CMGT500 version o2_interview_sales_rep

Interview with a sales rep : A discussion about organiza8on

design Applica8on Assignment 02 MCM 500

USC CMGT 500 Gail Taylor September 2013 1

In this presenta8on, I will:

•  A). Provide an overview of the readings relevant to this topic.

•  B). Provide details from an interview I did with an employee of a 3,000-‐person adver8sing and sales division.


About the corpora8on

•  This division is part of a mul8-‐na8onal communica8ons network headquartered in New York.


About the interview subject

•  My interview subject is a “remote-‐employee,” which means he works from home.

•  He also works in a metropolitan market that is smaller than New York City.


But first, here is an intro to the readings.


Overview

USC CMGT 500 Gail Taylor September 2013

•  Organiza8onal design was the main topic of the readings.

•  Due to the rise of technology, and due to changes in the global economy, organiza8onal structures have become less hierarchical and less dependent on tradi8onal scien8fic management-‐style systems.

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There seemed to be two conversa8ons going on this week:

USC CMGT 500 Gail Taylor September 2013

A. How best to design an organiza8on;

B. How an organiza8on can be designed to respond to change.

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WHAT IS GOOD ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN?

A Theore8cal Overview


“Fit” and “Design” Tests (Lorsch, 1987)

•  Finding the right market and bea8ng the compe88on helps build a beaer organiza8on.

•  Each unit of an organiza8on must focus on a key cons8tuent – not cover too many bases.

•  But various segments of an organiza8on must be communica8ve and interdependent.


Lorsch advocates for devia8on from hierarchy, but only in certain instances,

(9). •  Lorsch reflects early thinking regarding change and organiza8onal design.

•  Lorsch’s work would be useful for tradi8onal organiza8ons like higher educa8on and the military.


I find this statement by Lorsch problema8c:


Worley & Lawler III (2006)

•  Flexibility promotes change and organiza8ons need to be adaptable, today.

•  Incen8vizing workers, or “paying the person – •  as opposed to paying the job” may help spur change within organiza8ons (20).

•  Employees also need to reach out to those outside of the organiza8on (21).


WHAT DOES AN ORGANIZATION BUILT FOR CHANGE LOOK LIKE?

A Theore8cal Overview


Galbraith’s theories

•  Six organiza8on shapers (2002):

•  Buyer power •  Variety and soluEons •  The Internet •  MulEple dimensions •  Change •  Speed

•  The “Star Model” (2011): •  "Structure is usually over

emphasized because it affects status and power, and a change to it is most likely to be reported in the business press and announced throughout the company" (5-‐6.)

•  Key takeaway: In a compe88ve market buyers have power and in turn, they influence organiza8ons


INTEGRATION A Theore8cal Overview


GALBRAITH WOULD NOT BE PLEASED…


… and neither would Morgan (1998)


Galbraith’s Star Model ( is useful for leaders in matrix organizaEons.

• Matrix organiza8ons emphasize global + local

1.  Strategy

2.  Structure

3.  Processes 4.  Rewards

5.  People


A QuesEon and Answer-‐format interview with a “sales rep”:

•  I interviewed an account execu8ve, who also uses the 8tle sales representa8ve.

•  As we have learned previously, the role of the manager has lost status.

•  Managerial func8ons are common to many jobs.


My Interview

•  Q. How would you describe the design of your organizaEon?

•  A. “I would say it was more of a matrix design with different departments, coordina8ng outcomes.”

The subject of my interview is a male in his 40s who works as a sales representa8ve for the adver8sing/sales division of a mul8-‐na8onal communica8ons company headquartered in New York City. This may be thought of as a Matrix organiza8on, based on the readings we did in class this week. My hunch, prior to this interview, is that the process used to design the unit my subject works in is lateral, according to the STAR Model. I wanted to find out if this was correct.

My interview subject, who declines to state his name, handles accounts for a market not included in the New York Metropolitan Area. Therefore, he and his team must travel to a major city on a fairly regular basis (weekly, or bi-‐weekly) to check in with management.

The central theme of my ques8ons for this subject was organiza8onal design and flow.

Aqer discussing the STAR Model with my interview subject, he answered these ques8ons:


Interview

•  Q. How does your part of the unit communicate with management and others?

•  A. “With customers it’s e-‐mail, plus direct face-‐to-‐face communica8on. Bi-‐weekly sales mee8ngs (with management) … to coordinate objec8ves with management and higher-‐ups.”

A sales representa8ve talks about the design and the leadership of his organiza8on.


Interview

•  Q. How do you meet with management?

•  A. “In person, weekly, or bi-‐weekly, some8mes in person, some8mes via the Internet. Management sets the agenda.”



Interview

•  Q. What leadership skills are employees in your unit expected to demonstrate?

•  A. “Self-‐management, priori8za8on, 8me-‐management, mee8ng your sales goals, effec8ve communica8on with clients and managers.



Interview

•  Q. What does effecEve communicaEon look like?

•  A. “Effec8ve communica8on looks like keeping up with your e-‐mails and that you ‘touch’ 10 different clients a day.”



Interview

•  Q. How are employees rewarded, or what incenEves are provided to encourage great work?

•  A. “I am a commission-‐based sales representa8ve. Various incen8ve plans are in place for selling different types of packages, whether it’s a sports package, (sports is the big thing) ... We have different contests that happen quarterly. You get a reward for hitng your budget, for hitng budget, at the end of the year. You get a higher commission. There are company stock op8ons, meaning you can purchase stock at the company price.”



Interview A sales representa8ve talks about the design and the leadership of his organiza8on.

•  Q. Would you say that your organizaEon hires people who are: a). Flexible; b). CooperaEve generalists, or c). People who are good at managing conflict and making things happen without close management scruEny?

•  A. C). •  My follow-‐up response to

the interviewee: But you meet with management weekly or bi-‐weekly, right?

•  A. “Yes, but I’m a remote account execu8ve. I have more autonomy than most account execu8ves. I manage my own list of clients that I’m responsible for, and I manage, my 8me.”


What I learned from this interview:

•  The interview subject described an experience similar to what Worley and Lawler (2006) describe in “Designing organiza8ons that are built to change.”

•  While sales may be the main focus of this person’s job, this employee also does the work tradi8onally associated with a manager.


What I learned from this interview:

•  Also, the work is incen8vized, a feature that Worley and Lawler point out is great for making employees feel as though they have a sense of ownership (20).

•  BUT even though the employee has worked at the company for about four years, the employee has not taken the op8on to purchase company stock as part of the incen8ve system.


I wonder …


… if the human resources department


… is doing a good job of educa8ng employees …


… about the various rewards offered?

•  If not, then perhaps this organiza8on may experience difficulty retaining talent.

•  Employee engagement must be monitored, even if employees are mee8ng sales goals.


Conclusion

•  I enjoyed this interview because it helped me to apply the knowledge I gained from the readings to a real-‐8me discussion about organiza8onal design with an actual employee of a major corpora8on.

•  I was glad to suggest to this employee, who is also a family member, that he may want to inquire with human resources about reward-‐incen8ves that would only enhance his experience.


CMGT500 version o2_interview_sales_rep

Business

sales representa8ve

sales rep

star model

eec8ve communica8on

york city

organiza8onal

interview

company