Jensen ShoesEssay Preview: Jensen ShoesReport this essayINTRODUCTIONJensen Shoes is well-established footwear marketing company in USA, which is also present on international markets. It has reputation of a company that takes care of its employees. In 2004, it has 4500 employees worldwide, NPV of $265 millions and 20% return on Equity in 2003. The company has a highly profitable position on the market for many years comparing to its competitors, but due to static sales growth in the casual wear division, Jensens executive management decided to develop a major marketing strategy over the next six months. Its strategy concerns defining new opportunities for new markets and new products.
Sally Bridges, VP of marketing, was charged to develop new strategy. Sally has assigned Chuck Taylor, Director of Strategic marketing, to develop a major marketing strategy. Chuck set the reorganization of his group and assigned three Strategic Product Managers, Kyle Hudson, Robert Murphy and Jane Kravitz. Each of three managers would supervise a team of marketing professionals with specific market to develop. Jane Kravitz was assigned to develop the area of casual wear for several vertical markets: African-American, Latino, Mature College, Pre-teens, Man and Women. Jane Kravitz divided her strategic performance objectives (s.o.s) between Lyndon Brooks, Larry Bunton and Cheryl Abbott.
Lyndon Brooks, (African American ethnicity), joined Jensen Shoes as PhD in Sociology with 8 years of experience in marketing. He went through various assignments during his working experience. At Jensens he holds position as Manager for Ethics Markets under supervision of Chuck Taylor until 2004. In the beginning, Brooks started out with a great motivation and high expectations about his work environment. However, his supervisors assigned him too big a workload, including two s.o.s and an environment project. In 2004, because of Taylors reorganization, he was redeployed under Jane Kravitz supervision. He felts that this redeployment was a punishment for not completing his s.o.s in Promotion job. He was assigned to work on African American and Latino vertical markets. Misunderstanding appeared between Brooks and Kravitz while they were working on this new assignment due to conflicting perceptions. He is now seriously reconsidering his future at Jensen Shoes.
Zara Staudt, (Albany, NY), an African American, joined Bogle as Senior Analyst and President in 2008. Since she attended a Bogle course and was impressed by the skills and ability of African American college students, she was an integral part of the team’s leadership, mentoring and strategic decision making. She has held senior leadership posts at Bogle, which consists of Senior Partner, and Executive Officer (SP) at Bogle. Zara was an integral member of a team working over the summer to implement a successful model for college recruiting and retention. Zara shares her story of being a student at a local high school and an early childhood friend of her family, who went on a trip to Africa in search of good jobs. Although she has had a limited experience of African American and Latino vertical markets, Zara is committed to helping others who have problems in the market by taking care of business, creating good jobs, and doing what is right for the company…but not what is best for the company, even if that means using her skills to solve problems, such as hiring someone with high expectations for success in the current market. Zara is working on a new project with the goal of developing a community of African American mentors, and to create social equity training for students who will need it in the future…and she is eager to work with you through that education!
Toby Schaffer, (Chicago, Illinois), a Black employee, joined Jensens as Advisor of Marketing in 2008. Toby worked at Jensens as a Senior Analyst and Senior Research Program Engineer for the agency from 2009-2013. At the time of his promotion, at the time he was serving as Director of Marketing of Jensens, he was working on expanding the global network of partners with African American and Hispanic partners in the global vertical market. Jensens has expanded their portfolio to include the world’s leading global marketing services and brands, including Janssen, EMEA, EASCO, Zappa, and more. Toby is also involved in the growing team of African American, Latino, white, and Asian professionals, who have developed business and financial success in the global marketplace. We have hired more than a thousand new professionals at Jensens including Janssen, Partners & Partners, L.A. Lighthouse, and Credential Partners among others. Toby also serves as a partner at O’Hare Financial Services Inc. The Board of Directors is composed of approximately 350 members from over 300 countries whose interests include strategic and business needs.
Tobias D’Amico (@tobiasd’amico) joined Jensens for a tenure as Advisor of Marketing from 2013-2015. Tobias was a consultant on a variety of opportunities in the sector and an advisor to many of Jensens’ international clients including the United States. Tobias is an entrepreneur, entrepreneur, and founder of The Jinseng Network, based in Paltz, California. He currently focuses on high-performing local products, solutions to global growth, and the transformation of the sector. Tobias has worked closely with some of the world’s leading entrepreneurs including Janssen, EsoPun, and others, and he co-founded and developed the Zappa Network, a cross-functional international messaging and content agency that allows anyone to connect and develop. His current involvement in the online advertising industry has seen him participate in over 200 major media outlets including Fox & Friends, ABC & NBC, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and the New York Times. Tobias believes that the world’s digital advertising agencies can bring all of the key aspects of digital marketing to consumers. Today Tobias serves as a consultant for a variety of organizations in
Therefore, this case study examines the conflict between manager Jane Kravitz and employee Lyndon Brooks, both responsible for preparing a comprehensive marketing plan for African Americans and Latino vertical markets, as a part of overall marketing strategy for the casual footwear market.
2. DIAGNOSISAccording to Equity theory (Adams, 1965), people are looking around and observing what effort other people are putting into their work and what rewards follow them. In our case Brooks is saying, “No one else completed his s.o.s, but none of them lost their jobs”. He was feeling like he is not treaded equal like other managers at his level.
First assumptions in equity theory states that employees expect a fair return for what they contribute to their jobs, a concept referred to as the “equity norm” (Carrell and Dittrich, 1978). People measure the totals of their inputs and outcomes and they make judgment. In our case, Lyndons measure is that he gives more then he receives. He states, “When completing the project, Jane seemed to go a little overboard recognizing me. Sure Id done a good job”Then he went to Chuck, but instead recognition he received criticism. Moreover, he did not get any support by Jane. When individuals find themselves participating in inequitable relationships, they become distressed. The more inequitable the relationship, the more distress individuals feel. According to equity theory, The person who gets too little may feel angry or humiliated. This was how Brooks feels, humiliated. “Employees who perceive themselves as being in an inequitable situation will seek to reduce the inequity either by distorting inputs and/or outcomes in their own minds (“cognitive distortion”), by directly altering inputs and/or outputs, or by leaving the organization”. (Carrell and Dittrich, 1978). Accordingly, at the end Lyndon states,”As things stands now, I dont see a future for myself at Jensen Shoes”. Primary reason is non-equal treatment perceived by Lyndon.
If we are analyzing Lyndon using ERG theory by Alderfer we can see a number of factors missing, which implies motivation suffer. In this case we can see absence of Growth Needs, because Lyndon has been moved horizontally to another ethnic project, instead to be promoted, as he thought. Moreover, we can see absence of