Case Study Analysis: Target's Management and Learning Organization

This case study analysis examines the managerial functions, challenges, and viewpoints within Target Corporation, particularly in response to a significant security breach. The analysis focuses on the CEO's actions, highlighting the importance of controlling and planning in addressing the crisis, including the implementation of free identity-theft and credit monitoring insurance. The study identifies seven core management challenges faced by Target, evaluating their success in managing competitive advantage, globalization, diversity, information technology, ethical standards, organizational sustainability, and employee happiness. Furthermore, the analysis explores the primary management viewpoint of quality management and the potential of a contingency viewpoint, emphasizing the need for effective communication. The study concludes by assessing Target as a learning organization, stressing the importance of commitment to learning, idea generation, and generalization, and recommending strategies to foster a learning environment to improve future crisis management.

Running Head: CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
Case Study Analysis
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1CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
Question 1.According to the respective case study, the major managerial function is based on
controlling and planning. After facing the issue of security breach within the organization, the
next initiative adopted by the CEO Greg Steinhafel was regarding the process of approaching the
breach caused. According to the case study, the first planning step adopted by them was
regarding the function of providing identity-theft and credit monitoring insurance on a free basis
to all customers associated with the organization with a time frame of one year. This was the
suggestion of the CEO under the method of initiating the plan. Under the respective planning
stage it was important for the CEO in the part of addressing the actual situation and coming up
with suitable solutions which lead to the part of achieving the goal.
The function of controlling was also considered to be an important segment in the case
study, because meeting based on daily status was conducted in order to evaluate the progress
which was undertaking. From the process of conducting these respective meeting the CEO
decided to push the date related to transition on chip readers. This can be regarded as the basic
example of him clearly evaluating the current condition, understanding the progress and making
necessary changes required. In the case study, managerial function in the area of organizing and
leading were not evident.
Question 2.Under the respective case study it is understandable that the management team of
Target faced seven core major challenges in their management operation within the organization.
In this respective part, it is understandable that the success level of the organization completely
varied for the challenges caused. The first challenge is associated with the system of managing
competitive advantage. At the time of breach, it was important for Target to give more emphasis
under the area of managing the system of competitive advantage. In the case study it is
understandable that the organization was not successful in the part of handling this respective

2CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
challenge caused. The second challenge and the third part of challenge are under the area of
managing for globalization and diversity which is not clearly stated in the mentioned study.
The system of handling the fourth challenge which is related to the part of managing
information technology was a successful part compared to Target. In this respective part, Target
introduced card readers instead of outdated card machines to protect their customer’s
information. They believed that this respective technology could help them to remain more
attentive in the part of overcoming the fraud which can be caused in the future. The fourth
challenge of the organization was associated with system of managing the ethical standards
which was a success factor compared to Target.
The sixth major challenge under the part of managing the organizations sustainability
was completely met by target through the process giving more emphasis on the future where they
introduced the system chip readers in order to adapt more security to their customer’s data. On
the other hand the seventh major challenge in the part of managing the function of
meaningfulness and happiness was not clearly addressed in the case study1. But we can find in
the case study that the manager interacts with an employee in the part of not checking the mail
on a regular basis instead try to have some break between the work hours. This can be
considered as the best part to build happiness in the organization as per the case study.
Question 3.Viewpoit related to primary management in the case study is associated with quality
management operation. Target CEO made certain decisions which were stemmed from need of
quality assurance and control. The customers associated with the company lost their trust due to
the cause of breach. In order to develop and adapt strong trust factor among customers the CEO
1 Talesh, Shauhin A. "Data breach, privacy, and cyber insurance: How insurance companies act as “compliance
managers” for businesses." Law & Social Inquiry 43.2 (2018): 417-440.

3CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
of the organization took the core initiative of implementing free credit monitoring and Zero
customer liability on charges. In this particular situation, the initiative was successful as the
reputation of the company was utilized at a great level and effective in the building of trust with
the customers. However, contingency viewpoint would have been more effective. This is due to
the fact that the manager needed different types of answers to different types of stakeholders.
This has proved that the quality management can save the situation but for future the
management needs to be more effective in handling this type of issues. Here the communication
process can help the company a great deal to utilize the contingency system through different
viewpoints.
Question 4.
The company is a learning organization and in the case of learning organization this is essential
that the mangers mainly focus upon the three section of learning. These three sections of the
learning process are commitment to the learning, initiating to generate the ideas with effects, and
generalizing the ideas with their impact. This is the dynamic of the organisation that this
company mainly lacks2. Here it needs to open the opportunities of learning within the
organisation. This can be developed through various ways like arranging seminars for the
employees regarding the security beach. The learning process while getting promoted, will being
the stakeholders like the customers, ground level employees and the management together. This
will enable to incase positive in the working culture. The impact of the learning will be seen
when the door of learning will be opened for the all level of employees. This is the reason why
this company needs to use the crisis of data breach in the organisation so that all the needed
changes can be made and applied for the employees.
2 Low, Philip. "Insuring against cyber-attacks." Computer Fraud & Security 2017.4 (2017): 18-20.

4CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
References:
Low, Philip. "Insuring against cyber-attacks." Computer Fraud & Security 2017.4 (2017): 18-20.
Talesh, Shauhin A. "Data breach, privacy, and cyber insurance: How insurance companies act as
“compliance managers” for businesses." Law & Social Inquiry 43.2 (2018): 417-440.