CASE INCIDENT 1 "Lessons for 'Undercover' Bosses"Executive offices in major corporations are often far re-moved from the day-to-day work that most employees per-form. While top executives might enjoy the perquisitesfound in the executive suite, and separation from workdayconcerns can foster a broader perspective on the business,the distance between management and workers can comeat a real cost: top managers often fail to understand theways most employees do their jobs every day. The dangersof this distant approach are clear. Executives sometimesmake decisions without recognizing how difficult or im-practical they are to implement. Executives can also losesight of the primary challenges their employees face.The practice of "management by walking around"(MBWA) works against the insularity of the executivesuite. To practice MBWA, managers reserve time to walkthrough departments regularly, form networks of acquain-tances in the organization, and get away from their desksto talk to individual employees. The practice was exem-plified by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, who used thismanagement style at HP to learn more about the chal-lenges and opportunities their employees were encoun-tering. Many other organizations followed suit and foundthat this style of management had advantages over a typi-cal desk-bound approach to management. A recent studyof successful Swedish organizations revealed that MBWAwas an approach common to several firms that receivednational awards for being great places to work.The popular television program Undercover Boss tookMBWA to the next level by having top executives fromcompanies like Chiquita Brands, DirectTV, Great WolfResorts, and NASCAR work incognito among line em-ployees. Executives reported that this process taught themhow difficult many of the jobs in their organizations were,and just how much skill was required to perform even thelowest-level tasks. They also said the experience taughtthem a lot about the core business in their organizationsand sparked ideas for improvements.Although MBWA has long had its advocates, it doespresent certain problems. First, the time managers spenddirectly observing the workforce is time they are not do-ing their core job tasks like analysis, coordination, andstrategic planning. Second, management based on subjec-tive impressions gathered by walking around runs counterto a research and data-based approach to making mana-gerial decisions. Third, it is also possible that executiveswho wander about will be seen as intruders and overseers.Implementing the MBWA style requires a great deal offoresight to avoid these potential pitfalls. 3. What ways can executives and other organizationalleaders learn about day-to-day business operationsbesides going “undercover?"Questions1. What are some of the things managers can learn bywalking around and having daily contact with lineemployees that they might not be able to learn fromlooking at data and reports?2. As an employee, would you appreciate knowing yoursupervisor regularly spent time with workers? Howwould knowing top executives routinely interactwith line employees affect your attitudes toward theorganization?4. Are there any dangers in the use of a managementby walking around strategy? Could this strategy leademployees to feel they are being spied on? Whatactions on the part of managers might minimizethese concerns?Sources: Based on T. Peters and N. Austin, "Management by Walking About," Economist (September 8,2008), www.economist.com; F. Aguirre, M. White, K. Schaefer, and S. Phelps, "Secrets of an UndercoverBoss," Fortune (August 27, 2010), pp. 41-44; J. Larsson, I. Backstrom, and H. Wiklund, "Leadershipand Organizational Behavior: Similarities between Three Award-Winning Organizations," InternationalJournal of Management Practice 3 (2009), pp. 327–345.

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CASE INCIDENT 1 &#34;Lessons for 'Undercover' Bosses&#34;Executive offices in major corporations are often far re-moved from the day-to-day work that most employees per-form. While top executives might enjoy the perquisitesfound in the executive suite, and separation from workdayconcerns can foster a broader perspective on the business,the distance between management and workers can comeat a real cost: top managers often fail to understand theways most employees do their jobs every day. The dangersof this distant approach are clear. Executives sometimesmake decisions without recognizing how difficult or im-practical they are to implement. Executives can also losesight of the primary challenges their employees face.The practice of &#34;management by walking around&#34;(MBWA) works against the insularity of the executivesuite. To practice MBWA, managers reserve time to walkthrough departments regularly, form networks of acquain-tances in the organization, and get away from their desksto talk to individual employees. The practice was exem-plified by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, who used thismanagement style at HP to learn more about the chal-lenges and opportunities their employees were encoun-tering. Many other organizations followed suit and foundthat this style of management had advantages over a typi-cal desk-bound approach to management. A recent studyof successful Swedish organizations revealed that MBWAwas an approach common to several firms that receivednational awards for being great places to work.The popular television program Undercover Boss tookMBWA to the next level by having top executives fromcompanies like Chiquita Brands, DirectTV, Great WolfResorts, and NASCAR work incognito among line em-ployees. Executives reported that this process taught themhow difficult many of the jobs in their organizations were,and just how much skill was required to perform even thelowest-level tasks. They also said the experience taughtthem a lot about the core business in their organizationsand sparked ideas for improvements.Although MBWA has long had its advocates, it doespresent certain problems. First, the time managers spenddirectly observing the workforce is time they are not do-ing their core job tasks like analysis, coordination, andstrategic planning. Second, management based on subjec-tive impressions gathered by walking around runs counterto a research and data-based approach to making mana-gerial decisions. Third, it is also possible that executiveswho wander about will be seen as intruders and overseers.Implementing the MBWA style requires a great deal offoresight to avoid these potential pitfalls. 3. What ways can executives and other organizationalleaders learn about day-to-day business operationsbesides going “undercover?&#34;Questions1. What are some of the things managers can learn bywalking around and having daily contact with lineemployees that they might not be able to learn fromlooking at data and reports?2. As an employee, would you appreciate knowing yoursupervisor regularly spent time with workers? Howwould knowing top executives routinely interactwith line employees affect your attitudes toward theorganization?4. Are there any dangers in the use of a managementby walking around strategy? Could this strategy leademployees to feel they are being spied on? Whatactions on the part of managers might minimizethese concerns?Sources: Based on T. Peters and N. Austin, &#34;Management by Walking About,&#34; Economist (September 8,2008), www.economist.com; F. Aguirre, M. White, K. Schaefer, and S. Phelps, &#34;Secrets of an UndercoverBoss,&#34; Fortune (August 27, 2010), pp. 41-44; J. Larsson, I. Backstrom, and H. Wiklund, &#34;Leadershipand Organizational Behavior: Similarities between Three Award-Winning Organizations,&#34; InternationalJournal of Management Practice 3 (2009), pp. 327–345.

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