Five years short of retirement, Alvarez is an experienced but uneducated mechanic working for a Venezuelan manufacturer of aluminum building products. In the A case, new North American management is concerned about Alvarez's grumbling and egocentric behavior and is pondering the impact of firing him. In the B case (UVA-OB-0661), management decides to fire Alvarez at a high cost. In the C case (UVA-OB-0662), Alvarez dies of a heart attack soon after being fired, adding poignancy to the decision to fire him. This case series provides an excellent opportunity to explore self-concepts, methods of personal mastery, cross-cultural management, and issues of managing personal change.