Lakeland Wonders Case Study Essay

1. How will the new CEO’s vision transform the Lakeland Wonders organisation? †¢ Change of brand image- no longer ‘Handcrafted with pride in the USA’. †¢ Change of organisational culture with the proposed expansion. †¢ Create new revenue streams with expansion into new markets. †¢ Departure from the traditional style of the company. 2. What are the main concerns of the stakeholders who do not agree with her vision? †¢ Loss of Lakeland Wonders image and ‘94 year tradition’. †¢ Expanding too quickly could damage the company, concern over speed of change. †¢ Potential logistics issues with outsourcing. †¢ Concern over quality control and possible damage to brand image. †¢ Local, long term partners would be lost. †¢ New CEO’s lack of clear brand strategy for proposed new products. †¢ Union issues- threatened by outsourcing, not consulted earlier on, etc. †¢ New CEO’s plan to bring in new people (Cecil, Pat) will make long term employees feel threatened and insecure. 3. Does your group think the proposed strategy is a good strategic move for Lakeland Wonders? If yes, why? If not, why not? We think that the proposed strategy is a good move for the following reasons: †¢ Increased growth potential, increased profits- enabling the company to grow in line with targets set by board. †¢ Expansion into growing market-mid non-electric market only segment predicted for double digit growth. †¢ Ensures the company remains competitive over the long term. †¢ Cost effective.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ New staff, new ideas and fresh growth- overall improvement for the company. However there are also some negatives: †¢ The overall planning is needs to be effective and complete otherwise it could be damaging to the company. †¢ CEO’s push to force through the changes is causing divisions within the company. †¢ Potential loss of the core quality of the company (traditional, made in USA, etc.) †¢ Risk alienating current customers.