Assignment 5: Cabot Pharmaceuticals
Purpose: Salespeople are regularly assessed as part of an annual performance review system.
This assignment challenges you to think about the fairness of how one individual was treated and what, if any changes, should be made.
Task: What I need you to do is to read and analyze the Cabot Pharmaceuticals case. You are to assume that you are sales vice-president. The VP of HR has asked you to provide your department’s input to her as she prepares for an upcoming meeting with the senior executive team.
The easiest way to do this is to:
• Ace my homework – Write a four-page summary of your analysis. This document may be shared with others whom you don’t know, so make sure it is professionally written and organized.
• Be specific! Was Bob Marsh fairly treated? Should he be reinstated? What, in your opinion, led to his dismissal?
• Submit your file to Canvas.
You should use the Guidelines for Writing a Case Study to help you organize your thoughts.
Criteria: What does excellence look like? I’ll be looking for evidence of the following:
• A clear definition of the problem. How did this happen to Bob Marsh in a company like Cabot? Was it a recruiting problem? A management problem? A performance problem? How do we prevent this from happening in the future?
• Professional writing and tone. Your document may find its way to the executive team, so make sure it looks and reads like a professional business document.
• Organization of your thoughts (e.g., Introduction, Background, Alternatives, Proposed Solution, Recommendations)
I will provide a detailed rubric prior to your delivery so that you have a clear idea of what your grade will be based upon.
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Talent management is a significant issue for most organizations. This assignment will expose you to the challenges you might experience dealing with a performance management issue and how you might make a recommendation in a specific case.
Preparation: What this case is about
This case traces the 12-year career of a pharmaceutical salesperson, Bob Marsh, from recruitment to termination. Marsh has had an uneven career with Cabot Pharmaceuticals and eventually is asked to resign. Following his termination, a number of Marsh’s former customers complain vigorously, and Cabot’s vice president of sales is asked to investigate the matter and to decide what, if anything, to do about it.
You can start your analysis by considering several “discussion questions” as you prepare to brief your boss:
1. Was Bob Marsh a good employee for the company?
2. Why was he terminated? Do you think his termination was appropriate?
3. Should Bob Marsh be reinstated? If not, why not? If you feel he should be reinstated, what other changes would you recommend Cabot make as a result of this situation?
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