Write a paper answering the 2 questions at the end of Case Study #52 in the textbook (I
have attached the case study). The answers to the Case Study must be 3 5 pages and –
completed in current APA formatting. Your response must be written in essay form, including
an introduction, body, and conclusion. Your Case Study response must be supported by at
least 2 scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. These sources must have been published within the
last 5 years. Make each question as section headers.
Questions:
1. If you were Tom Morrison, would you implement a formal mentoring program at Walnut
Insurance? If so, how would you address the VP's concerns?
2. What alternatives to a formal mentoring program are available to Morrison?
53 CASE
The Mentoring Problem at Walnut Insurance
Tom Morrison, president of Walnut Insurance, was sitting at his desk reading a letter he had just
received and thinking about a recent meeting with his vice presidents. He knew he had to make a
decision regarding whether to implement a new mentoring program, but he did not know what that
decision should be at the moment.
Walnut Insurance has been selling liability insurance to firms in one particular industry for over
50 years. Its specialized niche in the insurance industry has made it highly successful. It employs
about 2,400 individuals who work in 12 regional offices throughout the United States and at its
Midwestern headquarters.
Walnut Insurance has six senior male vice presidents who report directly to Morrison. Over the
years, these individuals have traveled between the various regional offices, working primarily with
the insurance sales representatives. The VPs perform numerous functions when visiting the
regional offices. They go out on overnight sales trips with the representatives to learn about
customer problems, assist agents with policy questions, and provide training; they evaluate agents
to determine who has the potential to be promoted; they pass on the firm's values and culture,
which places heavy emphasis on honesty and satisfying customer needs; they assist agents in
