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Merchant Card Services C Case Study Analysis

CASE ANALYSIS

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Background and Facts

Merchant Card Services C a workplace supplies merchant for tiny and medium sized companies has actually lately been involved in planning for a merging with its competitor Residence Deport, which has actually affected effectiveness degrees in departmentswith the elderly manager associated with lawful difficulties put forth by the government Profession Commission. With the Advertising Head advancing the news of his departure from the company in one year, Jeannie Lewis, the present head of operations has actually been asked to take the function in the near future. With obstacles in the type of a possible social modification as well as reduced worker spirits, the company needs a full reengineering initiative at the marketing department.

Trouble Declaration
Porter's 5 Forces Analysis
The prospective social adjustment at the marketing division of Merchant Card Services C is raising unpredictability in the workplace resulting in different obstacles for the Jeannie Lewis who would be changing the head of the division in one year. nalysis

PEST analysis

Political Factors: Political factors play a significant duty in impacting calculated decisions since Stapes Inc. had to desert its plans of combining with Office Deport after the Federal Trade Compensation's treatment while doing so. Given the truth that the shop has an international visibility with branches in UK, UNITED STATES, Canada and also Germany, political consider each of these nations might have the ability to impact performance or calculated goals. Federal Profession Commission's antitrust suit versus the merger used up useful time of the company's elderly monitoring recommending that 'political' factors can have major ramifications for an international organisation.

Economic Factors: Financial factors such as the emergence of local business in the global scenario suggest that Merchant Card Services C is prospering in an atmosphere where there is possible development of organisations. Reality that store consumers are mainly looking for workplace supplies for residence workplaces recommends that the market has an increasing fad of entrepreneurs and also home based businesses.

Social factors: Social patterns in the economy show that consumers are looking for convenience as well as eye-catching rates. Marketing research demonstrates how the consumer for Merchant Card Services C lacks recognition concerning finding options which can supply a mix of benefit and also affordable.

Technical factors: Innovation plays an important function in Merchant Card Services C's company technique particularly as the company is piloting Technology centers which would offer innovation sales and also support in the form of memory upgrades, peripheral setups. (Recap of PARASITE in appendix 2).

OB Issues as well as Manifestations.

A number of underlying Business Behavior problems can be seen in Merchant Card Services C's case as highlighted in this area.

Worries regarding cultural modification: There is concern about a social change that would certainly take place as soon as Todd Krasnow leaves from his setting as the Executive Vice Head Of State of Marketing with most of the personnel currently showing discontent over this possible step. This expected adjustment has actually produced stress in the work environment which has been paired with the previous stress and anxiety of preparing the company for a prospective merger with House Deport.
Pest Analysis
Demanding Task Environment for Newcomers: There is shortage of workers that can match the demanding atmosphere of a fast-paced company. Not only does this bring about difficulty in locating the appropriate individuals, it puts stress and anxiety on new hires as can not stand up to the pace as well as pressure that the company expects them to birth.

Twin Coverage Lines: Novices find this organizational culture difficult and tough to handle specifically as dotted line connections are suggested to be weaker as a whole as well as unbiased setting and also performance evaluation is still done by the strong line manager. This means that newbies could lose quality about their respective roles and also purposes specifically as populated line reporting does not maintain them in straight communication with the strong line supervisors.

Resentment From Cross Departmental Hiring: Krasnow's choice to make Lewis his follower rather than Bridget Coles despite the fact that it had actually been hypothesized that the last would certainly take Krasnow's placement came as a strike to her morale. Lewis might have been qualified as well as suitable for the job yet the reality that Kransnow's separation would make Coles a straight record to Lewis may have been the reason for Coles' resignation from services.

Fear & Job Instability: Fear as well as insecurity can be determined as two significant issues that Lewis would be taking care of specifically as the merger has currently be terminated as well as two elderly execs of the advertising and marketing division would be leaving. The whole duty of the department would certainly be dropping on Lewis's shoulders who would not just supervise of brining about a social adjustment but would likewise have to show herself in her brand-new role.

Incompatible Administration Style of Leader: Lewis's monitoring design and its conflict with the advertising and marketing division's duty can additionally be seen as an OB obstacle especially as she has been utilized to managing concerns in the procedures division where workers are shown to focus on processes as well as get them right. The advertising and marketing division on the various other hand can be seen as a team of individuals that are used to being nurtured by Krasnow that concentrated a lot more on outcome than procedures.

Interdepartmental Arguments: Interdepartmental disputes between 3 divisions, marketing, merchandizing and also procedures specifically over the allowance of the advertising and marketing mix can be identified as another OB concern. Although the marketing department does not share the same vision as the other two departments regarding the aloocation of the advertising and marketing mix twoards promotions and also advertsing, the merchandizing as well as operations divisions do not concur over the marketing mix allocation among one another either.

Disintegration in Advertising Department: Fragmentation in between the advertising and marketing divisions can be recognized as another OB problem which can require more focus. The fact that the advertising and marketing areas in the advertising department are disconnected is avoiding both divisions from getting from each other's experience and know-how. Assimilation of advertising with retailing as well as operations would become more difficult if the advertising division itself is broken down which can be an additional potential OB concern.

Merchant Card Services C Analysis

Different concepts have actually been made use of to clarify the circumstances to get further clearness regarding the situation available.
Swot Analysis
McGregor's Concept X & Y: According to Douglas McGregor's Theory X, most supervisors think that staffs are passive and also lazy, have little passion and resist adjustment. The situation at Merchant Card Services C is not totally following Theory X, it can be seen that brand-new hires are finding this environment rather demanding which may ultimately lead to a higher inclination of the monitoring towards Theory X. Even while analyzing Lewis's administration design, concept X may have been appropriate in the procedures department to some level yet the Marketing department would need reliance on Concept Y in order to obtain the creativity and creativity from the groups.

Tuckman's Team effort Concept: As far as Lewis's problem about bringing consistency between the advertising and marketing division is concerned, this would originally lead to conflict as gone over by Bruce Tuckman in his 'Team effort Concept'. By incorporating the advertising and marketing as well as marketing division's job, there might be the same preliminary disconnect which can lead to the 2nd phase of 'storming' where the teams test one an additional.

When individuals are presented with change, they go into stage one and also so there may be emotions like sadness, unpredictability, stress, anger, concern, rejection as well as disorientation.The situation at the marketing department of Merchant Card Services C is comparable so Lewis can obtain comfortable with the concept that it is not remarkable habits. It is throughout this stage that Lewis will certainly have to provide assistance to the department so that they can discover a feeling of direction. It can be seen exactly how Krasnow has actually currently made this change simpler by making Lewis obtain involved in the division a year before his real departure.
Vrio Analysis
Abraham Maslow in his Concept of 'Requirements Hierarchy' (appendix 5) has goes over the value of 'security needs 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 just how 'the need to feel safe and out of threat' is at the second degree of requirements. Prior to an employee can be made to develop mentally, he needs to have his 'Physiological 'and 'Safety and security' requires satisfied.

SWOT Analysis for Merchant Card Services C Case Study



Implication of Analysis.

The OB analysis has looked at numerous concepts to comprehend how to handle the current situation at hand. The complying with 3 options have been suggested to help Lewis manage the business difficulties in the advertising division. Each of these choices has actually been proposed for easing the change required to bring the marketing division according to the requirements of the marketplace and for making the cultural adjustment that would certainly follow once the existing leader leaves.

Combination of advertising and marketing functions. Dividing Adverting and also Manufacturing features. Integration of Advertising And Marketing with Operations.

Evaluation of Alternatives.

Judith Shapiro that has actually earlier been talked to by Lewis throughout the earlier merger days has expertise in business-to-business advertising and marketing along with firm and also retail marketing experience. Once Krasnow leaves, Lewis can hire Shapiro as an EVP for advertising and marketing to handle both advertising and marketing as well as advertising and marketing functions.

The advantage of this strategy is that it will integrate the two features while minimizing the demand for hiring an extra source for marketing. Lewis would be heading the marketing division as well as in any case her substitute would certainly be needed for the current function that she is executing. The negative aspect of this alternative is that external hiring might cause resentment from interior employees who might be looking at the setting of EVP after Lewis takes over Krasnow's position.

Dividing Adverting and Production: Offered the competitive pressures as well as high quality job required from the advertising firm, it is advised that Lewis must permit the production unit to be a different feature from the marketing device. Considering that a lot of marketing agencies had these two functions as different devices, it makes even more feeling to follow the norm.

Assimilation of Marketing with Procedures: Considering that Lewis is already taking treatment of the marketing as well as operations departments simultaneously; it makes sense to incorporate the 2 functions considering that she has been efficiently taking treatment of both ends. The fact that Lewis has to adapt her administration style for the marketing department suggests that these 2 divisions would certainly be culturally diverse.

Referral.



An examination of the 3 choices shows that combination of advertising and marketing and also operations would not be a feasible action as a result of the huge distinctions in between the two departments despite the fact that presently Lewis is taking care of both. While splitting up of the manufacturing function may have been a beneficial move for the marketing department, the fact that it would mean positioning a third feature under Lewis's wing means this need to be avoided as well. The assimilation of the advertising and marketing division is the best alternative in regards to obtaining the optimal results from the division. An action plan for this alternative is reviewed below.

Activity Strategy.
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 certainly be worked with to take Lewis's location as SVP of advertising and marketing.

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

Lewis will certainly divide herself from operations.

An autonomous leadership style with employee empowerment will certainly be used in advertising department.

Open door policy and emphasis on cross department interaction will be focused on getting rid of dissonance.

Backup strategy.

If the assimilation does not work out as planned, a contingency plan would certainly comply with which would separate the manufacturing function from the advertising and marketing feature to reduce the lots on the SVP of marketing and advertising. In case Judith Shapiro does not get employed, Lewis will certainly be heading the advertising department without an SVP. In that case the production feature will most definitely be separated by positioning it under an SVP production.