Organization Theory, Design And Structure; Ethical Leadership And Communication - Assignment Example

? Organization theory, design and structure; ethical leadership and communication Issue Melvina’s Obligations Melvina’s obligations as an agent or middle level manager of the pharmaceutical company are to look at the betterment of the company’s affairs and transactions. Thus in regards to being summoned by her superior to make alterations in the animal testing reports before being presented to the Food and Drug Administration Body she is obliged to conduct such in the interest of the concern. Melvina here is required to change the figures of the number of animal deaths owing to exposure to the drug to less than 10 percent in order to help the development and commercialization process of the new cancer drug. Her making alterations to the figures stated in the report would help the drug move to the last testing stage in regards to human beings thus promoting its steady launch in the market. Analysis based on Badaracco’s Framework Analysis based on Four Questions Parties to be affected by the Dilemma of ‘Right vs. Right’ In here if Melvina obliges to listen to her superior’s advice in altering the figures pertaining to death of animals in regards to their exposure to the drugs then certainly she would help her company gain a strategic stand in launching the medicine. However, Melvina’s obligation to meet the needs of the company exposes human beings to a greater risk for drugs that happen to be fatal to animals also would render a large amount of harm on humans. Again her obligation to her superior’s words would also happen to invite greater risk to the company for at a later stage the company and she also might fall into serious trouble. Thus the plan of action that can be taken in this case in regards to Melvina is to make her superior understand the emerging risks tied to the sanctioning of the plan through adulterated means. This activity would help in creating awareness of the management body as to the potential risks involved in regards to the drug plan, which would have eventually triggered dropping the decision taken. The Potent Stakeholders to the Decision The above case reflects that the human beings are being subjected to malicious and wrong information which in turn may prove detrimental to the well being and healthy lives of the community. Thus in the interest of global mankind, Melvina should consider the first right objective of paying heed to her superior when fulfilling the first right would tantamount to depriving the human race and cancer inflicted people of a better and healthy future. The Defining Moment The above analysis reflects that Melvina tends to convey a message where she does not like to meet the demands of her superior in manipulating the figures related to the number of deaths of the animals exposed to the drugs. Through such non-compliance to her superior’s requirement she intends to protect the interests of both the company and the human race in particular. However in regards to the company it tends to convey the message of gaining a way out in whatever fashion possible for letting the drug gain due acceptance in the consumer market of the region. Thus the manager advices Melvina to take resort of adulterated means to change the figures abruptly and thereby help in strategizing the launching process of the drug. Chances and Hard Decisions In here, Melvina can take chances in obliging by her superior’s decisions in rightly adulterating the numbers in the report and thereby taking first chances in inviting health and fatal risks in regards to humanity and secondly in taking hard decisions knowingly. However, Melvina can also take chances in not obliging by the decisions of her superior and thereby creating risks in regards to her position and employment in the company. Again such decision needs to be taken on a hard stand for it would tantamount to non-compliance of her to the needs of her concern. Analysis based on Three Tests The Newspaper Test Here if the decision of the management team of the pharmaceutical company in regards to the passing of the animal test by the new cancer drug gets published in the newspaper it would amount to a large hype in the consumer drug market for countering cancer. Such publication would amount to hospitals and doctors getting attracted to conduct the human tests which would lead to potential medical and life risks. Golden Rule Test In my personal opinion in regards to such a situation, I would not have obliged to my superior’s want of letting the drug pass the animal test. Thus, I would have made the report to be submitted to the FDA in full justification of the truth rather than manipulating on the figures as demanded by the management. Regards to Long-Term Perspective In regards to a long-term perspective it would be right enough not to oblige by the management’s decision in manipulating figures to help the drug pass the animal test. It is because in the long run such passing of the drug would amount to loss of many innocent human lives and thus would be detrimental to the interests of mankind (Badaracco, 2002). Statement on Melvina’s Conduct Keeping in tune to the above analysis it needs be stated that Melvina should abstain from obliging to the demands of her superior in regards to manipulating the numbers in the animal test report for the drug. She must remain accountable to her own conscience and also should understand the effect or the consequences of her conduct on gross humanity in passing the report. Issue 2 Issue and Conclusion The prescriptive issue that gets highlighted is admitting the directorial genius of Stephen Spielberg in an unquestionable fashion. The conclusion drawn here is whatever project would Stephen Spielberg lay hands on the same evokes as a sci-fi and adventure fantasy and would certainly get nominated for the Oscars if not winning it. Three Reasoning Fallacies Fallacy 1 The first fallacy identified in regards to the case is where the author narrates that Stephen Spielberg is the all time genius in terms of being the greatest movie director of all times. Argument rendered here is Spielberg’s movies in comparison to his contemporaries have been box office hits. Fallacy 2 The second fallacy presented here is that Stephen Spielberg is a genius in the entertainment industry such that the movies produced by him stand out in terms of excellence and in helping the audience enjoy the matter presented. Here the argument presented is that generally people do not like to go for movies that would involve thinking or would incorporate subtitles. The author states that movies that tend to work mainly on special effects and create visual explosions are the one that people would admire for and thereby flock to visit. Fallacy 3 The third fallacy presented is that people do not generally enjoy spending money to visit cinema halls to see movies that tend to reflect on the lives of real people. Rather the argument is presented here those movies that tend to work on themes like science fiction or pertain to adventure genre work well. It is because such movies incorporate some awe aspiring special effect moments that would help in drawing masses (Browne and Keeley, 2011). Value Assumption Gained From the above argument it is understood that tastes of people in terms of seeing movies have largely altered. People now-a-days would not like to go for seeing such movies depicted on the lives of people. Rather movies that tend to incorporate tingling adventure themes coupled with visual effects rendered by special effects programming are such that gain wide appreciation and visits by movie goers . Issue 3 Francesco’s Consideration Francesco is needed to carry out effective consideration in regards to deciding whether to go for bulk production or to produce at a minimal rate depending on market demands. The company needs to device local marketing and production bases to help conduct effective marketing surveys and meet the product needs of the niche consumers in a faster manner. Thus deciding on the number of commodities to be produced for a particular category needs always to be decided analyzing the state of demand in the market. Henceforth, Francesco is required to work based on a point-of-sales system installed in the different stores and regional workshops and supply outlets. Working based on such point-of-sales system would help the company gain a large database in regards to the articles or the designs that tend to move in a seemingly high manner from the different stores. This fact would help the company in gaining idea about the hot selling styles and also the ones whose demand has turn obsolete or redundant in nature. Owing to such information the company can focus on the alignment of resources in an optimal fashion to help produce those designs and styles that would help the company fetch more money from the market. Further the company can also work in terms of Kaizen or in continually developing its production and supply chain style based on concepts like Just-in-Time. The Just-in-Time concept put to use would help the company in reducing the operational and supply chain cost to a huge extent. It is because the company working on such policy would gain the efficiency in rightly assembling the resources on time to produce the required number of quantities of the products in different categories. This strategy would help in reducing the complications associated with the supply chain systems. Further the company operating in regional markets can outsource its manufacturing and supply chain operations to help serve the needs of the regions and reduce its operational cost. Specific Recommendations for Francesco In addition to the incorporation of point-of-sales systems in the different stores, warehouses and workshops of the company to help the concern gain efficiency in producing products that would meet the market demands and working on new supply chain systems other specific recommendations can also be placed for Francesco to gain on market shares. Firstly the company can effectively design different functional teams catering to the organizational functions of marketing, sales, operations, finance and human resources. Division of the entire organizational task based on such horizontal integration systems would help in enhancing the focus of the different teams to render effective strategies to enhance the potential of the concern. Secondly the different functional teams divided can be effectively sub-divided or integrated into different groups known as Divisions. For example the company can enhance the potency of its sales and marketing activities by effectively integrating the two separate functional units into a Divisional whole. Again the Divisional structure can also be designed based on different product, geographic and marketing segments. In regards to products effective teams can be designed for the production of furniture based on domestic and commercial needs. Similarly Divisions can also be created that would tend to enhance the potential of the concern in regards to meeting the needs of specific marketing or regional segments. In such divisions regional people can be effectively incorporated in regards to the different regions that would help the company in gaining effective ideas to meet regional demands. Similarly another divisional unit can be created by the company focusing on the different markets which the company endeavors to cater. Thus Francisco can work in the designing of marketing divisions for domestic and corporate segments. Division of roles along such segments would help the company in effectively designing and formulating effective marketing and promotional strategies for the two specific segments and thereby help the company gain in market shares. Thirdly the company can work in the designing of sub-functional units under each divisional group that would help in enhancing the productivity of the support functions involved with each particular division. Fourthly the organization in regards to countering changes in the external environment needs to work in a highly decentralized fashion thereby empowering the different functional and divisional groups to gain due competency. Thus Francesco needs to work based on an Organic Structure that would suit the need of changing markets. Organic Structure of Business Organisations are as such that incorporates high level of decentralization and thus earns due complexity. Herein the company requires maintaining effective control over its different units through enhancing the level of communication activities. Fifthly the management body of the company is required to work on the level of communication styles to help in percolating managerial and organizational objectives and what needs to be done in achieving such. Through such initiatives the company management can render effective controlling on its different decentralized units based on standards set to help achieve the objectives of the concern as a whole. Finally in the Sixth case the company to gain enhanced market in the foreign territories can also work based on integration of information technology to help create virtual market places. Such use of information technology can be used by Francesco both in regards to consumer markets and also to serve the needs of business corporate. In regards to consumer markets the company needs to work based on Business-to-Consumer model where the company tends to communicate effectively with its consumer base based along different territories in a seamless fashion based on electronic commerce applications. The same principle can be applied by the company in working to formulate communication paradigms with users others than end consumers. Here, Francesco can use the electronic commerce models to communicate with corporate entities or business consumers. (Jones, 2010, Ch. 4, 5 and 6). References Badaracco, J.L., Jr. (2002). Defining moments: A framework for moral decisions. Harvard Business School Faculty Seminar Series. Browne, M.N., and Keeley, S.M. (2011). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. United States: Pearson Education. Jones, G.R. (2010). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions. Read More