World Bank Solution

Running head: PROBLEM SOLUTION: USA WORLD BANK

Problem Solution: USA World Bank

Benjamin Williams

University of Phoenix

MBA 510

Dr. Jo Brooke, Ph.D.

June 26, 2007

Problem Solution: USA World Bank

With market shares and profits being down for USA World Bank, the company is attempting to develop a product that will appeal to its customers as well as attract new customers. The company's Board of Directors has expressed a desire to increase the company global presence in addition to the above. Using statistical data is mainstay of their decision-making process that aids in the overall decision to develop a product. Additionally, they also use outsourcing to obtain secondary information that they do not have or may consider in their procedures. Cooper and Shindler (2003) make the statement that "focusing too early on correcting one problem versus another can misdirect the research wasting valuable resources." USA World Bank has decided to use focus groups to create its research data when a more accurate means of data collection was available. However, there are a number of other methods of gather information this particular way presented problems for the marketing team. Nevertheless, outlined throughout are the internal conflicts as a direct result of the information used and gathered witnessed within this paper along with an assessment of the situational awareness exhibited by the slow process of decision-making of upper-level management. Consequently, a viable solution to be implemented following the overall assessment of company objectives and/or stalled leadership in addition to the ethical dilemmas being in association.

Situation Analysis

Issue and Opportunity Identification

USA World Bank has issues that are characteristically common within organizations that are attempting to implement change that will have an effect both internal and externally. This change is affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of the company in its efforts to obtain identifiable goals it has set for itself. The organization is attempting to develop new products that will make it more profitable in addition to expanding it market shares along with having an impact global as well. In viewing USA World Bank (UWB), the approach taken will be to identify some of the different opportunities that are a direct result of change sought by the organization along with the creation of value as well for the company. Conceptually, there are a number of issues and opportunities that can be described and/or identified throughout the scenario with the possibility of meeting and/or exceeding predetermined expectations, but the more immediate problematic issues are targeted that are systemic in nature. In following, the shifting nature and needs of UWB customers along with the new innovativeness being both technological and societal are all part of the evolutionary changes affecting the business culture in the ways that business is being carried out. USA World Bank has had some lack luster projects, currently known by the Marketing team and is causing considerable pressure to perform upon the Marketing team. Noticeable are the following issues as well as the opportunities: Board members are not satisfied with the overall product earnings, the personal values of the top executives are causing conflict, marketing efforts have been lack luster as of late, and the information gathering is somewhat outdated in relation to the populous.

In USA World Bank bid for knowledge relating to the needs of the external business environment population their choice to outsource for secondary research has left its Marketing department unprepared to answer necessary questioning, due in part to the unknown methodology used by the external company in information gathering and analyses. Overall, this had led to the Marketing department appearing to be incompetent and unorganized in the eyes of its board members. However, if UWB relied more favorably on its own primary research, internal expertise, and information gathering in constructing its analyses with the support of new innovative technological platforms designed for their need. This will result in a more confident, cohesive and knowledgeable team in addition to up-to-date data.

Next, the personal conflicts within the Marketing team will become a major concern that will require internal and external training to correct. Individual members are not onboard with past and current ideology and/or leadership style, thereby creating ethical dilemmas and causing individual values to come to the forefront as a priority rather than the product at hand. This lack of communication on the part of leadership is ill advised and is a major detractor to the overall strategic plan. The marketing team communication avenues are seemingly limited to just meetings and nothing else, whereby upper management is not able to get the same answer from within the teams members when questioning them on important topics of discussion. Additionally, there is poor communication with the outside company of which UWB has outsourced work. Nevertheless, this poses a significant opportunity for the company to revamp the way it communicates internally and externally. Having prescheduled meetings along with using information technology to create and install an intranet with a communication board medium for the team could alleviate miscommunication internally. Externally, the company needs to have regular interval meetings with the company they have outsourced work to be done as well as detailed reports on a regular timetable.

USA World Bank is facing the loss of customers to other banking entities as a direct result of not having new and innovative products that address the needs of its loyal customers. However, the way UWB Marketing team has compiled that data is questionable in lieu of the current highlighted events as to how 'past' information gathering takes place and the time-periods in direct association with depicting the population and or a particular sector along with its needs. Company directors are now skeptical of the gathered data and its relevancy toward the credibility in decision-making outcomes. Again, opportunistically UWB can now create a normal process and or procedures that adequately validate its findings in relation to the information it gathers toward effective decision-making.

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