had minimum interactions with the staff. He refrained from informal meetings with the staff. It was like he was avoiding them, but the main reason was his food allergies. The staff wants a boss with whom they interact and express their needs. He also allocated more time to work at the expense of biweekly staff meetings.

The second mistake by Hudson was his recommending the Institute to hire OpenRange as the cloud service provider. He chose it over bigger providers. OpenRange was a new company. Though it was cheaper, it was a risk. When there was a power outage at the OpenRange storage system, It disrupted the Institute’s operations for 36 hours. If they had chosen a bigger provider, maybe this would never have occurred. The Third mistake was leaving the staff training to Tom. The Associate Directors noticed Tom’s significance in this. The thought he was more familiar with the new system as he handled the training. Though training was not Hudson’s strength, he ought to have taken it up.

3. What are the lessons to be learned from this case?

From the case study, we learn that technical skill is not all it takes to be a director or a managerial role. Interpersonal skills and also as important. A director should be able to interact, work and relate with the subordinates under him. This increases the output in a unit and motivates the employees. It earns the director favor with his employer and the employees. Another managerial skill learned is decision-making. It is key to the success of both an institute and the manager’s career. Proper decisions should be well thought out as they may bounce back on the manager. Decisions should be future-oriented. Hudson did not think of the ramifications the transition would have on his job position. Although the organization comes first, one should analyze decisions’ effects on human resources too.

Organization and delegation are other skills learn. Hudson was not effective in his delegation. He delegated some important roles such as training of employees. He had the expertise to handle the training but felt it was not among his strengths. We also learn the essence of training in an organization. The training of staff was the most vital element in the transition. The staff has to change with the changing times. Training helps them to stay relevant in an organization. It is an integral part of any change.

When they initiate changes in an organization, people in managerial roles should think of the ramifications of it. It does affect not only the subordinates but also them.