Fall 2012 MGT 585

Dick Spencer Case Analysis

Strengths as a Salesman Dick Spencer has had an interesting career. He began as a salesman at Tri-American Corporation and quickly worked his way up the corporate ladder to management level. He experienced many achievements and also many roadblocks during that time. This case analysis will examine some of the contributing factors to his successes and failures as well as provide recommendations on how he could have been more successful as a manager. Dick Spencer experienced great success very early in his sales career. His outgoing, likable personality could have factored into that success. High levels of openness to experience are associated with curiosity and a willingness to entertain new …show more content…

Fall 2012 MGT 585 Failures as a Manager One of the first things that could have contributed to Dick Spencer’s failure as a manager was his location. He was married with a family and had to uproot his life to move to London when he was promoted to assistant plant manager. This was a cultural shock for both him and his family. He was having trouble adjusting to cultural differences and being accepted at work and his family was having difficulties being accepted into the community. These reservations are common for many American managers who move to different countries for work. One study showed that the most important issue managers face when working in different countries is the interpersonal conflict stemming from cultural differences (Jassawalla, Truglia, & Garvey, 2004). Dick encountered many conflicts because of cultural differences. He was used to the fast paced philosophy of American business and found himself having to tiptoe around his British superiors. Scholars have found that an inability to adapt to new behaviors and interpersonal interactions can cause some managers to reject their new culture and leave their job before they have completed their assignment (Sanchez, Spector, & Cooper, 2000). Dick experienced this exact thing when he was reassigned to a new plant in Birmingham. He left his London assignment with mixed fillings as he had not completed many of the tasks he was assigned because he had never fully embraced his new