Introduction
Smith and Falmouth a mid-sized mail order network and tele-shopping company operating in the United States and Canada is currently experiencing a decentralized organizational structure within the online business unit. The current leadership structure is the Irene Seagraves, Chief Executive Officer (CEO); Project Manager, James William Argyle (currently heading up Operations); Logistics Manager, Brian Kervor, and Marketing Manager, Adam Searle.
The company started the online retailing division entitled S&F Online to stay competitive in the industry and increase financial stability to the parent company. To get the program off to a good start, Ms. Seagraves assembled various teams to help develop a program that would essentially manage the inventory and successfully market the new branch of the company. Ms. Seagraves wants to consolidate Operations, and has hired a new Chief Operations Officer (COO) to streamline online operations, increase the reach of the Online Sales Channel, and make S&F Online a profitable business unit. She is confident that with the seating of new COO, the teams will be able to accomplish the goals of creating a profitable online division that will complement the parent company. Currently, most decisions of any significance are made by one of the three managers. Empowering employees with the discretion to make day-to-day decisions about job-related activities is consistent across the organization. The empowerment system is a necessary element of a customer-responsive culture that allows service employees to make on-the-spot decisions to satisfy customers.
Changing a Culture
The culture of S&F Online is fairly young, and still developing, however, as with most organizations undergoing growth phases, S&F Online will go through many cultural changes as it grows to a successful organization. According to Robbins and Judge “An organization’s current customs, traditions, and general way of doing things are largely due to what it...