case study of teamwork management issues

Background/situation
This case study is about teamwork management issues. The main challenge in the study faces
Erick Holt who is a new director at FireArts, a company specializing in beer steins, wine goblets,
and other glass novelties production. Before getting a job with FireArts as a director, Erick
previously worked as a vice president in a consulting firm, where he had been charged with the
responsibility of leading three manufacturing specialist teams.
Under his leadership, the teams had worked very well and everybody was enthusiastic and
committed to achieving success (Wetlaufer 28). On contrary, upon getting the post of a director
at FireArts, he finds a completely different scenario; he is supposed to lead a team of seven top-
level managers in initiating change since the company was performing poorly. The department
managers show readiness to work hand in hand with the strategy manager but the seventh one
seems disinterest in performing as a team. Randy Louderback, sales and marketing director in
FireArts is the man behind all the controversies highlighted in this case study.
Despite being very bright and with valuable insights to the company, randy seems determined
to undermine all efforts made by the other director towards creating change. The situation in this
case study is not clear since Randy does not state exactly what he thinks should be done. He
opposes all efforts done by the other company managers without stating the alternative course
of action. Although he insists that change is not initiated by a team but a specific individual who
comes up with a brilliant idea and inspires others to follow, he fails to aid the strategy director in
coming up with the idea.
Key individuals
The key individuals in this case study are Erick Holt, FireArts new director of strategy, charged
with the responsibility of putting together a team of top individuals within the organization, and
Randy Louderback, the sales, and marketing director in FireArts. Erick Holt has vast experience
in leading teams of manufacturing specialists, previously he worked with allnighters where he
received a lot of support from the teams he leads.
On the other hand, Randy enjoys a legendary past and close relationship with FireArts CEO. He
made his way from being a poor child by working as a short-order cook and security guard and
managed to put himself through state college. On his graduation, he received top honors and
immediately after started his market research and advertising firm in Indianapolis. He
succeeded in building the company to an extent of employing 50 staff members entrusted with
the responsibility of servicing the region’s most prestigious accounts (Wetlaufer 30). However,
in1980 Randy’s company faced serious challenges and closed down. He then landed the post
of a marketing director at FireArts but often bragged of having received dozens of invitations to
other jobs.

Erick enjoys a very cordial relationship with all the directors he is in charge of leading apart from
one. Although Randy proves to be a challenge in his change initiatives, he does not rebuke him
openly. He is constantly looking for the best mechanism of seeking Randy is support although
he does not succeed. Randy on the other hand seems to be very proud and a person who does
not want to share his success with others.
He does not give the other group members a chance to air their views, something that makes
the other directors hate him. In fact, on one occasion, Ray Lapierre confronted him openly and
stated that he did not care about anybody else. I believe Erick can achieve much-needed
change. All he needs is to give Randy some promotion so that he can feel at a special rank
compared to the others, since; the CEO believes he is important to the company.
Issues/problems
The main issues in this case study revolve around leadership strategies employed in the daily
running of FireArts. The company has been enjoying a high degree of success for nearly the
last 80 years as one of the high-price producers. Traditionally, FireArts has been doing great
business during every football season by selling to the team fans commemorative knickknacks
(Wetlaufer 30). In spring, the company has been enjoying a demand rush for senior prom items
such as beer mugs and change goblet. However, over the last18 months, the company has
undergone a period of serious challenges. Other companies had started to enter the firearms
niche; something that facilitated jack Derry, FireArts CEO to hire a new strategy director.
Randy Louderback could be termed as the main cause of all the problems facing Firearms. He
seems to have made up his mind, that he should be the strategic direction in the organization
and has been working hard in pulling other director’s efforts back. He does not cooperate and
has taken advantage of his acquired trust from the CEO. The problem created by Randy has
cost the company many profits and is likely to cost Erick his job as the director of the strategy.
Also, the company is facing other subliminal problems such as losing customers’ trust because
of a decline in production. If the current situation is not carefully put under control, the six
directors might decide to resign because of randy’s intimidation.
Causes
Randy Louderback has caused the problems surrounding teamwork management, in FireArts.
Although he posses deep knowledge of the best approaches to improve performance in the
company, he opts to lie back and frustrate the others. He openly disagrees with the approach
taken by the strategic manager to initiate change. At one instance, he interrupts a presentation
made by Carl Simmons, director of distribution by mocking him; that his statement meant that
the company should change everything starting with the kitchen sink. On another occasion, Ray
confronts him when he comes late for a meeting and interrupts everything until everyone left.