Case Study Retailmax

Case Study RetailMax berth for Cam genus Sagittarius and Regan Kessel Elizabeth Smith Grand Canyon University, LDR 610 April 10, 2013 Everyone has index to some degree. french and Raven (1959) distinguished five types of business leader referent power, expert power, proceeds power, coercive power, and legitimate power and with separately of the five types, the stronger the basis of power the greater the power. Power is defined in terms of the influence a person has over the ability to change behavior, opinions, attitudes, goals, needs, and values (French & Raven, 1959).Cam Archer is in a beat of power at RetailMax she has the chief operating officers instigate to accept either a more lucrative position in the Professional go (PS) Department or a selling position with Regan Kessel, the Vice President of crossing Management and Marketing (PMM) (McGinn & Witter, 2006a). Which position ordain provide Archer with the power to meet her needs will Kessels power be affected if A rcher accepts the position within his subdivision? The power bases and well-disposed influence of both Cam Archer and Regan Kessel will be evaluated to determine which of the two most effectively used their power sources.Cam Archer is in an interim position as a retail billhook executive with RetailMax, Inc. , a software company ground in Boston. Upon graduating with her MBA from a leading business school, Cam began plowing for RetailMax, a company providing merchandise optimisation software. part working in business development where she was responsible for managing strategical alliances and partnerships, RetailMax was forced to downsize and all areas that were non directly involved with making or selling software were laid slay.Cam was asked to join the sales team up, an avenue she was not interested in, precisely one she agreed to accept because of her belief and belief in the entrepreneurial culture and service commitment RetailMax could provide to retailers during the period recessionary period (McGinn & Witter, 2006a). Cams dedication, drive, sacrifice, and social influence paid off within the first year of sales she had built solid inherent and external customer bases. Cams potential power was great. She had the trust and esteem of the executive team and the support to decide which position she would accept her compulsion was in her own hands.Cams referent and expert power is know by the CEO when he recruits her to handle an emergency situation with a new RetailMax customer who was one of the largest big-box retailers in the country (McGinn & Kessel, 2006a). Regan Kessel, a season software executive, was recruited by Todd Elman, CEO of RetailMax to head product management and merchandise because of his task, knowledge, and personal power. Kessel was put in place during Elmans turnaround of RetailMax, and upon assessing his team he determined his product managers did not get the time or skill set to develop a consistent and clear ma rket message.Although Kessel had the legitimate power to determine a strategy for his marketing dilemma, the settlement came with anformer(a) avenue. An informal meeting with Elman and Archer led to a brainstorming session that produced a plan of how to move Cam into the marketing plane section and provided a product marketing strategy. A new position, Director of Product Marketing, would be created for Cam, a position that would utilize her knowledge and expertise (McGinn & Witter, 2006b).Kessel is in the position to create a competitive payment cheek, will Cams sexuality influence Kessels decisions because of stereotypical gender roles? It does not come on that Kessel made compensation decisions based on Archers gender instead, his desire was to come up with a fair proposal based on Archers current and potential financial successes for the company, her skills, education, and qualifications the kindred factors he utilized in determining the stipend base for each of his em ployees.But, Kessel was loss to guard to make a tough decision. What was he going to offer Archer to incentivize her to accept the Director position, and would there be blackball social factors such as resentment and envy toward Archer for her family relationship with the Executive team? Cam is in a position of power. Not completely does she have power over which position she will take at RetailMax, she also has strong personal and relationship power with both insepar able-bodied and external customers in addition to her close and personal relationship with the CEO and VP of sales.Kessel also possesses strong relationship power, if Cam accepts the position in Professional Services he knows he can quickly locate a dependant candidate to replace her because of his strong ties and connections in the industry. What assumptions did Kessel make regarding Cam, and what if any assumptions did Cam have regarding Kessel? Kessel is aware that Cam does not want to stay in sales and she i s devolve of all the travel, he knows she is ambitious and assumes his compensation software package will have to match the package being offered by Mangini (McGinn & Witter, 2006b).Cam assumes Kessel may resent not being able to select his own candidate for the Director position. She has researched the salary structure for the product managers and assumes Kessel will offer her a compensation package that is in line with the market, but since her role will have a broader more strategic scope she hopes to be compensated for this. On the other hand if she accepts the professional service position she will not be in a position to receive any credit if she is able to help with the turnaround of a chaotic professional services subdivision (McGinn & Witter, 2006a).Cam has a decision to make, which position will strengthen her power? While the professional service position provides the luck to work closely with customers, involves taxation generation activities, and connects her compen sation to revenue goals, Cam knows the position will require as much travel as her recent sales position, while the marketing position is a more stationary position which means the prospect to reestablish friendships and social activities, something Cam has missed.Cam is also drawn to the marketing position because it moves her toward her passage goals of being in management. Although Cam would not have any direct reports, she would work with all five product managers to develop and implement marketing strategies for the somatic level, a level with more social networking, power, and prestige (McGinn & Witter, 2006b). Should Kessel be bear on with Archers career advancement, Archer does have the ear of the CEO, a close working relationship with the VP ofSales, and now she is being recruited internally by another VP? The benefits of hiring Archer means Kessel will gain an intelligent, dedicated employee with turn out success for RetailMax and whose social connections and persona l magnetism could bring positive attention and advancement to the department while the deficits being related to the teams team spirit and how they may respond to a socially connected internal hit who had a position created for her.Hiring an external candidate at a impose salary opens up the opportunity for Kessel to reward his current employees with a have a bun in the oven raise above cost of living, something they have not received in two years (McGinn & Witter, 2006b). Kessel has a decision to make. Kessel has put together his compensation package and made Archer an offer. Kessel reminded Archer of the benefits of the position limited travel, social benefits and stability, and career advancement along with offering her a compensation package of $138,000 (15% above the market) because of her experience and proven success record for RetailMax (McGinn & Witter, 2006b).Archer believes the marketing opportunity makes good use of her education and skills, meets her personal needs and career goals, and positions her with the power and information sources for the company because of this she believes this is the best choice for her. Upon evaluation of both case studies, Cam Archer used social power most effectively through taking career risks that not only helped to develop and enhance her skills, but which brought visibility and attention to her reputation for being an innovative and resourceful employee whose charisma and business acumen brought much success to RetailMax.References French, J. R. P. , & Raven, B. H. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed. ), Studies in Social Power (pp. 259-269). Ann Arbor, MI Institute for Social Research Retrieved from http//www. communicationcache. com/uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/the_bases_of_social_power_-_chapter_20. pdf McGinn, K. , & Witter, D. (2006a). RetailMax Role for Cam Archer. Boston, MA Harvard Business groom Publishing McGinn, K. , & Witter, D. (2006b). RetailMax Role for Regan Kessel. Boston,