In order to determine if Silvio Napoli was the right choice for general manager at Schindler India his abilities and weaknesses have to be taken into consideration. In the table below those are summarized in order to facilitate a judgment of the decision whether he was the right person to be general manager or not:
Strengths + | Weaknesses - | Took part in creating business plan; Good knowledge of goals and strategy | Conflicted by relocating his family | Close ties to the executive committee; Knows many people | No knowledge of the Indian market and culture | Ability to handle different cultures; Flexibility | String-headed and single-minded manager which does not fit to the profile best for India | Trusted by Bonnard | Impulsive, impatient and hard taskmaster whose characteristics do not correspond to those of his managing director | Involvement in Swatch Project | Never had that much responsibility |
By looking at his strengths and weaknesses and keeping in mind the challenges of the Indian market it becomes obvious that he is lacking in some major skill areas that are crucial for being a manager in India. Most important is the fact, that Silvio does not have any experiences with India. Because of this it is unsure if he is able to identify the needs of the market and to implement a strategy according to this. Apart from this, his management experience is limited and his management style seems a little too tough and single-minded for the Indian market.
His main strength is his early involvement in the project that gives him major insights and better knowledge. Also his close ties to the executives at Schindler create an advantage for him. But this could also create a danger: he may have been selected more out of sympathy than ability reasons. Most of his other strengths are not very unique and can probably be found in various other people.
All in all, I