Identification of the Problem
In the New York Times article, “A Business Owner Who Backed Off Tries to Step Back In”, John Grossmann highlights the management story of Bibby Gignilliat – the founder of Parties that Cook. In the article, Grossmann (2013) explains how Ms. Gignilliat managed the business from a 40,000-dollar business to a more than 2-million dollar business in a span of a decade. However, she decided to take a break from the management duties to concentrate on her personal life. Though two years out of management, she decides it is time to return and grow the company further. Now, Ms. Gignilliat is faced with a dilemma: How can she take back her role in top management without jeopardizing the existing work …show more content…
She managed the business from a 40,000-dollar business to a more than 2-million dollar business. After a decade of management and an average of an 80-hour working week, she minimized her management roles, initially, before disengaging completely to concentrate on her personal life which she had neglected till her early 50’s. However, 2 years later, she thought about the progress of the company as retirement was fast beckoning. Besides, the suggestion from her boyfriend fueled the idea. Therefore, she had seven years to retire thus expanding the value of the company and eventually liquidating it was her top priority. As a result, she decided to take over the management as the first option. Though, the company has been running perfectly in her absence with the sales at 2.18 million dollars during her return announcement. Therefore, it is expected that the idea will offend the employees, and as a consequence, affect their morale. However, if Ms. Gignilliat decides to actualize the plan, then she has the opportunity of leading the company from a different angle, for instance, the sales department, before her full take-over as the Chief Executive Officer. Furthermore, it is critical she recognizes the role of the employees in company growth, and hence, should work on a motivating strategy.
Alternatives
According to Bell (2000), expert opinion and individual thoughts form the alternatives to a case study. There are a number of alternatives