Contemporary Management - Assignment

Running Head: CASE STUDIES 1
Contemporary Management: Case Studies
Name
Institution

Contemporary Management: Case Studies
Can you win back online shoppers?
Q1.
From the case study, one notes that there are obvious conflicting values between Ben and
Farb. While Ben believes in playing an offense and defense strategy to capture the shoppers who
practice ‘show rooming’, Farb believes in upgrading the products offered by the company by
showcasing only the highest-value products and educating customers about them (Thales &
Sunil, 2013). While both strategies may work, both gentlemen are unwilling to consider the ideas
of the other, thereby creating a conflict of values.
In addition, one notes that there exists conflicting values between using traditional and
contemporary business methods to tackle the ‘showrooming’ problem and implementing a more
radical method (Thales & Sunil, 2013). As such, Ben’s idea of using an offense and defense
technique to counter competition from Amazon is opposed by Farb’s idea of colluding with the
suppliers to exclusively sell high-valued electronics to the firm in order to capture the high-end
customers in the market.
Q2.
I would advise the board to adopt a strategy that works towards matching the online prices and
quality while at the same time improve customer service and experience while in the store. In
turn, this would entice the customers to purchase electronic from the store instead of ordering
them online from platforms such as Amazon. Alternatively, I would advise the company to
collude with suppliers to create exclusive SKUs so that the firm offers high-valued products that

are not available on online platforms. In turn, this would help the firm capture online clients
since the products would only be available at their stores.
Q3.
The case highlights various management competencies that are crucial for the 21st century
leader-manager. They include;
Communication- The case highlights the importance of effective communication between the
CEO and the team. Effective communication allows the leader to communicate their own views
to the team, seek the views and opinion of the team regarding certain problems, and listen to
their views to deduce the best possible strategies for the business.
Patient and receptive to ideas- The case also highlights the importance of patience in a leader
or manager. It is important for leaders to listen patiently to the ideas of the rest of the team in
order to understand their views and strategies well instead of interjecting them as they explain
their opinions (Rusell, 2012).
Thinking Strategically. A 21st Century leader should be able to think strategically in order to
solve problems that arise in the company more effectively. In this case, the leader and his team is
charged with the responsibility of solving a 21st century problem caused by the online shop
Amazon (Rusell, 2012).
Embrace Innovation . Additionally, a leader should embrace innovation in the workplace as
people cannot be creative under constant pressure and fear of making mistakes. Thus, a leader
should provide a collaborative working culture that facilitates openness, constant learning and
development of ideas to solve problems that arise in the modern workplace.

Can a Strong Culture Be Too Strong?
Q1.
From the case study, one notes that Indira and Sudhir have conflicting values about the most
suitable organizational culture for the business. While Sudhir believes that a fun, friendly and
loving organizational culture that genuinely cares for its people is the best way to retain,
employees Indira believes that an organizational culture that is less friendly but pays more
money to its employees would result in better retentions rates in the organization, thereby
solving the worker turnover problem (Garvin, Natarajan, & Dowling, 2014).
Q2.
I would advise Indira Pandit and Sudhir to consider the adoption of the proposed “People
Support Function” since it is clear that the current approach in the company is not working well.
the high levels of worker turnover need to be reduced as soon as possible for the company to
remain profitable. Taking this initiative may allow the company to identify and resolve the issues
that are bothering employees before they decide to resign from the company. As noted in the
case, a friendly working environment will give the company a competitive advantage over its
rival firms in recruiting and retaining workers. However, before adopting the strategy, they must
be clear about how to implement in manner that is not too intrusive for the employees. The firm
must first find out what makes its employees happy in order to create a meaningful link between
them and the culture of the firm.

Q3.
Strategic thinking. The case highlights the importance of strategic thinking in an organization
in order to find out the strategies that work best for the firm and its employees (Kay, 2015). As
such, the management is required to employ strategic thinking in order to solve the problem of
losing employees to their competitors.
Take initiative. A successful manager and leader in the 21st century are expected to take
initiative and devise methods of improving the conditions within their organization. The leader
must seek ways to better the conditions within the firm to offer solutions to the problems
experienced in the firm (Nevins & Stumpf, 2015). For instance in this case, Sudhir took an
initiative to consult with the “People Support function” team as a means to reduce the high
turnover rates experienced in the company.
Receptive to new ideas. The case study also highlights the importance of being welcoming to
new ideas and strategies from other members of the team (Rusell, 2012). As such, Sudhir
brought about the idea of “People Support function” and introduced it to Indira with the view
that she would be receptive to the idea and work towards its implementation in the company.
Have a clear vision for the organization. It is important for a 21st century manager and leader
to hold a clear vision for the company and work towards achieving that vision for the company
(Sheikh, 2016). In the case Sudhir had a vision of a loving and friendly organizational culture
that cares for the needs of its employees as a means of attracting and retaining more employees,
thereby giving it a competitive edge over rival firms in the country.

References
Garvin, D., Natarajan, G., & Dowling, D. (2014). Can a Strong Culture Be Too Strong?.
Harvard Business Review, 92(1), 113-117.
Kay, K. (2015). Leadership Competencies for the 21st Century. Partnership for 21st Century
Learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1610-leadership-
competencies-for-the-21st-century
Nevis, M. D., & Stumpf, S. A. (1999). 21st Century Leadership: Redefining Management
Education: Educating Managers in the Modern Era. Strategy + Business. Retrieved from
https://www.strategy-business.com/article/19405?gko=3b347
Russell, L. (2012). Critical competencies for 21st century leaders. Alexandria, Va.: American
Society for Training & Development/ASTD Press.
Sheikh, S. (2016). 7 Keys to Effective Leadership in the 21st Century. Noomii. Retrieved from
https://www.noomii.com/articles/6953-7-keys-to-effective-leadership-in-the-21st-century
Thales, T, & Gupta, S. (2015). Can You Win Back Online Shoppers? .Harvard Business Review,
93(1), 117-.