Job Expectations and Reality - Essay Example

The main reason that led Benton to her problems was that her immediate colleagues, Scoville and Linton, actually made it impossible for her to simultaneously express herself in both respects. Benton, on the other hand, inevitably was comparing her situation at Houseworld with that at Right-Away during her summer internship, and it was hard for her to accept that the harmony between professional progress and relations with people at the workplace, which she experienced at Right-Away, may not always exist.

It is interesting to ponder if there was something Benton could do differently in order to have changed her situation. I think that the main negative factor that existed from the very beginning and was inevitable for Lisa, was her assignment to a minor department, a fact that she herself realized and regretted. In this case, ambitions of Linton, seemingly aimed at promoting the significance of the Pure & Fresh brand, could be ambivalent - on one hand, she aimed for the successful performance of her brand, on the other hand, she probably was anxious about the recognition of her personal role in this success, moreover that she did not have an MBA. In such circumstances, I believe that for Benton, with her somewhat idealistic attitude, there was virtually no chance to avoid confrontation, and she could probably only do better by coming to a full realization of her doubtful perspective in the company at an earlier point.

A good illustration of the attitude of Linton to her subordinate is provided by the evaluation session conducted by Linton. During this session, Linton acted as if trying to downgrade Benton. This was evident despite her formal observance of norms - she initially voiced some strengths of Benton, which sounded to Lisa not really that valuable, and then went on to accuse her of not taking initiative, and of lacking confidence. The irony was that for Benton these criticisms touched on her personal qualities which she felt were her strengths that she could not manifest due to constraints placed on her by Scoville`s teaching attitude.

So, what can be recommended for Benton in her situation? Importantly, the perspective that the situation will improve by itself is quite slim. During her time at House world Benton did not really yet start to work in earnest and was a kind of a sitcom participant. In many cases, she was trying to save her face, but it did not help her achieve her aim. Therefore, I believe that for Benton there are two options. She can find the courage to ask Jack Vernon, a group product manager, to reassign her to another brand. In this case, Benton will have to reconcile herself with the presence of people within the company with whom she will be in a widely known confrontation, not a very comfortable factor. On the other hand, in a new position, she may obtain a better opportunity to fully realize herself, which may soon obliterate the past troubles and advance Benton. Lisa as well can try to return to Right-Away. In this case, she will avoid the uncertainty of her future at House world. Still, leaving House world with her situation there unresolved may leave Benton with a fear of working in large companies akin to House world. However, I believe that as the risk of unfavorable interpersonal circumstances exists in every company, for Benton the preferable strategy should be to find the most comfortable place for her to obtain the much-needed experience. And if Right-Away, and its president Kingston first of all, will welcome Benton as it was in the past, she should opt for it even though Right-Away is not such a big company.