Beth reflected on the changes that had taken place during the last yearat Information Associates and wondered aloud to Jeff if life wouldever be same. It was late Friday afternoon and Beth had just been toldto adjust her attitude and "get with the program" by David, herimmediate supervisor. Never had anyone spoken to her like that and never had she received anything but glowing evaluations for her workand her cooperative attitude. Beth was both angry and bewildered. Jeffagreed that life was indeed very different now that Abby was nolonger in charge. He suggested they call Abby to find out what shethought Beth should do.

Beth and Jeff had been members of a team that examined newtechnology. Basically, their job was to try new "stuff" and to determine how Information Associates could use the technology toserve their clients. The team leader was Abby. Abby took the team'srequests for technology and software to upper management. Her mainresponsibility was lo keep the team focused and to provide uppermanagement with evaluations of new technologies. InformationAssociates was known for its use of "cutting edge" technology. Abbyhad a budget but she often requested additional funds to allow the team to visit sites using the technology and/or to buy additionalhardware. Those requests typically were granted.

Abby encouraged creative thinking, open communications, and developed a system by which each member could set his or her ownwork hours. The team felt they were productive, and Abby told themupper management was very pleased with their work. Everyone on theteam assumed Abby would soon be promoted to upper management.Instead the company reorga nized, and Abby was assigned to heroriginal position as a customer service representative. Abby considered this a demotion and was very unhappy. She shared her frustrations often with Beth and Jeff. Her feeling was that she wasbeing too successful and that others in management were threatenedby her success. Beth and Jeff felt Abby's suspicions were true becausetheir team was the only group within the company to have had such awide degree of autonomy.

Beth and Jeff were moved to the Training Department. When thereassignments were first announced, Abby visited with David, themanager of the Training Department, to tell him about the type ofwork Beth and Jeff had been doing. After the meeting. she met Bethand Jeff for lunch. She told them that David was willing to allow themto continue to evaluate technologies as part of their duties. Sheencouraged them to continue the work of the team and to keep technology evaluation as at least 50 percent of their duties.

Both Beth and Jeff talked with Abby almost daily. The conversationusually included how much they missed being with the "team" andthat they disliked the Training Department's rigid structure. They alsotalked with other members of the Training Department telling themDavid was a poor manager. As examples they explained how Abby had worked with each team member to develop a schedule for themonth. David simply left their assignments in folders. Abby hadencouraged flexible schedules, but David expected them in the officeby 8:30 each morning. Abby made sure they communicated on allissues frequently and openly, but David avoided calling meetings because they wasted time. Many of the complaints were related to David by members of the Department who thought Beth and Jeff weretrying to create trouble.

Today Beth told Abby that David was not giving her the flexibility she needed to continue her evaluation of new technologies. Abbyencouraged Beth to stand up to David and to make him honor hisword. Beth agreed that she could not allow David to destroy whattheir team had created. She would insist that she be given time andrecognition for her evaluations. Beth had taken the initiative to contact an international manufacturer of technology to evaluate its latestproduct. The Model 6XCL was delivered earlier in the week, and Bethcould hardly wait to begin evaluating its capabilities. Jeff hadcautioned her about signing for the equipment without David'sapproval, but Beth insisted that she had the authority to request equipment on a loan basis. The equipment was being loaned to themfor a three-week evaluation period. The only cost would be thedelivery and pick up of the equipment.

David knew that both Beth and Jeff were not satisfied with thereorganization, but he was especially exasperated with Beth. Sherefused to follow standard operating procedures and often was openlyrude to him. For example, earlier this week she just stopped at hisoffice without an appointment and starting telling him hismanagement style was outdated. Once again, he

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found himself listening to how Abby had coordinated the"team." David was tired of hearing about how great the Teamhad been. In his opinion the team concept had been tried, and it had not been successful. The team did not stay within budget and there was no accountability. Abby had insisted on certain liberties for the team and had shown no respect for uppermanage ment decisions. Abby ignored decisions and refused tosee others' views. David was sure that it was no mistake that Abby was no longer in a decision-making role. David felt Bethwas making some of the same mistakes that Abby had made.

David was considering his options in regard to Beth. She did not seem to be willing to adjust to the new situation. David was very disturbed that Beth had signed for a delivery ofequipment. He had not been involved in the request, and hewas unsure how to handle the bill for the delivery charge. Itwas not a substantial amount, but the point was that Beth didnot have the authority to order or to sign for equipment. Just ashe was pondering what to do about the unauthorized signingfor equipment, Beth entered his office to argue about hercurrent assignment. She said she was refusing the assignmentbecause it interfered with her commitment to "evaluate theModel 6XCL." When he asked who had assigned her the dutyof evaluating the Model 6XCL, Beth told him that because there was no longer any leadership (Abby again) associatedwith examining new technol ogy, she had assigned the evaluationto herself. David told her to "'un-assign" it and get back to what she was being paid to do. Beth then exploded and called David a liar.Beth seemed to think that he had made some agreementwhereby Beth would evaluate technologies as 50 percent of herassignment. When he tried to clarify his position, Beth kept interrupting him. Finally, David told her to come back onMonday and let him know if she was ready to "get with theprogram".