When the phone rang and the caller ID showed Colorado, Marie LeFleur expected to hear the voice of Alan Hake. He was scheduled to meet with a key supplier of HAL's networking equipment later that day in Littleton. But it wasn't Alan; it was the police.

After Marie identified herself as Alan's assistant, she was informed that the business jet HAL had rented for this trip had crashed in poor weather at the small airstrip close to the supplier's offices. Regretfully, there were no survivors.

After this disastrous news, Marie began to mechanically answer the questions from the police investigator. She was told what would happen next and what to expect as the investigation into the accident proceeded. Marie hung up the phone feeling numb and disoriented from the news. She stared for a moment at the cup of coffee she had poured herself only moments ago. Suddenly, nothing seemed urgent or important except thinking about her boss and those who had traveled with him to Colorado.

The meeting they had planned to attend would have included five HAL employees: Alan Hake, CEO; Amanda Wilson, CIO; Bill Freund, the manager of systems; Tina Mann, senior network administrator; and the newest HAL employee, Janet Dasher, who had been hired just last week as a network technician. Using the chartered jet had been a matter of economics; the whole group could get to the meeting and back to headquarters in a single day for the price of just two people flying commercial. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Marie thrust her head into her hands, crying. What was she supposed to do now?

Note: In this chapter, the ongoing case study has a series of case study extensions. They are set as shaded boxes and labeled Ongoing Case.

A few days after attending Alan Hake's funeral, Marie LaFleur, Alan's former assistant, was sitting at home on a Sunday morning, .

The phone rang.

Hello? Marie said, without much enthusiasm.

Marie, this is Kirby Smart, the voice on the other end of the line said. I've been appointed interim CEO by the HAL Board of Directors. I realize this is probably a bad time for you, but can you meet me at the office in an hour?

I guess so, Marie said. Why are we meeting on a Sunday?

I can't get into it over the phone, Marie, Kirby replied. Please just meet me at the office as soon as you can. We have a lot of work to do, and quickly, if HAL wants to stay open as a viable business. I've been told by the board that I have 72 hours to reconstitute senior leadership from within current ranks or they are going to liquidate the company. I need your help contacting key members of the staff.

Discussion Questions

1. Review the organizational charts provided at the end of Chapter 1. Whom do you think should have been in charge of the company at this moment? Why do you think that person is not now acting for the board?
2. Who decides who is in charge when senior managers are lost? Is that answer different in the short term than in the long term?