Analysis of Johnsonville Sausage Co. (a) Case Study
ANALYSIS OF JOHNSONVILLE SAUSAGE CO. (A) CASE STUDY
IN THE ASPECT OF STRATEGIC DESIGN
Prepared by USANUS SIRITARARATN, 2012
The Johnsonville Sausage Co. (A) case study from Harvard Business School is about Johnsonville Sausage Co, a sausage manufacturer and wholesaler in Johnsonville, Wisconsin. As the company grew over time, the president of Johnsonville Sausage Co., Ralph Stayer, faced many big problems in his organization. After Stayer listened to a lecture about how managers could change their philosophy and style of management from Dr. Lee Thayer, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Stayer thought about his organization and found out that the problems in his organization were the result of the way he managed his employees. As a result, Stayer decided to change his management style which led to a big organizational transition. (Roberts, 1986: 4)
According to the Three Lenses on Organizational Analysis and Action, there are three main concepts about the Strategic design lens which are Strategic grouping, Strategic linking, and Alignment (Ancona, Kochan, Scully, Van Maanen, and Westney, 2005: M-2, 14). This analysis of the Johnsonville Sausage Co. case study will be illustrated in 3 major concepts of Strategic design lens. The Johnsonville Sausage Co. (A) case study can be separated into 2 phases, pre and post organizational transition, which Stayer had brought his organization through.
STRATEGIC DESIGN ANALYSIS
Strategic Grouping
The strategic groupings for Johnsonville in both the pre and post transition eras were grouped by “Function” though the structures of pre and post transition eras were different. The pre-transition structure was very centralized, flat, and unorganized (Figure 1). Ralph Stayer had hired management people to help him on certain tasks, but these people were hired to do only what Stayer told them to. They did not receive authority to make their own decisions. This can be seen from Stayer’s quote, “I’d hired someone early
IN THE ASPECT OF STRATEGIC DESIGN
Prepared by USANUS SIRITARARATN, 2012
The Johnsonville Sausage Co. (A) case study from Harvard Business School is about Johnsonville Sausage Co, a sausage manufacturer and wholesaler in Johnsonville, Wisconsin. As the company grew over time, the president of Johnsonville Sausage Co., Ralph Stayer, faced many big problems in his organization. After Stayer listened to a lecture about how managers could change their philosophy and style of management from Dr. Lee Thayer, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Stayer thought about his organization and found out that the problems in his organization were the result of the way he managed his employees. As a result, Stayer decided to change his management style which led to a big organizational transition. (Roberts, 1986: 4)
According to the Three Lenses on Organizational Analysis and Action, there are three main concepts about the Strategic design lens which are Strategic grouping, Strategic linking, and Alignment (Ancona, Kochan, Scully, Van Maanen, and Westney, 2005: M-2, 14). This analysis of the Johnsonville Sausage Co. case study will be illustrated in 3 major concepts of Strategic design lens. The Johnsonville Sausage Co. (A) case study can be separated into 2 phases, pre and post organizational transition, which Stayer had brought his organization through.
STRATEGIC DESIGN ANALYSIS
Strategic Grouping
The strategic groupings for Johnsonville in both the pre and post transition eras were grouped by “Function” though the structures of pre and post transition eras were different. The pre-transition structure was very centralized, flat, and unorganized (Figure 1). Ralph Stayer had hired management people to help him on certain tasks, but these people were hired to do only what Stayer told them to. They did not receive authority to make their own decisions. This can be seen from Stayer’s quote, “I’d hired someone early