The Wallace Group

Introduction

The Wallace Group, Inc is a corporation made up of three operational groups. The operational groups deal with the manufacturing and development of technical products and systems, each with a different product. These different product divisions consist of Electronics, Plastics, and Chemicals. The original stand alone company began with electronics. The company then diversified and expanded into what it is today by adding additional operations in plastics and chemicals and developing a corporate structure with Mr. Wallace serving as the President.

The company has experienced major challenges that have limited the growth of the company. Many of the problems have occurred as by-products of expansion. However, many of the problems exist due to negligence or lack of planning. The good news is that the problems can be overcome.

Though The Wallace Group, Inc. has significant challenges to overcome, by simply gathering information, analyzing it, determining weaknesses, and then prioritizing critical issues, the company can begin in a new and positive direction. The purpose of this report is to determine the most important problem being faced based on the information gathered and then to make recommendations that would assist in redirecting the company.

Read "The Wallace Group," Case 2 in your text (pages 2-1 through 2-10, Appendix 15a). After review, write a 2 to 3 page response to the following questions:

1. What is the most important problem facing the Wallace Group?

2. What recommendation(s) would you make to Mr. Wallace, and in what order of priorities?

3. How do you educate a manager to manage an organization as it evolves over time from an entrepreneurial structure to a more sophisticated and complex organizational