The case study brings together several of the adjustments examined in the chapter. Richard studied hotel management many years ago at college. After leaving, he spent two years as a sous-chef at a large hotel in London, but soon grew tired of the hectic pace of work. While on holiday in Italy he bought a very stylish pan from a range of well-designed kitchenware. On his return to the UK he decided he would like to buy another pan from the range, but was unable to find a stockist. He made enquiries and discovered that no-one in the UK was currently importing the range. He persuaded his mother to lend him some cash and started a business importing kitchenware, initially only from Italy, but as the business developed, from other countries as well.

The business has been successful. Richard has always managed to make a profit, but he is not very careful with money. He spends a lot, and he has never quite been able to follow his original intention, which was to invest part of the profits in expanding the business. Still, he has always prided himself on being ableto provide a high standard of living for his family. However, more recently Richard has fallen into difficulties. Four years ago his wife, Hermione, discovered that he was having an affair with an Italian sales rep. Horrified and upset, she refused to believe his assurances that the affair was over and that it would never happen again. She turned him out of the house and demanded a divorce. Richard feels that he has done rather badly out of the divorce, under the terms of which Hermione kept the family home, and Richard has had to pay what he considers to be an unreasonably large sum of maintenance for the three children of the marriage. He now lives in a small rented flat.