Thomas C. Leach, Barry R. Armandi and Herbert Sherman
Derived from field interviews and secondary research, the case describes the dilemma that the Marketing Manager Bentley Collins of Sabre Yachts faces in developing a profitable…
Abstract
Derived from field interviews and secondary research, the case describes the dilemma that the Marketing Manager Bentley Collins of Sabre Yachts faces in developing a profitable marketing mix given the firm's current product line, competitors, industry and national economic trends. Sabre had always been a niche boat builder. Their product line was divided into two distinct categories; sail boats and power boats. Their sailboats were targeted toward boaters interested in the comfort desired for cruising but also the capability of competitive racing while their power boats were designed to be modern yachts that could cruise 20 knots or better. A majority of sales came from the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions with only sporadic success in other areas. Bentley worried that slower phone traffic in Spring of 2001 would be indicative of slower sales and wanted to know what actions the firm should take to continue their regional growth as well as their push to become a more nationally-based firm. The case has a difficulty level appropriate for a junior or senior level course. The case is designed to be taught in one class period and is expected to require between five to seven hours of outside preparation by students.
Barry R. Armandi, Herbert Sherman and Gina Vega
This article, written in case format, has been written to assist the novice case writer in case research and writing. The article covers all aspects of case writing including…
Abstract
This article, written in case format, has been written to assist the novice case writer in case research and writing. The article covers all aspects of case writing including: idea generation and sources of cases, working with primary and secondary case sources, obtaining client releases, writing the case story line, developing a catchy ‘hook’, using the past tense, providing supporting exhibits, and providing a bibliography for the case. The teaching note (or instructor's manual)is also covered in detail including: an overview of the case, learning objectives, course placement and targeted audience, instructional methodologies, case questions and answers, the epilogue, and the bibliography. Appendix A includes a discussion on case publishing and includes a list of journals and conferences which accept cases.
Joseph A. Casali, Barry R. Armandi and Herbert Sherman
The strategic management literature states that firms who wish to have a competitive advantage through high customer service (rapid response) and product differentiation need to…
Abstract
The strategic management literature states that firms who wish to have a competitive advantage through high customer service (rapid response) and product differentiation need to restructure their organization into empowered, self-managed work units so as to ensure that there is “value-added” at each stage of the value chain. (Porter, 1985; Hill and Jones, 2001) In this case, Vanguard altered part of its structure through the development of teams in order to maximize its operations; and given their results Vanguard successfully put theory into practice. When the major supporter of team management, Mike Wesley, leaves the firm, he is replaced by Wendy Kiefer, a strong supporter of team structures. Her replacement, Shari Lastarza, however is the “old” assembly manager and does not buy into the team concept. Could this be anything but a formula for disaster?
Herbert Sherman, Daniel J. Rowley and Barry R. Armandi
The purpose of this article is to assist strategic planners and managers in developing and utilizing a strategic profile of the firm in order to conduct a SWOT analysis and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to assist strategic planners and managers in developing and utilizing a strategic profile of the firm in order to conduct a SWOT analysis and therein apply its results appropriately.
Design/methodology/approach
How are the objectives achieved? This objective is achieved by developing a seven‐step procedure, with templates that assist planners and managers in creating a strategic profile of the firm and then utilizing that profile as a filtering mechanism for a SWOT analysis. The article covers the topics of competitive approach, competitive strategy, organizational structure, leadership, and organizational culture.
Findings
The profile may not only be employed as a method for centering a firm's strategic planning and implementation, it may also be used for creating a competitive profile of the firm's competitors.
Practical implications
The practical implications of the article indicate the need to attach a pre‐planning stage to the typical strategic management process of a firm. This action will lead to the creation of a preliminary strategic profile of the firm. This profile is used to produce a more accurate SWOT analysis with a greater likelihood of successful strategy implementation.
Originality/value
The value of this article is that it introduces a pre‐planning stage to the traditional strategic management process. This stage creates a strategic profile of the firm which managers and strategic planners can use for two purposes: producing a more accurate SWOT analysis with a greater likelihood of successful strategy implementation; and creating a strategic profile of their competitors.
Details
Keywords
Barry Armandi, Adva Dinur and Herbert Sherman
Scandia, Inc., is a commercial vessel management company located in the New York Metropolitan area and is part of a family of firms including Scandia Technical; International…
Abstract
Scandia, Inc., is a commercial vessel management company located in the New York Metropolitan area and is part of a family of firms including Scandia Technical; International Tankers, Ltd.; Global Tankers, Ltd.; Sun Maritime S.A.;Adger Tankers AS; Leeward Tankers, Inc.; Manhattan Tankers, Ltd.; and Liuʼs Tankers, S.A. The companyʼs current market niche is the commercial management of chemical tankers serving the transatlantic market with a focus on the east and gulf coast of the United States and Northern Europe. This three-part case describes the commercial shipping industry as well as several mishaps that the company and its President, Chris Haas, have had to deal with including withdrawal of financial support by creditors, intercorporate firm conflict, and employee retention. Part A presents an overview of the commercial vessel industry and sets the stage for Parts B and C (to be published in the Spring 2011 issue) where the firmʼs operation is discussed.
Details
Keywords
Fran Piezzo, Barry Armandi and Herbert Sherman
An employee&s husband made violent threats to the store manager of a Las Vegas shop specializing in skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products of an international…
Abstract
An employee&s husband made violent threats to the store manager of a Las Vegas shop specializing in skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products of an international company. The manager wanted the employee terminated. The employee confessed that her husband also threatened her. The employee's personnel file contained no performance problems, but the store manager admitted that she had kept a separate file with such documentation. The Executive Director and the Director of Human Resource Management wondered what they should do.
Ronnie Thomas Collins II, Claudia Algaze and Barry Z. Posner
The concepts associated with leadership and management have often been conflated, considered one and the same phenomenon by some and then considered by others to be quite…
Abstract
Purpose
The concepts associated with leadership and management have often been conflated, considered one and the same phenomenon by some and then considered by others to be quite distinctive. The same ambiguity is even truer at the level of application and practicality. Only a handful of studies have attempted empirically to differentiate between the two concepts. The study sought to develop an instrument to discriminate between the two concepts.
Design/methodology/approach
A prospective study was conducted with two groups of scholars in the areas of leadership and management. They completed the exploratory Leadership/Management Concept Scale (LMCS), the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) and provided demographic information. The results from the Initial group were compared with a validation group. Standard statistical techniques were used to analyze the two groups and investigate associations among the study measures.
Findings
The LMCS effectively differentiated actions associated with leadership from actions associated with management actions. There were four distinct choices consistently selected as most consistent with leadership: influencing, coaching, modeling and ensuring resilience. No significant correlations were found between scores on the LMCS and the LPI, providing evidence that the former was capturing actions other than those associated with leadership alone.
Research limitations/implications
It is empirically possible to differentiate between the actions typically associated with the concepts of leadership and management. This distinction can be invaluable in various educational programs designed to develop either or both leadership and management abilities, as well as assist in the identification of those with proclivities to one or other of the two concepts. The LMCS shows promise in reliably differentiating between the two concepts and can be useful for scholars aiming to investigate leadership or management without confounding the two.
Practical implications
There are numerous positions and organizational roles where leadership and management are differentiated, with one being much more needed than the other. The LMCS can differentiate empirically how potential candidates for leadership and/or management positions think about the two, which would allow a would-be employer to screen candidates for given opportunities and, depending on their conceptualization of leadership and management, assign them most appropriately.
Originality/value
This study fills a fundamental gap in both the leadership and management field: first in being able to provide evidence that the two concepts, while similar in some regards, are not the same and can be differentiated from each other and second, in developing an instrument (LMCS) that both practitioners and scholars can use to help their audiences better understand the differences between leadership and management and to develop actions appropriate to situational demands.