Case Study

GMC managing through the Covid-19 pandemic: Shooting for the moon or set up to fail

10 pages
December 2021
Reference: IMD-7-2289

The case describes the challenges faced by a young and ambitious woman taking on a high-risk project during the unusual environment of the Pandemic. Her new innovative ideas are flatly rejected by her senior colleagues, mostly men but also a powerful woman Partner. While failure is not an option for the young consultant, it is not excluded either. Her upcoming promotion would largely depend on her performance on this highly visible project. The firm’s politics could derail her project and her promotion.

Learning Objective
  • Capture the challenges of a newcomer to a well-settled and highly successful organization as she takes charge and innovates
  • To highlight the issues faced by an innovative and ambitious young woman in an organization populated mostly by powerful older men with a history of success behind them.
  • To discuss options and tactics of change agents in an organization settled in its ways. Or, put differently, “how to fix it before it’s broken”.
Keywords
Taking Charge, Change Management, Woman, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Organizational Politics, Gender Equality
Settings
Global
GMC (Disguised), Consumer Services
2020
Type
Field Research (Disguised)
Copyright
© 2021
Available Languages
English
Case clearing houses
IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Looking for something specific?
IMD's faculty and research teams publish articles, case studies, books and reports on a wide range of topics