M&M's Case Study
Summary
The main purpose of this report is to identify the key business challenges for M&M’s, the confectionary brand of Mars Inc., and develop management solutions and specific recommendations on how effective leadership can meet these challenges in the company. The report proposes organisational change for the firm, which is fully driven by leadership and management strategies. It is identified that the key challenges for M&M’s are weak technological base, insufficient innovation in the sphere of product and package design, dependence on suppliers, conflict of interests in the management team, flat organisational structure, trade barriers, increased competition and insufficient CSR efforts. It is recommended that the organisational change should include the change of leadership style to more inspirational and transformational, achievement of more hierarchical organisational structure and implementation of the diversification marketing strategy. It is concluded that M&M’s should also cultivate innovativeness and creativity among its employees.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Background 5
2. Environment Monitoring 6
3. External and Internal Analysis 7
4. Complexity of Environment 17
5. Business Challenges and Rationale for Leadership 17
6. Leadership and Improvement Options 19
7. Conclusion and Recommendation 25
References 27
List of Figures
Figure 1: Cultural Web 12
Figure 2: Stakeholder Analysis 16
Figure 3: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions 17
Figure 4: McKinsey 7S Model 21
Figure 5: Burke Litwin Model of Change 23
1. Introduction and Background
The major purposes of effective leadership and management consist in timely monitoring of organisational environment, development of adequate responses to environmental challenges and further strategic planning and changes[1]. Relevant leadership strategies and implications can solve numerous business challenges and help organisations to overcome diverse
The main purpose of this report is to identify the key business challenges for M&M’s, the confectionary brand of Mars Inc., and develop management solutions and specific recommendations on how effective leadership can meet these challenges in the company. The report proposes organisational change for the firm, which is fully driven by leadership and management strategies. It is identified that the key challenges for M&M’s are weak technological base, insufficient innovation in the sphere of product and package design, dependence on suppliers, conflict of interests in the management team, flat organisational structure, trade barriers, increased competition and insufficient CSR efforts. It is recommended that the organisational change should include the change of leadership style to more inspirational and transformational, achievement of more hierarchical organisational structure and implementation of the diversification marketing strategy. It is concluded that M&M’s should also cultivate innovativeness and creativity among its employees.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and Background 5
2. Environment Monitoring 6
3. External and Internal Analysis 7
4. Complexity of Environment 17
5. Business Challenges and Rationale for Leadership 17
6. Leadership and Improvement Options 19
7. Conclusion and Recommendation 25
References 27
List of Figures
Figure 1: Cultural Web 12
Figure 2: Stakeholder Analysis 16
Figure 3: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions 17
Figure 4: McKinsey 7S Model 21
Figure 5: Burke Litwin Model of Change 23
1. Introduction and Background
The major purposes of effective leadership and management consist in timely monitoring of organisational environment, development of adequate responses to environmental challenges and further strategic planning and changes[1]. Relevant leadership strategies and implications can solve numerous business challenges and help organisations to overcome diverse
References: Burke & Litwin, ‘A Causal Model of Organisation Performance and Change’, Journal of Management, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1992, pp. 523–545. Cameron, E. & Mike Green, Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & techniques of Organizational Change, Kogan Page, London, 2007, p.137 Clegg, S Farnham, D. HRM in Context - Strategy insights and solutions, CIPD Books, London, 2010, p.53. Fisher, C. & Alan Lovell, Business Ethics and Values: Individual, Corporate and International Perspectives, 2008, p. 234. Gold, J., Richard Thorpe & Alan Mumford, Leadership and Management Development, CIPD Books, London, 2010, p. 117. Hamel, G. The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review, London, 1990, p.79-91. Hofstede, G. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2005, p. 163. Khurana, R. ‘The curse of the superstar leader’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 80, 2002, pp. 3-8. 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[6] Reuters, ‘M&M 's candy fades to black and white’, USA Today, < http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2003-12-30-mm-bw_x.htm>, 2007 (accessed 25 February 2012). [7] Joanne Mattern, Mars Family: M&M Mars Candy Makers, ABDO, New York, 2011, p. 32. [8] M&M’s, ‘About us’, Corporate website, < http://www.mms.com/us/>, 2012 (accessed 25 February 2012). [9] William Pride, Robert Hughes & Jack Kapoor, Foundations of Business, 3rd ed., Cengage Learning, London, 2012, p. 43. [10] Andrew Smith, Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat, ABC-CLIO, New York, 2011, p. 355. [11] Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger & Tyrone Pitsis, Managing & Organizations, Sage Publications Ltd, London, 2008, p. 273. [12] Peter Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4th ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2006, p. 261. [13] Colin Fisher & Alan Lovell, Business Ethics and Values: Individual, Corporate and International Perspectives, 2008, p. 234. [14] Marc Meyer, The Fast Path to Corporate Growth, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007, p. 213. [15] Reuters, ‘M&M 's candy fades to black and white’, USA Today, < http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2003-12-30-mm-bw_x.htm>, 2007 (accessed 25 February 2012). [16] Russell Winer, Marketing management, Prentice Hall, California, 2000, p. 334. [17] Beth Kimmerle, Candy: the sweet history, Collectors Press, Inc., New York, 2003, p. 35. [18] Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger & Tyrone Pitsis, Managing & Organizations, Sage Publications Ltd, London, 2008, p. 273. [19] William Pride, Robert Hughes & Jack Kapoor, Foundations of Business, 3rd ed., Cengage Learning, London, 2012, p. 43. [20] USDA, ‘United States Department of Agriculture’, Corporate website, , 2012 (accessed 25 February 2012). [21] QMBA, ‘SWOT Analysis’, , 2012 , (Accessed 21 February 2012). [22] Peter Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4th ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2006, p. 261. [23] Mars Inc., ‘Our strategy’, Corporate website, < http://www.mars.com/global/index.aspx>, 2012, (accessed 21 February 2012). [24] Mars Inc., ‘Our strategy’, Corporate website, < http://www.mars.com/global/index.aspx>, 2012, (accessed 21 February 2012). [25] Marc Meyer, The Fast Path to Corporate Growth, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007, p. 213. [26] Alejandro Lazo, ‘Mars Sets Goal for Sustainable Cocoa Sources’, The Washington Post, , 2009, (accessed 23 February 2012). [27] Peter Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4th ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2006, p. 261. [28] Beth Kimmerle, Candy: the sweet history, Collectors Press, Inc., New York, 2003, p. 35. [29] Andrew Smith, Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat, ABC-CLIO, New York, 2011, p. 355. [30] MindTools, ‘The Cultural Web: Aligning your organization 's culture with strategy’, , 2012, (Accessed 21 February 2012). [33] Marc Meyer, The Fast Path to Corporate Growth, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007, p. 213. [34] David Farnham, HRM in Context - Strategy insights and solutions, CIPD Books, London, 2010, p.53. [35] M&M’s, ‘About us’, Corporate website, < http://www.mms.com/us/>, 2012 (accessed 25 February 2012). [36] M&M’s, ‘About us’, Corporate website, < http://www.mms.com/us/>, 2012 (accessed 25 February 2012). [37] Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger & Tyrone Pitsis, Managing & Organizations, Sage Publications Ltd, London, 2008, p. 273. [38] Gillian Watson, Kevin Gallagher & Michael Armstrong, Managing For Results, CIPD Books, London, 2005, p. 128. [39] Marc Meyer, The Fast Path to Corporate Growth, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007, p. 213. [40] Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger & Tyrone Pitsis, Managing & Organizations, Sage Publications Ltd, London, 2008, p. 273. [41] Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger & Tyrone Pitsis, Managing & Organizations, Sage Publications Ltd, London, 2008, p. 273.