A rapidly growing high-tech company has recently experienced resignations by several of its best people. These individuals have left, expressing strong annoyance over the high level of politics within the company. This is a serious situation because these former employees are also spreading the word that “politics is king” in the company.

1. What steps can the top management of this company take to turn this situation around—to reduce the role of politics within the company?

2. How can the company counter the negative image it is acquiring as a result of disparaging comments by former employees concerning politics within the company?

3. Why do you think politics has become such an important issue in this company? Is it a matter of personalities—the specific persons who work there—or something about the nature of the business—how it is structured, the industry within which it works?