Case Study: Mohammed and ABC Company

Case Study
Mohammed had just finished his first week at ABC Company and decided to drive upstate to a small lakefront lodge for some fishing and relaxation. Mohammed had worked for the previous ten years for the XYZ Company, but XYZ Company had been through some hard times of late and had recently shut down several of its operating groups, including Mohammed, to cut costs. Fortunately, Mohammed experience and recommendations had made finding another position fairly easy. As he drove the interstate, he reflected on the past ten years and the apparent situation at Reece.
At XYZ Company, things had been great. Mohammed had been part of the team from day one. The job had met his personal goals and expectations perfectly, and Mohammed believed he had grown greatly as a person. His work was appreciated and recognized; he had received three promotions and many more pay increases.
Mohammed had also liked the company itself. The firm was decentralized, allowing its managers considerable autonomy and freedom. The corporate Culture was easy-going. Communication was open. It seemed that everyone knew what was going on at all times, and if you didn't know about something, it was easy to find out.
The people had been another plus. Mohammed and three other managers went to lunch often and played golf every Saturday. They got along well both personally and professionally and truly worked together as a team. Their boss had been very supportive, giving them the help they needed but also staying out of the way and letting them work.
When word about the shutdown came down, Tony was devastated. He was sure that nothing could replace XYZ Company. After the final closing was announced, he spent only a few weeks looking around before he found a comparable position at ABC Company.
As Mohammed drove, he reflected that "comparable" probably was the wrong word. Indeed, ABC Company and XYZ Company were about as different as you could get. Top managers at ABC Company apparently didn't worry too much about who did a good job and who didn't. They seemed to promote and reward people based on how long they had been there and how well they played the never-ending political games.
Maybe this stemmed from t...