Product Overview

Marvin has just been tapped to assume control of a team of over 50 individuals tasked with completing a $40 million construction project over the next two years. His work package is part of a larger project to expand the footprint of a major city’s metropolitan railway network via construction of 10 miles of high-voltage rail and six large train stations. Although Marvin has worked at JWSM Construction, a general contractor, for three years, he’s never been in a field operations role, and this project is a particular challenge: the team is underperforming, morale is low, and the project is already months behind schedule. This disguised field-based case explores how general contractors work, focusing especially on the relationships they manage, as well as their value propositions, financial considerations, and product outcomes. This case is written for use at Darden in the second-year "General Managers Taking Action" course. It would also be suitable in courses covering general management and project management.