Deakin University MMS714 Case Study: GoSports Organizational Analysis

This case study analyzes the challenges faced by GoSports, a national sporting goods retailer, focusing on the impact of power and politics on organizational performance. The analysis examines the issues of declining sales, the shift to online retailing, and the lack of market understanding. It explores the roles and power dynamics of key individuals like Luc Livingston, Michael Sutton, and Betty Carson, highlighting their leadership styles, motivations, and conflicts. The study delves into the effects of biased management structures, favoritism, and the appointment of an outsider CEO (James Park). The report investigates how these factors contribute to internal conflicts, affecting decision-making processes, workplace culture, and the overall efficiency of GoSports. The case study also assesses the different leadership styles and how the power is utilized by the managers of the venture and the impact of these on the organization.

Running head: CASE STUDY ASSESSMENT
CASE STUDY ASSESSMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Executive summary
The report aimed at examining the issues that are being faced by GoSports and the manner in
which they might be mitigated. The report also focused on the power and politics in the
organizational cult6ure of the concerned organization and the impact of the same on the
performance of the venture. The different aspects of change in the organizational operations are
reliant on the effectiveness of the business propositions. The purpose of undertaking the
discussion is to develop cognition based on the distribution of power and politics in the
organizational culture and the manner in which it affected the performance of the venture.

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Table of Contents
Introduction to the case....................................................................................................................3
Issues that are being faced by GoSports..........................................................................................4
Individuals in the company and the power used by the same..........................................................6
Problems between the organizational members............................................................................10
Potential motivations for uses of power........................................................................................14
Most powerful individual in the case.............................................................................................16
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
References......................................................................................................................................19

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Introduction to the case
Culpepper (2015) opined that the power and authority of the leaders and the approaches
that are considered by the same affects the potentials of the venture in developing the potentials
of the same while operating in the different markets. The concerned organization, GoSports Inc,
was founded in the year 1973 which developed the range of operations from a small
neighborhood store to a national chain of business operations (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). The
wide range of product offerings of the venture assisted the same in developing their propositions
in adherence to the demand of the customers. However, the concerned organization has been
facing different issues which has affected the potentials of the same in developing a collaborative
approach. The issues affected the potentials of the venture in developing a consistent and
familiar operational systems while improving the position of the in the markets. It has been noted
through analysis of the case that GoSports experienced a decline in the sales volume over the last
few years which affected the revenue streams of the same.
GoSports shifted their focus to the online retailing which has affected the potentials of the
venture in maintaining the efficiency of the operations in adherence to the demand of the
customers (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). On the other hand, the lack of suitable understanding of
the market structure and the demand of the target customers. The lack of suitable understanding
of the different situations has affected the potentials of the venture in improving the efficiency of
the operations in adherence to the demand of the customers. The purpose of undertaking the
research is to develop an appropriate understanding of the different issues that are faced by the
organization and the manner in which the authoritative power is being utilized by the managers
of the venture. The personal disagreements among the organizational leaders and the
management approach that is being initiated by the hierarchy has affected the potentials of the

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venture in improving the efficiency of the operation in adherence to the demand of the
customers. Therefore, the research will also develop a suitable understanding of the different
leadership styles and the manner in which the individuals in the case applied power in the
context of the organization.
Issues that are being faced by GoSports
The concerned organization, GoSports, developed a biased management structure which
affected the morality of the people working under the same (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). The
conflicts in the ideologies of the hierarchy of management also affected the potentials of the
venture in maintaining the efficiency of the operations in adherence to the demand of the
customers. Geppert and Dörrenbächer (2014) opined that the different modifications that are
commenced by the ventures are reliant on the collaborative functioning of the hierarchy
management and the avoidance of biased approaches. The biased approaches of an
organizational management affects the rate of operations. On the other hand, the decision making
potentials of the venture is reliant on the effectiveness of the decision making potentials of the
management through consultation among the members and the active engagement of the same in
the different processes.
Pullen and Rhodes (2014) opined that the different aspects of modifications in the
organizational operations depends on the effectiveness of the operations in adherence to the
demand of the customers. In this relation, the management body of the organization is based on
certain levels of favoritism, which has affected the decision making potentialities. Favoritism and
biased approach while choosing the managers who does not have practical experience or
knowledge of management has affected the potency of the venture while improving the line of
operations. It was also noted during the evaluation of the case study that most of the executives

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were chosen from the family itself and that too after their graduation in the specific subjects. It
clearly reflected that the executives had little or no knowledge and experience on managing the
operations of the venture.
Lack of appropriate experience on the different managerial decision making has affected
the potentials of the venture in improving the operations of the same while operating in the
different markets. Scherer, Palazzo and Matten (2014) stated that the experience of the leaders
assist the same in identifying the position of the venture and the different strategies that might be
undertaken by the organization while improving the efficiency of the operations in the different
markets. Therefore, the concerned management group of GoSports is mainly led by
inexperienced personnel which has challenged the competitive edge of the venture. The different
modifications that are undertaken by the organization assist the same in developing the
operations while operating in the different markets.
The most important issue that is being faced by the organization is due to the lack of
appropriate knowledge of the market prospects and the demand of the customers. Keller (2018)
stated that the lack of knowledge of the position of the business in the markets and the nature of
demand of the consumers might challenge the offerings of the venture while marketing the same.
In this relation, the lack of proficient knowledge of the interests of the consumers has affected
the potential of the management in strengthening the R&D operations of the venture.
The authoritative control of the executives and the conflicts in the hierarchy itself has
affected the potentials of the venture in developing a positive workplace culture while operating
in the different markets. The different modifications that are commenced by the concerned
venture is reliant on the decisions that are initiated by the management team. In this relation, the
different modifications that are commenced by the venture are reliant on the efficiency of the

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operations in adherence to the demand of the customers. Fleming and Spicer (2014) stated that
the authoritative control over the organizational operations challenge the potentials of the
employees to portray suitable creative approaches. The creativity of the employees assist an
organization in maintaining the efficiency of the operations in adherence to the demand of the
customers. Therefore, the implementation of authoritative control over the organizational
operations has affected the potentials of the venture in developing the operations in adherence to
the demand of the customers. On the other hand, the application of favoritism in the management
structure has influenced the working culture of the venture. The biased approach of the
management affected the potentials of the venture in improving the management structure.
Individuals in the company and the power used by the same
 Luc Livingston: Livingston is the director of Operations in the GoSports and is known
for the amicable nature of the same when the organizational operations bore positive
results for the profitability of the venture. However, he portrayed short tempered attitudes
when the organization encountered crisis. Therefore, Livingston portrayed an attitude
which clearly indicated that he is incapable to handle crisis situations that are being faced
by the concerned organization (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). On the other hand, the lack of
mitigation related potentials of Livingston has affected his position in the organizational
operations. Sarah and the board of directors decided to hire an outsider, Park, for
resolving the issues that are being faced by the organization. It has challenged the
organization in improving the efficacy of the operations while aiming at improving the
position of the organization. On the other hand, Livingston expected to work as the CEO
himself which is highly ambitious for the same while being incapable to mitigate an
operational issue and a short tempered attitude. In this relation, Livingston opposed the

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move that was undertaken by Sarah and the board of directors for appointing Park as the
new CEO of the venture. Therefore, the attitude of Livingston aimed at seizing the
authoritative control over the organizational operations. The mentality of Livingston
affected the overall operations of the venture while developing the propositions of the
same and enhancing the position of the same. Dörrenbächer and Geppert (2014) opined
that the over ambition of a leader creates disruption in the usual flow of operations that
are planned by the hierarchy. The different aspects of change that are undertaken by the
organization affected the potentials of the same in continuing with the efficiency of the
operations in adherence to the demand of the customers. Livingston did not take part in
the enhancement procedure that is being planned by the board of directors and criticized
the decision that was commenced by the directors of appointing Park as the new CEO.
The motive of Livingston affected the potentials of the venture in improving the rate of
operations with the objective of developing the rate of business practices. Michael Sutton: Michael believed that everyone in the organization must take the
initiative of respecting the decisions that are made by the same being the eldest son of
Edward Sutton while not being involved in the decisions that are made by the executive
board. The lack of engagement of Michael in the different decision making process of the
organizational board has affected the potentials of the venture in developing the position
of the same and the offerings (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). However, Michael never
neglected the need of the organization in enhancing the position of the same. The lack of
active involvement of Michael in the decision making process of the venture affected the
potentials of the same in improving the position. On the other hand, Michael also
believed that the decision of the board relating to the appointment of an outsider as the

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CEO of the venture was unnecessary. The lack of involvement of Michael did not
correlate with his mentality of bringing forth modifications in the organizational models.
Michael believed that he was capable of bringing forth the required change in the
organizational model. However, in the time of organizational crisis the lack of active
involvement of Michael affected the potentials of the venture in mitigating the challenge.
Therefore, the lack of active involvement of Michael in the organizational processes and
the diverse range of opinions and dissimilarities between the ideologies of Sarah and
Michael affected the decision making process of the board. Again, the reverence that is
being expected by Michael is reliant on the position that is inherited by the same from his
father which cannot be counted as power while considering a crisis situation that is
encountered by the venture. Betty Carson: Betty had a wider steam of networks which assisted the venture in
maintaining the efficiency of the operations. On the other hand, she totally agreed to the
decision that was undertaken by the organization for appointing Park as the new CEO as
she believed that an outsider has better capabilities of understanding the situation of the
venture and thereby develop the operations with the objective of enhancing the position
of the venture (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). On the other hand, it was also noted that Betty
has greater connectivity with all the executives which has assisted the venture in
developing the process design and the decision making attributes. Rivoli (2014) stated
that the better connectivity of with the stakeholders and the executive board of directors
assist an organization in resolving the clashes that are being faced by the same while
operating in the different markets. Therefore, in this relation, Betty’s portrayed a positive

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sight of power which has assisted the venture and the organizational management in
maintaining the efficiency of the operation in adherence to the demand of the customers. Robert Harkin: Harkin like Betty Carson also believed that the concerned organization
might undertake a drastic change in the executive level with the objective of enhancing
the organizational position in the markets. Apart from being a close associate of
Livingstone, Harkin believed that Luc Livingstone has no capabilities of mitigating the
issues that are being faced by the organization. On the other hand, Harkin also believed
that an outsider would assist the venture in developing the potential strengths of the same
while operating in adherence to the sustenance related goals of the venture (Hemme &
Dixon, 2015). Harkin also valued creativity, himself being a creative person. It has
assisted the venture in developing an innovative culture while developing disruptions in
the deteriorating position of the venture. The deterioration of the family based values
were already evident through the position of the venture in the markets. Therefore,
Harkin was happy with the appointment of Park as the new CEO of the venture which
clearly denoted the positive aspects of power. Sarah Sutton: Sarah recently joined the organization with the concept that her brother
Michael has made little contributions for continuing with the Sutton legacy. It is evident
from the analysis of the case that she distrusted Livingstone which made her choose an
outsider, Park, as the CEO of the venture (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). The transactional
style of management that is being portrayed through the activities of Sarah would assist
the venture in developing the market position of the same while operating in the different
markets. Sarah developed the position of the venture through ensuring the bottom line by
creating tighter budgets and empowering the departments to function more efficiently.

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Therefore, the contributions that are made by Sarah assisted the venture in developing
their position in the due course along with the decision of appointing Park as the new
CEO of the venture.
Problems between the organizational members
The major issues that are being faced by the organizational members and executives are
reliant on the induction of family emotions in the business contexts which affected their decision
making potentials. The involvement of Michael, Jeannie and Sarah in the members of the board
is reliant on their direct relation with Edward Sutton. However, it was noted that the conflicting
ideologies of the board members affected the process flow in the organization. On the other
hand, the lack of suitable links of communication between the board members due to ego clashes
has affected the potentials of the venture in improvising the operations of the same while
developing knowledge on the market prospects (Hemme & Dixon, 2015). On the other hand,
distrust among the high managers of the organization and the clashing ideologies between Luc
Livingston, Michael and Sarah has again created a whole range of politics in the systems.
Tyre (2015) opined that the different developments that are made by the organizations
are reliant on the collaborative functioning of the management while operating in the different
markets. In this relation, the different modifications that are commenced by the organization
would rely on the collaborative functioning of the stakeholders and the board members. On the
other hand, the application of authoritative power on the organizational politics would affect the
relation between the hierarchies of management. In this relation, Luc Livingston has played a
major role in degrading the level of politics in the acclaimed organization. The ambition for
gaining an overall power as the CEO of the organization and the ruthless attitude of Livingston
has minimized the rate of collaboration among the hierarchy of management. On the other hand,

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the differences in the ideological constructs of Livingston has affected the potentials of the board
members in designing an appropriate decision making system.
The ambition of the personnel and the selfish motives of the same created a distance
between Sarah and Livingston. Sinnicks (2014) opined that the collaborative functioning of the
high officials and the hierarchy of management in an organization assist the same in continuing
with the efficiency of the operation in adherence to the market demands. The activities that are
commenced by Livingston has affected the potentials of the venture in developing the operations
of the same while operating in adherence to the sustenance related objectives of the same. The
selfish motives of Livingston has enhanced the rate of office politics and minimized the rate of
collaboration among the executives and the other members.
On the other hand, Michael’s lack of involvement in the different processes that are
planned by the management board has affected the potentials of the venture in developing a
rational decision making procedure. Sage (2015) opined that the lack of active involvement of a
board member in the different processes affects the potentials of the venture in continuing with
the collaborative functioning of the process planning and designing related activities. On the
other hand, the ideology of Michael greatly reflected his distrust towards the decision that is
being undertaken by Sarah for involving an outsider like Park with the motive of enhancing the
operations of the venture. Distrust among the executive team affects the collaborative decision
making capabilities of the hierarchy of management. However, Michael has high commitment
towards the enhancement of the organizational position but he felt that there was no need of
hiring an outside as the CEO of the venture for enhancing the rate of operations in the different
market segments.