EBK UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS
EBK UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS
11th Edition
ISBN: 8220102809673
Author: Nickels
Publisher: YUZU
Question
Book Icon
Chapter 8, Problem 3VC
Summary Introduction

Case summary:

W Market is a supermarket chain specializing in fresh, organic produce from local sources. It has a large operation across the world to watch over and the mission to sell the highest-quality natural and organic products available. It depends on an organizational structure that combines aspects of a mom-and-pop operation with a traditional corporate hierarchy.

The company got its start when JM and RL borrowed money from friends and family to open a small natural food store in Austin. Their business began to boom and soon merged with another store. However, they faced a huge setback when a destructive flood struck the city. W Market lost its building and all of its produce and inventory. Fortunately, it was soon back in business. Initially, the staff was small enough with everyone doing any sort of job. Gradually, the business grew and it opened many stores.

Labor was divided between four partners, with each specializing in one or more of the tasks critical to the business. The partners decided to depend on separate and local suppliers in each regions they had stores. A decentralized structure gives the company the flexibility to adapt to changes without involving needless bureaucracy.

Characters in the case:

The important characters and factors discussed in this case are W Market, its owners JM, RL and partners, and the decentralized structure of W Market.

Adequate information:

W Market is a supermarket chain specializing in fresh, organic produce from local sources. The business grew with time and it opened many stores. In the business, labor is divided between four partners, with each specializing in one or more of the tasks critical to the business. They depend on separate and local suppliers in each regions they had stores. A decentralized structure gives the company the flexibility to adapt to changes without involving needless bureaucracy.

To explain: With reason whether the corporate culture at W Market is somewhat resistant to change or accepting of change.

Blurred answer
Students have asked these similar questions
At the end of 2014, a large university hospital in the Netherlands launched a procurement tender exercise for surgical suture material. The rationale for hospital management to initiate this procedure was cost-cutting and standardization. The award criteria were focussed on the most economically advantageous tender. There were different suppliers on the market that were able to produce and deliver high-quality surgical suture material for a lower price than was currently being paid. Consequently, the tender was awarded to a new supplier.The top managers and purchasing manager who initiated the tender trod carefully and implemented this relatively small-scale change initiative according to some basic change management principles (e.g. Kotter, 2012): they built a guiding coalition that incorporated renowned medical specialists, they consulted department heads and they communicated the change to surgeons through different channels. Furthermore, it was recorded in the tender that the new…
Lance Best, the CEO of Barker Sports Apparel, was meeting with Nina Kelk, the company’sgeneral counsel, who also oversaw human resources. It had been a long day at the company’sBirmingham, England, headquarters, and in the early evening the two were going over theevaluations of each of Lance’s direct reports. Lance was struck by what he saw in CFO DamonEwen’s file. Most of the input was neutral, which was to be expected. Though brilliant and wellrespected, Damon wasn’t the warmest of colleagues. But one person had given him the lowestratings possible, and from the written remarks, Lance could tell that it was Ahmed Lund, Barker’shead of sales. One read: “I’ve never worked with a bigger control freak in my life.”“These comments are pretty vicious,” Lance said.“You’re surprised?” Nina asked.“I guess not,” Lance acknowledged.His CFO and his sales chief had been at loggerheads for a while. Ahmed’s 360 also contained afew pointed complaints about his working style1—no doubt from Damon.Lance…
At the end of 2014, a large university hospital in the Netherlands launched a procurement tender exercise for surgical suture material. The rationale for hospital management to initiate this procedure was cost-cutting and standardization. The award criteria were focussed on the most economically advantageous tender. There were different suppliers on the market that were able to produce and deliver high-quality surgical suture material for a lower price than was currently being paid. Consequently, the tender was awarded to a new supplier.The top managers and purchasing manager who initiated the tender trod carefully and implemented this relatively small-scale change initiative according to some basic change management principles (e.g. Kotter, 2012): they built a guiding coalition that incorporated renowned medical specialists, they consulted department heads and they communicated the change to surgeons through different channels. Furthermore, it was recorded in the tender that the new…
Knowledge Booster
Background pattern image
Similar questions
SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Text book image
Understanding Business
Management
ISBN:9781259929434
Author:William Nickels
Publisher:McGraw-Hill Education
Text book image
Management (14th Edition)
Management
ISBN:9780134527604
Author:Stephen P. Robbins, Mary A. Coulter
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Spreadsheet Modeling & Decision Analysis: A Pract...
Management
ISBN:9781305947412
Author:Cliff Ragsdale
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Text book image
Management Information Systems: Managing The Digi...
Management
ISBN:9780135191798
Author:Kenneth C. Laudon, Jane P. Laudon
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Business Essentials (12th Edition) (What's New in...
Management
ISBN:9780134728391
Author:Ronald J. Ebert, Ricky W. Griffin
Publisher:PEARSON
Text book image
Fundamentals of Management (10th Edition)
Management
ISBN:9780134237473
Author:Stephen P. Robbins, Mary A. Coulter, David A. De Cenzo
Publisher:PEARSON