Menu

Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market Case Study Analysis

CASE SOLUTION

Home >> Chicago Booth >> Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market >>

Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market Case Study Analysis

Background and Facts

Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market a workplace supplies seller for tiny and also moderate sized businesses has actually just recently been associated with preparing for a merger with its rival Home Deport, which has actually influenced efficiency levels in departmentswith the elderly supervisor involved in lawful problems presented by the federal Trade Compensation. With the Advertising and marketing Head advancing the news of his departure from the business in one year, Jeannie Lewis, the current head of operations has actually been asked to take the duty in the near future. With difficulties in the form of a prospective cultural modification and reduced employee spirits, the company is in need of a total reengineering initiative at the marketing division.

Trouble Statement
Porter's 5 Forces Analysis
The prospective cultural adjustment at the advertising department of Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market is raising uncertainty in the working environment bring about numerous challenges for the Jeannie Lewis who would be replacing the head of the department in one year. nalysis

PEST analysis

Political Factors: Political factors play a significant function in impacting critical choices given that Stapes Inc. had to desert its strategies of combining with Workplace Deport after the Federal Trade Payment's treatment at the same time. Offered the fact that the store has a worldwide visibility with branches in UK, USA, Canada as well as Germany, political consider each of these nations might be able to affect efficiency or calculated goals. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust fit versus the merging used up important time of the organization's senior administration recommending that 'political' factors can have significant effects for a worldwide company.

Economic Factors: Financial factors such as the introduction of local business in the worldwide situation recommend that Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market is prospering in an atmosphere where there is prospective development of businesses. Reality that shop consumers are mainly looking for workplace materials for home offices recommends that the market has a rising trend of entrepreneurs as well as home based organisations.

Social factors: Social patterns in the economic climate reveal that customers are searching for convenience in addition to attractive rates. Marketing research shows how the customer for Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market lacks recognition regarding finding options which can provide a combination of benefit as well as inexpensive.

Technical factors: Modern technology plays a vital function in Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market's organisation technique particularly as the company is piloting Technology facilities which would certainly provide modern technology sales and support in the kind of memory upgrades, peripheral installments. (Summary of PARASITE in appendix 2).

OB Issues and Manifestations.

A number of underlying Organizational Habits issues can be seen in Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market's case as highlighted in this area.

Uneasiness concerning social change: There is uneasiness about a cultural modification that would certainly occur as soon as Todd Krasnow leaves from his position as the Exec Vice Head Of State of Marketing with the majority of the employee currently revealing unhappiness over this prospective step. This predicted change has actually produced stress and anxiety in the office which has actually been combined with the past anxiety of preparing the company for a possible merger with Residence Deport.
Pest Analysis
Demanding Task Environment for Newcomers: There is lack of employees that can match the stressful atmosphere of a fast-paced organization. Not only does this cause problem in locating the ideal individuals, it puts tension on brand-new hires as can not hold up against the speed and also pressure that the company anticipates them to birth.

Twin Reporting Lines: Newbies discover this organizational culture cumbersome as well as difficult to handle especially as populated line relationships are suggested to be weak generally and also objective setting and efficiency assessment is still done by the strong line supervisor. This indicates that novices can shed clarity concerning their corresponding roles and also objectives especially as dotted line reporting does not keep them in direct communication with the strong line managers.

Animosity From Cross Departmental Hiring: Krasnow's decision to make Lewis his successor instead of Bridget Coles despite the fact that it had actually been guessed that the last would certainly take Krasnow's position came as a strike to her spirits. Lewis might have been qualified and ideal for the job but the truth that Kransnow's separation would make Coles a straight report to Lewis might have been the reason for Coles' resignation from services.

Worry & Task Instability: Anxiety and also insecurity can be determined as 2 major problems that Lewis would certainly be handling specifically as the merger has currently be cancelled and also two senior execs of the advertising department would be leaving. The entire obligation of the division would certainly be falling on Lewis's shoulders that would not just supervise of brining about a cultural change but would certainly additionally need to prove herself in her new duty.

Inappropriate Administration Style of Leader: Lewis's monitoring style as well as its conflict with the advertising and marketing division's function can also be viewed as an OB obstacle especially as she has been made use of to managing concerns in the procedures department where employees are educated to focus on procedures as well as get them right. The advertising and marketing department on the other hand can be seen as a group of individuals that are used to being nurtured by Krasnow that focused extra on result than procedures.

Interdepartmental Disputes: Interdepartmental arguments in between 3 departments, marketing, merchandizing and also procedures respectively over the allotment of the advertising mix can be recognized as one more OB concern. The advertising division does not share the very same vision as the other two departments concerning the aloocation of the advertising and marketing mix twoards promos and also advertsing, the merchandizing as well as operations departments do not concur over the advertising mix allocation amongst one another either.

Fragmentation in Advertising Division: Fragmentation between the marketing and advertising divisions can be identified as one more OB issue which can need additional focus. The reality that the marketing and advertising sections in the advertising and marketing department are disconnected is preventing both divisions from gaining from each various other's experience and also know-how. Combination of marketing with retailing and procedures would end up being harder if the marketing division itself is degenerated which can be one more prospective OB worry.

Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market Analysis

Numerous concepts have actually been utilized to clarify the circumstances to get further quality regarding the situation at hand.
Swot Analysis
McGregor's Concept X & Y: According to Douglas McGregor's Theory X, the majority of supervisors believe that juniors are easy and also careless, have little ambition as well as resist change. The scenario at Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market is not entirely complying with Concept X, it can be seen that brand-new hires are discovering this atmosphere rather difficult which might ultimately lead to a higher disposition of the management towards Theory X. Also while evaluating Lewis's management design, theory X may have been appropriate in the procedures division to some level yet the Marketing department would call for reliance on Concept Y in order to obtain the creative thinking as well as creativity from the groups.

Tuckman's Synergy Theory: As much as Lewis's concern concerning bringing harmony in between the advertising and marketing and also marketing division is concerned, this would initially lead to clash as discussed by Bruce Tuckman in his 'Team effort Concept'. By incorporating the advertising as well as marketing department's job, there might be the very same preliminary disconnect which can lead to the second phase of 'storming' where the groups challenge one another.

Bridges' Transition Version: As per William Bridge's theory (appendix 4), people are fairly unpleasant with change, which is apparent by the situation at Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market The situation can be seen as a regular course of life if is examined as per Bridge's theory where he explains that people undergo three phases of change when they experience modification. 'Closing, shedding and Releasing', The Neutral Zone and also 'The New Starting' (Bridges, 2004). When individuals exist with modification, they go into stage one therefore there might be emotions like despair, uncertainty, disappointment, temper, worry, rejection and disorientation.The situation at the marketing department of Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market is similar so Lewis can get comfortable with the concept that it is not phenomenal actions. In the 2nd phase, there may be a requirement to link the space between the brand-new and old culture so Lewis may have to encounter this ordeal as soon as Krasnow leaves. There might be reduced spirits and also low efficiency at this stage which ought to not be taken as an obstacle. It is throughout this phase that Lewis will certainly have to give assistance to the division to ensure that they can find an orientation. It can be seen just how Krasnow has currently made this shift simpler by making Lewis obtain associated with the division a year before his real departure. According to Bridges' Design, phase three will cause openness to understanding, High energy as well as dedication as individuals will certainly welcome the modification (Bridges, 2004).
Vrio Analysis
Maslow's Requirement hierarchy: The OB issue related to instability at the work environment has actually been activated to start with by the change in monitoring and second of all by the truth that the merger will no longer be started. Abraham Maslow in his Concept of 'Requirements Hierarchy' (appendix 5) has reviews the relevance of 'security requires as being a reduced degree demand of a human for causing inspiration. As seen in the pyramid cooperated appendix 3, we can see exactly how 'the demand to really feel secure as well as unharmed' goes to the second degree of requirements. Before a staff member can be made to create emotionally, he requires to have his 'Physical 'and also 'Security' requires satisfied. This suggests that unless the workers are made to feel safe about their current employment standing in Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market they may not reach 'Self-Fulfillment'. (King, 2009).

SWOT Analysis for Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market Case Study



Ramification of Analysis.

The OB analysis has actually considered different concepts to understand exactly how to manage the existing situation at hand. The following three choices have been suggested to aid Lewis handle the business difficulties in the marketing department. Each of these choices has actually been proposed for alleviating the transition needed to bring the marketing division in accordance with the requirements of the marketplace as well as for making the social modification that would comply with as soon as the existing leader leaves.

Combination of advertising and marketing features. Separating Adverting as well as Production functions. Combination of Marketing with Workflow.

Evaluation of Alternatives.

Combination of Advertising & Marketing Functions: The in-house advertising agency of Ford Ka A Breaking New Ground In The Small Car Market is currently toughness for the organization in terms of conserving up on expenses related to advertising and promo. Because no new recruitment has actually been done after Bridget Cole's departure with the coverage line being directly appointed to Krasnow for the marketing feature, this is a beneficial opportunity for integrating the marketing and advertising features. Judith Shapiro that has actually earlier been spoken with by Lewis throughout the earlier merging days has experience in business-to-business advertising together with firm and also retail advertising and marketing experience. When Krasnow leaves, Lewis can work with Shapiro as an EVP for advertising to deal with both advertising and marketing functions.

The advantage of this approach is that it will certainly integrate the two functions while lowering the demand for employing an added source for advertising. Along with this, Lewis would be heading the advertising department and also regardless her substitute would certainly be needed for the present function that she is carrying out. The downside of this option is that external hiring might cause bitterness from internal workers who might be considering the position of EVP after Lewis takes control of Krasnow's placement.

Separating Adverting and also Production: Given the competitive pressures as well as excellent quality job needed from the advertising agency, it is recommended that Lewis ought to permit the manufacturing unit to be a separate feature from the advertising and marketing system. Given that most advertising agencies had these 2 features as separate units, it makes more feeling to comply with the standard. Both functions might be able to focus on their core triggers much more successfully. The negative aspect of this approach would be that additional expenses would certainly have to be borne for setting up different manufacturing functions. A manufacturing head may have to be worked with which can enhance expenses for the company.

Combination of Advertising with Operations: Given that Lewis is currently caring for the marketing and procedures divisions simultaneously; it makes good sense to incorporate both features considering that she has been effectively dealing with both ends. The fact that both divisions currently have significant differences over allotment of sources recommends that this assimilation may have the ability to cause harmony especially as Lewis would certainly be heading both ends.However there are different downsides of this move specifically as it would certainly put too much problem over Lewis's shoulders. The truth that Lewis has to adapt her monitoring design for the advertising division suggests that these two departments would be culturally varied. Along with this, Lewis may not be able to apply one kind of leadership design to both divisions which could result in ineffectiveness in either among both functions.

Recommendation.



An assessment of the three alternatives shows that assimilation of advertising as well as procedures would not be a viable action due to the vast distinctions between the 2 departments regardless of the reality that currently Lewis is taking care of both. While splitting up of the manufacturing feature may have been a desirable step for the advertising and marketing division, the fact that it would indicate putting a 3rd feature under Lewis's wing means this should be stayed clear of.

Activity Plan.
Recommendation
Lewis will take control of the function of EVP Advertising and marketing after Krasnow leaves.

Advertising and Marketing features would be merged.

Judith Shapiro will be hired to take Lewis's area as SVP of marketing and advertising.

Production feature will continue to be component of advertising and marketing under advertising and marketing feature.

Lewis will divide herself from procedures.

An autonomous leadership design with employee empowerment will certainly be used in advertising division.

Open up door plan as well as emphasis on cross departmental interaction will be targeted at eliminating discord.

Contingency strategy.

If the integration does not work out as prepared, a contingency plan would follow which would certainly separate the manufacturing function from the advertising feature to decrease the tons on the SVP of marketing and advertising. In case Judith Shapiro does not get worked with, Lewis will certainly be heading the advertising department without an SVP. Because case the production function will certainly be divided by putting it under an SVP manufacturing.