Going to the X-Stream Case Study free essay sample

After graduating college with an information technology degree, Reihana inherited a substantial amount of money. With investments from multiple family members amp; coupled with his inheritance, Reihana launched X-Stream. X-Stream is a technology company that assembles personal computers and sells them through chain stores amp; independent retailers throughout New Zealand and Australia. The company gained a reputation for having â€Å"quality hardware, customized products, excellent delivery times, and after-sales service† (McShane amp;Von Glinow, 2013). In six short years, X-Stream has grown into a top technology company and was growing fast. â€Å"Gil believed that major decisions should be made by consensus and that individuals should then be empowered to implement these decisions in their own way† (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Initially meeting with his staff and discussing their current job status, performance, goals, ambitions, and future plans was something he made a point to do at least once a year. We will write a custom essay sample on Going to the X-Stream Case Study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As the company continued to grow, it became increasingly more difficult for Reihana to continue conducting these one-on-one meetings with his staff, so senior management was put in charge of this task for their individual departments. Unfortunately, Reihana did not keep encourage his senior staff to perform the meetings regularly; he was not even sure if they actually performed the meetings at all or if they were working. In an attempt to keep in contact with his non-management staff, he would occasionally eat with them in the cafeteria. Reihana’s senior management team was made up of various professionals with varying ideas of how their department and the company should be run. Much of the staff was extremely headstrong and more boisterous than other members. Denise Commins, chief financial officer was â€Å"quiet, methodical, and very patient† amp; â€Å"her superb interpersonal skills complemented a highly analytical mind† (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Commins was the go-to person throughout the company when work and/or personal issues arose. Don Head, marketing manager, â€Å"was considered a ruthless operator† and seemed to be more trouble than he was worth (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Yet he contributed to the continuous rising sales and was a marketing guru. Jason Palu, production manager, â€Å"was a soft-spoken man† who worked hard to get to his current position (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Although revered for his expertise and efficiency, his autocratic mindset left many of his staff jaded. Heather Berkowitz, chief webpage designer, had a very eclectic work lifestyle. She dressed provocatively, had blue hair, and seldom arrived to work before 11:00am. Yet, like many of the others, her quality and quantity of work outweighed her undoubtedly unprofessional demeanor. With this extremely diverse group and the lack of a formal structure, one can see how conflict can and will easily arise. The company is developing a â€Å"top-of-the-range laptop scheduled to launch in two-weeks’ time,† but Jason wants the timetable pushed back until all of the glitches are worked out. Don, on the other hand, is adamant about keeping the current launch date do in part to the spokesperson he procured who will not be available during the time frame Jason has suggested. This issue has caused a major break in the already fragile working environment. Don has begun a crusade to persuade any and every one he can, through bribes and promises, to take his side. Another issue is with Ramesh Patel, head of e-business applications, who worked with a friend on a new software program. What he thought was done as a favor, was later billed to the company as a $25,000 consultancy fee. Jason Palu’s research and development manager wanted to quit, Jason and Don wanted more money in their respective departments, and to add to an already stressful workplace, the human resources manager has suggested implementing a more structured and professional workplace atmosphere that involves a performance management system; many of the managers strongly oppose this suggestion. Each one of these issues individually could be the demise of a very successful company, but combined, could be catastrophic. The umbrella issue in this organization is leadership. Gil Reihana has a very relaxed approach to managing his employees. He gives more freedom than necessary, which in turn has caused many of his senior management team to feel entitled to behave in any manner they see fit. They have taken advantage of his lack-luster performance as a leader. Leadership is defined as â€Å"the ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness of the organizations of which they are members† (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Reihana does not seem to display any of these characteristics. His senior management team has taken leadership roles beyond just their department. Reihana does not seem to have the control, influence, or respect that a leader should have and deserves. Reihana works from a more servant leadership perspective which explains his one-on-one meetings with his staff about their personal development and why he is so accepting of his current workplace. He wants his employees to flourish as they see fit regardless of the impact it may or may not have on the company. Yet his management team operates on a warped version of shared leadership. Leadership is distributed broadly, each department having a manager that is allowed to run and maintain his or her employees as they see fit, but the departments and the company as a whole do not work together to attain the company’s ultimate goals. Every manager has a singular mindset that undermines Reihana’s business model. Reihana also lacks authentic leadership, which is defined as, â€Å"the view that effective leaders need to be aware of, feel comfortable with, and act consistently with their values, personality, and self-concept† (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Reihana runs his business in a manner that caters to his senior management team, not he or the business as a whole. He wants everyone to feel empowered and important by inviting all employees to the weekly meetings, but has given no real structure for that to happen and seems to give in and accept what is being presented to him without thought. Conflict has erupted throughout every department and in almost every level of the business do in part to the varying leadership styles displayed. Conflict is â€Å"the process in which one party perceives that its interest are being opposed or negatively affected by another party† (McShane amp; Von Glinow, 2013). Although there are some positive consequences to conflict, X-Stream is only experiencing the negative. Management is wasting time calling meetings (that many people do not attend), no one is willing to talk and share their ideas or solutions, the office itself is becoming more tense, and the team is separating between to parties involved.