The-Student-Who-Was-Missing-in-Action-(Harvard-Bus

DONOTCOPYHarvardBusinessSchool9-601-182Rev.June15,2001ThiscasewaspreparedbyProfessorStevenSpear.HBScasesaredevelopedsolelyasthebasisforclassdiscussion.Casesarenotintendedtoserveasendorsements,sourcesofprimarydata,orillustrationsofeffectiveorineffectivemanagement.Namesofpeopleandinstitutionshavebeendisguised.Copyright©2001bythePresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege.Toordercopiesorrequestpermissiontoreproducematerials,call1-800-545-7685,writeHarvardBusinessSchoolPublishing,Boston,MA02163,orgoto—electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise—withoutthepermissionofHarvardBusinessSchool.1TheStudentWhoWasMissing-in-ActionAssistantProfessorSamBensongentlyreplacedthephonehandsetinitscradle,slowlypushedhischairbackfromhisdesk,stoodup,steppedtohisofficedoorandgentlyclosedit,returnedtohisseat,tookadeep-breadth,andthenunleashedastringofprofanitythatwouldhaveshockedandembarrassedhisless“cosmopolitan”colleagues.Bensonwasafirstyearfacultymember,andhisfirstteachingassignmentwasinasecondyear,secondsemesterelectivecourse,ManagingtheModerate-SizedEnterprise(“MMSE”).Thenextdaywastobethetwentiethandfinalsessionofthecourse,withtheremainingmonthofthesemesterdedicatedtostudent-teamprojects.Aswithmanysecond-yearelectives,MMSEstudentsweretobegradedhalfontheirin-classparticipationandhalfonthequalityoftheirwrittenwork.WhathadsetoffBensonwasthatatthislatedate,oneofhisstudents,GeorgeMcHenry,hadjustcalledtofindoutwhathecoulddotoredeemhimselfinthecoursesothathewouldreceiveaCategoryIIIandnotaCategoryIVfinalgrade.McHenrywasconcernedthathehadreceivedenoughIII’sinthefirstsemesterofthesecondyearthataCategoryIVwouldautomaticallypromptareviewbytheAcademicPerformanceCommittee(APC),perhapsjeopardizinghischanceforgraduationinJune.McHenry’sworrythathewasheadedtowardsalowgradewascertainlygrounded.Hehadalreadymissed10ofthe19sessionsthathadalreadytakenplace.WhenBensonhadsuggestedthatattheveryleast,McHenryshouldattendthefinal,wrap-upsession,McHenryexplainedthathecouldn’tsincehealreadyhadanappointmentscheduledinanothercitytosolicitfundingforthedot.cominternetstart-upthathadcommandedhisundividedattentionduringthesemester.Theinvectivestillcoolingonhistongue,Bensonsat,hiselbowonthedesktop,hisfingersslowlykneadingthetensionfromhisforehead,wonderingwhatheshoulddonow.First-TimeTeacherBensonhadjoinedthefacultyimmediatelyaftercompletinghisdoctorate.Thoughhehadtaughtasateachingassistantduringhismaster’sprogramandtocolleagueswhileworking,thiswashisfirstchancetoteachasemester-long,gradedcourseinadegree-grantingprogram.ThecoursematerialwasalsonewforBenson.Hisdissertationhadfocusedonthemanagementofmanufacturingorganizationswithinfairlylargecompanies—someglobalinscale,yetMMSEDONOTCOPY601-182TheStudentWhoWasMissing-in-Action2addressedamuchbroaderrangeofissuesfacedbyoperatingmanagersofsmallenterprises,manynotinthemanufacturingdomain.Bensonwasfortunatethoughtobeteachingwithanexperiencedandrespectedmemberofthefaculty,KenArrow.Therefore,thoughBensonhadtomasterthecasematerialandtheteachingplansonaday-to-daybasis—evenwritingseveralcasesthatweretobeincludedinthesyllabus,hedidn’thavetooperatealone.Beforeeachcasediscussion,ArrowhadBensonpreparehisownteachingplanbeforethetwoofthemdiscussedhowbesttoapproachthesession.Then,BensonwatchedArrowteachasectionbeforeteachinghisown.Oftentimes,BensonandArrowwouldhaveaninformal“debrief”beforerepeatingtheprocessthenextday.Inadditiontoprovidingthison-goingday-to-daysupport,Arrow—ascoursehead—alsohandledthemoredifficultissuesofcoursedesignandmanagement.Benson’sSectionofMMSEThefirstseveraldaysofteachingweredifficultforBenson.DonMajor—anextraordinarilypopularandmuchexperiencedseniorprofessorhadbeenscheduledtoteachoneofMMSE’stwosections,butareassignmentofteachingdutiesleftavacancythatBensonhadbeentappedtofill.Thoughpre-registrationforthecoursehadbeenbeyondtheclassroom’scapacityof75,andthoughthefirst-dayattendancewasstillover50students,theactualenrollmentsettledat19oncethe“shoppingperiod”endedandthestudentshadcommittedtotheircoursesforthesemester.Muchtohisdelight,Bensondiscoveredthatthestudentswhodidremainacceptedtremendousresponsibilityformakingthecourseasuccess.ByArrow’sexperiencedestimation,thestudentsinthesecondsectioncametoclassconsistentlywell-preparedandengagedindiscussionsthatwerenoteworthyforthestudents’willingnesstochallengeeachotherconstructivelyandevenraisequestionswhentheydidnotunderstandapoint.Withtheterrificallyhigh,sharedcommitmenttolearning,thecoursefeltmuchmorelikeanexcellentdoctoralseminarthandidatypicalMBAcourseinwhichcold-callingandscarceair-timecontributedtoasomewhatdifferentdynamic.ThesingleexceptiontothisuniversallyexceptionalperformancewasMcHenry.Earlyinthesemesterhebegantoestablishapoorattendancerecord.Whenhewasinclass,McHenrywasnotengaged,evidentlyfocusedonsomeother,non-coursematerial.And,infact,hewasn’tthereallthatoften.Bythemid-waypoint,hehadmissedfourclasses,andduringt