Solution: Being Android-based, Xproject Mobile means it is compatible to a broad selection of mobile devices. As of 2011, Android products accounted for some 47% of the smart-phone market, even as Apple projects establish themselves (Love, 2011) The company opted to use open architecture and other open source approaches, which means that even though it has technical limitations, its products and supportive services enable it to adjust as needed to thousands of platform and equipment opportunities
The only way Don can rectify the situation is to do the right thing and tell the truth to everyone involved. As another writer says, "It pays to be good" (Norris, 2006), and Don is definitely not being good
Don's behavior is self-serving and irresponsible. One writer says, "Moving beyond self-serving tendencies will require careful attention to both the important role that professionals play in our society and the competitive market conditions in which they must now work" (Wilkins, 2006)
Charlie should have known that before any such change in management and leadership style could possibly be successful, he would have had to first establish a culture of openness that precluded privately voiced complaints by heads of departments about other departments that they would not repeat in a group meeting. That culture of honesty and of mutual respect is a prerequisite to the collaborative decision-making environment that Charlie envisioned for his team (George & Jones, 2008; Maxwell, 2007; Russell-Walling, 2007)
Identifying the Source of the Internal Problem Charlie has two major problems: the first is the external problem of flattening sales and increased market competition; the second is the ineffectiveness of his managing and leadership style. The external problem is out of his control and the only way that he can address that problem is by first solving his internal problem, because that problem is completely within his control as a manager (Kinicki & Williams, 2005) and as an organizational leader (Maxwell, 2007)
Identifying the Source of the Internal Problem Charlie has two major problems: the first is the external problem of flattening sales and increased market competition; the second is the ineffectiveness of his managing and leadership style. The external problem is out of his control and the only way that he can address that problem is by first solving his internal problem, because that problem is completely within his control as a manager (Kinicki & Williams, 2005) and as an organizational leader (Maxwell, 2007)
Initially, Charlie's decision to radically change managing styles from that of his predecessor was a mistake. Generally, leadership changes already have a disruptive effect on the management team (McFarlin, 2006); therefore, radical changes should be avoided unless there are very specific and good reasons to depart from what worked previously, at least until the new leader has established their trust and confidence (Maxwell, 2007)
Business Problem -- Chattanooga Ice Cream Company The Business Problem The Chattanooga Ice Cream Company is one of three divisions of the Chattanooga Food Corporation, founded in 1936 by the grandfather of its current division president, Charlie Moore (Sloane, 2003)
The Questioning to the Void Technique The questioning to the void technique, commonly referred to as the 5 why's technique, is one of the three approaches of root cause analysis. It basically entails asking the question 'why' five times so as to understand the exact nature of a problem (Anderson, 2009)
Moreover, it is highly flexible and readily fits into a number of other common business processes -- for instance, the 5 why's technique is used i) for quality improvement in the analysis stage of the Six Sigma process; and ii) for identification and elimination of wasteful practices in lean manufacturing. Thirdly, the technique ensures that problems are resolved once and for all, and that no further costs are spent in addressing the same problem in the future (Dew, 2002)
Business Problem-Solving: Root-Cause Analysis The Root Cause Approach Root cause analysis is a popular problem-solving technique that seeks to bring out, and respond to, the deeper causes of a problem as opposed to only those that are visible on the surface (Okes, 2009)