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3M Optical System Managing Corporate Entrepreneurship Case Solution

Solution Id Length Case Author Case Publisher
467 1277 Words (4 Pages) Christopher A. Bartlett, Afroze A Mohammed Harvard Business School : 395017
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3M Corporation has established a successful name as an innovative entrepreneurship organization over a period of time. The strategy used for this way of operation depends upon the seven pillars of success. 3M Corporation has a firm policy of staying committed to innovation. Creativity runs from top to bottom on the company and is the most important aspect of the company's success. It believes in the production of organic products and makes investments in the research and development department for future innovations. 3M Corporation is most active in maintaining corporate culture.

3m corporation following questions are answered in this case study solution

  1. As Andy Wong, how would you handle the authorization for expenditure for the relaunch of the privacy screen? As Paul Guehler, would you approve the authorization for expenditure?

  2. How effective has Wong been as a front-line manager? How effective has Guehler been as a division president.

  3. In reconsidering the various cases discussed in this course, what accounts for 3M’s seeming success as an entrepreneurial company?

  4. What is it about 3M that makes perhaps the most consistently entrepreneurial large company in the world?

Case Study Questions Answers

1. As Andy Wong, how would you handle the authorization for expenditure for the re-launch of the privacy screen? As Paul Guehler, would you approve the authorization for expenditure?

At that time, privacy screens were produced by four firms in total. Though these firms were considered to be "big guns" in their field of expertise but, they all used similar techniques and raw material from the same supplier. Hence, we can say that competing with them was not that tough a task as 3M itself is a well-known name. Being Andy Wong, the expenditure for re-launch of privacy screens would have been authorized, for the reasons that firstly, it is a product developed by totally different experts; some from different departments in the same company and even some experts who have not been working in this firm but were employed to produce this specific product which they did with such motivation and craftsmen-ship which was not seen in the previous two attempts. Secondly, this product was differentiated not only by its frame, but also the fact that it protects the screen from dust build-up and the user from static current and not only this, but this product is safe in a way that it blocks 99.9% low frequency E-Field electromagnetic radiations, which is associated with some health risks including miscarriage and leukemia. Besides all these facts, I think that this unit deserves a last shot while it is still bringing up an innovation. Being vice president of the division i.e. Paul Guelher, the authorization for this product would have been approved because it was having a booming demand in the market with less competition and a huge sum of promising returns and also because if this unit pulls it off then their next product which is though unrelated to privacy screens but has promising returns of over 4000%.

2. How effective has Wong been as a front-line manager? How effective has Guehler been as a division president?

Wong has been an effective front-line manager because one of the tasks of a manager is to identify the core competencies of the unit and the problem areas. Wong successfully identified those and streamlined processes at their small Petaluma plant to prove the credibility of the unit and for approval of further investments. Due to his great management skills and prioritizing tasks, he made commendable improvements by reducing the manufacturing costs by 50% and increasing the quality between 1987 and 1990. Another important characteristic of a good manager is to identify, attract and retain the right people for the right job. He hired Noirjean for the marketing manager position of the Optical Systems unit who was as energetic about the challenges of this unit as Wong was and together they made great progress in the privacy screens project and were up for a re-launch of the new design of it after much research and improvements made in it. On the other hand, Guehler has been a very effective division president too. He came with a new management style which was seen as threatening to be Wong and Noirjean. This created a sense of urgency in the unit where Wong believed that internally their ammunition was ready and set, all they needed was to know where to aim. Guehler took on a ‘give and take' approach meaning that he would extend support but also take resources from the unit along with meeting their financial objectives. He helped the unit by being more attentive towards it, helping its members be more disciplined and encouraging them to communicate openly. He also helped them identify their core businesses and opportunities that could lead them to success. His supportive yet threatening style of management inevitably was effective.

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