Expressions

Either should work - the properties they reference are synonymous. The manager is of the type contactUserDto which has an assystUserAliasShortCode and an assystUserAlias (which is of the type assystUserDto and has a shortCode property). 

However they will have different outcomes. Your example Michael will assign to the affected user’s manager (if there is one) whereas raza-mq’s expression will assign to the affected users manager (if there is one) only if the affected user’s manager has a manager 

raza-mq’s expression:

if ($new.affectedUser.manager.manager.assystUserAlias.shortCode = $NO_VALUE, $CURRENT_VALUE, $new.affectedUser.manager.assystUserAlias.shortCode)

Michael’s expression:

if ($new.affectedUser.manager.assystUserAliasShortCode = $NO_VALUE, $CURRENT_VALUE, $new.affectedUser.manager.assystUserAliasShortCode)

The original request was for “approval from Manager of Manager (VP)” so either:

if ($new.affectedUser.manager.manager.assystUserAlias.shortCode = $NO_VALUE, $CURRENT_VALUE, $new.affectedUser.manager.manager.assystUserAlias.shortCode)

or 

if ($new.affectedUser.manager.manager.assystUserAliasShortCode = $NO_VALUE, $CURRENT_VALUE, $new.affectedUser.manager.manager.assystUserAliasShortCode)

Should work.