Gemini Systems: Managing From The Middle In A High-Tech Company

Abstract

This business case study is designed for MBA courses in Organizational Behavior, Organization Change and Negotiations. The case follows a young middle manager who has very little formal authority as she attempts to implement a new project staffing system for engineers in a high-tech matrix organization. As the company rapidly grows, she experiences significant resistance to change from section leaders, program managers and engineers who have become accustomed to competitive behavior in an environment rich with opportunities. However, as the company experiences retrenchment during the economic downturn of 2009, the change resistance continues, but within an environment where there is a paucity of projects. The case shows how Sophie grows as a middle manager and learns the necessary skills to be successful at managing change and “influencing without authority”.