22 Nov You are a business development manager reporting to the vice president (VP) of business development at one of the largest life sciences organizations in the Midwest. Their latest ventur
You are a business development manager reporting to the vice president (VP) of business development at one of the largest life sciences organizations in the Midwest. Their latest venture is producing a new cancer drug. The recent clinical trials of the organization’s flagship product have shown great success and the owners are considering their options for the future. While the organization has shown constant growth and profitability since its inception in 1999, the owners have decided that it is time to sell. Given the current uncertainty in global markets, the board of directors is not convinced that this is the right approach.
While work is underway to find a potential buyer, the VP has called on you to join the strategic planning team to assess the organization's exit strategy and make recommendations to its board of directors. As part of the strategic planning team, you have been asked to make some initial analyses and help plan for the sale of your organization.
Your first task is to build a guiding coalition; that is, identify the people in the organization who can shape, guide, and sustain the change effort of selling the organization. You will send your recommendations and rationale to the VP.
Identifying people who can effectively lead the change initiative is an important first step. These individuals have the leadership and social skills to ensure that the change effort is communicated throughout the organization; as well, they will report back to the team what employees are saying about the change.
Prompt
Use the organizational chart and the employee personas provided to guide your selection of the guiding coalition for the organization in the scenario. (A text-only version of the organizational chart is available: Text-Only Organizational Chart.)
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
- Recommendation: Use the organizational chart and the personas to identify people who should be part of the guiding coalition. Review the personas to identify the individuals who have the influence and commitment to make a positive impact while providing guidance for the change initiative.
- Rationale: Justify your choice of guiding coalition team members. Your responses should address the following for each individual you recommend for the coalition:
- What is the person’s title and how many people do they manage?
- How long has each person been with the organization?
- What area(s) of the organization does this person influence?
- What is your rationale for choosing the person? Consider the person’s characteristics for your rationale.
- What role will each person fulfill as a member of the guiding coalition?
- Team-building strategies: Describe activities and strategies you will introduce to build a well-functioning team. Your response should address the following:
- What strategies will help the members align with the change initiative of the organization in the scenario?
- What steps or actions will you take to establish a sense of urgency within the team?
- How do these activities and strategies help build trust?
Guidelines for Submission
Submit a 3- to 4-page Word document, using double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Sources should be cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
MBA 699 Employee Personas
The first step in putting together the kind of team that can direct a change effort is to find the right members. Characteristics of effective guiding coalition members are:
• A combination of management and leadership skills to develop both plans and vision • Position power • Expertise (discipline, work experience, decision-making ability) • Credibility (good reputation with the firm, in the industry, or both)
The VP of the life sciences organization you are working for has identified the following employees who might be suitable for inclusion in the guiding coalition:
Name Job Role Characterization Past
Experience
With M&A
Span of
Control
Time at
the
Organizati
on (Years)
Job
Satisfactio
n
(1=low,
4=high)
Years
Since
Last
Promoti
on
Juanita Business
Developmen
t Manager
(your
counterpart)
Extremely
intelligent,
motivated, and
productive, she has
been struggling
lately with
managing her time
and commitments
since returning from
maternity leave.
Juanita has
never been
involved in a
merger or an
acquisition,
but she
worked at a
firm during its
complete
reorganization
.
Individual
contributor
(niece of one
of the firm’s
owners)
2 2
n/a
Stan Human
Resources
Manager
Often characterized
as “a complacent
member of human
resources,” Stan is
usually the point of
contact who is
assigned to
company-wide
committees.
Formerly
involved in a
workforce
deployment
change
initiative, he
has familiarity
with what
works (and
doesn’t work)
in a guiding
coalition.
Individual
contributor
8 1 7
Name Job Role Characterization Past
Experience
With M&A
Span of
Control
Time at
the
Organizati
on (Years)
Job
Satisfactio
n
(1=low,
4=high)
Years
Since
Last
Promoti
on
Omar Manufacturi
ng Director
Highly successful
director,
responsible for
opening up the
company’s supply
chain in the Middle
East. Although he
sometimes “rubs
people the wrong
way,” he has proven
effective.
Omar came to
the firm
through an
acquisition
and has been
pleased with
how the
integration
has gone so
far.
Manages 12
manufacturin
g plants
comprising
580 hourly
workers
3 4 n/a
John Research
Director
John is responsible
for the scientific
research behind the
company’s flagship
oncology drug, and
“doesn’t stop until
the job is done.”
A member of
the firm’s
founding
team, he has
seen more
mergers fail
than succeed.
Oversees the
company’s
research labs
in three
countries,
including
more than
100 scientists
22 4 15
Leslie Sales Rep During her tenure
with the firm, Leslie
has consistently met
her sales targets,
exceeding her
quotas every
quarter.
Leslie has
been through
more change
in her career
than most
sales reps.
Individual
contributor
14 2 8
Elaine Acting
Director
Although she has a
reputation for being
difficult to work
with, Elaine is
known for
appreciating
complementary
strengths in others
and is often called
“a true visionary.”
Elaine is a
strong leader
when it comes
to adapting to
changing
situations.
Manages 18
senior
managers
(direct
reports)
10 3 2
Chris Sales
Executive
Known for
“micromanaging,”
Chris has a realistic
sense of his
weaknesses and
limitations.
Chris led the
integration of
two prior
acquisitions
while at
another
company.
Oversees
more than
150 sales
reps around
the world
10 2 4
,
Organization chart
Mirjam Nilsson President
Augusta Bergqvist VP Business Development
Omar Mattsson Manufacturing Director
Flora Berggren VP Worldwide Sales
Elaine Hartwick Acting Director
John Martensson Research Director
Stan Raffety Human Resources Manager
Patrick Heaton Research Lab Manager
Mei Zheng Research Lab Manager
Joanne Lawrence Research Lab Manager
April Hansson Marketing Manager
You! Business Development
Manager
Juanita Gonzalez Business Development
Manager
Angelica Astrom Supply Chain Strategies
Nidal Eidwat Middle Eastern Operations
Ian Smith North American Operations
Chris Botting Sales Executive
Ian Hansson VP Human Resources
Leslie Krupp Sales Rep
MBA 699
Life Sciences Organization
- MBA 699�Life Sciences Organization
