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Case 24: The Contradiction of Business
Case Discussion:
The Contradiction of Business
Summary
Lucy Winters managed a branch bank offi ce. The offi ce was located in a good location and had many
customers. However, the bank itself had been under severe pressure to improve profi ts. As a result,
the staff in Lucy’s offi ce had been reduced by a third.
Now there seemed to be a constant backup of customers in the branch. Because of long waits,
customers were often abusive to the tellers when they fi nally reached the window. The staff was
feeling increasingly stressful, and the quality of work began falling off.
The contradiction of this business was that, as things stood now, Lucy had more customers ...