Advanced Training Solutions Mini-Case
*(Note: This is a hypothetical case
Advanced Training Solutions Mini-Case
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*(Note: This is a hypothetical case using fictitious company names, employee names, and events. Any likeness or similarity to other companies or individuals is purely coincidental and not intended.)
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Introduction. Advanced Training Solutions is a growing company, started in 1990, that provides on-line management/leadership training for small/medium sized companies that are not large enough to have their own training programs. The training programs developed by Advanced Training Solutions are turn-key, and relate to a variety of topics intended to improve leadership/management effectiveness, particularly in a multinational/global environment. The company’s headquarters are located in Portland, Oregon. Small field offices, responsible for marketing, product translation, and customer service, are located in Dublin, Ireland; Seoul, South Korea; Stuttgart, Germany; and Barcelona, Spain.
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After completing your graduate degree in leadership from a progressive university, you were recruited by Advanced Training Solutions to work in their Product Development and Enhancement Division. You have only been employed by Advanced Training Solutions for three months, but the director of your division has already gained respect for you, noting that you are an excellent communicator, exceptional critical thinker, and supportive member of the Product Development and Enhancement Division.
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To date, Advanced Training Solutions has developed and marketed on-line training programs for corporations. However, the top-level leaders of Advanced Training Solutions have expressed an interest in expanding the scope of training solutions to include colleges and universities. The intent with this expansion would be to develop short (10-15 minute) on-line training modules with an intense focus on specific topics, concepts, and theories related to leadership and management in global organizations. Advanced Training Solutions leadership believes that colleges and universities might be willing to purchase these modules and incorporate them into their existing degree programs to supplement current program content. However, they realize that the cost/affordability, appropriate topic choice, and the availability of training modules in a variety of languages will be essential to the success of this expansion.
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The director of your division has asked you to be the team leader for a new team that will be formed to make specific recommendations regarding this proposed expansion. Specifically, the team will have six months to recommend a portfolio of on-line training modules that can be offered/marketed to select colleges and universities throughout the world. Further, the team will be tasked with making recommendations that meet the essential elements of success (i.e., affordability, appropriate topics, and language options) identified by top level leaders.
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Your team will be comprised of the following individuals who were selected, jointly, by your director, as well as the field office supervisors for their respective locations.
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Name Department or Area of Expertise Home Country Years of Service with Advanced Training Solutions
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Carole
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(48 year old-female)
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Coding and Product Development USA 10-Company headquarters
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Elise
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(24 year old-female)
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Marketing Germany 2-Germany field office
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Alice
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(47 year old-female)
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Technical support and customer service Italy 8-Spain field office
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Andre’
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(29 year old-male)
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Translation and Technical support France 3-Ireland field office
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Christopher
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(54 year old-male)
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Marketing and Technical support Canada 7-South Korea field office
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Hannah
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(59 year old-female)
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Coding and Product Development USA 18-Company headquarters
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Jeff
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(25 year old-male)
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Coding and Product Development USA 2-Company headquarters
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Lee
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(32 year old-male)
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Translation South Korea 5-South Korea field office
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Adam
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(26 year old-male)
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Coding and Technical Support USA 3-Company headquarters
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Brenda
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(23 year old-female)
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Product Development USA 1-Company headquarters
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Jim
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(52-year old-male)
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Technical support and Customer service Canada 19-Company headquarters
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Sandra
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(22 year old-female)
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Marketing and Technical Support Ireland 1-Ireland field office
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Based on the overview and task that has been assigned to the team, please respond to the following questions.
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Case Questions.
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Evaluate and describe the three most significant challenges associated with leading the team in this case. In your response, be very specific in describing each challenge and why you think it will be a challenge. In addition, please include a description of how you would plan to address each of these challenges. Your response should reflect an understanding and application of related concepts that have been covered in this course.
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It is likely that one or more of the challenges you identified is either directly or indirectly related to interpersonal conflict. Chapter 10 (which is assigned reading for Week #9) contains a section describing five general strategies for managing interpersonal conflict (see Figure 10.1; page 361). Select the strategy that you think will be most effective in managing interpersonal conflict that is likely to be experienced by the team. Please justify by explaining “why” you think this strategy will be the most effective approach for managing interpersonal conflict in the team.
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Specifically describe your plan for motivating team members to be a cohesive and effective team. In your response, identify a minimum of two motivation theories/strategies you plan to utilize and justify “why” you think each of these strategies will be effective.