Facing a problematic environment at GMCT, Erik Peterson proved to be an ineffective leader in his role as general manager. To resolve this situation, Peterson should have encouraged open lines of communication with CelluComm and established clear goals and roles within GMCT. Peterson faced problems with: 1) the inconsistency of CelluComm’s organizational structure, 2) the political and cultural environment in GMCT, and 3) external forces that were complicating system design and construction. In response to these problems, Peterson chose to tackle key issues on his own rather than delegate responsibility and repeatedly showed an inability to effectively mobilize his workforce or resources.
The inconsistency of CelluComm’s organizational structure complicated management reporting and was detrimental to GMCT. The reporting hierarchy throughout CelluComm was unclear. For instance, when Peterson was first hired, he thought he would be directly reporting to Ric Jenkins, but then, without formal communication from upper management, he found himself reporting to Jeff Hardy. Arbitrary assignment of personnel and shifting positions throughout CelluComm further confused company structure. Within eight months, the organizational structure at CelluComm changed four times, both at the upper management level and GMCT. This created confusion of reporting responsibilities, political tension, and reluctance to take responsibility and action. This reluctance may be also attributed to Ric Jenkins’ intimidating personality and reputation for firing poorly performing managers. Furthermore, the great distance between headquarters and the regional office left Peterson without the autonomy required to make decisions in a star ...