RFA Capital Management Inc. is the asset management subsidiary of Realty Financial Advisors Inc. The two principals of the company were deciding whether to bid on a recent investment opportunity. An upcoming commercial mortgage backed securities transaction was looking for a risk buyer for its high yield debt bonds and the principals were interested in participating in the transaction. This was a relatively new investment class. They wondered how they could sell this opportunity to one of RFA Capital Management's institutional or private investors, what yield requirements they should demand and how to price these bonds. As time was a factor, they wondered whether they should bid on this investment opportunity without first lining up the capital. They also wondered what long-term opportunities this investment might provide.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of nine chapters written by William Bridges and published by Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 1 describes the difference between change, which is situational, and transition, which involves psychological response to change. The author argues that transition is a process comprising three stages: the ending, the neutral zone, and the new beginning. He describes the lifecycle of properly managed transitions, and shows how mismanaged transitions can go wrong.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 2 begins by examining the case of a software company that underwent changes. The changes did not seem momentous; however, the psychological fallout was considerable, and workplace performance suffered. The author applies his transition model to the situation, proposing three phases of practical response to pressing problems. He also cautions managers about steps they should not take.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 3 discusses how to successfully begin a transition by ending "what used to be." The chapter's main topics include: balancing subjective losses, dealing with overreactions, and communicating with those affected by change.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 4 describes the middle period of a transition process, when employees can become immobilized due to the demands of conflicting systems. The author discusses how to create temporary systems, strengthen teams, and manage creatively.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 5 describes the "new beginnings" phase of an organizational transition. The author states, "The beginning will take place only after [people] have come through the wilderness and are ready to make the emotional commitment to do things the new way and see themselves as new people. Starts involve new situations. Beginnings involve new understandings, new values, new attitudes, and-most of all-new identities." He examines how ambivalence, timing, and purpose can affect the atmosphere of change.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. In Chapter 6, the author asserts that organizations, like individuals, have life cycles and that "it is helpful to have a map of the organization's life cycle that is comparable to the human development theories that clarify the path an individual follows through human childhood, adolescence, and adulthood." He goes on to explain "the seven stages of organizational life" -- Dreaming the Dream, Launching the Venture, Getting Organized, Making It, Becoming an Institution, Closing In, and Dying - and he explains the role of transition in this sequence.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. Chapter 7 discusses the notion that change is constantly occurring. After introducing the three phases of change-an ending, a "neutral zone", and a beginning-the author uses these concepts to address simultaneous changes, engendering trust, and managing timeframes for change.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. In Chapter 8, the author presents a case study of a fictional firm to illustrate the strategies of change management and the decisions that must be made in order to communicate transitions. The case involves a 4,000-employee manufacturing firm, Apex Manufacturing, that is preparing for change.
Managing Transitions, Second Edition (2003), is a book of 9 chapters written by William Bridges and published by Basic Books/Perseus Books Group. The business world is continuously transforming, as layoffs, bankruptcies, mergers, and restructurings occur every day. These situational shifts present psychological challenges to both individuals and organizations, and many of us respond in unhealthy ways. The author describes healthy responses to these challenges, providing practical, step-by-step strategies for minimizing the disruptions caused by workplace change. In the ninth and final chapter, the author focuses on "surviving" transitions. The aftermath of change is described with the acronym "GRASS": Guilt, Resentment, Anxiety, Self-absorption, and Stress.
Electrosteel Castings Ltd., based in India, had been the largest domestic manufacturer of iron pipes for over four decades. Although it had achieved solid growth in recent years, the market was under increasing pressure as overall growth slowed and new competitors entered the market. The CEO saw international expansion as critical to future growth. It would also provide additional currency for further investment in new process technologies. After extensive study, management narrowed the options to Europe or Southeast Asia. Given limited resources, Electrosteel could enter only one market, either with a new marketing office or a new manufacturing plant. Building an overseas plant was particularly attractive, as it would effectively translate into Electrosteel being considered a local competitor in that market, reducing costs and improving customer service. Awareness of foreign competitors investigating similar international expansion options significantly increased the need for a decision.
Jindi Enterprises is a manufacturer of heat exchanger units for residential and commercial markets in China. Recently, the company's top sales representative, who is also the sales manager for one of the company's provincial offices, quit and joined a competitor. A replacement must be found, but a delay in choosing a strategic direction is seriously complicating the hiring decision. The CEO must determine the corporate strategy and ensure that the hiring strategy reflects these changes.
Describes how the lack of incentive alignment between retailers and their vendors can lead to stockouts. Also describes various means to reduce incentive misalignment and hence stockouts.
This case presents an application of conjoint analysis in a financial services setting. It is best used in a course on marketing research. The decision in the case centers on a fund manager's need to generate additional profit from a mutual fund. To do this, he needs to determine a new pricing structure for the fund. The case presents students with the results from a real-world conjoint analysis and requires them to work through the pricing and profit implications of that analysis.
This case details the rise of hard-disk storage manufacturer MiniScribe in the mid-1980s and the company's demise after executives manipulated the financial information.
In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to buyer-supplier relationships and supply chain management in general. Views of buyer-supplier relationships have evolved from the old school of the 1980s, where buyers and suppliers were viewed as part of a zero-sum game, to the more collaborationist outlook of the 1990s, which claimed that buyers and suppliers could cooperate to the benefit of both, to the more network-oriented view of the 2000s, where buyers and suppliers are parts of organic business ecosystems. One interesting fact is that, empirically, buyer-supplier relationships exist in surprisingly multifarious forms in different geographic regions and business sectors. There is no one dominant mode. This case provides an outline of eight different real-life examples to illustrate a broad range of buyer-supplier relationships.
Examines the challenges and opportunities facing Charles Schwab in 2003. The company is a leading brokerage, but the entire industry has been in a severe downturn over the past few years. Schwab made its name as a discount brokerage and grew tremendously in the 1990s, largely as a result of its successful embrace of Internet technologies and efficient customer service and transaction processing. Now competing with the likes of established brokerage houses such as Merrill Lynch, and amid a severe downturn in trading volume, the company is looking for other avenues of growth. Focuses on Schwab's efforts to extend its business model to financial advisers.
Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone, wanted his organization to grow dramatically to reach thousands of poor and underserved children in Harlem. The agency ran a variety of successful social service programs throughout New York City that were separately funded and ran independently of each other. In 2000, Canada led the organization through an ambitious planning process, promising that within 10 years, its new integrated program would reach $46 million in revenues, serve 24,000 people, and expand to an area three times the size of its current zone. But the plan required the agency to change its management structure, measurement systems, and program goals drastically. How would the organization measure the impact of its work? Could such a system be measured? And how did the changes challenge the passionate directors who first established the component programs?
Explores the career challenges facing highly successful women who leave the full-time workforce for several years to manage family commitments. Carol Cohen is a 1985 Harvard MBA who has professional line experience in a manufacturing environment, followed by a successful transition into investment banking. Details Cohen's decision to return to a professional career after almost 11 years out of the full-time workforce. Describes her decision-making process, including discussions with her husband about shared parenting responsibilities, and provides details of her professional networking, resume development, and interview preparation. Concludes with a job offer to Cohen from Sankaty Advisors, a Bain Capital Partners company. Discussion centers on the decision to return to work, the strategic plan and specific steps, and concludes with questions about setting expectations--both at home and at work--and negotiating terms.