1. Overview the content of the case.
The case study focuses on the running of different branches, of the parent company, which are located in different regions of the United States and Canada. The head office was encouraging the individual branches to operate independently due to the cutthroat competition they faced in the different regions. It wanted to be in a position to control and monitor prices and purchases by the individual branches,
2. Identify problems/successes.
The different regions had customers who had varying consumer behavior relative to their location and likes. There is cutthroat competition in the liquor market forcing the individual regional offices to operate in an autonomous manner in order to survive. There was no effective communication between the head office and the regional offices and therefore it appeared not to be in control of these branches. It was unable to standardize operations despite there being a financial system in place.
3. Analyze the causes of problems/successes.
There was a disparity in the prices and preference of the customers in varying regions. Competition from the other companies forces them to have different prices that cannot be standardized. There was a lack of reliable communication, and the people in the regions are too busy to communicate effectively with the head office.
4. Identify solutions that the case has found.
One of the solutions was creating a position for a person who was meant to monitor different prices and purchasing practices with a view of controlling these prices. There was the utilization of information technology in a more effective manner in order to have all the transactions transmitted to the head office, and the top managers were required to communicate directly with the head office.
5. Suggest your solutions.
I would suggest that the individual branches should be left to run autonomously in the best way suited for the region that they are operating. They can be instructed to be submitting all their financial records on a daily basis in order to monitor any misappropriation of funds. The individual branches should only be monitored closely by the head office when they do not realize the targeted profits.
Two situations in my life and how control is exerted can be found in the tables below.
On the Job as a Service Technician
At the University
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various controls?
On the first table, the positives are the controls’ advantages and the negatives are their disadvantages and the second table the controls for a large and small class complement each other.
2. What happens when there is too much control? Too little?
In the case of too much control, people tend to be rebel and when it is too little they feel neglected.
3. Does the type of control depend on the situation and the number of people involved?
The more the people involved the stringent the control measures and vice versa.
4. Optional: How do the controls mechanisms in your tables compare to those of other students?
When compared to other students they draw a parallel especially when it comes to dealing with a large and a small class.
