Case Study on Rondell Data Corporation Essay Example
Case Study on Rondell Data Corporation Essay Example

Case Study on Rondell Data Corporation Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (642 words)
  • Published: November 15, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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Founded by Bob Rondell in 1920, Rondell Data Corporation has experienced significant growth.

Rondell was founded based on Rondell's invention of several electrical testing devices, and later expanded in the 60s to include data transmission equipment. The company was known for its high-quality and innovative designs. By 1978, Rondell had two major lines, Broadcast Equipment and Data Transmission, with broadcast equipment contributing to 35% of sales and Data Transmission flourishing due to increased demand for specialized and innovative designs. However, conflicts arose due to disputes between research, engineering, sales, and production staff in regards to new product introduction. The issues primarily revolved around the engineering department.

Rondell had communication issues between departments and upper management due in part to their outdated organizational structure. The strictly functional approach of Rondell's structure contributed to conflicts and a lack of cohesion nec

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essary for a large company. The company's growth caused different departments to grow at different rates, leading to changing interactions and a disproportionate burden on the engineering, research and development departments. This was because the engineering department's workforce is distributed among other departments.

Rondell lacks a defined mission or purpose, resulting in an unclear chain of command. The engineering services division is preoccupied with managing their numerous components and employees, rather than expanding their product line. The company's organizational structure is based on employees' length of employment, with no formal hierarchy. Every department prioritizes the well-being of its members, regardless of the impact on the overall organization. While Rondell has a strong familial culture, there remains a lack of cooperation between departments.

The firm has had several conflicts among its research, engineering, sales, and production teams leading to Rondell'

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decline in profitability. Rondell Equipment Co., established in 1920, upheld traditional values of offering high-quality and groundbreaking designs leading to an elitist mentality. The employees at Rondell took pride in their work and boasted of their exceptional performance due to the strong family spirit within the organization's roots.

The organization found it difficult to adapt to rapid growth and change due to its traditional elitist model. Reimann & Wiener (1988) state that when the organization's environment changes, the effectiveness of its corporate culture is truly tested. A strong culture can hinder a firm's ability to respond to such changes. In order to accommodate second generation employees and growth, the company required a more formalized structure. The once strong "family" culture had become dysfunctional, resulting in divergent subcultures. Cook, Hunsaker & Coffey (1997) recommend design changes.

87. The common functional structure employed by Rondell is ideal for companies with limited and similar products, but requires strong management control and coordination. It entails all functions functioning together towards a shared goal of creating, constructing, and distributing the product. Also, this arrangement proves most beneficial when departmental responsibilities are fairly autonomous from one another. Fundamentally, this design is well-matched to promote specialization.

To tackle another problem that must be resolved, it is apparent that the performance system in place allowed individuals to perceive their own performance as distinct from the overall enterprise. The following steps are recommended: • Rondell should prioritize Team building, Team participation, and decision making. • A cross-functional approach should be employed to carry out critical company responsibilities, such as developing new products. Seek the assistance of a proficient consulting team to support the management

team. • To establish the most appropriate organizational structure for the corporation, an organizational design process should be launched.

Engineering services ought to incorporate project management as a means to assist the team with coordinating, planning, and monitoring the project process, according to reference 1, which includes Curtis W. Cook, Philip L. Hunsaker & Robert E.

Coffey (1997), in the 2nd edition of Management and Organizational Behavior, page 87, cited Reimann, B. C. and Wiener, Y.

(1988). The article titled "Corporate Culture: Avoiding the Elitist Trap" can be found in Business Horizons, volume 31, pages 36-44.

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