Describe the company and its strategic imperatives, the role of the person/s who provided data, and their position/s in the organization
Star Rubbish Removal Company that produces consumer recycled products explores many designs to bring in the market. The majority of its employees are trained to be aware of the coming up trends with creative ideas that later become adopted by the company. Besides, the majority of its employees are of the age between 25 and 40, and hence it makes the company be able to implement innovative models. However, employing the young also creates a problem because several young people are always on the move from one company to another, looking for better payment and a more comfortable environment. This creates a constant lack of experienced workers in the company, so it has to recruit new members and train them again thus creating an obstacle for sustainable growth.
According to Aaker (2005), the strategic objective of a company may be achieved due to a basic SWOT analysis studied in the following paragraphs.
Regarding the changes in the market size and shrinking demand for a solid waste recycled product, competitors have created a rivalry between the local and international products. With the rising counterfeit products in the market, substitute products have flooded the market reducing the demand for authentic quality and original goods. Therefore, these factors have made the company to develop new marketing strategies in producing unique innovative recycled products that are intended to become superior in the market, thus creating trust among its customers.
Being vulnerable to imitation, the company has been duped by the former employees who passed through its training, thereby transporting their designs to other companies. This current problem has not been addressed because most employees are young and deem to leave the firm after the contracts’ expiry. As a result, the products that are imitated are usually priced low to beat the original ones, thus maximizing profits for the imitations and reducing benefit margins for the company.
In a technologically advancing world, companies have become very crafty, especially in using the internet to compete in the market by discrediting their rivals. In the Star Company, the marketing department has decided to have a follow-up with most of its customers, thereby introducing a chatting website and offering services to people who would need their assistance. Training young people on Art, computer skills, and starting a kids program to tap their skills in drawing and modeling toys was one of the services offered.
The company has a wide range of opportunities according to the marketing manager. He noted that by identifying the product’s recipes, the company came up with stringent strategies that would protect their products from imitators. This made their competitors lose because customers discovered the difference in quality.
Description of data collection and questions
In sustaining competitive advantage, Barney and Jay (2002) pointed out that being ambiguous creates complex obstacles to success, thus companies have to come up with questions that critically look at resolving controversies to make their objectives meet their own needs. Therefore, the following needs assessment questions; Roberson et al (2003) provide a better road map for the future growth of the Star Company’s development and interventions.
The methodology approach is to be done by the senior-level management of both the Star Company and their customers who get orders from them. The senior management (5) in the company were surveyed regarding their approach in running the company and addressing issues of innovation suggested by the customers (20) based on their perceptions of the products, and their preferred patterns in purchasing the goods compared to others of a similar type. The survey examined the following questions to collect the data and gain insight into understanding the company’s effectiveness.
- What are the impacts on management that can affect the company’s growth?
- What are the employees’ attitudes and perceptions of the current training in creativity and innovation? Is there a positive self-directed creative learning environment?
- What are the employees’ attitudes towards the learning process in the company?
- What are the characteristics and requirements for creating a conducive environment for potential creative leaders?
- What motivates the employees to develop their creative leadership style?
Creative Leadership Differences. Management-Directed Versus Employee-Directed
Characteristic of Creative Leadership Between Management-Directed vs Employee-Directed
Findings and performance gaps that might suggest Training Needs Analysis (TrNA) or other obvious gaps that require more analysis
Employees of Star Company can be described using Maxwell’s (1995) leaders’ success definition regarding the utilization of abilities of those whom he leads. Thus, creating a conducive climate in the company will result in effective and sustainable work. It is in the interest of the company to direct its employees by creative leaders. Because when the employees believe in their leaders’ abilities, the growth is stimulated. Creativity models highlight that individual creative potential is often observed when it is based on the leader’s vision of the future leader in another person (p.22).
However, according to Elsbach & Kramer (2003, 283-301), the leader’s expectations associated with proper communication in promoting goals can bring uncertainty and ambiguous solutions, thus resulting in a block to creativity. Some leaders pointed this to be a reason for the slow growth when it comes to recycled products.
Employees’ attitude towards the current training in creativity and innovation is that it has to determine the company’s goals and select the strategies needed to evaluate the outcomes of both the needs of the company and its customers. This will, therefore, enhance a positive creative learning environment contributing to the development of human resources. Therefore, in essence, there needs to be a plan to create opportunities to motivate the members to do something beyond their capacity.
In conclusion, most of the members noted that there is a need for Training Needs Analysis that will look at the leadership aspects among all members. According to Maxwell (1995), leadership involves having a vision rather than managing the resources. Thus, the company needs to recognize the difference between leading and managing to further develop the creative potential of its members.
References
Aaker, D., A. (2005) Strategic Market Management. New York: Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Barney, Jay B. (2002). Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Elsbach, K. D., & Kramer, R. M. (2003). Assessing Creativity in Hollywood Pitch Meetings: Evidence for a Dual-Process Model of Creativity Judgments. Academy of Management Journal, 46(3), 283-301.
Judkins, J., W. (1999). Developing a Self-directed learning environment that motivate Employees to maximize learning opportunities; A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Training and Human Development. The Graduate College University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Maxwell, J., C. (1995). Developing the Leaders around You. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Roberson, L., Kulik , C. T., Pepper, M. B. (2003). Using Needs Assessment to Resolve Controversies in Diversity Training Design Arizona State University: Sage publications.