E140A - Session 16

Summary

Required Readings (Policy on Required Readings.)

• Case: Randy Hess (A)
• Case Opening: Team #2
• "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini (see here for directions on downloading this HBR article)
• "Influence and Persuasion," Section 13.3, pages 302-303, Dorf and Byers
• "How to Be Persuasive", Cialdini
• HBS Students Swear to be Ethical: A Promise to Be Ethical in an Era of Immorality
• Watch the following short videos:

Study Questions (Policy on Study Questions.)

1. What do the numbers tell us in this case?
2. Why is the MicroNet revenue important to the management of 3R? Why is it important to Randy Hess himself?
3. Put yourself in Randy's shoes. Your task is to bring about a legitimate solution to the MicroNet contract problem that also allows you to keep your job. Keep in mind that there is immense personal cost to quitting -- you don't want to leave Lubbock, you have few savings and a big mortgage on a house that has depreciated in value in the depressed Texas economy, you have a family depending on you for a steady income, and you like the responsibility you have at 3R. What are your options? What is your elected approach to the problem? Regardless of which basic path you take (meet with Whitney, meet with the auditors, some combination of the two, etc.), be prepared to describe how you will approach the meeting. Include what you will say, how you will say it, the tone you will set, where you will have the meeting, etc., and the various possible outcomes for the meeting. What precisely will you do? Be prepared to role play with other classmates.

Assignment

• As Hess, a summary of my basic approach to the MicroNet contract problem is to:

• In order to protect myself during my career from situations like this, I will consider these 1 or 2 specific tactics:

Note: For this assignment, each team will submit one entry for all team members. No individual posting.