The Fishbowl Effect

6 Pages Posted: 23 Jun 2009

See all articles by John L. Colley

John L. Colley

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Eileen M. Filliben

Potter, Anderson & Corroon

Abstract

This case demonstrates that a project manager must anticipate anything that might impede a project. To do so, he/she must analyze all of the stakeholders involved. The case also highlights the damage caused by leading with capital. Protests by environmental activists at the Jupiter (disguised) nuclear plant are seen as thwarting the plant's proceeding with the project. Issues: (1) analyze all potential stakeholders; (2) anticipate and respond to all stakeholders' concerns; (3) build positive public relations from the beginning; (4) knowing that the threat of radiation contamination is minimal is not enough; project manager must communicate that information to the public; and (5) never lead with capital.

Excerpt

UVA-OM-0749

THE FISHBOWL EFFECT

Charlie Ryan, president of Hitech Nuclear Services (HNS), reviewed the options before him. The time was late 1987, and he had just pulled the plug on a project to convert the nuclear plant in Jupiter, Delaware, into a low-level waste-compression facility. This project not only would have served a burgeoning market need, but also would have saved the Jupiter plant from a $ 50-million decontamination and decommissioning. The project went astray from the beginning, however, when HNS personnel failed to assess accurately the threat posed by a small but vocal group of activists. In the absence of any public-relations effort whatsoever by the nuclear-service provider, this small group grew into a large bloc of protestors who eventually thwarted Jupiter's efforts to gain a license from the state regulatory commission.

Making matters worse, the company had invested approximately $ 4 million in equipment for the project without having received its license. That license was now out of the question, and Ryan had to decide what to do with the equipment in order to realize some return on the company's investment.

Background

In 1975, HNS created a new division to be headed by Joe Keith. Included in this division were nuclear facilities in Jupiter, Delaware; Parkview, Pennsylvania; and Montgomery, West Virginia. These facilities were responsible for producing three product lines: (1) high-enriched uranium, which was sold to the Navy, (2) low-enriched fuel, and (3) mixed-oxide fuel, which was made into pellets and sent to the company's headquarters.

. . .

Keywords: environmental issues, ethical issues, project management, public relations/publicity

Suggested Citation

Colley, John L. and Filliben, Eileen M., The Fishbowl Effect. Darden Case No. UVA-OM-0749, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1422315 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1422315

John L. Colley (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/html/direc_detail.aspx?styleid=2&id=4273

Eileen M. Filliben

Potter, Anderson & Corroon

PO Box 951
Wilmington, DE 19899-0951
United States
302-984-6000 (Phone)
302-984-1192 (Fax)

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