Harpo Case Study
Running head: HARPO CASE STUDY
Harpo Case Study
Introduction
Harpo is a production company that encompasses many forms of communication to the masses through its owner and creator, Oprah Winfrey. Harpo’s campus headquarters are currently in Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago and throughout all the endeavors that Harpo attempts to influence Oprah is the head of the deciding factor. She is the top of the organizational hierarchy. Everything about the company is part of Oprah. So what happens if Oprah is no longer able to be the head of the organization? This case study looks at the problems and potential solutions to an organization that relies on a single individual for decisions.
Potential Dangers There are a few potential dangers of having a super powerful leader of an organization. Unfortunately, sometimes when individuals have too much power, they discover ways to abuse or misuse that power. An example of this is when Bernie Madoff discovered a way to influence others to invest in his hedge fund that in the end was just a Ponzi scheme (Lezner, 2008). For years Madoff was influential in investing decisions, so when he started recommending investing into a new hedge fund, no one thought twice. Many super powerful leaders also instill a certain amount of fear in the people around them. As a person who holds many forms of power, it is very important that people still look at Oprah as a business woman and as the powerhouse that she is. If she starts to treat her employees different or allows her upper management to change the treatment of employees, there is a risk of the company collapsing from inside from employees being fearful of their employer.
Succession Plan Looking at this logically, Oprah will not live forever. At some point, she is going to decide that she is tired of being in the limelight. What are the plans for the company when Oprah is gone? Who will be responsible for being the figure head of such an iconic company and name? These are
Harpo Case Study
Introduction
Harpo is a production company that encompasses many forms of communication to the masses through its owner and creator, Oprah Winfrey. Harpo’s campus headquarters are currently in Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago and throughout all the endeavors that Harpo attempts to influence Oprah is the head of the deciding factor. She is the top of the organizational hierarchy. Everything about the company is part of Oprah. So what happens if Oprah is no longer able to be the head of the organization? This case study looks at the problems and potential solutions to an organization that relies on a single individual for decisions.
Potential Dangers There are a few potential dangers of having a super powerful leader of an organization. Unfortunately, sometimes when individuals have too much power, they discover ways to abuse or misuse that power. An example of this is when Bernie Madoff discovered a way to influence others to invest in his hedge fund that in the end was just a Ponzi scheme (Lezner, 2008). For years Madoff was influential in investing decisions, so when he started recommending investing into a new hedge fund, no one thought twice. Many super powerful leaders also instill a certain amount of fear in the people around them. As a person who holds many forms of power, it is very important that people still look at Oprah as a business woman and as the powerhouse that she is. If she starts to treat her employees different or allows her upper management to change the treatment of employees, there is a risk of the company collapsing from inside from employees being fearful of their employer.
Succession Plan Looking at this logically, Oprah will not live forever. At some point, she is going to decide that she is tired of being in the limelight. What are the plans for the company when Oprah is gone? Who will be responsible for being the figure head of such an iconic company and name? These are
References: Colquitt, J. et al (2011). Organizational Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace (2 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Lenxner, R. (2008, December 12). Bernie madoff 's $50 billion ponzi scheme. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/12/madoff-ponzi-hedge-pf-ii-in_rl_1212croesus_inl.html French and raven 's five forms of power. Mind Tools, Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_56.htm