Avon Study Case
Assignment
Avon Study Case
Student’s name
Professor’s name
Dr.
Course title
532 – Talent Management
Date
2013
Provide a brief description of the status of the company that led to its determination that a change was necessary. In 2005, Avon Products success story turned ugly. After six straights years of ten percent plus growth and a tripling of earnings under CEO Andrea Jung, the company suddenly began losing sales across the globe. The company found itself challenged by flattening revenues and declining operating profits. While the situation had many contributing causes one underlying issue was that Avon had grown faster than portions of its infrastructure and talent could support. As with many growing organizations the structure, people and processes that were right for a $5 billion company were not necessarily a good fit for a ten billion dollar company (Effron, 2005). Numerous cases existed in Avon’s existing talent and in its ability to identify and produce talent. While some of those gaps were due to missing or poorly functioning talent processes, an underlying weakness seemed to lie in the overall approach to managing talent and talent practices (Goldsmith M. &., 2010). Neither managers nor associates knew how existing talent practices, performance management, succession planning, worked or what they were intended to do. Decisions on talent movement, promotions, and other key talent activities were often influenced as much by individual knowledge and emotion as by objective facts. The Human Resource department could not answer the most basic questions a manager might ask about talent practices, “What will happen to me if I don’t do this?” (Goldsmith M. &., 2010). There talent practice had no merit. There was no talent pipeline.
Identify the model for change theory typified in the case study of your choice. Discuss what led you to identify the model that you did. The change theory typified in this case study is the 360 degree
Avon Study Case
Student’s name
Professor’s name
Dr.
Course title
532 – Talent Management
Date
2013
Provide a brief description of the status of the company that led to its determination that a change was necessary. In 2005, Avon Products success story turned ugly. After six straights years of ten percent plus growth and a tripling of earnings under CEO Andrea Jung, the company suddenly began losing sales across the globe. The company found itself challenged by flattening revenues and declining operating profits. While the situation had many contributing causes one underlying issue was that Avon had grown faster than portions of its infrastructure and talent could support. As with many growing organizations the structure, people and processes that were right for a $5 billion company were not necessarily a good fit for a ten billion dollar company (Effron, 2005). Numerous cases existed in Avon’s existing talent and in its ability to identify and produce talent. While some of those gaps were due to missing or poorly functioning talent processes, an underlying weakness seemed to lie in the overall approach to managing talent and talent practices (Goldsmith M. &., 2010). Neither managers nor associates knew how existing talent practices, performance management, succession planning, worked or what they were intended to do. Decisions on talent movement, promotions, and other key talent activities were often influenced as much by individual knowledge and emotion as by objective facts. The Human Resource department could not answer the most basic questions a manager might ask about talent practices, “What will happen to me if I don’t do this?” (Goldsmith M. &., 2010). There talent practice had no merit. There was no talent pipeline.
Identify the model for change theory typified in the case study of your choice. Discuss what led you to identify the model that you did. The change theory typified in this case study is the 360 degree
References: Effron, M. G. (2005). Growing Great Leaders: Does It Really Matter? Human Resources Planning Journal , 18-23. Goldsmith, M. &. (2010). Best Practices in Talent management : How The World 's Leading Corporations Manage, Develop, and Retain Top Talent. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Goldsmith, M. &. (2006). Coaching For Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer. Jones, C. (1986). Programming Productivity. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill. Silzer, R. &. (2010). Strategy-Driven Talent Management: A Leadership Imperative. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.