Nancy Collins is twenty-seven years old, and has a B.S. Degree in Marketing.
She has worked four years as a Commercial Lending Specialist for a local
bank (18-21 branches) headquartered in Anaheim, California. Her office is
in the Headquarters building. Her boss is Bill Masters, who heads up the
Commercial Loan Program.
Nancy is single, attractive, dates a lot, has lived with one young man for
six months, and has dated two young men with the bank. From time to time
she has had drinks after work with some of the Headquarters' gang at the
favorite hangout called Richies.
Her career is progressing very nicely with the bank, and she is considered
a bright young comer. Her forte is pressing loan applicants, in a nice way,
for back-up information, thus enabling her to build a very sound spread-sheet
upon which to base a loan decision. This thoroughness has resulted in Nancy's
having a very low loan loss ratio with only one unjustified loan loss. This
good loan loss record has resulted in Nancy's receiving above average or
outstanding ratings from her boss Bill, and therefore receiving relatively
large raises. She is now a Grade 22 and is close to the top of the range
at $47,000. Unknown to Nancy, Bill is retiring in two months.
Nancy has a beautiful condo in a beach city which unfortunately costs $1500
a month with mortgage, taxes and insurance, leaving $1000 a month for food,
clothes, car payments, and incidentals. Nancy doesn't like to think about
the car payments, $400 a month for a new Acura. "Darn it all,"
Nancy thought, "I struggled to put myself through college doing bookkeeping
and waitressing 20 to 30 hours a week for years, and I deserve some rewards
for being the first member of my family to get a college degree. However,
the cash flow is tight --very tight, and since I'm near the top of my pay
range, I can't get much more in the way of raises unless I get promoted
or can get Bill to increase the grade of my job."
Sam Weatherby, Bill's boss, stops by Nancy's office to chat.
Sam is 39 and Vice President - Loans. He has an MBA and is considered top
management material. He is single (divorced), and dates a lot. Top management
considers Sam to be very promotable and a potential President or Chairman
- C.E.O. His assignments have been carefully chosen to provide Sam with
strong developmental opportunities. It is considered a good bet that Sam
will be President within the next five years or so. His performance evaluations
have been consistently outstanding. His job grade is a 29.
Sam has to choose Bill's successor, and is pleased with the fact that he
will make the choice and not have a person thrust upon him by the President
which is the usual practice within the bank. Sam rightfully considers this
prerogative as a sign of his political strength with the higher ups. He
feels he has earned this privilege by in part working very hard, by being
suitably deferential, and by not making attention-getting mistakes.
Sam has had his eye on Nancy as a potential successor to Bill. She has a
good performance record and is highly regarded by Bill. Sam also appreciates
women and has noticed Nancy as a potential date. He has considered asking
her for a date in the past but is concerned with appearances.
Sam settles into a chair in Nancy's office and tells her that off the record
Bill is retiring in two months and that a replacement has to be found in
the near future. Sam said that he wants to replace Bill with someone who
will mesh with his working style and personality and who will be absolutely
loyal. He said he is sure that Nancy could meet the technical requirements
of the job, but he would like to explore their potential for working well
together.
Therefore, since they are both going to the bank off-site meeting for officers
on Saturday, October the 19th in Coronado, Sam told Nancy that he had made
room reservations in a hotel in La Jolla for Friday the 18th, and dinner
reservations at the hotel for that evening. Sam and Nancy could drive down
to La Jolla together Friday and explore their potential for working together
without the distractions of the other people who will be staying the night
in Coronado. "Our staying at La Jolla should be confidential since
some people might assume that I have already decided to appoint you to Bill's
job. Therefore don't tell anyone about the plans for Friday, O.K.?"
Nancy said yes, but she might not be able to go down to San Diego Friday
because of a loan meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. that Friday.
Sam said, "No problem, I excuse you from that meeting. So it's agreed,
I'll pick you up about noon that Friday and we'll drive down. See you later,
I have a meeting to attend."
Nancy sat in her office trying to sort the situation out--was the drive
to La Jolla and dinner that night a legitimate attempt to explore her suitableness
for being promoted to Bill's job, or was she being hit on--or both. She
decided to think the situation over carefully since the promotion to Bill's
job was consistent with her career plan and was something she had worked
hard for.
She called her friend Louise in Job Evaluation and was told off the record
that Bill's job is a Grade 26. Next she checked her Officer Pay Card and
saw that the range for a Grade 26 is $52,000 to $64,000.
She thought to herself "If I got the promotion, I would get an instant
pay increase to at least $52,000 a year which would help the cash flow situation."
Nancy called Bill and asked him if she could discuss an urgent problem with
him. He said, "Sure, come on in."
Bill Masters is 62 years old and has been with the bank for 42 years, working
up from Teller to Manager of Commercial Loans, a job he has held for the
last five years. Bill is married, and is planning to retire in two months,
although at Sam's request the announcement has not been made. Bill is a
solid citizen, friendly and outgoing, but cautious. He progressed as the
area grew from orange groves and cattle farms to light industry, shopping
centers and crowded suburbs.
He is considered an astute politician, and believes that to get along -
you go along - don't make waves. He demands loyalty from his subordinates
and considers Nancy to be both loyal and an outstanding producer.
Nancy told Bill what was on her mind--that Sam said Bill was retiring in
six months and that Sam was pressuring her to drive down to San Diego with
him, go to dinner with him at a hotel in La Jolla, and stay that night at
the same hotel in order to explore the potential of their working well together.
She felt that if she does not meet this request she will not be considered
for promotion to Bill's job.
Bill said, "Wait a minute - this meeting didn't happen - my leaving
is not to be made public now - that's what Sam wants - I didn't hear you
say that." Nancy says, "O.K., but I had to talk to you because
I need advice from someone I trust because Sam's behavior could be interpreted
as sexual harassment." Bill said - "Wait a minute, that is a very
serious statement - I didn't hear that - I must tell you to watch your step.
I didn't get where I've gotten in the bank by making waves or picking fights
and you better not either. If you do take my job, you will be expected to
handle problems without making a mess and be loyal to your boss, not fight
him."
That evening Nancy had dinner with Elaine, one of her girlfriends.
Elaine is 32, single, and a real estate broker. She is a person Nancy can
talk to about job problems because Elaine doesn't gossip and she is a good
listener. Over dinner Nancy told Elaine about Sam's proposal. Elaine laughed
and said that Sam is pretty transparent. She asked Nancy to describe Sam,
his qualifications, his looks, his prospects and the likelihood of making
a commitment.
Nancy told Elaine that he is an attractive, charming man.
Elaine said, "Of course you could deflect his proposal by dreaming
up a prior commitment." Nancy said, "Yes--that's a good idea,
I'll just tell him that I can't go to San Diego that Friday since I have
a family get together" (which she had earlier decided not to attend).
At 8:05 the next morning, Nancy left a message with Sam's secretary, Marge,
saying that she must attend a family get together Friday the 19th, and therefore
would have to drive down to San Diego on Saturday. Nancy then left to spend
the rest of the day calling on customers.
When she returned to her office at 5:30 that evening she found a note from
Sam which said, "Urgent, call me."
She called Sam. He said "Nancy, since we can't get together in Coronado
it is essential that you meet me for dinner at Tambolini's Restaurant in
Beverly Hills tonight at 7:00." Nancy agreed to this.
Dinner was very pleasant, and there was no talk about the possibility of
Nancy's being offered Bill's job. After Sam paid the waitress, he said,
"Let's get some dessert at a great little ice cream parlor in my neighborhood;
and we'll discuss Bill's job."