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H Partners And Six Flags Case Study Analysis

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Background and Facts

H Partners And Six Flags a workplace supplies seller for little and also average sized businesses has actually just recently been associated with preparing for a merger with its rival Residence Deport, which has affected performance levels in departmentswith the elderly manager involved in legal problems presented by the federal Profession Commission. With the Advertising and marketing Head advancing the news of his separation from the firm in one year, Jeannie Lewis, the existing head of operations has been asked to take the role in the near future. With difficulties in the form of a possible social change and also low employee morale, the organization needs a complete reengineering initiative at the advertising and marketing division.

Issue Declaration
Porter's 5 Forces Analysis
The possible cultural adjustment at the marketing division of H Partners And Six Flags is raising unpredictability in the working environment leading to various difficulties for the Jeannie Lewis who would be changing the head of the department in one year. nalysis

PEST analysis

Political Factors: Political factors play a significant duty in influencing strategic decisions given that Stapes Inc. needed to abandon its plans of merging with Office Deport after the Federal Trade Payment's treatment at the same time. Provided the fact that the store has a worldwide presence with branches in UK, USA, Canada and also Germany, political factors in each of these countries may have the ability to affect efficiency or tactical objectives. Federal Profession Payment's antitrust suit versus the merging used up valuable time of the organization's senior administration recommending that 'political' factors can have severe implications for a worldwide business.

Economic Factors: Economic factors such as the emergence of small companies in the worldwide situation suggest that H Partners And Six Flags is flourishing in an atmosphere where there is possible growth of organisations. In addition to this, fact that store consumers are mainly searching for office supplies for office recommends that the market has a climbing trend of entrepreneurs as well as home businesses.

Social factors: Social trends in the economic situation reveal that customers are trying to find ease as well as appealing costs. Market research shows how the consumer for H Partners And Six Flags lacks recognition concerning discovering services which can use a mix of convenience and low costs.

Technological factors: Innovation plays an essential function in H Partners And Six Flags's organisation strategy especially as the organization is piloting Modern technology facilities which would provide modern technology sales and also support in the type of memory upgrades, peripheral setups. (Summary of PARASITE in appendix 2).

OB Issues as well as Effects.

Several underlying Organizational Habits problems can be seen in H Partners And Six Flags's case as highlighted in this area.

Worries about cultural change: There is uneasiness regarding a cultural modification that would certainly take place when Todd Krasnow leaves from his setting as the Executive Vice Head Of State of Marketing with the majority of the team member already showing discontent over this prospective move. This predicted modification has actually created stress in the office which has actually been combined with the past stress and anxiety of preparing the firm for a prospective merging with Home Deport.
Pest Analysis
Demanding Task Setting for Newcomers: There is shortage of workers that can match the stressful setting of a busy company. Not only does this result in difficulty in discovering the appropriate people, it places stress on brand-new hires as can not hold up against the pace as well as pressure that the company expects them to birth.

Twin Coverage Lines: Novices find this business culture troublesome and also tough to manage especially as populated line relationships are suggested to be weak as a whole as well as objective setup and also performance analysis is still done by the solid line supervisor. This implies that novices can lose quality about their corresponding duties and objectives specifically as populated line reporting does not keep them in direct communication with the solid line managers.

Bitterness From Cross Departmental Hiring: Krasnow's choice to make Lewis his follower instead of Bridget Coles even though it had been guessed that the last would take Krasnow's position came as a strike to her spirits. Lewis may have been qualified as well as suitable for the task however the fact that Kransnow's separation would certainly make Coles a straight record to Lewis might have been the factor for Coles' resignation from services.

Concern & Work Insecurity: Fear and insecurity can be determined as two significant problems that Lewis would be dealing with especially as the merger has currently be terminated and also 2 elderly execs of the marketing department would certainly be leaving. The whole responsibility of the division would certainly be dropping on Lewis's shoulders who would certainly not simply be in charge of brining concerning a social adjustment yet would likewise have to prove herself in her new function.

Inappropriate Monitoring Design of Leader: Lewis's management design and also its incompatibility with the marketing division's role can additionally be seen as an OB challenge especially as she has actually been used to dealing with concerns in the operations division where personnel are shown to concentrate on procedures and get them. The advertising and marketing department on the various other hand can be viewed as a group of people that are used to being nurtured by Krasnow that concentrated a lot more on outcome than procedures.

Interdepartmental Disputes: Interdepartmental disputes in between three departments, marketing, merchandizing as well as operations respectively over the allowance of the advertising mix can be identified as an additional OB problem. The marketing department does not share the exact same vision as the various other 2 departments regarding the aloocation of the advertising mix twoards promotions and advertsing, the merchandizing as well as procedures departments do not agree over the advertising and marketing mix allotment among one an additional either.

Disintegration in Advertising Division: Disintegration in between the marketing and advertising departments can be determined as one more OB problem which can need further interest. The truth that the marketing and advertising sections in the advertising division are disconnected is avoiding both divisions from obtaining from each various other's experience and also knowledge. Combination of advertising with retailing and also procedures would certainly come to be more difficult if the advertising department itself is degenerated which can be another possible OB concern.

H Partners And Six Flags Analysis

Numerous theories have been made use of to explain the situations to get additional clearness about the circumstance handy.
Swot Analysis
McGregor's Theory X & Y: According to Douglas McGregor's Theory X, a lot of supervisors believe that staffs are passive as well as lazy, have little aspiration and withstand change. The scenario at H Partners And Six Flags is not completely following Concept X, it can be seen that brand-new hires are discovering this setting instead stressful which might eventually lead to a better inclination of the administration in the direction of Concept X. Also while examining Lewis's monitoring style, concept X may have been ideal in the procedures division to some degree however the Marketing department would require dependence on Concept Y in order to obtain the creative thinking and creativity from the teams.

Tuckman's Synergy Theory: As far as Lewis's problem concerning bringing consistency in between the marketing as well as advertising department is worried, this would initially lead to conflict as gone over by Bruce Tuckman in his 'Synergy Concept'. By integrating the advertising and marketing and marketing division's job, there might be the exact same preliminary disconnect which can lead to the 2nd phase of 'storming' where the groups challenge one an additional.

Bridges' Shift Version: Based On William Bridge's theory (appendix 4), individuals are rather unpleasant with change, which is evident by the circumstance at H Partners And Six Flags The situation can be seen as a typical program of life if is studied according to Bridge's concept where he explains that individuals go through 3 phases of transition when they experience change. 'Ending, shedding and also Releasing', The Neutral Area as well as 'The New Beginning' (Bridges, 2004). When individuals exist with change, they enter stage one and so there may be emotions like sadness, unpredictability, aggravation, anger, anxiety, denial as well as disorientation.The circumstance at the advertising and marketing department of H Partners And Six Flags is similar so Lewis can get comfy with the suggestion that it is not amazing actions. In the 2nd phase, there may be a demand to connect the void between the new as well as old society so Lewis may have to encounter this challenge as soon as Krasnow leaves. There might be reduced spirits and also reduced performance at this stage which must not be taken as a setback. It is during this phase that Lewis will certainly have to give support to the division so that they can discover an orientation. It can be seen how Krasnow has actually already made this change simpler by making Lewis obtain involved in the division a year prior to his actual separation. According to Bridges' Model, phase three will cause openness to knowing, High energy as well as dedication as people will certainly welcome the modification (Bridges, 2004).
Vrio Analysis
Abraham Maslow in his Concept of 'Demands Power structure' (appendix 5) has talks about the relevance of 'safety requires as being a lower degree requirement of a human for setting off motivation. As seen in the pyramid shared in appendix 3, we can see exactly how 'the demand to feel secure and out of risk' is at the second level of demands. Before an employee can be made to develop psychologically, he needs to have his 'Physiological 'and 'Safety and security' requires satisfied.

SWOT Analysis for H Partners And Six Flags Case Study



Effects of Analysis.

The OB analysis has actually checked out various theories to understand just how to manage the current situation at hand. The adhering to 3 options have been suggested to help Lewis handle the business challenges in the marketing division. Each of these options has been suggested for relieving the shift required to bring the advertising and marketing department according to the needs of the marketplace and for making the social change that would certainly adhere to as soon as the current leader leaves.

Combination of marketing and advertising functions. Separating Adverting as well as Manufacturing functions. Integration of Marketing with Procedures.

Assessment of Alternatives.

Judith Shapiro that has earlier been talked to by Lewis during the earlier merging days has know-how in business-to-business advertising and marketing along with firm and also retail advertising and marketing experience. Once Krasnow leaves, Lewis can work with Shapiro as an EVP for marketing to manage both marketing and also advertising and marketing features.

The advantage of this approach is that it will integrate the two features while minimizing the requirement for hiring an extra resource for advertising and marketing. In addition to this, Lewis would be heading the advertising and marketing division as well as in any case her substitute would be needed for the current duty that she is carrying out. The disadvantage of this alternative is that outside hiring might bring about resentment from inner personnel that might be eying the placement of EVP after Lewis takes control of Krasnow's setting.

Dividing Adverting as well as Production: Provided the competitive pressures and high top quality work needed from the advertising firm, it is recommended that Lewis must allow the manufacturing device to be a separate function from the advertising system. Since a lot of marketing firms had these two functions as different units, it makes more sense to adhere to the standard.

Integration of Advertising And Marketing with Operations: Since Lewis is already taking care of the marketing and also operations departments simultaneously; it makes sense to incorporate the 2 features since she has been efficiently taking care of both ends. The reality that Lewis has to adapt her monitoring style for the advertising division recommends that these 2 divisions would certainly be culturally diverse.

Referral.



An evaluation of the three options indicates that combination of advertising and also procedures would certainly not be a feasible action as a result of the vast differences in between the two divisions although that presently Lewis is dealing with both. While splitting up of the production function may have been a desirable step for the advertising department, the truth that it would certainly imply putting a 3rd function under Lewis's wing implies this must be prevented as well. The integration of the advertising and marketing department is the best choice in terms of obtaining the optimum results from the department. An activity plan for this option is talked about listed below.

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

Advertising and Marketing features would certainly be combined.

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

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

Lewis will certainly divide herself from operations.

A democratic management style with staff member empowerment will be utilized in marketing department.

Open door policy and also focus on cross departmental interaction will certainly be focused on removing discord.

Contingency plan.

If the combination does not exercise as intended, a backup strategy would comply with which would certainly divide the manufacturing feature from the advertising feature to lower the lots on the SVP of marketing and advertising. In case Judith Shapiro does not get employed, Lewis will be heading the advertising and marketing department without an SVP. In that case the production function will absolutely be divided by putting it under an SVP production.