The Encounter

This case is based on real life incidents in a large international bank. There is a confrontation between an experienced officer (who does not have an MBA degree) and a newly recruited officer who is a novice to office decorum. There is a crisis because of the encounter between the strong willed experienced banker and the newly recruited one who possesses an MBA degree. There was a simmering discontent in the senior banker because she did not possess the required qualifications (degree in Business Administration) to move up the ladder. Circumstances in her younger days had forced her to take up the job in the bank but without this qualification, and the matter had rankled in her mind. Over the years, this had taken the form of a simmering dislike for everyone who possessed this degree, in spite of her best efforts to try and maintain a professional and detached relationship with the degree holders. The situation was also exacerbated by the fact that she felt that the younger employees did not treat her with the respect she deserved because of the lack of the professional degree.The case also shows the sometimes devious ways in which senior bankers who are in positions of trust can have a detrimental impact on the career of younger officers if the latter do not live up to their expectations in terms of office decorum and discipline. Experience is always a good teacher but it should be kept in mind that academic inputs brought in by employees also have their value in the success of an organization. The case does not end with a tidy conclusion and it is up to the reader to try and find possible solutions on how to resolve the issues raised.