Precista Tools Case

1. Briefly summarize the case and identify the major issues.

At the time Mr. and Mrs. Huebel started Precista Tools, they already owned a small international trading company. They took the profits from the trading company to form Precista. The Huebel’s had three daughters and one son. The son Pete was not interested in running the business and preferred to get a Master degree in Engineering. The youngest daughter around this time had graduated from college and decided to enter into the family business. She lacked the engineering and technical background to be involved in the development and production of the tools, so they decided she would be useful in Finance and Administration. During this time period Greta and her father where very close. Mr. Huebel had a heart attack and needed surgery with a three month recovery period. Once he returned to work his board of directors urged him to get more assistance in running the day to day operations. On three previous occasions Mr. Huebel had hired some assistance in this area and it had yet to work out. During this time period he even contacted peter and tired to interest him into joining the business. Peter declined because he preferred to finish his studies. The board of directors wanted to bring in additional help for Mr. Huebel but restructure the business to lessen the stress of day to day operations.

2. Why has Greta gone from being her father’s key lieutenant to the point of resigning from the company? How has Greta Huebel been handling the crisis of her career up to now?

3. Discuss the use of letters as a major form of communication in this family. Why do Franz and Sophie Huebel respond separately to Greta’s letter?

4. What difference does it make that Greta Huebel is: a) a woman; b) young; c) a non-engineer; d) trying to change the influence past practices? Are any of these more critical than the others?

5. Discuss Greta’s relationships with her father, brother, mother, sisters, board members....