Sweet Music Case Study Solution

For instance Chris Martin…

However, in order to communicate this vision and directional plan to the organization’s lower managers and labor, Chris Martin must also have a certain amount of human skills, so they will all support the plan and bring about organizational success. Technical skills are the least needed one for Chris Martin. He should be able to hire employees who have the necessary technical skills to make the outstanding Martin guitars. However, hiring a person to “see” and develop organizational plans and mission would be difficult, and therefore, this leadership must come from Chris Martin.

2) Check out the CITES Web site. What information could a manager find there? How might an organization’s commitment to social responsibility affect the way managers perform the managerial functions?

Manager can find a lot of information concerning the current laws and regulations and international trade restrictions concerning wildlife, natural environment and flora. Because Martin guitars are made from wood the current international trade restrictions and limitations of importing and exporting natural products are quite relevant to daily business dealings at Martin Guitars. An organization’s commitment to social responsibility has an immediate impact on the planning managerial function. If the company takes a particularly strong position of using all natural products, with no artificial components, the procurement of supplies is quite different. A company such as Martin Guitars would use a large quantity of natural wood, which could cause some tree preservation groups to watch the organization’s practices quite closely.

However, many customers could be influenced positively to buy a natural product, particularly from a company that practices a “nature-friendly” style of production. However, this socially responsible behavior has a lot of good effects on the planning managerial function.

3) What management roles would Chris be playing as he (a) visits Martin dealerships around the world, (b) assesses the feasibility of new guitar models, and (c) keeps employees focused on the company’s long-standing principles? Explain your choices.

(a) When Chris visits Martin dealerships around the world he is acting as a figurehead, a leader and a monitor. When he simply represents the company around the world, he is being a figurehead. When he visits the dealerships and provides them with a solid, he is being a leader and visible person to follow. He is also acting as a disseminator. It means, Chris could be taking information from corporate headquarters out to the individual dealerships and providing those dealerships with up-to-date company information. And, Chris is being a monitor when he visits the dealerships, because he is gathering information from the dealerships that can be taken back to headquarters and utilized for product and service improvements.

(b) He is acting as an entrepreneur and a disturbance handler, when Chris assesses the feasibility of new guitar models. However as an entrepreneur he is on the “cutting edge” of technology, moving the company to a new level. Chris could be a disturbance handler when assessing the feasibility of a new guitar model if he is choosing between multiple designs or if he is making a final decision on whether or not to “go with” a new model.

(c) When Chris is keeping employees focused on the company’s long stand principles he is being a negotiator, a leader and a resource allocator. The long stand principles of Martin Guitars have been a key factor in guiding the organization historically, currently, and probably in the future. As he focuses employees on these goals Chris would be a leader. Chris might also be using these principles as a negotiator and resource allocator to end disputes.

4) Chris made the statement that “If Martin just worships its past without trying anything new, there won’t be a Martin left to worship.” What are the implications for managers throughout the company as they plan, organize, lead, and control?

Chris is making a very clear statement that Martin Guitars must be progressive and move forward with the future. It means; if Martin Guitars managers assume that customer demands and competitors would remain status q, Martin Guitars would decline and even cease to exist. Therefore, his message is to be innovative and creative in service, product, and process. This definite directive for innovation and change should tell managers to be innovative and creative in all managerial functions including planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

5) Chris’s management style was described by employees as friendly and personal, yet firm and direct. What do you think this means as far as the way he plans, organizes, leads, and controls? Do you think this style would work in other organizations or does this style work only because it’s a family business and Chris is the sixth generation of the family to run the business? Explain.

Chris plans, organizes, leads, and controls in a friendly manner; but can really get quite serious and aggressive when the occasion demands. This type of management style would probably be described as very people-oriented, but also process-oriented.

Yes, this style of management is quite effective in other organizations. For example, Bill Gates would probably be described in this same manner. He is the manager of lots of employees. Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Although he is admired by many, a number of industry insiders criticize his business tactics, which they consider anti-competitive, an opinion which has in some cases been upheld by the courts. During Microsoft’s early years, all employees had broad responsibility for the company’s business. Gates oversaw the business details, but continued to write code as well. In the first five years, he personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, and often rewrote parts of it as he saw fit.

As long as business is going well, Bill and Chris are pretty friendly and personal, but during a difficult time, both gentlemen would probably choose to be less friendly and more decisive and serious. Perhaps Chris must be a bit more friendly and personal because this is a family business. Many employees could possibly be multi generational employee families, also. Many employees may have worked for Chris’ older relatives, which would also tend to require him to be more personal and friendly.