Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated
Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated
Sunflower Incorporated is a large distribution company that purchases and distributes salty snack foods and liquors throughout the United States and Canada. The company employs over 5,000 employees and has gross sales of over $700 million. The head office has encouraged each of its regions to operate separately in order to accommodate different tastes and preferences. When studied, it was determined that the profits across the regions varied widely and the decision was made that the process needed to be standardized in order to increase profits, capture market share and ensure quality remained at an acceptable level so not to tarnish the image of Sunflower. This decision created the need to hire Agnes Albanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to implement the planned change throughout the organization. The Four-step General Model of Planned Change was not properly followed in the proposed changes in the organization although portions of it were used. Mr. Steelman, the President of Sunflower, did engage in entering and contracting when he hired Agnes Albanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to implement the planned change throughout the organization. Steelman felt that such standardization was necessary in order to avoid market loss and a decrease in quality-control due to the practice being employed in some regions to purchase lower-quality items including seconds in order to boost the profit margins. However, Steelman failed to carry out the next step in entering and contracting and while he defined the problem, he did not establish a collaborative environment and instead simply fired off memos and notified parties involved through a company newsletter. In addition, Steelman as well as Mr. Mobley, whom Albanese reported to, gave Albanese great latitude and encouraged her to establish whatever rules were necessary to carry out the changes. In this environment, neither Steelman nor Mobley
Sunflower Incorporated is a large distribution company that purchases and distributes salty snack foods and liquors throughout the United States and Canada. The company employs over 5,000 employees and has gross sales of over $700 million. The head office has encouraged each of its regions to operate separately in order to accommodate different tastes and preferences. When studied, it was determined that the profits across the regions varied widely and the decision was made that the process needed to be standardized in order to increase profits, capture market share and ensure quality remained at an acceptable level so not to tarnish the image of Sunflower. This decision created the need to hire Agnes Albanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to implement the planned change throughout the organization. The Four-step General Model of Planned Change was not properly followed in the proposed changes in the organization although portions of it were used. Mr. Steelman, the President of Sunflower, did engage in entering and contracting when he hired Agnes Albanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to implement the planned change throughout the organization. Steelman felt that such standardization was necessary in order to avoid market loss and a decrease in quality-control due to the practice being employed in some regions to purchase lower-quality items including seconds in order to boost the profit margins. However, Steelman failed to carry out the next step in entering and contracting and while he defined the problem, he did not establish a collaborative environment and instead simply fired off memos and notified parties involved through a company newsletter. In addition, Steelman as well as Mr. Mobley, whom Albanese reported to, gave Albanese great latitude and encouraged her to establish whatever rules were necessary to carry out the changes. In this environment, neither Steelman nor Mobley