Case Study Description of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams
When students have the English-language PDF of this Brief Case in a coursepack, they will also have the option to purchase an audio version.Key topics include team design, team management, job design, employee empowerment, implementing change, and high performance workforces. In 2004, John Amasi, the director of production for a manufacturer of plastic pipe, introduced the concept of self-directed teams into a newly rehabbed plant in Corpus Christi, Texas. This was a major departure for RL Wolfe, whose other plants were unionized and rigidly hierarchical. By 2007, Corpus Christi is significantly outperforming the other plants in productivity, and Amasi tours the plant to identify remaining barriers to even higher productivity. Although the tour makes clear that many things are going right, it also reveals specific elements of the SDT concept that are not working optimally; some of these are communicated from the perspective of the workers themselves. At the end of the case, as Amasi sketches out ideas for increasing productivity at Corpus Christi, he also considers how he can persuade the unionized workforces at the other Wolfe plants to accept the SDT model. Topics Include: Designing Teams, Implementing Change, Self-Directed Teams, Workforce Management, General Management, Managing Teams, High Performance Workforce, Employee Empowerment, Motivation and Mid-size Plastic Pipe Manufacturing.
Swot Analysis of "RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams" written by David A. Garvin, Elizabeth Collins includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Amasi Wolfe facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Labor, Motivating people and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, technology disruption, increasing transportation and logistics costs, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation,
increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing energy prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Amasi Wolfe, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Amasi Wolfe operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Amasi Wolfe
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Leadership & Managing People field.
4. Making a Leadership & Managing People topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Amasi Wolfe
Strengths RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Amasi Wolfe in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams Harvard Business Review case study are -
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Amasi Wolfe digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Amasi Wolfe has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Amasi Wolfe has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Amasi Wolfe is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Amasi Wolfe in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Organizational Resilience of Amasi Wolfe
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Amasi Wolfe does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Learning organization
- Amasi Wolfe is a learning organization. It has inculcated three key characters of learning organization in its processes and operations – exploration, creativity, and expansiveness. The work place at Amasi Wolfe is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Amasi Wolfe has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Amasi Wolfe are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.
Analytics focus
– Amasi Wolfe is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by David A. Garvin, Elizabeth Collins can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Amasi Wolfe in the sector have low bargaining power. RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Amasi Wolfe to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Amasi Wolfe has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Amasi Wolfe has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Amasi Wolfe is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Amasi Wolfe is planning to shift buying processes online.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Amasi Wolfe needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.
Lack of clear differentiation of Amasi Wolfe products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Amasi Wolfe needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Leadership & Managing People strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.
Need for greater diversity
– Amasi Wolfe has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, David A. Garvin, Elizabeth Collins suggests that, Amasi Wolfe is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Amasi Wolfe has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams, in the dynamic environment Amasi Wolfe has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Amasi Wolfe has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Amasi Wolfe has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Amasi Wolfe has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Amasi Wolfe, firm in the HBR case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Opportunities RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Amasi Wolfe can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Amasi Wolfe can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Amasi Wolfe is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Leadership & Managing People industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Amasi Wolfe can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Manufacturing automation
– Amasi Wolfe can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Leadership & Managing People segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Amasi Wolfe to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Amasi Wolfe can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Amasi Wolfe can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Leadership & Managing People segment.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Amasi Wolfe in the consumer business. Now Amasi Wolfe can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Buying journey improvements
– Amasi Wolfe can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams suggest that firm can provide automated chats to help consumers solve their own problems, provide online suggestions to get maximum out of the products and services, and help consumers to build a community where they can interact with each other to develop new features and uses.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Amasi Wolfe has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Amasi Wolfe to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams case study. Amasi Wolfe can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Amasi Wolfe can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Amasi Wolfe to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Threats RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams are -
Consumer confidence and its impact on Amasi Wolfe demand
– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Amasi Wolfe in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The Leadership & Managing People industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams, Amasi Wolfe may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Leadership & Managing People .
Capital market disruption
– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Amasi Wolfe.
Increasing wage structure of Amasi Wolfe
– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Amasi Wolfe.
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Amasi Wolfe needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Amasi Wolfe needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Amasi Wolfe can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Leadership & Managing People field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Amasi Wolfe can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Amasi Wolfe can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams .
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Amasi Wolfe with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Regulatory challenges
– Amasi Wolfe needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Leadership & Managing People industry regulations.
New competition
– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Amasi Wolfe in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Amasi Wolfe is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of RL Wolfe: Implementing Self-Directed Teams is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Amasi Wolfe needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
