Executive Summary
Tasks Performed by Consultant
The consultant has developed a new leadership plan for Mr. Dunn and his team, as well as a plan of gradual unification of Emporium and The Deli after their union.
Summary of Problem/Opportunity
After the union of the two firms, the situation has become unclear to the employees, which undermined their performance. The internal principles of the two firms contradicted each other. Minority employees faced discrimination, which also was a threat to their performance.
Methodology
The consultant studied the organizational principles of both firms. The primary methods used to conduct this research were interviewing and surveying of both managerial and non-managerial staff. Additionally, the consultant studied the documentation of Emporium and The Deli.
Conclusions
The differences between Emporium’s and the Deli’s organizational cultures were the primary source of the problem. The consultant indicated a need for a clear reward system. A more detailed plan needed to be created to address diversity.
Recommendations
The consultant recommended the leaders of Emporium to use the principles of strategic HRM. The organizational principles of the company needed to be adjusted to the clan organizational culture. An informing campaign about discrimination was needed for the employees.
Introduction to the Report
What Is the Problem or the Opportunity?
The problem that Dunn’s situation presents consists of the difficulties, which arise from the union of two companies with different organizational cultures.
What is the Purpose of the Proposal?
The purpose of the proposal is to identify the problem of differences between Emporium and the Deli and develop a solution.
What Is the Background of the Problem or the Opportunity?
Dunn’s Ski Emporium and the Deli have been united under the leadership of Joseph Dunn and need to unify their structures and cultures.
What Are Your Sources of Information?
The information is kindly provided by Mr. Dunn’s office.
What Is the Scope of Your Proposal?
I am proposing to increase the responsibilities of managerial staff and use George Atkins’s experience in managing the Deli.
What Is the Organization of the Proposal?
The pattern used in the proposal is the orientation of the clan organizational culture.
What Are the Key Terms That Will Be Used in the Proposal?
No unusual terms will be used.
Background
The background part allows the client to understand the consultant’s research comprehensively.
Client Profile
This section contains personal information about Mr. Dunn, which was collected in order to explore his role as a leader and understand his business goals and philosophy more fully.
Defining Dunn’s Objectives
In this section, the objectives of the company are identified. These objectives were formulated during a series of meetings of Mr. Dunn and his team. At these meetings, they also distinguished primary and secondary goals.
Defining the Consultant’s Tasks
The section contains a list of tasks, which the consultant worked out in collaboration with Mr. Dunn. It also describes how the tasks were fulfilled.
Carrying out the Consultant’s Tasks
This section presents an enhanced version of the previous one. It contains information on the methods, with which the consultant identified the problems, and the ways the consultant addressed them. The section is based on the research conducted in the departments of Dunn’s Ski Emporium and The Deli.
Summary Conclusion
This section contains a summary of the consultant’s research findings.
Client Profile
Places of Residence
Mr. Dunn resides in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He refused to provide full information due to privacy reasons.
Educational and Training Background
Mr. Dunn has received his MBA at Stanford University, California. He values this experience highly and regularly participates in the alumni discussion meetings (Alumni Community, n.d.).
Career Experience
Mr. Dunn started his career as a hotel administrator in his student years. He worked at several Minnesota ski resorts, including Buck Hill and Coffee Mill Ski & Snowboard Resort. At the latter, he managed to obtain a management position and then a vice president position. Finally, he decided to launch his own business, Dunn’s Ski Emporium.
Civic Interests and Activities
Mr. Dunn is particularly interested in helping people with diabetes living in the Minneapolis area. He regularly donates to the local diabetes management assistance program and local support groups operated by the American Diabetes Association (Support Groups, 2015).
How and Why Your Client Became Interested in This Business
Mr. Dunn has always been a great fan of skiing. He has been working at several skiing resorts until he decided to start one on his own.
Your Client’s Business Philosophy and/or Attitude Towards Business
Mr. Dunn’s business views are based on Protestant business ethics. He values honesty and insistence and considers a business success a manifestation of God’s blessing (Carr, 2003).
Defining Dunn’s Objectives
A Description of Dunn’s Short-Term and Long-Term Objectives
The following objectives were established by Mr. Dunn and his team: uniform the structures and cultures of the two firms (Emporium and The Deli), solve the problem of cultural diversity within the company, find a way to increase the employee commitment, create an appropriate working environment.
Prioritization of Primary and Secondary Objectives for Dunn
The team and Mr. Dunn decided that the unification of the two firms and creating a favorable working environment are primary goals since solving these problems is vital to the company’s functioning (Qasim, Cheema, & Syed, 2012). Only then, it is possible to address diversity and commitment.
Defining the Consultant’s Tasks
List of Tasks the Consultant Has Undertaken
Developed a new leadership plan:
- found the ways of strengthening the mission and vision;
- established clear market goals for the company;
- I created a guideline for HRM, based on the principles of strategic HRM (Salaman, Storey, & Billsberry, 2005).
Worked out a plan of unification for the two firms:
- studied the organizational structures and cultures of the two firms;
- indicated the necessary measures.
Developed a detailed reward system to increase employee commitment.
Created a plan for addressing diversity.
Explanation of How Each Task Was Carried Out
Task A was successfully accomplished; the flaws in HRM were identified and addressed. In Task B, an appropriate type of organization culture was proposed. In Task C, the consultant chose an effective method, i.e., surveying the employees, which helped to create an efficient reward system. Task D was not fulfilled successfully, but the consultant managed to identify the problem and inform Mr. Dunn.
Carrying out the Consultant’s Tasks: Problem, Methodology, Conclusions, Recommendations
Developed a new leadership plan:
- The Deli employees have trouble understanding the mission and vision;
- developed the principles of HRM and informed Mr. Dunn and the team;
- concluded that the problem lies in different organizational cultures;
- recommended following these principles.
Worked out a plan of unification for the two firms:
- the internal principles of Emporium and The Deli often contradict;
- studied the principles of both firms;
- concluded that both firms need to alter their principles;
- recommended employing clan organizational culture (Matheson, n.d.).
Developed a detailed reward system to increase employee commitment:
- changes make the situation unclear for the employees, which hinders commitment;
- surveyed the employees to learn about their needs;
- a clear reward system is needed;
- developed a plan and recommended to follow it.
Created a plan for addressing diversity:
- minority employees experience discrimination from colleagues;
- surveyed minority employees;
- concluded that it hinders performance;
- recommended launching an informing campaign.
Summary Conclusion
The consultant would like to present their best wishes to Mr. Dunn and his team and acknowledge that it was a great pleasure to work with the leaders of Emporium. As the consultant considers, the problems, which were identified in the course of this report, have a temporary character and are caused by the initial shock from the union of two firms. If properly addressed, these problems will soon be overcome, and Emporium will work more efficiently, having added and adapted The Deli.
In the course of the report, the following findings were made. Because of the changes in the companies, the employees feel unconfident, which affects motivation and performance. A need exists to create a detailed reward system. Human resources management policy needs changes according to the principles of strategic HRM. The organizational principles of Dunn’s Ski Emporium and The Deli differ in most points; both companies need to alter these principles to create a new set of principles. Minority employees need to be protected against discrimination, which they face from their coworkers.
References
Alumni Community. (n.d.). Web.
Carr, P. (2003). Revisiting the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism: understanding the relationship between ethics and enterprise. Journal of Business Ethics, 47(1), 7-16.
Matheson, C. (n.d.). 6 ways to improve your company’s culture. Web.
Qasim, S., Cheema, F., & Syed, N.A. (2012). Exploring factors affecting employees’ job satisfaction at work. Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 8(1), 31-39.
Salaman, G.J., Storey, J., Billsberry, J. (2005) Strategic human resource management: defining the field. London, Sage Publications Ltd.
Support groups. (2015). Web.