Our office is closed for Good Friday on 18 April 2025 and Easter Monday on 21 April.

Product details

By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies as described in our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.
You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them.
Management article
-
Reference no. R0203X
Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Originally published in: "Harvard Business Review", 2002
Revision date: 13-Feb-2013

Abstract

For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. Jared Gordan, the president of the Industrial Products Division for Compunext, is a first-rate manager. In just three years, he's turned around a flagging division and increased sales and profits by 50% -a dramatic shift from five years earlier, when analysts were suggesting that the company sell the division. But that's not all. In addition to being a turnaround expert, Jared has shown a special aptitude for recruiting and developing talent. Many executives have noticed this faculty, and - unfortunately for Jared - those running Compunext's biggest, most glamorous divisions are poaching his best managers. In fact, Industrial Products has just been raided for the tenth time in two years, and Jared is spitting mad. This time, the Telecommunications Division has wooed - and won - Stan Simpson, Industrial Products' VP of sales. Jared, right or wrong, confronts Hank Dodge, president of Telecommunications, for not coming to him before offering Stan the job. Still furious, Jared then meets with Sue Patel, Compunext's VP of human resources, to discuss what can be done to avoid future raids. Does Jared have good reason to be angry? What lies at the root of the problem, and how can Jared solve it?

About

Abstract

For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. Jared Gordan, the president of the Industrial Products Division for Compunext, is a first-rate manager. In just three years, he's turned around a flagging division and increased sales and profits by 50% -a dramatic shift from five years earlier, when analysts were suggesting that the company sell the division. But that's not all. In addition to being a turnaround expert, Jared has shown a special aptitude for recruiting and developing talent. Many executives have noticed this faculty, and - unfortunately for Jared - those running Compunext's biggest, most glamorous divisions are poaching his best managers. In fact, Industrial Products has just been raided for the tenth time in two years, and Jared is spitting mad. This time, the Telecommunications Division has wooed - and won - Stan Simpson, Industrial Products' VP of sales. Jared, right or wrong, confronts Hank Dodge, president of Telecommunications, for not coming to him before offering Stan the job. Still furious, Jared then meets with Sue Patel, Compunext's VP of human resources, to discuss what can be done to avoid future raids. Does Jared have good reason to be angry? What lies at the root of the problem, and how can Jared solve it?

Related