Human Behavior in Organizations

Case #1

The Transferred Sales Representative

Jose Galvez served as district sales representative for De Vera & Sons Appliance
Company. His area covered the whole Metro Manila, and it included about 50 retail
outlets. He had been with the company for twenty years and in his present job and
location for five years. During that time he met his sales quota each year.

One day Jose Galvez learned through local friends that the wife of a sales
representative in Cebu was in his area to try to rent a house. She told the real estate
agency that her family would be moving there in a few days because her husband was
replacing Jose Galvez. When the latter heard this news, he refused to believe it.

Two days later, on January 28, he received an express mail letter, postmarked the
previous day, from the general sales manager. The letter read:

Dear Jose:

Because of personnel vacancies we are requesting that you move to Cebu, effective
February 1. Mr. Roy Dimagiba from the Central Visayas region will replace you. Will
you please see that your inventory and property are properly transferred to him? I know
that you will like your new area. Congratulations!

Sincerely yours,
(Signature)

In the same mail he received his twenty-year service pin. The accompanying letter from
the regional sales manager read:

Dear Jose,

I am happy to enclose your twenty-year service pin. You have a long and excellent record
with the company. We are honored to give you this recognition, and I hope you will wear
it proudly.

Our company is proud to have many long-service employees. We want you to know that
we take a personal interest in your welfare because people like you are the backbone of
our company.

Sincerely yours,
(Signature)

Jose Galvez checked his quarterly sales bulletin and found that sales for the Cebu area
were running 10 percent below those in his present district.
Questions:
1. Comment on the positive and negative events in this case as they relate to
organizational behavior.
2. Was a human resources approach to Jose Galvez applied in this instance? Discuss.
3. If you were the general or regional manager how would you go about the whole
situation?