9:00 to 7:30

Amaliya Petrov, Loan Officer

You are a member of a small consumer loan company. The staff consist of you, another loan officer, and the secretary. Last month, a large financial institution acquired your firm and made some personal changes. The other loan officer, with whom you had worked for four years, was replaced by Aiko Soto. Having entered the company at the about the same time, you and Aiko have known each other for each other for years. In fact, you work in the Ann harbor office together for a year. During that time, you were both single, and together you enjoyed the nightlife of Detroit. You learned Aiko is still single and is "living it up". In contrast, you have been married for about three years. You looked forward to working within go again but wonder if your lack of interest in the local night scene would affect your relationship. Aiko has a reputation of being capable but lazy. She is known for ask taking in a lot of loan applications and then striking bargains with or cajoling coworkers into helping out with the dreaded credit-check process. You wonder if this practice has anything to do with the fact that her uncle was a founding partner in the bank.

After Aiko arrives, you are shocked at the difference in your work attitudes and lifestyles. "Boy, what a difference three years makes!" you think to yourself. You and your previous office mate, Jim, we're both married, and both of you favored a vigorous working tempo from 9:00 to 5:15, taking lunches when convenient. You and Jim have a great working relationship, and the loan volume in the office increased steadily. There were even some discussions of expanding the size of the staff. In contrast, Aiko prefers leisure mornings that begins around 10:30, lunches as long as a Mexican siesta, and a flurry of activity between 4:00 and 7:30 PM.

You and your spouse are experienced some marital turbulence, and you feel it is very important to be home in the evenings. Your spouse has become attending night classes and leaves for school at 8:00 PM. The educational program is an extremely intense three-year ordeal. Unfortunately, the stress levels are raised seems unbearable. When you stay at the office lake, you not only miss dinner together, but you don't even see each other until after class, when you were both so tired that there's no opportunity for quality time. It seems as though most weekends are devoted to two homework.

Because the office staff is so small, the difference in workday rhythm is creating a serious hardship on you. Aiko doesn't function well in the morning and has been expressing irritation when you rush out the door at closing time. Lately, your relationship has become strained. You handle most of the walk-in businesses early in the morning, eat lunch at your desk, and have your paperwork done by 5:30 at the latest. In contrast, Aiko is just getting into high gear about 4:00 PM. Because company rules require checking each other's loan approvals, Aiko becomes testy when you say you can't stay after 5:30 to check her work. Some evenings you have relented relative and stayed 7:00 or 8:00 PM, but your spouse got upset. When you don't stay late, you are greeted by a stack of paperwork on your desk in the morning, which makes it difficult for you to meet with your new customers. Several times Aiko has tried to get you to do the credit checks for her loan applications, saying that the press of new business was too great.

Something has got to change! Your decision to go to lunch with Aiko today and tell her how you feel. Aiko

Aiko Sato, Loan Officer

You have worked for the firm for 10 years, and you are very good at your work. During that time, you have passed up offers from larger financial institutions because you like the flexibility of working in a small office. Besides, your family is financially well off, so you aren't concerned about making a lot of money.

In every other office, your coworkers have been willing to accommodate your work style. They recognize you are one of the top loan officers in the company-- and have the right last name doesn't hurt any-- so they make allowances for your quirks.

But your new office mate (and, you thought, old friend) is an exception. Since you arrived, the relationship has been testy because of your different schedules. You don't understand why there can't be more tolerance for your work style. After all, you get the job done, and that's what counts. Besides, your request for assistance are not that unreasonable other coworkers have always been willing to comply.

Thinking about the impeding discussion, you realize how important it is for you to get Amaliya to change her work habits to conform with yours. You certainly hope you can convince Amaliya to pitch in and help you when you get behind. "I mean, that's what coworkers (and old friends) are for, right?" you muse on your way to work. During the discussion, you plan to stress the reasonableness of your requests. Others have never objected strenuously; why should Amaliya? If that doesn't work, you plan to try to work out a bargain. Maybe you could put in a good word for Amaliya with your uncle, a founder of a company. Amaliya 's career hasn't exactly skyrocketed, and she is probably itching to move to a larger office in the metropolitan city. Possibly, her title could be upgraded to senior loan officer.

1. Identifies Case Relevance to Chapter 5?
2. Identifies Main Chapter Principles in Case?
3. Example of Relevant Real-life Example?
4. Recommendations for Solution to their work situation?