Discussion: Linking Marketing to Other Functional Areas - Assignment Example

DISCUSSION: LINKING MARKETING TO OTHER FUNCTIONAL AREAS Discussion: Linking Marketing to Other Functional Areas In order for the organization to respond well to the intended changes and the impact on all other functional areas, it is important that some human resource issues be addressed. One of these issues has to do with cross-functional training that equips employees from other functional areas with basic knowledge and skills needed by the marketing team to make the change successful. Another of human resource issue management ought to be aware of is strategic positioning and placement, which deals with the assignment of roles to people based on their unique and peculiar abilities.

What this means is that the mere fact that marketing is linked to other functional areas does not imply that anyone at all can be given any role to play as part of the pending change (Perreault Jr., Cannon & McCarthy, 2014). The use of cross-functional teams is fast becoming very important phenomenon in most organizations today. This is largely because of the realization of the impact that individual departments of the organization has on other functional areas (Labrecque, Markos & Milne, 2011).

With the intended change in distribution method also, it is expected that the same type of force whereby the marketing function will impact on other functional areas is expected. With this said, it will not be necessary to totally eliminate the existing sales force for the sake of the pending change in distribution method. There are two options that the management can choose from. The first of this has to with redefining the role of the sales force to make them useful with the new distribution method.

The second is to maintain the existing sales force as a complementary body to what already prevails. Apart from human resources, it is important for the management to understand that the marketing team only presents to the customer what has been finalized as the outcome of production. Whatever deficiencies or problems that come with production will directly affect the work of the marketing team and for that matter the new distribution method that is to come in place (Labrecque, Markos & Milne, 2011).

Based on this, it is strongly recommended that all the possible impacts that production unit could bring on the marketing and distribution method be identified. A typical example of this has to do with the issues of overproduction and underproduction. It will be important that production will not be more than market demand from the distribution channel as this can create excessive inventories. It is also important that there will not be underproduction as this can cause customers to switch to competitors.

Having agreed to maintain the sales force and either redefine their roles or complement their roles with the new distribution method, it is important to clearly define the ethical implications that this could come with. One such ethical issue has to do with conflict of interest. It is important that when working with members of the new distribution methods, team members will understand that their individual successes come together to represent the overall success of the company. With this said, it will be important not for anyone to sabotage the growth and success of the other.

It will also be very important to clearly define channels of conflict resolution within the cross-functional team that will be created. On the broader sense, this helps to appreciate the fact that the success of cross-functional teams is based on willingness of the management to ensure ethical guidelines for all people involved (Perreault Jr., Cannon & McCarthy, 2014). References Labrecque, L. I., Markos, E., & Milne, G. R. (2011). Online personal branding: Processes, challenges, and implications.

Journal of Interactive Marketing, 25(1), 37–50. Perreault Jr., W. D., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2014). Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (19th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.