Cabot pharmaceuticals

Inc.

Submitted By Group 5
Anupam Mishra 27NMP 06
Manush Maken 27NMP 19
Swati Gupta 27NMP 32
Komal Tagra 27 NMP 51

Case Background
Cabot Pharmaceuticals was a Major Manufacturer of prescription drugs
Cabot detailer responsible for 200 physicians and expected to make 6-9 calls
per day
Bob Marsh Initially worked as a manager of prescription department in a
major drug store

Vice
President
Zonal
Manager(6)

Bob was considering joining Cabot as a salesperson for over a year

Rated very highly by interviewer and subsequent manager John Meredith

Supervised by different managers, who continuously submitted thorough
reports to senior management
Rated low on several factors such as lack of organization & planning,
following companies policy on promotions; even though Cabots customers
seemed satisfied with him
Finally asked to resign when his performance didnt match up to the
expectations of his managers, even after being put on probation multiple
times
Marsh left quietly, but mentioned that he was treated unfairly; several clients
complained about the dismissal of such an effective sales representative

District
Managers
(35)
Detailers
(500)

Key Concerns and Issues

Investigating the case of Bob Marsh and
understanding the factors which led to his
dismissal
Understanding reasons for doctors
disappointment with regards to Marshs
dismissal
Deciding whether to reinstate Bob Marsh
or not and, if not, how to keep the clients
satisfied & intact

Bobs Behaviour Analysis

Strengths
Sincere, enthusiastic, quick learner, loyal , dedicated
Very good customer rapport
Loyal & dedicated to the work & the firm
Didnt leave the firm even after being put on probation multiple times
Willingness to improve
Good working relationship with fellow associates
Weakness
Non-conformance to management directives, company policies and
sales objectives.
Inconsistency in maintaining records & poorly organized sample bag
Catch-as-catch-can approach, tendency to prejudge the customers
Lacked in organization skills, planning and follow up activities

Bobs Analysis
Choice: Bob was reluctant to follow management
guidelines, but followed his own actions
Intensity: Bob had put forth lot of efforts in his territory,
the result was reflected in sales performance
Persistence: He was continuing his efforts over the
years.
Bobs Ability was great in terms of reaching the
expectations of his manager.
Lack of motivational programme enabling Bobs to adhere
Management directives, policies.
After 10 years of working in Cabot , Bobs career seemed
INTENSITY
to have plateaued.
CHOICE

OUTCOME

PERSISTENCE

Behavioral Factors in Motivation

Bob didnt seem to be motivated by salary hikes alone and

Proper motivational tools tailored to Bobs Needs were
missing and should be designed such that:
Better performance evaluation- MBO
Creating Perception of Better Effort lead to Better Performance- So that
efforts become valuable.

Motivational programs should have some elements tailored to

Bobs needs by including non-financial rewards such as:
Job enrichment
Recognition
Opportunity for promotion

Organizational Factors
Continuous change in District manager
creating pressure on Bob to match up with
their expectations
Managers using tough approach with a
plateauing problem, without understanding
the problem properly
Relying on past data by managers.
Bobs positive Customer Relationship
Management skills not considered in his
evaluation

Recommendations
In the current scenario, the right set of actions
should be to reinstate Bob because:
Bob maintained a very strong connection with the clients
& his reinstatement would reduce the risk of losing long
time customers
He has served the firm with total dedication & loyalty for
12 long years & knows the selling function inside-out
His experience can be of great use to the firm

To solve the motivational & plateauing problem,

the firm should:

Assign Bob a new territory, where he can start afresh

Give him a new assignment, such as coaching new
salespeople, gathering competitive intelligence, surveying
customers for new product ideas or developing a new
territory