Case: Donna at Apple

Individual Case write-up: Apple A

Date: May 14, 2007 Student name: Pham Thi Thuy Ha (2A5026)

Donna’s accountabilities before 1984

Responsibilities for distribution	Responsibilities for sales
- Management of six field distribution sites - Inventory control, warehousing - On-going contact with product divisions - Relationships with Apple’ dealers - Field communications	- Customer support liaison - Customer support program - Customer relations - Sales administration

Donna’s accountabilities after 1984

Responsibilities for sales	Responsibilities for marketing (1)
- Technical support - Customer relations - Sales administration - Sales forecast - Sales training - Sales communication	- Marketing strategy - Market expansion - Marketing program development & execution

Why such change?

Donna was first responsible for sales-related activities. Then her boss, Weaver, expanded her responsibilities to distribution-related activities in order to promote her to upper level of management. Therefore, Donna had accountabilities in both sales and distribution. As she achieved quickly great success in distribution, she thought that she was really successful and expert and wanted to expand further responsibility in distribution.

However, business model has changed from volume to cost and distribution will be managed together with manufacturing. Therefore, the management should give distribution tasks back to Weaver, retain Donna’s sales tasks and expand her responsibility to marketing. By being in charge of both sales and marketing, she will still enjoy a position close to customers as she wanted. She will have chances to develop her new knowledge and skills in market development to become a key executive staff later.

Evaluation system to lead Donna to the favorable performance management

- Objective: to develop leadership capability & skills

- Time: every 6 months

- Criteria:

Quantitative: i.e. sales revenues, market share, sales & marketing expenses

Qualitative: i.e. customer satisfaction, leadership behavior, leadership ability

- Measurement: based on objectives agreement between Donna and the top management

- Method: - Measure outcomes vs objectives for quantitative criteria

- Answer questionnaires for qualitative criteria.

- Who evaluate?

- Top management for quantitative criteria

- Self-assessment and subordinate-assessment for qualitative criteria. This will help Donna to see the gap between her perception and her employees’ perception about her leadership style and influence so she will know what she needs to improve or develop.