Case Study : New Kind Of Structure

Case Study Analysis: New Kind of Structure

Today’s companies are looking for an edge that keeps them competitive. Pfizer has done just that with what they are calling PfizerWorks. The process allows for employees to “shift tedious and time-consuming tasks to one of two Indian service-outsourcing firms” (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, 2015). Pfizer is not the first company to outsource their work to help reduce costs and improve efficiencies. The unique thing about this program is that they do it with tasks that take up time allowing for their employees to work on tasks that they were hired to do. You can look at it as the Indian companies are sent out to buy the groceries allowing for the Pfizer employees (the cooks) to make the food. This paper will examine how Pfizer employee are more productive, how this would work in other organizations, the global aspect or impact on the organizational culture and how this approach would work in my business.

PfizerWork Structure

Pfizer’s idea of removing these tedious and extremely time consuming items and placing them with another company is a genius move in so many ways. They have been able to reduce costs and improve the bottom line by giving these tasks to people that are making a lot less than the Pfizer employees. Efficiently speaking, this allows the Pfizer employee to focus on the tasks that they were hired to do. Why have someone doing a job that cost $5 an hour when you are paying them $20? This question now has an answer – you don’t. Hadley Baldwin (2015) provided four improvements needed for success as a leader today. They were embracing collaboration, knowing your business better, following the money and thinking about you and your team. PfizerWorks addresses all of t...

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...e culture in the company has already started to shift as the American branches are no longer looked at as lone wolfs but because we are now all on a similar structure we are looked at as one large company.

Conclusion

PfizerWorks seems to be a model of efficiency and effectiveness as seen by the responses since its implementation. The idea of outsourcing is not new, but in the manner that Pfizer is using it, it can be looked at as unique. The program shows that a blend can be made between mechanistic and organic organizational structures, allowing for the bureaucratic parts and low centralization from both structures. These types of ideas and structures are what all types of businesses need to continue to be competitive in today’s environment. As seen in the example of my company, this type of structure can also lead to improved, stronger organizational culture.