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158 PART 3: THE PERSONAL SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
of time and money. He immediately disapproved several new features suggested by the
company’s internal recruiters, even though the project team argued that the features could
double internal hiring and save millions in training costs. “Just stick to the original plan
and get it done. All this stuff needs to be handled on a personal basis anyway,” Carr coun-
tered. “You can’t learn more from a computer than you can talking to real people—and as
for internal recruiting, it shouldn’t be so hard to talk to people if they’re already working
right here in the company.” Carr seemed to have no understanding of how and why tech-
nology was being used. He became irritated when Ethel Moore referred to the system as
“Web-based.” He boasted that he had never visited Century’s intranet site and suggested
that “this Internet fad” would blow over in a year or so anyway. Even Ethel’s enthusiasm
couldn’t get through to him. “Technology is for those people in the IS department. My
job is people, and yours should be too.” Near the end of the meeting, Carr even jokingly
suggested that the project team should just buy a couple of good filing cabinets and save
everyone some time and money.
Nolan sighed and leaned back in his chair. The whole project had begun to feel like a
joke. The vibrant and innovative human resources department his team had imagined now
seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream. But despite his frustration, a new thought
entered Nolan’s mind: “Is Carr just stubborn and narrow-minded or does he have a point
that HR is a people business that doesn’t need a high-tech job posting system?”
Sources: Based on Carol Hildebrand, “New Boss Blues,” CIO Enterprise, Section 2, (November 15, 1998),
pp. 53–58; and Megan Santosus, “Advanced Micro Devices’ Web-Based Purchasing System,” CIO, Section 1 (May
15, 1998), p. 84. A version of this case originally appeared in Richard L. Daft, Organization Theory and Design,
7th ed. (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western, 2001), pp. 270–271.
QUESTIONS
1. Describe the two different mental models represented in this story.
2. What are some of the assumptions and perceptions that shape the mindset of Sam
Nolan? Of Tom Carr?
3. Do you think it is possible for Carr to shift to a new mental model? If you were Sam
Nolan, what would you do?

The USS Florida
The atmosphere in a Trident nuclear submarine is generally calm and quiet. Even pipe
joints are cushioned to prevent noise that might tip off a pursuer. The Trident ranks
among the world’s most dangerous weapons—swift, silent, armed with 24 long-range
missiles carrying 192 nuclear warheads. Trident crews are the cream of the Navy crop,
and even the sailors who fix the plumbing exhibit a white-collar decorum. The culture
aboard ship is a low-key, collegial one in which sailors learn to speak softly and share
close quarters with an ever-changing roster of shipmates. Being subject to strict security
restrictions enhances a sense of elitism and pride. To move up and take charge of a Trident
submarine is an extraordinary feat in the Navy—fewer than half the officers qualified for
such commands ever get them. When Michael Alfonso took charge of the USS Florida,
the crew welcomed his arrival. They knew he was one of them—a career Navy man who
joined up as a teenager and moved up through the ranks. Past shipmates remembered him
as basically a loner, who could be brusque but generally pleasant enough. Neighbors on
shore found Alfonso to be an unfailingly polite man who kept mostly to himself.
The crew’s delight in their new captain was short-lived. Commander Alfonso moved
swiftly to assume command, admonishing his sailors that he would push them hard. He
wasn’t joking—soon after the Florida slipped into deep waters to begin a postoverhaul
shakedown cruise, the new captain loudly and publicly reprimanded those whose per-
formance he considered lacking. Chief Petty Officer Donald MacArthur, chief of the
navigation division, was only one of those who suffered Alfonso’s anger personally.
During training exercises, MacArthur was having trouble keeping the boat at periscope
depth because of rough seas. Alfonso announced loudly, “You’re disqualified.” He
then precipitously relieved him of his diving duty until he could be recertified by extra