Smith Financial Corporation

Smith Financial Corporation BUSN 520

Abstract

In February of 1997 the Smith Financial Corporation brought in a new Director of Management, Frank Miller, to help "shake things up in the company". After only eight months at the company, Miller was fired, for problems with professionalism and communication. Miller also withheld key information concerning important decisions that cost the company financially. Communication became the root of the company's problems with Miller. By altering a few key communication methods by both Smith Financial and Frank Miller, the company could have avoided the problems and may have had an excellent employee in Miller.

Introduction

In February of 1997 the Smith Financial Corporation and Frank Miller entered into a business relationship when the company hired Miller as their new Director of Data Management. Miller had come the company with a twenty-year career and ten years of experience in consulting. The company had high hopes for the changes Miller would bring the company, but less than a year after hiring Miller he was fired, ending their business relationship. The problems that lead to Miller's leaving the company were a direct result of communications issues. Through evaluation and implementing changes in communication, the problems that occurred while Frank Millers was with the company, and lead to his eventual firing, could have been avoided (Hattersley, p 54-58).

Analysis

Upon analyzing the case, it appears that a lack of integration process by the Smith Corporation is the root of the problems concerning Frank Miller's employment. The lack of an integration or introduction to the company led to the various other communication problems in the case; such as the way Frank Miller hid imperative information concerning the purchasing of expensive software and the tone he used when communicating with other colleagues through email. In this case Miller was initially given too much control over his division, without enough...