Gap Analysis: Intersect Investments

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Gap Analysis: Intersect Investments

An obstacle for most major financial services corporations is the challenge of maintaining vitality in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive industry. For Intersect Investment Services, the livelihood rests on the company's ability to produce up-to-date services coupled with clientele trust and Wall Street's credibility. This constant pressure to keep up has forced the company to make several drastic changes within the company that may result in the success or failure of the company, and with its fair share of repercussions. This paper will aim to point out the main issues that Intersect is facing, the opportunities that have risen from these issues, and gap analysis will differentiate the current conflicts compared to its end state vision.

Situation Analysis

Issue and Opportunity Identification

For the past 6 years, the financial services industry has experienced some major setbacks regarding their clientele and credibility on Wall Street. Competition among companies has motivated each company to offier innovative products constantly coupled with expert advice (Scenario, Intersect). Intersect Investment Services, a financial consultant firm, is among these struggling companies. CEO, Frank Jeffers realized that if Intersect wanted to survive in this down-trodden industry, it must make some drastic organizational changes. Ergo, he introduced his vision of providing "a broad set of products and services to consumer and small businesses using a model of customer intimacy" to build a trusting relationship with its customers. While the idea had a grandeur appeal, implementation would be a challenge that could potentially bring down the company. From the start, a great deal of his senior management members do not see eye-to-eye in this new strategy, and this in turn has created a rift between his team members that must work together to achieve company goals. The main issues, or rather opportunities, that arise are ways management must gain the commitment and support of its employees and upper management. Managers must realize opportunities to benchmark other companies to find viable alternatives, exercise persistence in enforcing changes, consider the law of effect that most senior members are adapt to, and keep employees in mind when implementing drastic decisions.

Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas

The stakeholders of Intersect Investment Services are the Stockholders, Intersect consumers and small business customers, CEO, Frank Jeffers and his management team, and Intersect's employees. Each stakeholder is very important in the present and future success of the company, and therefore, must be treated accordingly. The comparison between each different stakeholder's interests, rights, and values shows that while most are in accordance with one another, other interests and values conflict with one another.

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