Question: GreyStar Art & Greetings Makes Technological Changes
Tammy Reinhold didn't believe the rumours. Now that the rumours were confirmed, she was in denial. "I can't believe it," she said. "I've worked as a greeting-card artist here for over 15 years. I love what I do. Now they tell me that I'm going to have to do all my work on a computer." Tammy was not alone in her fear. The company's other two artists, Mike Tomaski and Maggie Lyall, were just as concerned. Each had graduated from art school near the top of his or her class. They came to work for GreyStar Art & Greetings right out of school-Mike in 1985, Tammy in 1991, and Maggie in 1997. They chose the company, which had been around for more than 50 years, because of its reputation as a good place to work. The company also had never had a layoff. GreyStar Art & Greetings is a small maker of greeting cards and specialty wrapping paper. It has modest resources and modest ambitions. Management has always pursued progress slowly. Artists do much of their work by hand. Today, however, the company installed three high-powered Mac computers equipped with the latest graphics and photomanipulation software, including Photoshop, Quark, and Illustrator.
Courtland Grey, the company's owner, called Tammy, Mike, and Maggie into his office this morning. He told them about the changes that were going to be made. Grey acknowledged that the three were going to have a lot to learn to be able to do all their work on computers. But he stressed that the changes would dramatically speed up the art-production and photo-layout processes and eventually result in significant cost savings. He offered to send the three to a one-week course specifically designed to train artists in the new technology and software. He also said he expected all of the company's art and photo operations to be completely digitalized within three months. Tammy is not stupid. She has been following the trends in graphic art. More and more work is being done on computers. She just thought, as did Mike and Maggie, that she might escape having to learn these programs. After all, GreyStar Art & Greetings is not Hallmark. But Tammy was wrong. Technology is coming to GreyStar Art & Greetings and there isn't much she can do about it. Other than complain or look for another job!
1. Explain Tammy's resistance.
2. Evaluate the way Courtland Grey handled this change.
3. What, if anything, would you have done differently if you had been Grey?