University Leadership Module: Elevator Pitches and Case Discussions

This report comprises two main parts: elevator pitches and case discussions. The elevator pitches address the relevance of planning in a dynamic market and strategies for brick-and-mortar retailers to compete with online stores. The case discussions delve into organizational culture and change, examining a case of a company with a strong, potentially detrimental culture and another case on navigating organizational change. The report analyzes the cases, identifies conflicting values, and proposes solutions for the leaders, highlighting key management competencies in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) world. The analysis covers topics such as fostering a supportive work environment, effective communication, delegation, and team building.

Running head: ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Elevator Pitches and Case Discussions
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Part A: Elevator pitches:
Elevator pitch for topic: Is Planning Dead?
Response to the Question:
In a globalized and competitive market planning based on the market and its needs is
essential for the survival of any business. A fast-changing market makes planning that much
more important as the company needs to know how to not only meet up with the demands but
also accurately gauge the future demands and thereby creating a larger market for their
products (Wrenn & Mansfield, 2014). Sophisticated neural networking and other adaptive
learning algorithms can predict rather accurately the consumer needs, trends and the most
effective way to reach the clientele (Khoreshok et al., 2016). Based on these predictions the
corporation can more efficiently allocate economic and human resources to minimize future
uncertainties as well as ensure customer satisfaction. Short and long-term planning makes it
possible for companies to set and achieve realistic objectives necessary for their growth.
Elevator pitch for topic: Walking both sides of the street
Response to the Question:
The first step to ensuring clientele moving away from brick and mortar retail is to
focus on and improve the one feature that is still rather lacking in the online markets, i.e.,
customer service on a personal level. Every store that intends to stay in competition with the
online giants will have to provide the best personal services to their customers starting from
assistance in the choice of products from a knowledgeable employee to the receipt of a
returning customer with a concern by the friendliest personnel (Basoglu, & Hess, 2014). The
other feature that is yet to be fulfilled by the online shops is the product experience of the
customer before purchase. Physical stores need to provide every possible opportunity for the
customer to try out the products on sale so as to ensure a continuing and growing business.

2ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Part B: Case discussion activity
Case discussion activity for Topic: Shaping Organisational Culture And Designing
Organisations
Case name: Can a strong culture be too strong?
Response to Question: 1
The case of Parivar is an interesting case that showcases how there should be a clear
distinction between the professional and the personal, and how overlapping these two aspects
will drive away employees and increase the rate of employee turnover. The conflicting values
that are evident right from the beginning are the shadowing system which the IT company
enforces on its employees. The vision of the company is that the experienced employees
would act as a friend, philosopher and guide to the newly joined employees and guide them
through the whole process of work while dropping them advises improving their
performances. However, it did not go as planned with employees leaving and raising a voice
against the shadow system in their exit interviews. The senior managers of the company
believe that employee turnover is not a bad thing because it just brings in more skilled people
and passes on innovative ideas within the company (Ambrose, 2014). Unfortunately, the HR
department does not agree and remains a sceptic with such a statement. The company’s
vision of fostering a fraternity culture by assigning a big brother or shadow to each employee
has intimidated the employees who are often met with criticism which is unnecessary and
harsh. Besides, the promise of the company to the employees about giving them more
exposure in front of the CEO of the company is not being successful as some entrants believe
that clearly nepotism and favouritism takes over.
Response to Question: 2

3ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
To suggest a resolution for Indira Pandit and Sudhir Gupta, it would be wise to advise
that they should focus on implementing the people support strategy in a favourable way. The
biggest problem with the support group is that they are coming as of intrusive rather than like
big brothers, which the CEO of the company had the original vision for. As suggested by the
employee Amal, favouritism also makes the support system a weak one. The HR department
should endorse a support system with young managers who are well trained to have a sharp
listing ear to the employees which would eventually foster trust within them. Besides, the
young managers would have the experience and knowledge of a senior manager but would
come as far less intimidating (Espinoza & Ukleja, 2016). Any kind of retaliation from this
particular support group will always make the employees feel subordinated if not enslaved
and they will choose to leave. On the contrary, a support system that is enriched with
enthusiastic individuals would drive the employees by motivation along with helping them
out with expert advice from time to time.
Response to Question: 3
The case highlights certain management competencies which are important for any
leader-manager in the VUCA world of the 21st century. A successful leader manager must
have the skill to motivate the team by constantly passing on advice as well as plans that
would match their vision with the vision of the company (Lawrence, 2013). To elaborate, the
leader must foster faith and trust relationships which are fuelled by the vision of growing
together, where the company and the employee both grow together with the aspects of money
and experience. Besides, the leaders must also focus on building effective teams (Bolman &
Deal, 2015). For Parivar, the leaders failed to build an effective support team, which instead
on increasing employee retention, increased the rate of employee turnover. A perfect team
can only be made when the junior-most and the senior most of the team are both valued
equally and are bonded to each other in the background of a positive environment.

4ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Case discussion activity for Topic: Organisational Change
Case name: Welcome aboard (But don’t change a thing)
Response to Question: 1
Having a look at the Welcome Aboard(But Don’t Change A Thing) case, it is evident
that the six months old authority of Cheryl Hailstrom is not welcome by most of her
subordinates and colleagues. Cheryl has been a part of the Lakeland Company for quite a
long time, in fact, she has grown in respect and position with the same company. A family
business that is intertwined with her service experience, Cheryl finds it difficult for her
encouraging views to get successful fruition due to the retaliation she is getting from the
colleagues and other contemporaries in the same company. Cheryl has been frustrated
because she stands in support with her own aggressive midmarket growth plan which is
further supported by key indicators. Lakeland has a massive customer account which appeals
for an urgency. The company has only a few months before its holiday season. In these few
months, the company has to design new toys, manufacture them and also deliver it to the
client in order to completely get done with the order. According to Cheryl, it is important that
the company takes major proactive steps to secure offshore production and operations, be
ready to address branding issues amongst other things rather than clinging to the same old
business model that most of her opposition supports (Shields et al., 2015). The conflicting
values that are evident in these case are, the aggressive targets that Cheryl wants to meet
before the holiday season and which the reluctant managers do not want to meet and the next
one is the conflict that she has developed over time with her managers regarding cheap
outsourcing of production, offshore.
Response to Question: 2

5ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
To avoid such conflicts Cheryl Hailstrom must make some changes that would be of
utmost benefit for her company. She can definitely include outsiders who are experienced in
managing the offshore business but she must include existing managers to look after the
operations as well. Cheryl must also appoint a supervising team to look after the midmarket
private label development strategy (Johansen & Voto, 2014). The supervising team must also
keep a stringent eye towards ensuring on-time delivery. Cheryl must change her leadership
style. For example, Cheryl has relocated her office which has been seen as intimidation and
coercion by her subordinates. Cheryl must also start listening to the opinions of her
colleagues which will only let her find intelligent ways to draw parallels with the employees’
interests. By framing her business strategies in such a way that it meets all the individual
needs and expectations of her subordinates, she can very well reason with them and make
them lead the company in a direction which would be the best for it (Elkington et al., 2017).
Response to Question: 3
This case highlights certain management competencies which are important for any
leader-manager in the VUCA world of the 21st century. To talk about Cheryl, she lacks
communication in an effective way and the lack of which is fuelling the conflicts which she is
facing (Bennett & Lemoine, 2014). Cheryl must channelize the best of her employees
through effective communication which stresses motivation and drawing a parallel between
her vision and the vision of the employees. The second thing being delegation, Cheryl must
channelize the managers according to their best qualities and motivate them in such a way
that they do the work for her because it is true that she herself cannot run a business all by her
own (Mack et al., 2015). Cheryl should also focus on effective team building which would
eventually take care of the overseas production.

6ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Reference
Ambrose, P. (2014). What Happened to Planning?(Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Basoglu, K. A., & Hess, T. J. (2014). Online business reporting: A signaling theory
perspective. Journal of Information systems, 28(2), 67-101.
Bennett, N., & Lemoine, G. J. (2014). What a difference a word makes: Understanding
threats to performance in a VUCA world. Business Horizons, 57(3), 311-317.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2015). Think—or sink: Leading in a VUCA world. Leader to
Leader, 2015(76), 35-40.
Elkington, R., Steege, M. V. D., Glick-Smith, J., & Breen, J. M. (Eds.). (2017). Visionary
Leadership in a Turbulent World: Thriving in the New VUCA Context. Emerald
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Espinoza, C., & Ukleja, M. (2016). Managing the Millennials: Discover the core
competencies for managing today's workforce. John Wiley & Sons.
Johansen, B., & Voto, A. (2014). Leadership skills to thrive in the future. People and
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Khoreshok, A. A., Zhironkin, S. A., Tyulenev, M. A., Barysheva, G. A., Blumenstein, V. Y.,
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Lawrence, K. (2013). Developing leaders in a VUCA environment. UNC Exec Dev, 1-15.
Mack, O., Khare, A., Krämer, A., & Burgartz, T. (Eds.). (2015). Managing in a VUCA
World. Springer.

7ELEVATOR PITCHES AND CASE DISCUSSIONS
Shields, J., Brown, M., Kaine, S., Dolle-Samuel, C., North-Samardzic, A., McLean, P., ... &
Plimmer, G. (2015). Managing employee performance & reward: Concepts,
practices, strategies. Cambridge University Press.
Wrenn, B., & Mansfield, P. M. (2014). Marketing planning guide. Routledge.