Case Study Analysis of Casual Togs

IntroductionThe present-day stage business environment is characterized by increasing scrap in different industries. In this determine, it is vital for organizations to get a line that all told their functions or segments argon aligned towards being ahead of their competitors (Rugman et al., 2012). There is a wide range of problems that whitethorn adversely affect the progress and competitiveness of organizations. These take on structural problems, communication, management issues and go wrongure to embrace potpourri. prone that on that point is no fixed nestle to management that is ideal for all organizations, each gild has to go by dint of that it adopts the some ideal advancement, which basin be determined by several factors in the internal and impertinent factors that argon specific to the bon ton (Hill et al., 2014). Businesses besides admit to keep in line that they be bend adequate enough to forthwith transfer in response to the adjustments that migh t be taking place in the tastes and preferences of their clients or nevertheless the tactics that their competitors in the diligence are using. Companies that are not flexible enough might fail to maintain their relevance towards their target merchandise segments and lose their competitive edge (Carter et al., 2013).This report presents a trip synopsis of routine clothe, a womens apparel participation that is known for its moderately priced products. Most of the societys products are blouses, shorts and knit dresses. In the analysis, the report highlights the problems that are being approach by the caller-out and the factors that might tolerate contributed to these issues. The importance of addressing these issues in a business is that it provides a guidance or basis for formulating strategies that lead help to improve the companys performance. The report besides provides recommendations for Cy, effortless Togs principal stockholder, on the changes that he needs to ma ke in the company. It in like manner provides recommendations on how the company should change its management practice, social organization and response to change, so as to avoid a recurrence or the problems it faces.The major(ip) problems facing the firmWith reference to the content study of unremarkable Togs, at that place are a hail of problems that are ongoingly being faced by the company. unrivaled of these is that many of its products are being returned by consumers because of their low lineament. For any business, the case of products that are offered to clients is among the key attributes that determine its performance in the mart (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). For episodic Togs, this also led to the loss of a major portion of its old loyal consumers. It also pose a challenge to the company in attracting new clients. Consequences of this issue include a drop in the companys r even outue and its oerall brand vista in the industry. It has also been outlined in the case study that the company also faces stiff competition from companies that have long been in the apparels industry as tumesce as new upcoming ones.Another issue that faces Casual Togs lies in the tender-hearted imagery department. The company has failed to attract the necessary skills for it to run successfully. This is evidenced by the halt in the construction of the companys distribution centre in the middle of the construction, which was attributed to the fact that the company did not get a qualified person who could supervise the construction project. In addition to this, ii of the companys formulaers resigned. This contributed to a drop in the companys overall production in its ball club centres by approximately 15%. The fact that Andy Johnson, the companys budget manager and Sol Green, the market analyst could not speak to one another also clearly depicts a communication smirch among the employees in the firm. Judy, who was the companys valetudinarianism hot seat, i s also depicted in the case study as being aggressive in her communication with other employees.There are several incidents mentioned in the case study that highlight the failure by a section of the companys executives and employees to embrace change. For instance, Judy objected most of the proposed changes, arguing that they were every besides expensive or that they had been suggested by incompetent individuals. Another incident was when Andy spurned winds that were made by Bill Smith, his assistant, on new approaches that could be used in the collation and analysis of daily sales printouts so as to make better sales forecasts.Even though there are several other issues that are faced by Casual Togs in its operations, tierce main issues have been outlined in this section. These include the decline in the companys competitiveness, human resource issues and the resistance to change among a section of the companys staff.Causes of the ProblemsThe first problem round the company is the fact that it is losing its old guests, and more of its products are being returned as a result of either poor quality or late sales pitch to customers. For any business to efficaciously win over the loyalty of its target customers, it has to be dependable in terms of the products and services it delivers (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Prolonged incidences of poor quality products and services or inconsistencies tend to repel customers. As earlier mentioned, there is high competition on the apparel and fashion industry, which also growths the purchasing power of buyers. Failure of one company meet consumer expectations, regardless of how slightly the gap may be, will make even the loyal customers to switch brands (Talib et al., 2011). Late delivery of products to customers also denotes the incompetence of the department that is concerned with the delivery of the companys products.Another issue that is touch on Casual Togs lies in the human resource management approaches. With refere nce to the case study presented, there is evidence of a lack of equal of opportunities for flight advancement in the company. An example is Andy, who had worked with the company for 15 years without any promotion because was not related with the other managers and was also of a different nationality. accord to Choi et al. (2012), one of the causes of employee turnover is the failure of organizations to provide all the employees with a chance to attain their ultimate career goals. The aggressive nature with which Judy addresses employees in the organization also intimidates the employees and lowers their self esteem. This has an adverse effect on the organisational commitment of employees and has and ultimately, affects their levels of productivity (Adler, 2013 Lutgen-Sandvik & Tracy, 2012).The issue of rigidity and failure to embrace change has also contributed to the problems being faced by Casual Togs. One of the organisational aspects that have led to this is the fact that Cy , the companys chairman gave all the departmental heads the freedom to make endings that they considered to be fit for the organization. Whereas it can be argued as an approach that is relevant to the present-day business environment, it poses a challenge to closing making when rapid change are to be made because the opinions of every departmental supervisor have to be considered (Myers et al., 2012). These factors have affected the military capability with which Casual Togs adjusts in response to the changes in the market, leading to its dwindling performance. This shows the need for organizations to be flexible enough to maintain its relevance to the target markets (Dervitsiotis, 2011).This section has presented some of the main factors that have led to the humankind of the issues that faced by Casual Togs. These include the failure of the company to adhere to quality in the design of its products and the failure to motivate employees, which adversely affects their levels of commitment. Several measures have to be entrust in place to ensure that the earlier mentioned issues have been overcome.Suggestions for changes to be implemented by Cy, Casual Togs PresidentIn regard to the issues that have been earlier identified, there are different approaches that ought to be used to change the current incident of the organization. With regard to the quality issues that have led to a loss of clients by the company and increased returns of goods, the cover measure that has to be targetn is to ensure that the designers of the companys apparel products pay attention to event so as to enhance the quality of the products (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). There is also a need to intensify the quality management process to ensure that defective products are smirchd (Rosenfeld, 2012). As presented in the case study, market research that is carried out mainly focuses in the levels of sales that should be expected in certain seasons. However, it is also vital for the org anization to incorporate the on-going trends in fashion so as to effectively address customer needs (Witell et al., 2011). charitable resources in any organization are among the most valuable assets, and have a key contribution towards its overall success. However, it is vital for organizations to motivate them so as to increase their productivity and organizational commitment (Bratton & Gold, 2012). One of issues that are evident at Casual Togs is that employees from a certain nationality are more apparent to be promoted than the other employees. In this regard, Cy, the companys president, needs to ensure that an equating policy is implemented to provide all employees with an equal chance of promotion within the organizational ranks (Giuliano et al., 2011). This will not only motivate employees to work more, but will also attract talented speculate seekers.The management meetings that were held surrounded by managers and other departmental leaders within the organization were i nformal, marred with emotionally supercharged arguments, shouting and door slamming. This is a clear indication of the failure to recognize ascendence an order during these meetings. It is also quite unlikely that such meetings met the intended objectives. To avoid recurrence of such scenarios, the companys president needs to change the way board meetings are held from informal to formal (Diefenbach & Todnem, 2012). This will instil a sense of order, and will increase the possibilities of attaining the goals set to be met in the meetings.In the presented case, there is evidence of load of departmental operations by managers or vice presidents of different departments. An individual from a different department could question an action carried out in another department that has no connection to his. Whereas there is need for hybridization-functional communication and cooperation within an organization (Hongjun & Yajia, 2012), such interferences as those depicted at Casual Togs ar e destructive. To limit this, the companys president needs to change the expression of the organization (Deb, 2009).Suggestions to prevent emerging issues at Casual TogsTo prevent future problems from occurring at the organization, it is necessary for Casual Togs to ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments. These include structural changes, management practices and their response to changes taking place in the competitive environment. Suggestions for change are provided in further detail below.Management PracticeThere are a number of changes that ought to be made in the management practices of Casual Togs. The individual in management that raises concern in the case study is Judy, the vice president. Her aggression towards employees, as well as her interference with operations across all departments within the organization, has to be addressed. addicted that she is among the majority shareholders in the company and related to the president, there is no possibility of sackin g her from the position she holds. Instead, she needs to be encouraged to attend management seminars so as to improve her employee management approach (Bratton & Gold, 2012). Rather than being autocratic in her management and aggressive in communicating with other employees in the organization, she needs to change and become a persuasive or democratic in her management and self-asserting in communication (Adler, 2013). In persuasive management, managers provide a clear explanation to their employees as to wherefore they have made a certain decision. In democratic management, employees are allowed to make suggestions in the decision making process, and the opinion with the highest votes is selected (Hill et al., 2014). By being assertive in communication, points or arguments are firmly put across to other employees, but respect is still maintained (Adler, 2013).Cys approach of management is too lenient to departmental heads within the organizations. This has also affected the way i n which he handles suppliers, who often take advantage of his leniency to secure tenders even though they are contributeing products at a higher(prenominal) price. Even though his consultative approach to management allows departmental heads to take part in decision making, there is still a need for him to exercise authority, especially when holding meetings with them (Diefenbach & Sillince, 2012).Structural ChangeBefore making a suggestion on the structural changes that ought to be implemented in the organization, it is vital to describe the organizational structure of Casual Togs as depicted in the case study. Based on the informal nature of meetings mingled with departmental heads and the companys president and the lack of a clear hierarchy of authority in the firm, it can be argued that the organizational structure of the company is adhocratic (Deb, 2009). Even though such a structure is ideal in encouraging creativity and innovation among employees and effectively adjusting w ith the changes in the market, it also has several demerits. These include a difficulty to solve routine problems that may arise in the organization, an unclear line of authority and high exposure of the organization to risk of infection (Diefenbach & Todnem, 2012). With reference to the case study, even though Judy is the vice president, she seems to have more authority that the companys president, Cy.In this regard, the company needs to consider changing its structure to a more formal and well structured bureaucratic structure (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Even though such structures are known to limit innovation and creativity within the organization, it may be ideal for Casual Togs for a number of reasons. These include easing the decision making process, reduction of the exposure to risk and the acknowledgement of a certain structure of authority that has to be adhered to (Bratton & Gold, 2012). Implementing such a structure is likely to eliminate the emotionally charged informal meet ings scenarios and also the interference of individuals like Judy in all organizational departments.Responding to Changes in the Competitive EnvironmentBased on the fact that the apparels industry is highly competitive and dynamic, it is also necessary for the company to be flexible enough and ready to implement changes that will maintain its relevance to the target markets (Rugman et al., 2012). One of the measures that have to be undertaken to attain this objective is to intensify market research and carry it out on a regular basis. This could be through seeking customer feedback or studying the changing trends through observation. Market research also involves studying the tactics or strategies that are being used by competing companies in the industry (Witell et al., 2011). It is through these market research efforts that the Casual Togs will be able to adjust its product designs and marketing strategies to fit the market preferences while at the same time ensuring that it effec tively competes with other players in the market.Maintaining a competitive edge in the industry also depends on the skills that the company has in its human resource force (Dervitsiotis, 2011). It is important for Casual Togs to hire employees that are not only qualified, but also innovative enough to come up with designs that will be well accepted by the target markets. Innovation can also be nurtured among employees in the organization by utilizing appropriate motivational and reward strategies (Wright et al., 2012). Workers at Casual Togs also need to be apprised on the inevitability of change in organizations, and why they should always be ready for it. By so doing, resistance to change among employees will be reduced. Some of the changes that may need to be implemented at Casual Togs include technological advancements in the production of its apparel and alteration of product designs to study the needs in the market (Myers et al., 2012).Conclusion and RecommendationsConclusio nThis report has presented a case study analysis of Casual Togs, a fashion business that mainly deals in the manufacture and distribution of womens apparels. After two decades of operation, the companys performance in the market dropped due because of a number of reasons, which have been highlighted in the report. One of these is the poor quality of products, which led to an increase in the volume of returned products. It also led to the secession of many old customers. Another issue that has been identified is the failure to keep employees motivated enough to increase their organizational commitment. The causes of these issues at Casual Togs have also been presented in the paper, as well as some suggestions on how the president of the company can make the necessary changes to improve the situation at the company. Suggestions that have been provides comprise of management changes, structural changes and how the company can respond faster to changes and competition in the market. Fu rther recommendations that can improve the companys brand position are presented hereunder.RecommendationsIn order for the company to appeal to a wider market and increase its returns, it needs to consider expanding its product line. As opposed to the current products that only target ladies, Casual Togs can also consider introducing mens and childrens clothes. As presented in the case, the products that the company distributes are mainly shorts, blouses and some knit dresses. Introduction of other womanly apparel like skirts, trench coats and pants can also be advantageous for the company.The case has also highlighted the high costs of production that the company incurs. Though some of these costs are inevitable, the company can reduce the overall costs by using appropriate lean production strategies, which are aimed to minimize the cost and maximize production. Some of the approaches that can be used include minimization or even elimination of errors in the design and production of products and standardization of work processes.In terms of human resource management, the company needs to ensure that it hires and strives to maintain talented and innovative employees that will contribute towards its progress in the market. Some of the approaches to motivation include offering them a reasonable remuneration and rewarding them for unique contribution. 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