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Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis

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Case Analysis - Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics, and a Career in Crisis

1. What are the different work styles, personalities, and expectations of Davis and Green?

There are a number of differences among work style, personalities, and expectations of Davis and Green. First of all, Davis preferred to use market data to support his planning and forecast, convincing others by statistics and diagrams. Perhaps, based on his experience, he has perceived that some of the clients may not be the final decision maker. Showing statistics is one of the easiest ways to make clients to convey the information to superiors. On the other hand, Green preferred to meet with clients face to face and listen carefully to clients’ needs, directly dealing with the issues. He weight clients much over daily routine tasks
Besides, even if both of them have high self-esteem, Green, the young man, is more impulsive than Davis. Plus, Green is more likely to express his feeling and comment on issues simply according to his knowledge at the public place. To give inputs, it may have other ways to reach the same results and effects. Unlike Green, Davis was more sophisticated to complain on Green’s attitude by listing the rational points in the email to Division Vice President, which is more persuasive than merely using emotional words.
Additionally, with seniority, Davis expected Green, his subordinate, to assist him by providing market data and supporting detail and by developing new market strategies. Davis tended to view subordinates as those who only need to perform routine work and not to break the harmony in the team. Contrary to Davis’s expectation, Green expected himself to duplicate the previous triumph by continuing the approach that he always adopted, thereby reaching more success in order to quickly climb up to higher position. Therefore, with confidence, Green was always

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