Mini-Case: Channel Surfing

Essay

Mini-Case: Channel Surfing. You know you should be studying for that management test tomorrow, but you have decided to take a break. With the remote control firmly in your hand, you hit the TV waves. On channel 53 some sports athletes are discussing the importance of being a team player. Striving for individual honors will hurt the team and eventually you, they say. On channel 13 beautiful people are at the beach playing volleyball, water skiing, and dancing. They are also drinking beer (well, there is beer in their hands even if you didn't see anyone take a drink). You wonder why your friends don't look like that ... maybe it's the beer you drink, you think. On channel 44 an entrepreneur is discussing how she took this idea of hers to a multimillion dollar company in less than two years. She says the key is to be diligent and know your product. You wonder if she is hiring. On channel 23 some ex-PGA golf pro is explaining the usefulness of a golf club that falls apart in your back swing if you swing the club incorrectly. He says it did wonders for his game. You wonder, if it did wonders for his game why isn't he back on the tour? Finally, you decide you have had enough and go to bed wishing now that you had studied. Well ... you think ... if I get up at 5:00 a.m., I can ...
-Your friend Eleanor confides in you that she feels completely overlooked in her organization. She is struggling to figure out how to gain credibility within a large bureaucratic system. Her questions remind you of the determinants of position power. What advice would you give her?