ESL Case analysis

1. Running Head: SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCEAND INTERNAL STRUGGLES
Solutions to Resistance and Internal Struggles in Teamwork
Elijah Li
The Ohio State University
Author Note
Elijah Li, SMF program, Fisher College of Business
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Elijah Li, Fisher College
of Business, the Ohio State University, 2466 Neil Ave Columbus, OH, 43202
Contact: li.6141@osu.edu
Copyright byElijah Li, li.6141@osu.edu

2. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
Problems and situation in the case
Ken Winston, the regional sales manager of Campbell and Bailyn is struggling with the
resistance and problems caused by the rearrangement of team framework in Boston office.
Due to a meltdown in the mortgage-backed securities, increasing competition from peer
firms and specialized products from competitors, Campbell and Bailyn suffer from a great
loss of sales， grumbles， and complaints from customers； especially in Boston Office, one
of the biggest regional offices.
Admittedly, Winston made some changes to improve sales and increasing of customers.
It is undeniable that they also caused many new problems. First of all, new KAT team caused
some worries and resistance from employees. For example, John Oates worried that new
structure would force them into a too specialized role to limit their career prospects and it
may cause a decrease in compensation， which was purely related to sales volumes. Secondly,
new KAT structure also raised concerns and unfavorable judgments from clients because,
“making large, multiproduct trades was now more complicated.” Moreover, the new structure
forces them to work with two or three different sales people rather than just one they are
accustomed, which causes trust issue for new specialists.
Solutions:
In the Boston office, Winston has to solve at least three major problems. First, group
members always disagree with their superior; which lead the whole arrangement and daily
management to become inefficient. Secondly, group members are selfish and don’t contribute
to the group’s interest. The group members are standing on their own interest and do
everything to benefit themselves, which leads a “dead weight loss” of the whole company.
Third, team members must learn how to cooperate with each other. Mr. Winston must specify
responsibilities, maintain a positive communication among team members, and minimize

3. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
arguments. According to former research about the hierarches, building hierarchies can help
Winston solve each of them.
1. The power of leader
Hierarchies help the top manager get the “power of leader”, which will solve the
problem by holding the “absolute power”. Group leaders can give disproportionate control to
group members. The low ranking members can’t go against the high one. No member can
disagree with the top leader. The power of leader will build a pyramid structure which is the
core of hierarchies system. The concentration of power will provide the leader a complete
control of decision making, which will address the inefficiency and resistance from
subordinates (Baleset al., 1951; Berger, Rosenholtz, & Zelditch, 1980; Goffman, 1967;
Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, 2003).
Meanwhile, hierarchies can also increase the quality of decision-making.
Disproportionate control can provide the most competent individuals to hold more power in
decision making, which will avoid the distraction from low level co-workers. Generally,
competent individuals are assumed with better decision-making ability to make better
decision than less competent individuals do. Therefore, hierarchies are functional to solve the
resistance from sub-ordinates (Berger et al., 1980; Davis & Moore, 1945; Eibl-Eibesfeldt,
1989; Ridgeway & Diekema, 1989).
2. Motivating members
To solve the problems that group members are not likely to focus on the group’s interest
but their own interest, the hierarchy can motivate members to contribute to the group’s
benefit by providing materials, social, and psychological incentives. The hierarchy will build
ranks. A higher rank means stronger power, greater respect, authority, autonomy liberty,

4. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
material support, self-esteem, well-being, and wider social resources. Individuals are willing
to sacrifice for the group and contribute to the group interest because hierarchy will change
the group’s interest to a mutual interest, which will benefit individuals if they contribute to
the group’s interest. Then individuals perceived as working hard will lead to a higher rank.
On the contrary, inefficiency and selfishness will cause the dropping of ranks. Therefore, the
whole group will be motivated to work towards group interest, which leads to teamwork
success (Blau, 1964; Flynn, Reagans, Amanatullah, & Ames, 2006; Ridgeway & Diekema,
1989; Hardy & Van Vugt, 2006; Willer, 2009).
Numerous studies have consistently found people who sacrifice more to the group will
receive a higher ranking. On the contrary, people who are perceived as being selfish and lazy
or even harmful to the whole group will have a lower rank. (Blau, 1964; Amanatullah &
Ames, 2006; Ridgeway & Diekema, 1989; Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939).
3. Improving group cooperation
Hierarchies can also improve the groups’ cooperation by giving disproportionate control
to members. Members in higher ranks have better chances to reach more resources or join
more decision making processes. Members in lower ranks may have fewer chances to do so.
Disproportionate control also helps members in the higher ranks, have more power than
members in the lower ranks. Moreover, the lower rank members are not allowed to go against
the higher rank members. Therefore, hierarchy offers an entry barrier for different ranks of
people. (Barnard, 1964; Berger et al., 1980; Chance,1967; Durkheim, 1893/1997; Katz &
Kahn, 1966; Keltner et al., 2008; Leavitt, 2005; Magee & Galinsky, 2008; Marx,1844/1964;
Mintzberg, 1983; Parsons, 1961; Tiedens, Unzetta, & Young, 2007).
Hierarchy also stimulates a more efficient message transmission between members.
Research proves that in the pyramid hierarchy, information travels from the low ranks to the

5. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
high ranks. The top rank will make decisions by using information from all diverse resources.
Then the decision will be implemented from high ranks to low ranks, flowing down to each
rank. This way, the decision maker has more resources, which will help make a better
decision. Thus, decisions will be transferred efficiently since the implement process comes
from higher ranks to lower ranks.
Evaluation:
For this company, top leaders want to maintain the working relationship mainly by being
friendly and casual to every employee. Under these circumstances, people may are
comfortable with less pressure and democratic working environment. However, losing of
authority will also cause inefficiency, resistance, and complaints. Building up hierarchy and
keeping an appropriate distance is necessary for top leaders. Therefore, hierarchy is the key to
solve all problems of this case.
However, hierarchy will also bring some drawbacks. First of all, hierarchy blocks a
democratic working environment. Secondly, hierarchy may cause implicit conflictions
between co-workers, which in the end hurts the efficiency of the whole firm.
To conclude, in this case, Winston should appropriately build up hierarchies. But he
should also keep an eye on the impacts of the hierarchy, to be careful about the implicit
impacts caused by hierarchy.
Reference:
Barnard, C. (1964). Functions and pathology of status systems in formal organizations. In W.
F. Whyte (Ed.), Industry and society (pp. 46–83). New York: McGraw-Hill.

6. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
Berger, J., Rosenholtz, S. J., & Zelditch, M., Jr. (1980). Status organizing processes. Annual
Review of Sociology, 6, 479–508.
Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction ritual. New York: Anchor.
Ebenbach, D. H., & Keltner, D. (1998). Power, emotion and judgmental accuracy in social
conflict: Motivating the cognitive miser. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 20, 7–21.
Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1989). Human ethology. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine De Gruyter.
Ridgeway, C. L. (1984). Dominance, performance and status in groups. In Lawler, E. (Ed.).
Advances in group processes: Theory and research (Vol. 1). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Hardy, C. L., & Van Vugt, M. (2006). Nice guys finish first: The competitive altruism
hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32,1402–1413.
Willer, R. (2009). Groups reward individual sacrifice: The status solution to the collective
action problem. American Sociological Review, 74, 23–43.
Willer, R., Feinberg, M., Flynn, F. J., & Simpson, B. (2010). Is generosity sincere or strategic?
Altruism versus status-seeking in prosocial behavior. Working paper. Berkeley, CA:
University of California.
Problem (Case) Analysis Research Grading Rubric
Student: Elijah Li
Item Points
Format 15%
☐ The title page contains a clear and
insightful title, student’s name, day of
submission with correct spacing
☐ The text is set up with a header that
has running head and page#.
☐ The typed paper is double spaced
throughout.
☐ Times New Roman 12 point font
15

7. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
throughout the paper.
☐ Standard margin (an inch).
☐ Half an inch indentation to the first line of
the paragraph
☐ The body of the paper is 3-4 pages in
length (excluding the Title page and the
reference section).
Components of the Paper 15%
☐ Situation: The paper has pertinent
background information about the case
(company, institution, departments, etc...)
☐ Problem: The paper has thorough and
clear descriptions and of the problem in
this paper
☐ Solutions: The paper provides
solution(s)/recommendation(s) to the
problem. The solutions are justified with
clear description/analysis of how and why
they work.
☐ Evaluation: The paper evaluates the
solutions and provide recommendations to
deal with any potential complications and
drawbacks.
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Organization of Ideas 40%
☐ The introduction section (situation &
problem) situates the problem (case) in a
big context and effectively addresses the
importance of the problem (case)
☐ The paper has a clearly stated thesis
statement that focuses on the problem and
provides a framework of the paper.
☐ The proposed solutions sufficiently
address the problem (case).
☐ Correct and effect use of outside sources
to support the claims and arguments in
the sections of solutions and/or
evaluations
☐ The evaluation section is well thought out
with clear emphasis on its relevance to
the thesis statement.
☐ The conclusion wraps up the paper
effectively.
☐ Tone is credible and knowledgeable.
☐ An objective point of view is consistently
used throughout the paper.
☐ For balance, the key features are treated
adequately and fairly with not too much
emphasis on one thing and too little of
another.
☐ Headings or sub-headings are used to
provide an overview of the paper.
☐ Flow of ideas runs smoothly from
beginning to end, showing planning and
connecting of ideas.
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Writing Style 15% 15

8. SOLUTIONS TO RESISTANCE AND INTERNAL STRUGGLES IN TEAMWORK
☐ Word choice exhibits effective strong
verbs, specific details.
☐ Sentence structure uses a variety of
lengths and structural variety to create the
natural flow of speech.
☐ Punctuation helps to establish and clarify
the meaning; very few errors occur.
☐ Paragraphing aids the development of the
content material by giving each idea its
own clear setting.
☐ Transition words and other cueing
devices help to make the connections
clear without losing the reader.
Documentation 15%
☐ The paper uses in-text citations at
necessary places throughout.
☐ The format of in-text citations is correct.
☐ The documentation correlates with the
sources on the References section.
☐ The References section gives all the
sources used in the correct APA style format.
14
Total 92