Name Hayden Pereira

Question 1

Lisa was excited to begin her role as an assistant product manager at Houseworld, a well-
known company in the home care industry with a leading market position. She had been
impressed by the professional, educated, and friendly employees she met during her
interviews, which aligned with her own values. However, her enthusiasm quickly faded after
joining the company.

Her new supervisor, Linton, was cold and indifferent, while Scoville, a key colleague, came
across as overbearing and dismissive. In their first meeting, Linton openly criticized MBAs,
claiming they overestimated their knowledge, and warned Lisa that her academic background
wouldn’t guarantee success—she would have to prove herself like everyone else.
Uncomfortable with the remark, Lisa tried to reassure Linton by emphasizing her hands-on,
hardworking approach in previous roles, but Linton ignored her comment and shifted the
conversation.

Similarly, Scoville made it clear early on that he disliked Harvard MBAs, though he offered to
train her in product management. However, his tone turned intimidating when discussing the
strict rules she would need to follow at Home Care.

Feeling misunderstood and unwelcome, Lisa struggled to fit into the company, discouraged by
the hostile attitudes of both her boss and her closest coworker.

Question 2

Write your answer for Part A here.

 Trait Level: High/Low Example supporting the answer

Openness to HIGH Among his teammates, Scoville is the most

Experience
competent and self-assured. Additionally,

despite not having an MBA, he had switched

from operations to marketing.

Conscientiousness Low The copying episode, in which Scoville asked

Benton to assist him with some copying while

he made a few last-minute changes to his plan

before the deadline, exemplifies his lack of

diligence and trustworthiness

Extraversion Low Scoville ranks low on sociability as he often has

trouble getting others to do his bidding, most of

his colleagues have acknowledged and

expressed their opposition to his “destructive”

and “condescending” behavior.

Agreeableness Low Although Scoville was cordial in pulling the

chair out for Lisa and opening the door, he was

 not a well-mannered coworker and frequently

spoke to Lisa in a patronizing manner and

expected her to comply with his expectations

Neuroticism High Due to Scoville's frequent aggressive behavior

and temper tantrums when he and Lisa

disagreed about Pure and Fresh's pricing

strategy, as well as his challenging Lisa's

beliefs, Scoville's neuroticism score is high

Part B

The two ways Lisa can strengthen her bond with Scoville using the OCEAN framework are as

follows:

1. Due to Lisa's high Agreeableness score and Scoville's high Neuroticism score,

they can complement each other very well. Lisa can start a conversation with Scoville and
convince him that she can become indispensable to him by utilizing her connections with other
departmental coworkers to complete work promptly for him. She can have a more positive
connection with Scoville as an outcome of his growing trust and faith in her.

2. Lisa can appeal to Scoville's ingenuity and curiosity because they both have exceptionally
high openness scores. This will enable her to relate to him on themes that are familiar to him,
which will afterward result in a better understanding and a less tense relationship between the
two of them.
Question 3

Part A

The area in reference here is the hidden area or façade

Part B

The following actions that Lisa can take will help to lessen the hidden area and enhance her

relationship with Linton.

Linton noticed that Lisa does not take the initiative to structure projects for herself; therefore,
Lisa can make the most of her excellent networking skills and increase her visibility by
participating in additional projects. This will enable Lisa to highlight her initiatives for
participation.

Linton also remarked that while she believed Benton possessed intelligence, she struggled
with confidence. To address this, Lisa must focus on expressing her opinions assertively and
with self-assurance during meetings with the ad agency.

Question 4

While constructive criticism can boost employee engagement and improve workplace
efficiency, Lisa felt discouraged after her performance review. She now believes Houseworld
may not be the right place for her to grow professionally. During the evaluation, Linton
criticized Lisa for not speaking up in meetings, interpreting her silence as a lack of confidence
and competence. However, Linton failed to acknowledge that by assigning Lisa only routine
tasks, she never gave her the opportunity to showcase her abilities. Linton should have
 recognized her own role in this issue.

Additionally, instead of merely pointing out flaws, Linton should have helped Lisa set clear
goals and develop an action plan to improve—particularly in areas like assertiveness and
problem-solving. This would have given Lisa a tangible way to prove herself.

The review also highlighted Linton’s unfairness. When Lisa explained that Scoville’s
condescending attitude made it difficult for her to be assertive around him, Linton dismissed
her concerns, claiming she had no issues with Scoville—a clear example of selective
perception. Rather than disregarding Lisa’s perspective, Linton should have listened actively
and taken on a more supportive role as a team leader.

Question 5

The Houseworld management can employ the following engagement methods to make Lisa
feel more inspired to work.

1. Encourage Open Communication - encouraging employees to speak their opinions without

fear of criticism or judgment promotes the development of a high-functioning atmosphere
allowing Lisa to communicate her concerns with Linton early on.

2. Employee Growth Plan - Giving employees a progress roadmap and enrolling them in
training and development programs helps to develop the initiative's scope and objectives early
on.

3. Real-Time Appreciation - Recognizing employees in real time for a job well done helps
employees feel secure in their importance to the firm, inspiring them to keep up the good
work.
Question 6

Part A

Lisa can employ the following soft tactics:

i. Exchange - Lisa can exchange resources with Scoville to become indispensable to Scoville
by leveraging her connections with other department colleagues to complete work quickly. As
a result, Scoville is more likely to accept Lisa's point of view.

ii. Persuasion - Lisa can persuade both Scoville and Linton using emotional appeal; she can
connect with both of them by hinting that her experience at Houseworld has taught her more
about product management than her MBA.

Part B

Lisa can employ the following hard tactics:

i. Building Alliances – Since many of Lisa’s coworkers have recognized and

criticized Scoville’s patronizing attitude and poor interpersonal skills, she could
rally them to collectively voice their concerns to senior management if his behavior
persists.
ii. Firm Communication – Lisa should adopt a more assertive approach when
dealing with Scoville and Linton. For instance, when Scoville made disparaging
remarks about MBAs, she could have confronted his unprofessional comment and
set clear boundaries early on, reducing future conflicts.

Question 7

Based on the details in the case study, Lisa Benton’s colleagues—particularly her supervisor,
 Deborah Linton, and coworker Ron Scoville—may have acted unprofessionally and breached
ethical workplace standards. The following points justify this assessment:

1. Marginalization in Decision-Making: Despite Lisa’s qualifications, she was often

excluded from strategic discussions and relegated to analytical tasks. If this exclusion
hindered her ability to contribute meaningfully and stunted her career growth, it could
be seen as unethical behavior.

2. Inconsistent Evaluations: Lisa received contradictory feedback from her team. While
Linton faulted her for not being assertive enough, Scoville insisted she should adopt a
more passive, learning-oriented role. Such inconsistent guidance reflects poor
leadership and could negatively impact her performance and career progression.

Question 8

Lisa Should Leave Houseworld—Here’s Why

In my view, Lisa should resign from Houseworld, as her current role does not align with her
professional aspirations. There are three key reasons for this:

1. Low Job Satisfaction – Lisa sees no clear path for growth, and management has
shown no interest in supporting her development. For instance, when she requested a
performance review, Linton approached it with indifference. Rather than offering
constructive feedback or helping Lisa set goals, Linton’s unfair assessment left Lisa
feeling directionless and undervalued.

2. Toxic Work Environment – While most of Lisa’s colleagues are professional and
welcoming, her immediate team fosters a hostile culture. Both Linton and Scoville
openly disparage MBAs, creating an exclusionary atmosphere that makes Lisa feel like
an outsider. A workplace should encourage collaboration—not undermine an
 employee’s credentials.

3. Eroding Motivation – Employee motivation is tied to job satisfaction and

performance. After her review, Lisa felt demoralized and unheard. When she attempted
to clarify her perspective, Linton dismissed her concerns, failing to recognize Lisa’s
strengths. This disconnect left Lisa frustrated, as Linton’s critique clashed with her
self-perception and capabilities.

Given these factors, staying at Houseworld will only hinder Lisa’s career progress. She
deserves a workplace that values her skills, fosters growth, and aligns with her professional
goals.