Affecting Change

Affecting Change

According to the Leadership in Action simulation; Smith and Falmouth (S&F), is a mid-sized tele-shopping and mail order network that operates in the United States and Canada. Six months ago, S&F developed an e-tailing division called S&F Online to increase brand recognition and aid the parent company’s growth strategy. In this paper the subject to discuss is S&F’s established methods of control, the current departmental, and organizational cultures, recommend a restructuring strategy to improve the culture, describe the leadership style needed to implement this change, and list the benefits these changes will bring to the organization (Assignment, 2011).

The simulation describes that in order to increase online sales, and make S&F Online a profitable business unit the founder and CEO; Irene Seagraves has assembled a web development team, a logistics team, a marketing manager, and a project manager to coordinate marketing and logistics operations between the parent company and the new branch of online sales. (Assignment, 2011, ground situation). Seagraves seeing an organizational structure revolving around the PM hired a Chief Operating Officer (COO), Richardson, to “streamline the online operations, increase the reach of the online sales channel, and make S&F Online a profitable strategic business unit” (Assignment, 2011, Your role). Currently, the established methods of control revolve around the three managers; Project Manager (PM), Argyle, the Logistics Manager (LM), Kervor, and the Marketing Manager (MM), Searle. Together they form the organizational culture behind S&F Online (Assignment, 2011, who’s who).

Prior to the introduction of the new COO, the PM handled all of the operations, oversaw the six member web development team, and maintained the online sales channel. The PM also worked closely with the LM and his three member logistics team managing order handling, and customer support. The LM and his team also provided status reports...