C & C Grocery Stores, Inc Essay

1. In general, how did C&C’s first organizational structure contribute to the store managers’ dissatisfaction? The overall managerial structure of the company inhibited communication and cross training for its managers. The lack of communication between functional specialties keeps cooperation down and thus can lead to poor performance. The inability to be cross trained in multiple functional areas restricts their ability for promotion. The store managers did not have control of their entire stores, and lacked training and development for higher level management positions. 2. What effect did it have had for store meat and produce managers to report to district specialists? Store Managers had no authority over Produce and Meat Department managers. Separate departments were unable to work together for the good of the entire store. This led to centralized decision making up several vertical linkages. 3. What structural problems contributed to the chain being slow to adapt to change? To make changes at the store level, information had to be passed by the meat, produce, and grocery managers up three to four vertical linkages before a centralized decision could be made at the district director level. Also, stores lacked the ability to add more specialized departments like pharmacies or gourmet departments. 4. Why was cooperation within stores so poor? Each store lacked a centralized decision maker for the local store. Multiple managers oversaw multiple functional areas without reporting to a primary source. This created conflicted decision making without consultation in regards to the overall strategy of that store. 5. How would the proposed reorganization address the problems addressed in each question above? a. With the proposed restructure the store manager would have complete store control and better training from the district supervisor. It also allowed for better adaptation to local conditions. b. Meat and Produce departments now would report to a local store manager that can make decisions for the entire store. c. The new structure provides more flexibility with decision making and allowing for expansion into other specialty areas. 6. What disadvantages might emerge over time with the proposed reorganization? The new structure is more horizontal than vertical and may lead to decreases in efficiency due to less emphasis on specialized tasks and reporting to centralized decision makers. 7. Given the advantages and disadvantages of each of the two structures, which would you adopt, and why? (Remember that no structure has only advantages, so if your discussion begins to take on that tone, broaden the input for a more well-rounded approach.) The original structure was more vertical and lacked shared tasks, horizontal communication, and centralized decision making at the store level. The new structure is more horizontal in layout and is streamlined for individual learning and development as well as shared empowerment. The advantages of the second structure should outweigh the disadvantages of the original and give greater flexibility to local stores to adapt to their community.