1. Bill Bailey could support the merger but he would first need to be assured that the needs of the opera would not suffer nor would the opera lose its identity in the merger. Maslow’s need hierarchy best describes what Bill Bailey believes to be the needs for opera. He would require that the opera not only not lose its current financial stability but at a minimum maintain the stability it currently enjoys. He would also need some sort assurance that the operas reputation that has been improving over the past few years not tarnished in any way and continue to improve. 2. Scott Parker could use the current faltering economy and the fact that fundraising efforts had not been what they had hoped for to help motivate Mrs. Abravenal to support the merge. He could also drive home the importance of the resignation of the current CEO.
Using Alderfer’s ERG Theory Scott Parker could overcome the significant problems plegging the Symphony. The merger of the two could help alleviate the existing financial needs of the symphony with the operas surplus funds. With the right person in charge the two entities could build a meaningful relationship growing the popularity, reputation, and profits of both companies. Additionally with Anne Ewer’s on board her talents could be huge an asset for the symphony just as it had been for the opera. Her efforts are the primary reason that the opera has a surplus of funds and she has been a in a large part responsible for the improved reputation of the opera.
3. Anne Ewer’s positional power would be significantly stronger with her being in charge of both entities, which obviously would increase her personal power. This brings up a concern that should not be overlooked. With her new found power Anne could like many before her, “let the power go to her head” or she could focus her attention more to her own needs and wants instead of the needs of the Opera, the Symphony and all staff.
Alternatively Anne could use her positional power to successfully push the merger through by using her current experience and reputation. She has been very successful in fund raising demonstrated by the healthy reserve of the opera. While she has been successful in her fund raising efforts, she has also played a huge role in the increased reputation of the Opera. Both the Symphony and the Opera could benefit from her expertise in fund raising and her marketing skills could be used to help improve the symphony’s reputation within the community.
Anne could assure Keith that even though he would report to her, she would be interested in developing a successful partnership between her and Keith and that she values his experience and recommendations. She could assure him that she fully supports his concerns for the interests of the musicians and that she would support maintaining the integrity and length of the season for the orchestra. It would be important that she quite his concern that the orchestra would become an appendage to the opera but rather she would strive to make orchestra a viable entity and to enhance its popularity and fund raising efforts.
A major obstacle for Anne would be the musician’s salary. The symphony has under gone extensive negotiations with the musicians and they have not come out feeling like they are worse off than when they started. They also feel that the merger is an excuse to reopen negotiations and terms of their current collective agreement. Anne would needs to find an effective way to assure the musicians that the merger has nothing to do with the collective bargaining agreement they have in place now. She would also need to assure them that the set of guiding principles that their ad hoc committee presented will be taken into serious consideration. She could demonstrate how her methods of fund raising efforts have benefited the opera and how those same methods could be tailored to fit the needs of the symphony. She could show them how excited she is for this new adventure and include them by asking for ideas and or suggestions as to what they believe the symphony would need to gain from the merger. This would include the musicians in the process and hopefully assist in getting the symphony behind the process as a vested party.

4. Anne could use rational persuasion by pointing out how merging the two companies into one could be beneficial for the opera by making it a larger entity and by pointing out the stability that comes with a larger company. She could point out the possibility of extending their season or the possibility to increase the number of shows in a season. She could speak to the benefits of combining the orchestra and opera on occasion to increase the audience size and to enhance the overall quality of the shows. She could also request ideas and or suggestions as to what they believe the opera would need to gain from the merger. By involving them with some of the planning and idea gathering process for this merger, then they would hopefully become more supportive and cooperative toward the change. They would feel like they have a vested interest in the whole process and less prone to be negative due to lack of knowledge.