Clark Faucet Company
Clark Faucet Company is the third largest supplier of faucets for both commercial and home use. The case stated that commercial buyers are more interested in the cost than the average consumer who is after the design. Each faucet had to be available in at least 25 different colors.
The critical issues in the case can be summarized as follows:
1. The marketing department is pressured to introduce new product in the market within a very short span of time to rush for the next trade show
2. The engineering department is loaded with too much work (375 current projects) and pressured from new product request with tight deadline from marketing department
3. Time and resources are wasted for the unclear and changing specification or requirements from the marketing department
4. New product development takes too long (4 to 6 months)
5. Uncooperative culture and unresolved conflict between departments
With the executive council mandating an immediate move to project management and with the interview result from the external consultant, senior management should do the following to change the culture within the organization:
Our proposal would be to create change not just between Marketing and Engineering but throughout the organization. This can done by using or implementing Lewin’s Change Management Model. By using this model, we can understanding the source of the conflict and finding a middle ground for both departments to function cooperatively. Also, this model can be used in “softening the blow” of the management’s goal to do away with the conflict between Marketing and Engineering and introduce change amongst and within the ranks that can translate to cooperation and efficiency.
Unfreeze Stage:
• Hold a meeting and discuss all the current problems. Discuss the tremendous effect if these problems are left unresolved and how this could affect everyone within the organization.
• Reiterate the functions and the importance of both departments and
The critical issues in the case can be summarized as follows:
1. The marketing department is pressured to introduce new product in the market within a very short span of time to rush for the next trade show
2. The engineering department is loaded with too much work (375 current projects) and pressured from new product request with tight deadline from marketing department
3. Time and resources are wasted for the unclear and changing specification or requirements from the marketing department
4. New product development takes too long (4 to 6 months)
5. Uncooperative culture and unresolved conflict between departments
With the executive council mandating an immediate move to project management and with the interview result from the external consultant, senior management should do the following to change the culture within the organization:
Our proposal would be to create change not just between Marketing and Engineering but throughout the organization. This can done by using or implementing Lewin’s Change Management Model. By using this model, we can understanding the source of the conflict and finding a middle ground for both departments to function cooperatively. Also, this model can be used in “softening the blow” of the management’s goal to do away with the conflict between Marketing and Engineering and introduce change amongst and within the ranks that can translate to cooperation and efficiency.
Unfreeze Stage:
• Hold a meeting and discuss all the current problems. Discuss the tremendous effect if these problems are left unresolved and how this could affect everyone within the organization.
• Reiterate the functions and the importance of both departments and