Team Structure and Performance Assessment
The company Cunningham Holdings has been facing many issues while operating their business and that has caused hindrance to the authorities in withdrawing their expected revenue from the market. The purpose of the report is to understand the structure of the team and the performance of the sales and the production manager of the company. The loopholes that the managers have in their performance will be identified and innovative strategies will be applied to mitigate those issues. The application of flow theory will also be applied that will be helpful in understanding the culture that is prevailing within the team, innovative methods that will help in making the culture within the team better. The leadership approach that is required the implementation of the innovation will also be stated. Google’s nine principles will also be stated that will be helpful for the company in understanding the preference of the customers and their viewpoints. Implementation of innovation in the team and making financial strategies that will be helpful for the company in carrying out the goals of the company. The report will also include recommendations that will help the company in overcoming the challenges that they are experiencing.
The team structure of the company is very organized and the various departments of the company has been segregated under the production manager, sales manager and factory manager. Each department and the head is liable to make the working condition of the particular department continue with smooth flow of work. Yet, there are certain loopholes in the decision- making of the managers and there is tendency of disagreement between the decisions that they are taking. One tends to show avoidance towards the other’s decision; this hampers the working environment and the production of the company along with gives rise to conflicts (David & David, 2013). Sales Manager has friendly relations with the retailers and many supermarket chains thus; he believes that he can manage some shelves in order to sell the frozen products. He is also have a wide idea about the demand that the retailers have for innovative products with creative packaging, which is why is trying to implement strategies to make the product cater both the requirements and instigate demand in the market. however, he finds the Chinese market has more potential and tends to circulate the products in that market (Hughen Lulseged & Upton, 2014). Yet, the sales manager is reluctant towards the idea of selling microwaved products. Production manager has many issues with the innovation that the company plans to implement in their business, the HR also experience issues in convincing the production manager to settle in a mutual decision. The production manager is always resistant towards change, and she does not value vegan or vegetarian food or products due to the cultural barrier. Vegan or vegetarian products also need to have proper attention for ensuring that there is no contamination during the time of the production process. The production manager also questions the capability of the factory manager in ensuring stringent surveillance. Factory manager is reluctant in reducing the staff level as the pressure of producing the new products that require expertise help and implementation of proper innovative factors might be hampered if staff level is reduced. She has a good status in Sri Lanka that is why she can convince many Sri Lankans for working in the company. This can be an advantage from the company and the production of the company will increase.
Loopholes in the Company Structure
The loopholes in the structure is that the ideas and the decision that the mangers that they are taking have no mutual consent the managers are taking the decisions that will be beneficial for their own department and that will bring hike in their own designations. The three board members also had a conflict in their decision as they focus on the medium term capacity, and they seemed it an opportunity for MCPF company to withdraw good turnover (Khan, 2014). They had no conflict in managing the assets and intended to disagree the decisions that the managers were taking, which was seemed to be unethical and not sustainable for the company to have a good business. They mainly conflicted on the views of the vision of MCPF and reasons due to which Cunningham should invest on the commercial venture that the company was planning to implement.
Thus, being the GM of the company that innovative strategy that I suggest to the managers is that they should conduct a meeting where they can put forward the plans and the ideas that they have planned for implementing in their department and have a discussion on it. They should also relate their decisions with other departments and figure out a link that will be helpful for all the departments in expanding and developing this will help the company in its growth and survive the intensive competition in the market.
Flow theory is the theory that was proposed by Mihaly CSikszentmihalyi, in this theory it is stated that the skills of the managers and the other supervisors face many challenges that in making revenue from the market (Kleinstreuer, 2017). The supervisors also concentrate on the performance of the company and the employees so deeply that any issue or risk that can cast negative impact on the business of the company cannot be exempted. The innovative strategies that the company has accepted is to approach the supermarket chains to sell the frozen products as this will also require minimum investment and will bring a hike in the economic scale of both the companies (Shernoff, et al. 2014). Production of chilled products will require pasteurization machine, which is again an innovative strategy for gaining the shelf life of the products and the company has ample space within their factor to plant such machine. The relation that the sales manager have with the retailers and big supermarket chains can be proven beneficial for the company in triggering demand in the customers.
Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Growth
Figure 1: Flow Profile
In the flow profile, it is seen that the challenge level is medium but still there is matter of worry that is existing in the company regarding the plantation of the innovation plan. This state of doubt has aroused because of the disputes that are occurring between the managers and the difference in their opinions. The production and the factory manager are still deriving at a mutual conclusion but sakes manger is opposing to all the ideas and the opinions that the other managers are placing for effective implementation of the innovation plan. The opposition is occurring mainly because of the cultural difference of the sales manager with the other managers. Thus, the team culture in a way is also being hampered as the subordinates or the employees cannot understand the instructions and the ones that they should follow. Since, the employees cannot understand the instruction that innovation plan is also not being planted effectively which is becoming a matter of serious concern. The innovation potential is also becoming dilute and the worry about the plantation of the innovation plan is being doubted.
The leadership approach that I as a GM will apply to plant the innovation plan successfully and eradicate the prevailing conflicts amongst the mangers would be transformational leadership as this approach is appropriate to understand the issues and encourage the subordinated to adopt the change and plantation for innovation.
Google’s nine principle states that there are nine principles that any organization can utilize to have effective innovation culture in the company.
This states that the innovation need not only originate from the authorities of the company the employees are also allowed to put forward innovative ideas that can help the company to grow. The authorities of the company must also welcome the ideas and the concepts that the employees of the company are sharing. The employees of MCPF are facing issues in due to the constant conflict in opinions and decisions of the managers, thus the ideas that they are trying to share with the authority to mitigate the issue must also be considered.
The authorities must not consider the money but should invest in implementing more innovative techniques to make the business successful. Cunningham should invest in the new venture that is the microwaved products of MCPF. This will be both beneficial for both the companies. The MCPF mangers should also supervise that the innovation plan is financially viable to the financers and the revenue generation will be attractive for the financers so that they can get make good profits. Good investment on innovative ideas will also change the customer’s viewpoints about the company.
Application of Flow Theory
The company must try to better than the competitors. MCPF must excavate strategies that will help them to outshine from its competitors (Kumar & Pansari, 2016). The company should also make strategies that will be financially viable, which will have low production cost and pricing strategies should be formulated in a way that will have both beneficial for the company and within the purchasing capacity of the customers. This will help in changing the customer’s viewpoints and make them convince in making a purchase from the company over other rival brands.
Every company has its own innovation which other companies does not possess thus the company should try in making those innovative insights better day by day. MCPF must also recognize and take strategies to make their innovations better with gradual days. The innovation insight must be financially viable for the financers so that they do not have invest too much capital and the unique innovation insight will attract the customers towards the company and help in revenue generation.
The shipping of the products should be on a frequent basis without waiting for the perfection. The MCPF should keep on supplying their products and implement the innovation accordingly in their production process and supplying them as well in the market to make the customers feel that the company is valuing their preferences as well.
The employees should be given time to take up the jobs or the assignments in which they have their expertise to avoid severe mistakes. The MCPF company must also understand the potential of the employees and allocate them work accordingly.
The process should be open for all; it implies that all the employees should be allowed to deliver the ideas they are planning, which also help the company to grow. MCPF should also allow all the employees to give suggestions that will be beneficial for the company.
Failure can be a step towards the success, thus the company must not be afraid of the failure and put their efforts in expanding their business. MCPF company’s authorities and the managers should not get demotivated if they face failure rather learn from the mistake and implement better strategies towards development (Wellin, M. 2016).
The mission and the vision of the company should be clear and appropriate to reach the success. Thus, MCPF should also have clear mission and circulate those amongst the employees so that they can also contribute their best in attaining those goals of the company. The mission of the company must to be have financially viable innovation plan that will have less capital investments and the innovation should be such that will attract a large number of customers. The customer’s viewpoints should also be considered by the company and implement that in their mission in catering their demands to retain them.
Leadership Approach
Thus, the innovation culture that will be embedded in the company will be both serving the customer’s preferences and will be within the budget of the financers so that they will be convinced and interested in investing on the unique innovation plan that the managers and I, the GM of the company have planned to implement in the company. The team and the leaders of the company will also have the opportunity to involve themselves in the innovation plan and help the company in attaining the goals of the company. This will help both the company and the financers attain their aim.
Conclusion
The study can be finally concluded as the challenges in the team culture has been identified. Flow theory has been stated along with the leadership approach to plant the innovation, which will be more effective. There are nine principles of Google and customers viewpoints, financial goals and the innovation culture that will convince the financers has been stated in the study.
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