...Examining A Business Failure LDR/531 June 25, 2011 Dr. Catherine Garcia Examining a Business Failure This paper is about the company Kodak that recently filed for the bankruptcy. Kodak, once a very profitable organization is on the verge of another failure, like Enron, Tyco, etc. This paper will cover how the incorrect management decision lead to its failure. It will compare and contrast leadership, management, and organizational structure that contributed to this failure. History of Kodak and timeline George Eastman started Kodak in 1878. In 1888 Eastman presented a first simple camera to the world. He made the complex and complicated process of photography easy and simple enough to use by everyone. "you press the button, we do the rest," Eastman demonstrated his marketing ingenuity (History of Kodak, n.d.) . The success of Kodak continued and in 1895 Kodak introduced the first pocket camera. Later Eastman formed his companies guiding principle: volume production at affordable cost, global presence, creative marketing, satisfied customers with best customer service, and growth through uninterrupted research and development. Furthermore, he stressed on how important it is to value brand name and the quality it stands for. Eastman firmly believed in product quality and never compromised under any circumstances (Kodak, 2006). Introducing color photography, Kodak continued its growth and success by investing in R&D and by 1963 become standard in photography...
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...LDR 531 Entire Course (New) For more course tutorials visit www.ldr531help.com LDR 531 Week 1 Quiz LDR 531 Week 1 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 1 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Week 2 Mentorship Agreement Form LDR 531 Week 2 Mentorship Meeting Worksheet LDR 531 Week 2 Individual Assignment Professional Development Plan LDR 531 Week 2 LT Reflection LDR 531 Week 2 Quiz LDR 531 Week 2 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 2 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Week 3 Mentorship Meeting Worksheet LDR 531 Week 3 Individual Assignment Leadership Style Paper LDR 531 Week 3 LT Reflection LDR 531 Week 3 Quiz LDR 531 Week 3 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 3 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Week 4 Mentorship Meeting Worksheet LDR 531 Week 4 Team Assignment Conflict Resolution LDR 531 Week 4 Quiz LDR 531 Week 4 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 4 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Week 5 Mentorship Meeting Worksheet LDR 531 Week 5 Individual Assignment Motivation Plan Paper LDR 531 Week 5 LT Reflection LDR 531 Week 5 Quiz LDR 531 Week 5 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 5 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Week 6 Mentorship Meeting Worksheet LDR 531 Week 6 Team Assignment Failure Analysis and Change Strategy LDR 531 Week 6 Quiz LDR 531 Week 6 Discussion Question 1 LDR 531 Week 6 Discussion Question 2 LDR 531 Final Exam Guide LDR 531 Entire Course And Final Guide For more course tutorials visit www.ldr531help.com LDR 531 Entire Course And Final Guide ----...
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...Examining a Business Failure - Tyco International Ltd Organizational behavior is defined as the study of the behavior of individuals, groups and structure and the impact to an organization. Organizational behavior uses the information gathered from this study to improve the organization’s effectiveness (Robbins, 2011). Organizational behavior focuses on a number of areas including the behavior of leaders, inter-personal communication, processes and structure within the organization, conflict and employee motivation. The behavioral disciplines of psychology, social psychology, sociology and anthropology form the basis for the study of organizational behavior. Psychology and social psychology studies the impact of conditions in the workplace and the impact to the employees’ performance. Within these sciences, learning theorists also studies the impact of change and how to reduce the challenges of change in the work environment [ (Robbins, 2011, p. 12) ]. According to the authors, sociology, and anthropology contributes to the study of organizational behavior by focusing on the relationship of employees as a group and the impact to the organizational structure. The culture and group dynamic of the employees will direct the level of motivation that in turn will negatively or positively impact the performance of the organization [ (Robbins, 2011, p. 12) ]. Psychology evaluates changes in individuals’ behavior and the impact to learning, Emotions, leadership, and decision-making...
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...Examining a Business Failure University of Phoenix Organizational Leadership LDR/531 Kenya King January 25, 2010 Examining a Business Failure Seven years ago a very successful business man named Vince McMahon wanted to expand his business but in an innovative way. Mr. McMahon was and still is President of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He has successfully taken a product and marketed it worldwide. His primary demographic is 12-24yr olds but WWE has hooked a much broader crowd. The irony in the success is the wrestling matches are scripted and a winner is pre-determined. The fans, though they know this, don’t seem to care. After all, it’s called WWE. In 2000, Mr. McMahon set his sights on buying the Canadian Football League but was thwarted when the governors of the CFL didn’t support the buyout. Thus, the XFL was born as a joint venture between the XFL and NBC. The XFL was a single entity league meaning that all teams were owned by the XFL. There were 8 teams total, games were played on Sat nights and televised on NBC, and players were made up of former NFL players and athletes from all over the world. The XFL would play immediately after the NFL Super Bowl and play 10 games over a 2 month period. Player salaries were structured based on position played with bonuses going to winning teams. Since this was a football league Mr. McMahon knew he had to have a strategic change to differ his league from the NFL. For example, there was no longer...
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...Running head: ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF GROUPS AND TEAMS Addressing the Challenges of Groups and Teams University of Phoenix LDR/531 May 23, 2011 David Svorinic Addressing the Challenges of Groups and Teams To develop an effective training plan, it is important to take into consideration the many challenges that will arise when groups or teams of people who have never worked together before must collaborate on a project. While the primary goal is to work together effectively to fulfill the company’s needs, consideration must still be given to the individual personalities of the group. The training plan that was developed by Team D focuses on the structure and accountability of the group, effective communication, group collaboration, and conflict management. WorldCom A training plan would have helped leader, managers, and supervisors of WorldCom, better understand effective communication. The WorldCom failure was in part because of the lack of communication from company leaders. By having a training plan in place for all levels of employees, there would have been a higher standard of professional behavior and guidelines to follow. This may have prevented the accounting fraud and unethical business practices that caused the company to crumble. By employees just following the lead of what has been done around them, there is nobody to be held accountable for rules being disregarded. Per Robbins and Judge, “All groups have established norms...
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...Gene One Change Strategy Jeffrey Gaspard LDR/531 February 10, 2010 Dr. Albert Smothers Gene One Change Strategy Every company has a strategic plan whether well defined or organized or not. Gene One has decided to change it strategic plan and focus on becoming and seek an IPO (University of Phoenix, Gene One Scenario, 2010). Through these efforts many questions and roadblocks may arise. Gene One has decided to make an aggressive attempt to confront these challenges to help ensure their goals are meet. Anytime a company changes directions it is imperative that they look at all aspects that the particular change activities may cause. To effectively meet the needs of satisfying the change activities that may arrive, a company must have a change strategy in place. Success, oftentimes is not an easy process. What Must Change Individuals throughout a company that manage change activities, are known as change agents (Robbins, Judge, 2007). Change agents are responsible for carrying out the strategies put in place to effectively handle change. Change agents are not always members of management. Don Ruiz, CEO of Gene One has looked to his team to help create a direction in which the change agents of Gene One, including him and his team, will proceed. As a result, Don has held a meeting to let anyone who has suggestions or concerns about the company new plan the opportunity to speak. He and his team will then act on these concerns or suggestions so that all will be on...
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...Examining A Business Failure Otis Jones, Jr. LDR/531 February 7, 2011 John D. Thompson Examining a Business Failure Success is the goal that businesses and individuals have in common, but failure is the last option anyone person or standing entity wants to face. Outside failing, but orchestrating fraudulent information just to boost and boast the status of any entity is unethical and disgraceful. Bernie Ebbers, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WorldCom, did what the average business person would not do, commit fraud. WorldCom was one of the leading giants in the telecommunication arena acquiring MCI Communications en-route to global success, but failing at the proposed merger of Sprint. What lead to the lies and deception of WorldCom downfall? This paper will briefly discuss some of the possibilities and the outcome of WorldCom’s fall as well as that of its CEO, Bernard (Bernie) John Ebbers. Contributions of Leadership Bernie Ebbers, CEO of WorldCom, impressed the business world with the fast growth and acquisition of small and larger companies. WorldCom, in the late ‘90s, was the nation’s second largest long distance company led by a man with a vision and drive for success. Bernie Ebbers showed skills of charismatic, effective interpersonal communication, and strong strategic judgment skills. The negative side of this effective leader is Ebbers ability and strength...
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...Failure Analysis/ Change Strategy Danyel Spencer LDR/531 May 12, 2014 Mr. Ricky Owen Failure Analysis/ Change Strategy The organizational behavior basically predicted the failure of the Movie Gallery Corporation. The company begins operation in Dothan, Alabama with one store and quickly grew to five stores within the next few years. The company then embarks in diversifying their business by selling franchise rights. In the new found success the company decided to buy back these franchise stores to continue the growth of the company. The organization behavior identity became one of growth without the market research and development that would have provided them with the information that would have assist them in their continue desire to grow. The company continued to acquire other video chains and opening new stores, when their focus should have been on the changing market environment. The leadership failure to monitor the evolution of the market and poor organizational strategic planning, force the company to encounter financial difficulties. In September of 2007 Movie Gallery had to close five hundred and twenty stores, which they had four thousand and five hundred stores at the time. Within a month of the closing of the five hundred stores the company filed for chapter eleven bankruptcy protections under the United States Bankruptcy Code. (Wikipedia, 2014). Stock prices drop to all time lows which unfortunately lead to the company being liquidated to settle claims...
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...Examining a Business Failure: ENRON LDR 531 Organizational Leadership December 5, 2011 . Examining a Business Failure Effective managers and leaders contribute to the organizational success of an organization. Companies lacking strong managerial leaders failing to enforce the ethical code of conduct of an organization are prone to organizational failure. Yukl (2006), states, “One viewpoint is that leadership occurs only when people are influenced to do what is ethical and beneficial for the organization and themselves” (p. 4-5). The notorious Enron scandal created a historic impact to the organizational culture and processes of businesses in the United States. The following paragraphs will address organizational behavior theories, which could have predicted Enron’s failure. Furthermore, a comparison of management, leadership, and organizational structures is scrutinized to determine the influence each had on Enron’s failure. Who was ENRON? Enron was founded in 1985 when Kenneth Lay merged Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth creating Enron (CBCNews, 2006). In the early 1990s Kenneth Lay commenced the sale of electricity at reasonable prices. However, Congress deregulated sales of natural gas. As a result, Enron’s earnings increased and became the largest retailer of natural gas. To expand, Enron diversified and incorporated gas pipelines, pulp and paper, broadband services, water, and electricity plants. Furthermore, the deregulation allowed Enron executives...
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...Examining a Business Failure University of Phoenix LDR 531 Organizational Leadership May 10, 2010 Examining a Business Failure For a business to grow and become successful it needs to have a good organizational structure, leaders, and management. Without these items it is very hard for a business to grow and to maintain is status. When a business becomes very successful and forgets about these items, the business will then beginning to have problems. Once a business begins a downward spiral it is very hard to break free from it. WorldCom Inc. was one of those companies in which rose to fortune and fame but came crashing down once these elements were blurred or forgotten. Although the company did try to stay afloat, it was too late to reverse the damage. History WorldCom Inc. was developed by Murray Waldron and William Rector in 1983 by planning to create a discount long-distance provider named LDDS (Pandey & Verma, 2004). Then in 1985 Bernard Ebbers became CEO of LDDS, in which by 1989 it merged with Advantage Companies, Inc, and then in 1992 it merged with Advanced Telecommunications Corp. With these two mergers WorldCom Inc. grew into a large company with in the US and globally as well (Pandey & Verma, 2004). It was not until WorldCom Inc merged with MCI Communication Corp. that it began to have business with over 280 countries and locations worldwide (Pandey & Verma, 2004). WorldCom was listed as one of the Fortune 500 Company in Fortune magazine...
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...Examining a Business Failure LDR/531 Organizational Leadership September 17, 2012 Examining a Business Failure Motivation is the process that considers an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward achieving a goal. While general motivation is related to the effort toward any goal (Robbins & Judge, 2007). This paper will describe how specific organizational-behavior theories could have predicted or explained Tyco’s International Ltd. Failure. It will compare how leadership, management and organizational structures contributed to the failure. Tyco International Ltd Tyco International Ltd. Is a diversified company that provides security products and service, fire protection and detection products and services, valves and controls, and other industrial products. Tyco operates in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific. It is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and employees 102,000 people (Datamonitor 360, 2011). On 2002 three former high-level executives were accused of fraud. The three accused manger, former CEO L. Dennis Kozlowski, former Chief Financial Officer Mark Schwartz, and former general counsel Mark Belnick, have been indicted for fraud and theft by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as their former employer ("Tyco Fraud Infocenter", 2006). The "Tyco Fraud Infocenter" (2006) website stated that, “the SEC and...
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...Business Failure Analysis Derrick Canty LDR 531 April 13, 2010 Tim Buchanan For several decades, Switzerland’s former national airline, Swissair, has had a reputation as being an almost perfect embodiment of traditional Swiss virtues like technical innovativeness combined with reliability and solidity at the same time. They were so financially stable that they were known as the “Flying Bank.” Established in 1931, Swissair epitomized international transportation until the late 1990s, when the management decided to follow the aggressive borrowing and acquisition policy known as the Hunter strategy. This strategy was a major expansion program initiated by Swissair aimed to grow its market share through acquisition of small airlines rather than entering into alliances agreements. The buying spree created a major cash flow crisis for parent company SAirGroup (Swissair Group), and was exacerbated by environment caused by the September 11 attacks. Those attacks put a void in the company’s plans and Swissair found itself hamstrung with debt. Unable to make payments to creditors on its large debt, and the refusal of UBS AG (Union Bank of Switzerland) to extend its line of credit a month later forced the entire Swissair fleet to be grounded in October 2001. Management was the blame for how this company failed because of failure to conduct a market research and not taking competition seriously. Swissair figured that they could just “muscle” the little guy and...
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...Business Failure Analysis LDR 531/Organizational Leadership Business Failure Analysis Businesses are created with the intention to be successful, achieve goals, and create profits. The continuity of business success depends on the capability to forecast changes on markets and economies, and create a plan to adapt to change, if management failure to forecast changes, the business welfare will be unstable. Blockbuster was a leader on the movies rental business, and failure to reinvent as company, leading to failure. Business Failure Analysis determined Blockbuster’s vision and mission, indicators of the business failure and success from research, how organizational behaviors lead company’s failure, and how the role of leadership, management and culture of the organization in business failure. Business Failure Analysis explained techniques that Blockbuster must used to prevent the impending failure, identified potential barriers during the change process, evaluated the power and political issues within the organization, and described the steps followed to implement the organizational change based on John Kotter’s 8-step plan for implementing change. BUSINESS FAILURE ANALYSIS Blockbuster Inc. was an American-based home movie rental provider, and at its peak in the 2000’s had up to 60,000 employees and more than 9,000 stores. Companies objectives were achieved, become number one movie rental provider in United States of America, and spread their branch thru the world with...
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...A Business Failure: Enron Chris Shealy LDR/531 August 22, 2011 Ericka Hilliard The Enron scandal was a corporate scandal involving the American energy company Enron Corporation based in Houston, Texas and the accounting, auditing and consultancy firm Arthur Andersen that was revealed in October 2001 (Wikipedia Enron Scandal 2001). All of this started when there was a loophole discovered in the accounting department when they were allowed to book large sums of money from energy-derivative contracts at their gross value and not their net value. This tactic although legal many analysts and investors saw what Enron was doing. This was called the distorting technique which allowed Enron to become one of the largest companies in the world. All of the hiding came from within Enron’s balance sheet. To let you in on Enron’s hidden success, Enron was allocating all of there money to independent private partnerships. This strategy showed that Enron’s market share was sky-rocketing to levels never seen before. The thing that was kept hidden was Enron’s asset and liability portfolio. Between 1996 and 2001, Enron reported an increase in sales from 13.3 billion to 100.8 billion (Forbes, 2001). In 2002, there were reports starting to come out about Enron’s wrongdoing. Everyone believed at the time that the Bush administration was telling the truth about what was going on at Enron. Now that Enron is bankrupt, many still believe that there was ever any wrongdoing at Enron...
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...Examining a Business Failure George Konstantinopoulos Organizational Leadership - LDR 531 August 09, 2011 Milton Wingert Examining a Business Failure The purpose of this paper is to examine a large corporation that has excelled in their perspective industries and then unexpectedly failed, lost industry credibility or was force into bankruptcy. Leadership contrasts will be discussed between the failed companies versus the rebuilt companies. There are many examples that can be used but the TYCO Corporation will be used in this paper as it is a clear example of poor leadership that made unethical decisions. It is difficult to say exactly what the thought process was for each of the executives involved but one can speculate the a major factor was greed and self gratification. Tyco Corporation is a large company operating in over 100 countries. They are a major player or maker in the electronic components industry, undersea telecommunications systems, fire protection systems, electronic security systems and specialty valve as well as disposable medical products (Obringer, 2005). The three main executive that were involved in the fraud scandal were Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) Mark Koslowski, Chief Financial Officer, (CFO) Mark Swartz, and General Counsel, Mark Belnick. The fraud occurred when the three executives were accused of giving themselves interest free or very low interest loans by the company. These loans were never approved by the Tyco Board of Directors...
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