Case Discussion: Smithfield Custom Furniture (Part 3)

It is now 2015, and Smithfield’s Custom Furniture has continued to grow. Its new product line of lower-priced furniture was an immediate sensation in the marketplace. The company now has 344 stores and 21,000 employees. The company now has a total of 12 international retail stores evenly divided among Spain (3), France (3), Germany (3), and England (3).

Margot Smithfield, Jonas Smithfield III’s only heir, is now running the company. She has a master’s degree in design and an MBA degree. She has been running the company for 3 years.

Margot Smithfield and the 12-member board of directors have been assessing an opportunity to acquire You Figure it Out, a moderately profitable 51 store chain of ultra-modern furniture. You Figure it Out’s furniture and furniture-related accessories are all made in China and sold only in the United States. Their retail stores are located in Texas (6), California (13), New York (15), Nevada (4), Florida (9), and North Carolina (4).

Margot and her board have reasoned that the company has excess capacity at their 5 manufacturing plants. They know that producing a new line of furniture would mean retraining several hundred of their workers in the new production process. However, if this change is successfully executed, it would significantly increase the profitability of the You Figure It Out brand. The company also sees a market for the ultra-modern style of furniture in Smithfield’s existing foreign markets and believe the current Smithfield stores in Spain, France, Germany, and England could display some of the new furniture along with their traditional lines of furniture and take orders that would be produced in the US plants. Other than that, the Smithfield Custom Furniture product line and the You Figure It Out brand would operate as they currently do.

They have decided to conclude the purchase with You Figure It Out executives and want to announce the decision to their workforce as soon as possible.

The Management Issue: Margot Smithfield is concerned she will overlook something important in her communications to employees and the board’s decision-making.

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Options for Your Required Replies to Classmates

Option 1 is to find an issue of the classmate to whom you respond with which you disagree. You must state why you believe there is a better manner to address a particular issue that differs from your classmate’s response. You must state the major idea associated with your choice and why that idea applies to the issue more appropriately. Your reply must be supported with course materials, in-text citations, and references.

Option 2 occurs if you agree with all of a particular classmate’s initial posting responses. In that case, you must expand on one issue that your classmate presented. Your reply will provide more depth or other related factors that your classmate also should consider. Your reply must be supported with course materials, in-text citations, and references.

Note: You may use either Option 1 or Option 2 for each different classmate to whom you respond.

Instructions for Responses to Classmates’ Posts (4 student responses)

A response posting should be a minimum of one short paragraph. Word totals for these posts should be in the 75–150-word range. The goal of your response posts is to extend discussions already taking place or pose new possibilities or ideas not previously voiced. Your goal should be to motivate the group discussion and present a creative approach to the topic. Do not merely agree or disagree, repeating what a classmate stated or what you have already stated. Explain the ‘why or how’ with supporting evidence and concepts from the course material. Include in-text citations and associated references within a reference list.

See attachments for the 4 student that need responses and please load each response to the bottom of each word document.

Only references that can be used is:

Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless management. Boundless Management | Simple Book Publishing. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/.

Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless management: Adapting and Innovating. Lumen. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/chapter/adapting-and-innovating/.

Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless management: Managing Changes for Organization . Lumen. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-management/chapter/managing-change-for-organizations/.

Learning, L. (n.d.). Principles of Management: Barriers to Effective Communication. Lumen. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-principlesofmanagement/chapter/barriers-to-effective-communication/.

Lumen Learning. (2020). Principles of Management. Technology and Innovation, Correlations Between Technology, Innovation and Growth. https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/616924/viewContent/23346653/View

Lumen Learning. (2020). Principles of Management. Adapting and Innovating, Defining Innovation. https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/616924/viewContent/23346653/View

Lumen Learning. (2020). Principles of Management. Rational Decision Making vs. Other Types of Decision Making. https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/616924/viewContent/23346653/View

Lumen Learning. (2020). Principles of Management. Managing Change for Organizations. https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/616924/viewContent/23346653/View

Lumen Learning (2018). Principles of Management.Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-principlesofmanagement/