Affecting Change

Leadership has been defined as the ability to motivate and influence others to work toward achieving a goal. Leaders of any organizations are sometimes faced with challenges of encouraging employees to adapt to organizational structural and culture changes. In large organizations, the effectiveness of managers depends on influence over superiors and peers as well as influence over subordinates (Yukl, 2006). Smith and Falmouth (S&F), in the Leadership in Action simulation, a company who specializes in teleshopping and mail-order has implemented a new online division that has been operational for about six months. The entire online operation was centered on James Argyle, the project manager, until hiring the chief operating officer (COO), who is in charge of S&F online. Irene Seagraves chief executive officer (CEO) has given the COO a clear set of instructions to streamline the online operation by increasing the online sales channel and turning the online business into a profitable one. The window for achieving these results is nine months away and tension has risen within the company because the appointment of COO caused a shift in levels of the organizational hierarchy.
    The COO of Smith and Falmouth (S&F) is faced with the challenge of leading a group of unwilling employees to achieve the company’s goals. The following discussion will address the established methods of control and current cultures within S&F, and make a recommendation for restructuring that will improve the culture while empowering the employees.
    An organizational structure reflects the organization's culture and power relationships (McShane, 2002).Organizational structure refers to the division of labor and the patterns of coordination, communication, workflow, and formal power that direct organizational activities. The current organizational structure at the S & F Company is a formal Hierarchy mixed with limited informal communication between teams. In a hierarchical structure...