Running head: SITUATION ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM STATEMENT: HARRISON-KEYES, INC
Situation Analysis and Problem Statement: Harrison-Keyes
Denise Hillian
University of Phoenix
Situation Analysis and Problem Statement
Why do some companies succeed while others fail? The strategies that organizations implement have a major impact upon its performance in relation to competitors. If it wants to succeed, a company must put its strategy into action and achieve a fit among its strategy, structure, and controls. "If they are to learn from the inadequacies and failures of strategic planning in the past, organizations need to look at how they formulate their business strategies, and when they are developed, how they go about implementing them" (Corboy & O'Corrbui, 1999).
Situation Background (Step 1)
Harrison-Keyes, Inc (HKI), a global publisher of print products, was founded in 1899. Originally earning their money by publishing works of the literary giants, they shifted gears to meet the demands of the mid-1950's with business, scientific, and technical information. Recently, declining sales due to industry consolidation and competition has led HKI to pursue a new strategy in e-publishing. However, implementing this new business model seems to be fraught with issues.
Issue Identification
HKI has hired another new CEO, William Guardo. He replaced Meg McGill who was originally brought in to revitalize the company with her new strategy. However, unlike Meg, Bill does not strongly support this e-publishing strategy. He favors traditional publishing, has little high-tech experience, and is not a big fan of e-books. He is also trying to quickly get up to speed on all Harrison-Keyes strategic initi ...