OVERVIEW
Each Case Study assignment is designed to help the student make application of course content
to a real world situation. Read the assigned case study and connect the key issues in the case to
assigned readings and presentations. Respond to the questions with direct, thorough responses.
Each case study assignment should include the following:
• Title Page in APA format
• Introduction to the case summarizing the situation
• Questions converted to sub-headings – responses to each question
• Strong conclusion that summarizes the ideas
• APA Style Reference page (as needed)
INSTRUCTIONS
ManagingSport, Inc. Case Study
Nathan Hamel has been an employee of ManagingSport, Inc., since its inception. His career
began as a paid intern helping with marketing the new company. Hamel impressed the
executives at ManagingSport with his organizational skills, creativity, reliability, work ethic, and
ability to work closely and effectively with individual staff members as well as clients. Upon
completion of his internship and graduation from college, ManagingSport hired him fulltime as
assistant director of marketing. During his tenure at ManagingSport, Hamel has worked in many
departments within the organization: sales, marketing, public relations, and programming. His
goal was to obtain an executive position in the company, so, he sought to learn how the entire
organization operated. He always received good performance evaluations, which led to his being
appointed vice president of ManagingSport, Inc. this past year.
ManagingSport has 23 employees who work in various capacities toward the accomplishment of
the company’s mission: to assist organizations within the sport industry with their business
operations. ManagingSport’s aim is to work jointly with clients in the development of business
plans and the accomplishment of organizational goals. Its employees work with clients to design
and implement activity programs to meet the client’s general and specific goals.
As vice president, Hamel works directly with groups of people within and outside the
organization. This is in contrast to his previous roles within the organization, in which he worked
with individuals as opposed to groups. Therefore, his strategies of motivating staff members and
clients will need to change.
Recently, Hamel has noticed that many company employees are less productive than they used to
be. Employee performance evaluation ratings are lower, and overall morale seems to be down.
Staff members are arriving late for staff meetings, and some have even missed the meetings.
Clients have reported that phone calls and emails have not been returned in a timely manner.
Client reports and programs are submitted late, and many times they need corrections before
being sent out. These behavior patterns are of great concern to Hamel as it is a poor reflection on
ManagingSport and on him.
In order to get the situation under control, Hamel met informally with a number of employees to
discuss the situation. He learned that many employees feel overworked and underpaid. The
number of ManagingSport employees has decreased during the past three years from 28 to 23,
with no new employees being hired. Some employees have taken on more responsibilities with
no reward—“not even a thank you,” in their words. Other employees noted that ManagingSport,
Inc. is falling behind in technology. Computers are old and often use outdated software, or they
are unable to operate software programs used by their clients. Employees feel embarrassed about
this situation. Some have even purchased personal laptops and tablets that they use for work
projects.
Hamel made an appointment to discuss the situation with the president of ManagingSport, Inc.,
Mr. Frey. Frey did not seem too concerned and said, “This behavior is nothing new. It has been
going on for at least two years. That is why I appointed you as vice president. I figured that you
work well with people and that you would be able to motivate our employees. Therefore, I am
charging you with developing a conceptual framework on how to improve employee motivation
at ManagingSport. Please have a draft of your proposal on my desk next week.”
Hamel was stunned by this conversation. As he walked back to his office, Hamel wondered why
this problem had just surfaced and why Frey had not mentioned it earlier. As he pondered the
situation, Hamel was also thinking of strategies he could develop to motivate ManagingSport
employees.
1. How do you think Hamel’s experiences at ManagingSport influence how other employees
perceive him?
2. What do you think are some of Hamel’s motivations for joining ManagingSport in the first
place? How did Hamel’s motivation change when ManagingSport hired him fulltime?
Which motivational theories do you think could be applied to Hamel’s motivation(s)?
Explain.
3. What role has Frey played in the motivation of ManagingSport employees? Do Hamel and
Frey have the same or different motivations in their respective roles of vice president and
president? Explain.
4. As vice president of ManagingSport, what strategies might Hamel develop to motivate
employees to return phone calls and emails in a timely manner, attend meetings, and submit
professional reports? Which motivational theories could Hamel use? What actual practices
could Hamel implement to cause changes to employees’ negative behaviors?
5. If you were in Hamel’s shoes, what other changes would you make to fix any of the issues
listed? Because resources are limited, prioritize your list of potential changes and discuss the
costs and benefits associated with each.