Bolden Pharmaceutical, employing over 2,000 workers of all grades, welcomed its
ID: 461597 • Letter: B
Question
Bolden Pharmaceutical, employing over 2,000 workers of all grades, welcomed its new Chief Executive, Tim Hodges. Hodges had spent years working for petroleum companies anxiously exploring new avenues to extend their product-market scope. Hodges felt that Bolden needed the same kind of treatment and that in addition to looking for new product-market opportunities it needed to review its current operations and look for increased efficiency and savings that would help to cover the cost of new ventures. As a first step Tim decided to set up a think-tank. The works was located close to open moorland on the Yorkshire–Lancashire border close to one of the many small towns that nestle in the valley bottoms. As part of the complex, but at a distance of roughly 400 yards from the main works, the firm owned an old house – at one time a rectory – which possessed fairsized gardens and an open aspect over the nearby moors. Tim thought that the building would provide an admirable place to locate the think-tank. The building was quickly refurbished to provide ample accommodation for a think-tank team. The building allowed for the creation of a well-fitted out conference room with overhead projector facilities, flip charts and an on-line desktop computer. In an open-plan office, created by knocking down the wall between two adjacent first-floor rooms, there was desk space for four people. A telephone, which could take both internal and external calls, was placed on each desk, along with an up-to-date PC and the basic office-type software which goes with such equipment. Tim Hodges also agreed to finance any additional special-purpose software that the team might require – up to a cost not exceeding £10,000 per annum. Secretarial support was provided by two part-time secretaries who between them covered the week 9–5 each day Monday to Friday. Four members of the middle-management staff were seconded to the think-tank for a twelve-month period initially. It was agreed that at the end of this period the situation would be reviewed and anyone wishing to return to their previous job would be able to do so. Temporary appointments were made to cover the work of the seconded executives during the year-long trial period. It was made clear that the seconded executives would not be available for their usual duties during this period but that they could be consulted from time to time by the temporary staff covering their work. The team of four who made up the think-tank comprised one person with a background in the marketing operations of the company, one person from the finance and accounting area, one person from the R&D/operations area and a member of the personnel team. The job of coordinating the team was to be rotated on a three-monthly basis, with each person taking his or her turn at the helm. The team were given no specific instructions as to how they should proceed with the task they had been given. Tim Hodges made it clear, however, through an internal memorandum to all members of staff – workers and managers – that the team would expect to receive full cooperation from staff at all levels in the organization and that requests for help or information should be treated in the same way as if he himself had requested it.
Questions: 1. What kind of hindrances do you think the team would be likely to encounter?
2. Given that think-tanks were at one time discarded as an outmoded way of thinking up new ideas, do you think that the team has any real chance of success? Explain.
Explanation / Answer
1. As per my understanding, hindrances that may be encountered by the think-tank team are in terms of co-ordination and understanding between the members belonging to different disciplines, time and cost constraints, lack of co-operation from staff, no clear-cut defined projects/ proposals to work upon and may be pressure from the top management to deliver something new policy derivatives at the earliest, too much expectations etc.
2. Given that think-tanks were at one time discarded as an outmoded way of thinking up new ideas need not be considered as important as the present status of the company and its vision and mission statements to be achieved.The performance of the think-team is based on the thinking, knowledge, skills, co-operation and committment on the part of its members. It also depends on the identification of problems and prospects, weaknesses and strengths, threats and opportunities being faced by the company. Assessment of both internal and external factors may leads the team to success. While generating the ideas the think-tank team should adopt an open approach and involve and take co-operation of maximum number of employees cutting across the functions and levels. External sources, mainly research and development institutions may play an important role in the success of the team in the given case.