Case Studymarket Research Incmarket Research Inc Is A Vancouver Base ✓ Solved

Case Study Market Research Inc. Market Research Inc. is a Vancouver-based firm that specializes in conducting surveys and interviews with members of the general public. The company has a number of teams that work on different projects for its many corporate clients. It is usually the case that several projects are conducted at the same time. The company is composed of three departments: production, technical, and marketing.

The marketing group is responsible for selling the company’s services to corporate clients. The technical department is mainly composed of research personnel who develop and analyze the results of the surveys, focus groups, and interviewing studies for the clients. The production department is composed of several teams of interviewers. It is that department’s job to conduct the data collection. They are responsible for identifying the people who are to be interviewed or surveyed, for enlisting their cooperation, and for conducting the interviews by phone or by mail, depending on the project.

Thomas Waterfall (Tom) is the manager of the production department. The department is responsible for ensuring that all of the data-collection projects are conducted in a professional and timely manner. More specifically, Tom must ensure that there is always enough staff on hand to conduct each study (never too many or too few), for hiring (or dismissing) the interviewers, for training them on the specific project requirements, and for ensuring and controlling the quality of the work done by the production department. He must keep himself informed of the activities of the marketing and technical departments to ensure that his department meets the demands of these other groups. Finally, the production department is a high-pressure environment where tensions among interviewers and between interviewers and the technical staff can sometimes flare up, threatening the efficient and effective production of the studies.

The production manager must often act as an arbiter of disputes and soothe people when they get upset, a skill for which Tom is famous. Mary Milend has been working for the last five years in the production department of Market Research Inc., where she is an interviewer. She has been doing a remarkable job, conducting her interviews with professionalism and competence. She always meets her deadlines and has never been the object of a complaint, either by consumers or by her co-workers. She has always shown great cooperation, often volunteering to help other interviewers with their tasks when they were submerged.

Finally, in the tense atmosphere of conducting the data collection under tight deadlines, she has maintained extremely good relationships with the technical staff with whom the production department interacts routinely. Tom, the manager of the production department, has announced that he will be retiring next year. Because of her superb record as an employee and her extensive hands-on knowledge of the production department, the vice president has offered to promote Mary to the job of production manager when Tom retires. Mary is quite interested in the job, as this would mean a much higher salary, better benefits, longer vacations, and greater influence in the company. However, as Mary is a very honest person, she told the VP that although she was keenly interested in the job, she was not sure that she was the best choice.

She explained that she had never acted in a managerial role before and that she felt uncertain that she had the skills to do the job well. Impressed by Mary’s honesty, the VP indicated that he would be willing to provide her with all the training she needs to acquire the managerial skills that she will need to perform her new job. Questions: 1. What are the main skills that Mary will need to develop if she accepts the promotion? 2.

What are some of the training experiences that might benefit Mary? 3. Should Tom be invited to play a role in Mary’s development? If so, what could that role be? 4.

How effective do you think each of the following programs would be for Mary’s development: management education programs, management training pro-grams (i.e., outdoor wilderness training), and on-the-job development (i.e., job rotation and coaching). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which one(s) do you recommend for Mary, and why?

Paper for above instructions

Case Study Analysis: Market Research Inc.
Market Research Inc., based in Vancouver, specializes in conducting surveys and interviews to gather insights for corporate clients. The structure of the company comprises three main departments: production, technical, and marketing, where each plays a critical role in ensuring the effective delivery of their services. This analysis focuses on Mary Milend, a promising employee in the production department who has been offered a promotion to production manager. The following sections outline the skills she will need to develop, potential training experiences, Tom's role in her development, and an evaluation of different development programs.

1. Key Skills Required for Management Role

If Mary accepts the promotion to production manager, she must develop several critical skills:
1. Leadership and Team Management: Effective leadership will be paramount as Mary will be responsible for managing a diverse team of interviewers. She needs to learn how to motivate her team, resolve conflicts, and enhance productivity (Yukl, 2012).
2. Communication Skills: Clear communication is essential in any managerial role. Mary needs to enhance her verbal and written communication skills to interface effectively with her team, the technical staff, and the marketing department (Robinson, 2018).
3. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: As a manager, Mary will be faced with making decisions that affect the workflow and output of her team. Developing analytical thinking and problem-solving skills will help her make informed decisions quickly (Mintzberg, 2009).
4. Project Management: Given the high-pressure environment in data collection, Mary will need to become proficient in project management methodologies to oversee multiple projects simultaneously and deliver results efficiently (Kerzner, 2013).
5. Conflict Resolution: Navigating tensions between team members and other departments will require Mary to hone her conflict resolution abilities, ensuring a harmonious and productive work environment (Fisher & Ury, 2011).

2. Recommended Training Experiences

To bridge the gap between Mary’s current skill set and what is required of a manager, the following training experiences could be beneficial:
- Leadership Workshops: These workshops can help Mary understand various leadership styles, team dynamics, and conflict management strategies, equipping her with necessary insights (Northouse, 2018).
- Communication Skills Training: Participating in training focused on effective communication techniques, such as active listening and assertive communication, will enhance her ability to convey information clearly and constructively (Gerson & Gerson, 2016).
- Project Management Certification: Enrolling in a certification program that covers project management principles and tools (such as Agile or Six Sigma) will provide her with the knowledge to manage projects effectively (Schwalbe, 2015).
- Mentorship: Pairing Mary with Tom or another experienced manager in the company can create an on-the-job mentoring relationship that facilitates skill transfer and provides valuable feedback during her transition (Ragins & Kram, 2007).
- Simulation Exercises: Engaging in real-world simulations related to project management will allow Mary to practice decision-making and problem-solving under pressure (Cannon-Bowers et al., 1995).

3. Tom's Role in Mary's Development

Tom, the current production manager, should indeed play a role in Mary’s development:
- Mentorship: Tom could serve as a mentor for Mary, sharing his experiences and providing insights into the role of production manager. He can guide her through the nuances of managing the production department's dynamics (Gibb, 2014).
- Shadowing Opportunities: Allowing Mary to shadow Tom as he handles his daily responsibilities will give her practical, firsthand experience of the intricacies of the managerial role (Ragins, 2016).
- Constructive Feedback: Tom could provide constructive feedback on Mary’s progress, helping her refine her skills and build confidence in her new responsibilities (Duncan et al., 2019).

4. Evaluating Development Programs

Several programs exist to facilitate Mary's managerial development, each with inherent advantages and disadvantages:
- Management Education Programs:
- Advantages: Offers theoretical grounding, access to expert instructors, networking opportunities, and exposure to varied management concepts.
- Disadvantages: Can be expensive and time-consuming, and may not cover practical on-the-job skills.
- Recommendation: Valuable for foundational knowledge, but should be supplemented with practical training.
- Management Training Programs (e.g., outdoor wilderness training):
- Advantages: Emphasizes team-building and leadership under unconventional conditions, promoting creativity and interpersonal skills.
- Disadvantages: May not directly translate to the workplace and can be perceived as unorthodox by some employees.
- Recommendation: Useful for enhancing teamwork and leadership, but should be combined with more traditional forms of training.
- On-the-Job Development (i.e., job rotation and coaching):
- Advantages: Provides real-world experience, enhances practical skills, and allows immediate application of learned concepts.
- Disadvantages: May not cover all necessary theoretical knowledge and could lead to performance variability if not monitored closely.
- Recommendation: Highly recommended as a primary means of development for Mary, given her need to adapt quickly and effectively to her new managerial responsibilities.

Conclusion

In summary, Mary Milend's potential promotion to production manager hinges on her ability to develop key managerial skills, access appropriate training, and leverage Tom's experience. A combination of management education, practical training, and on-the-job development will serve her best as she transitions into this new role. The careful selection and execution of these programs will empower her to succeed in leading the production department of Market Research Inc., ensuring continued excellence in data collection.

References

Cannon-Bowers, J. A., Tannenbaum, S. I., Salas, E., & Volpe, C. E. (1995). Defining competencies and establishing team training needs. Team Performance Management, 1(3), 50-68.
Duncan, G., Parker, K., & Williams, L. (2019). The importance of feedback. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 12(3), 367-370.
Fisher, R., & Ury, W. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Penguin Books.
Gerson, S. J., & Gerson, R. (2016). Technical communication: Process and product. Pearson.
Gibb, S. (2014). Mentoring and coaching in the workplace. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 12(1), 89-102.
Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. Wiley.
Mintzberg, H. (2009). Managing. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Robinson, S. P. (2018). Organizational behavior. Pearson.
Ragins, B. R., & Kram, K. E. (2007). The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice. Sage Publications.
Ragins, B. R. (2016). The role of mentorship in career success and job satisfaction. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Mentoring, 230-254.
Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Yukl, G. A. (2012). Leadership in organizations. Pearson.