2.1. The IT Engeneer PDF

THE IT ENGINEER
Abhinav (29 years) was with TKP LTD for the last seven years. His close friend Vivek who grew up along with
Abhinav is puzzled when ever he thinks of Abhinav. While Vivek got already three promotions, his friend has not
managed even one. Vivek had the following to narrate. 1
Abhinav and Vivek are from the same village. Abhinav is from a rich family as both his parents were working in
Government departments while Vivek is from a lower middle class family and his father is a retail seller of provisions
and mother, a homemaker. Both studied in the same school. Abhinav was very good at studies and got good marks
while Vivek struggled hard to get 60%. Both completed the schools and joined for engineering in the same college
near by. Abhinav could manage IT as he had good marks and Vivek could get only civil. Both completed the course
and applied in TKP and were lucky to join the same organization as Engineering trainees, Abhinav in Systems
Department and Vivek in Maintenance Department. Vivek was quite upset initially since he knew that the career
growth in Maintenance would be quite slow while in Systems it would be very fast as they could move from project
to project or from plant to the corporate.
Vivek who had to struggle all through did not give up and worked very hard with all the people in the department.
He took advices and suggestions from his Department Head and all the seniors. Abhinav very ambitious too wanted
to do many things and prove himself, to his parents and his social set up. Within a short time he discovered that his
Department Head was not an Engineer but has come up with experience. However, most of his colleagues in the
department were Engineers. The HOD commanded respect from every one and many projects were done within
record time. Abhinav believed in going home exactly at five, though many others worked late to complete the
projects. His department colleagues’ discovered that Abhinv was very intelligent and could solve problems very
fast. He became the center of attraction in the department soon. Even the HOD took his views on many projects.
After three months Vivek and Abhinav began to miss each other regularly as Vivek had to work in shifts and at
times he did not have Sunday as an off day. However, they kept talking over the phone or once in a while dropped
into each other’s office or home. Abhinav took most of these initiatives, as Vivek had practically no time to spare,
since he also had to help his father in the provision shop. Abhinav often pitied Vivek; “You cannot enjoy life; you
are born to struggle”.
Ten months passed… Abhinav slowly began to realize that though he was appreciated well by the Department Head
and others, he wondered how his colleagues got full credit for their work though some of them were not engineers
and their contributions were routine in nature. He also began to feel that his HOD too was not “good enough”. He
slowly began to laugh at others in the department and could easily find fault with them. Realizing something is
wrong somewhere, one day he took initiative to talk this out with Vivek and parents. Both Vivek and parents ignored
it as a temporary complaint. Abhinav slowly began to keep aloof from his friend and stopped sharing office related
matters with his father. He rationalized; “what do my father know other than moving old files in the government
department. He would go to the office, finish the work and get back to the room to spend time in front of TV and
with books. He did not find the department meetings meaningful and considered it as waste of time. Slowly none
of the project teams were keen to have him in their team as he would ridicule and laugh at them and at their ideas.
Abhinav was completing his first year and was to be confirmed in his job with two increments. In the group feedback
the HOD conducted none of his colleagues recommended increment nor did the Department Head had the urge to
do it. Though he was confirmed, year after year, his promotion was considered, there was no rationale by which he
could be promoted.
Recently Vivek met Abhinav and suggested; “why don’t you look for a new job as you are very talented and can
contribute and grow in your career?”. Abhinav retorted; “what do you know? You work like a donkey in the shop
floor. I already made a comparative study of organizations around; most of them do not know what they are doing
in their businesses. It would be a pain to work for them, let me continue here like this”.
1
Caselet prepared by Dr. MG Jomon. XLRI, Jamshedpur

2.1. The IT Engeneer PDF

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THE IT ENGINEER

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