Team-Based Organizations in the Consumer Products Industry

Author

James D. White, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1995

Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

College

College of Business & Professional Studies

Degree Program

Business

Department

Business Administration

Keywords

Walmart, Retail, Consumer Products, Private Label, Organizational Structures

Abstract

Team-based organizations have started to emerge as a viable solution used by manufacturers to contend with consolidation of retail volume, emergence of new retail formats and the subsequent shift in power from manufacturers to retailers. Leading the change is Wal-Mart Corporation, which has become an $80 billion organization world-wide and the number one customer for many consumer products firms.

The scale of companies like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Kroger and Price Costco have significantly changed the retail industry in the United States. Driven by these retailing giants, the industry has fundamentally changed. The factors driving the industry change, in addition to the scale of key retailers, are the diminishing leverage of national brands, the emergence of quality private label products, and increasing complexity driving the need for local market solutions vs. national programs.

Team-based organizations have been utilized to address the need for local market solutions in the areas of marketing, finance, logistics, systems, and research. The increasing complexity of large retailers has created the need for locally deployed multi-functional resources to solve customers specific problems.

Finally, several major consumer products companies have used multifunctional teams to address the growing consolidation of retail volume and increasing complexity. These companies have deployed business operating models that include team-based designs, measurements, reward/compensation systems, and new leadership requirements that support the new retail environment.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

White, James D., "Team-Based Organizations in the Consumer Products Industry" (1995). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 656.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/656