Breaking a promise never made: managing employee expectations at Rococo LLC

Abstract

Theoretical basis The case primarily revolves around the establishment, alignment and maintenance of expectations within a work environment. Specifically, the case focuses on the challenges that were created by the expectations that Kofi Nyarkoh had of his employee, Kwame Owusu, and the expectations that Kwame in turn formed based on the process surrounding his employment relationship with Kofi. The case is intended to help students assess a business situation and define the perceptions and expectations of stakeholders; assess the impact of differences in perceptions and expectations on the attitudes, behaviors and motivation in the workplace and develop appropriate recommendations. Research methodology The case was written based on a combination of field and telephone interviews and other communication between one of the authors and Kofi. Case overview/synopsis The case presents the story of Rococo LLC's founder and one of his key employees. Both men were originally from Ghana. They met in the USA through a mutual friend, and Kofi hired him to work on a client site for Rococo LLC despite Kwame's insufficient work experience. Complexity academic level This case is intended for students of organizational behavior, human resource management and management both at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels.