Harvard Business School 9-488-016
Rev. March, 23 1992
Associate Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Research Assistant Meredith Lazo wrote this case as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.
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1
United Parcel Service (A)
The management committee at United Parcel Service (UPS) wrestled with the last item on the agenda. Frank Erbrick, head of the Information Services department, had been invited to make a presentation. Responding to Erbrick’s presentation, Jack Rogers, chief executive, inquired: “So you’re convinced that we can’t locate this talent internally or develop it in the smart computer-trained kids working in our districts?”
“Oh, I think we can groom some from the inside, but we also have to get a large number of the senior programmers and middle managers from the outside. The field has gotten very specialized,” replied Frank.
Erbrick was interrupted by Operations Vice President Frank Middendorf: “Look Frank, we don’t need people to make the computers, just run them.”
Erbrick turned to Middendorf: “Come on Frank, these people aren’t Martians, but there’s been a revolution in technology. We can hardly keep up with the language they speak. You’d do the same damned thing if you had my job.”
Middendorf put one heel up on an adjacent chair, looked back at the others, and growled,
“Yeah, but thank