Task 1 Innovative and Strategic Thinking

1 Task 1: Innovative and Strategic Thinking Course Code: Student Name: Student ID: Date: 7/25/2021 Program Mentor Name: A.1. Discuss aspects of the company from the provided scenario by doing the following: 1. Culture The culture of this company affects their decisions by the encouragement of innovation from employees and other industries innovators, as well. They have inspired a culture in which the owners and workers are considered equal partners by including the staff before making any business decisions to strengthen their dedication to the cause. 2. Organizational Structure The structure of the organization is decentralized. The leadership and company owners make themselves available to the employees for any needs or ideas. This makes the staff feel included that their input is valued and would most definitely affect the decisions made by this corporation. 3. Strategic Direction The mission statement of this organization is, “We will provide the most innovative customer-driven design and growth in the industry.” This is evident by the company looking to hire locals that are Indian fishers to aid in the design of the foldable fishing boat. The company’s goal is to be the first portable fishing boat manufacturer to enter the market in India. The founders’ desire is to capture market share and profits and eventually expand into other parts of Asia. The vision statement of the organization is, “We will be the most sustainable company in the industry.” This is evident by the company being willing to redesign the portable 2 boat to the specifications that NFDB has required to do business in India. The organization would have to make a serious investment in India. A.2. Describe in detail how the company’s culture could affect the market entry strategy. The company has a culture that inspires inclusiveness and innovation. They have established testing facilities where patrons use the products and provide feedback on the design. This will be valuable while trying to enter a new market. For example, the company has recognized its target group as fishers between the ages of 13 and 70. Now they know they must design a portable boat that can easily transported by that age range. I believe the innovativeness of this company’s culture will be an advantage in entering the market. A.3. Discuss in detail whether the organizational structure is an advantage or disadvantage to the company and explain why. The organizational structure of this business is decentralized, and the staff has access to the owners at any time. This makes the workers feel like a valued partners and not just an employee. This encourages the employees to be creative. This structure is an advantage to any organization as it is well known that a person who feels valued will do far more than is expected or required of them. B. Discuss the company’s product from the provided scenario by doing the following: B.1. One of the characteristics that India represents in their market is in the fishing industry’s importance to their nation’s gross domestic product. Aquaculture is a dominant industry in India. This industry makes up a significant amount of the global fishing exports. Historically the fishers have used nonmechanized boats. Requirements and regulations have been established by National Fisheries Development Board for the use of nonmechanized boats to preserve the natural ecosystem. This would make the ideal situation for the organization to introduce the portable fishing boat to this market. The ease of transport would also be an enticing characteristic, as the fishers would be able to carry this boat to the water from their homes. B.2. The National Fisheries Development Board or the NFDB advocates for the use of only natural fishing equipment to lower disruption to their ecosystem. While seeking an endorsement from the NNFDB for the foldable fishing boat they were informed that they would not endorse unless the product was made from plastics used 3 in India, to cut down the waste in India’s land fields. The scenario states that the product could be redesigned by examining an array of waterproof coatings and paper products to determine which would be sufficient. a. Design Thinking Process Empathize – In this stage, US manufacturers would collaborate with fishers as to what would be needed in the design. Define – In this stage, the designers would combine all the information and begin building the product based on the specific needs of the fishers. Ideate – This is the brainstorming phase of the design thinking process where the designers would develop ideas to solve the established needs of the fishers. This is encouraged by the company’s organizational culture of innovation. Prototype – This stage is where they evaluate their ideas before contributing an excess of time and money. Test – This stage allows the architect’s try out the prototype to gain more knowledge about the users by experimentation. Then tweaks to the design can be implemented before building the final product. b. Company Culture The organization’s culture has a positive effect on the design thinking process, due to their encouragement for innovation. The founders provide incentives for the designers to come up with creative ideas. The company has a culture where the owners and employees are considered equals. This inspires inclusion and makes the designers feel that their opinion matters. Company Ethics The ethics of the organization will affect the design thinking process as they will need to adhere to their statement of basing decisions that are sustainable to the consumers and the environment. Organization Structure The organizational structure is decentralized and affects the design thinking process by allowing the staff to collaborate with the founders at any time. All decisions are accessed by the employees as a group rather than just the leadership. This fosters commitment and ownership of the cause by the employees. 4 3. The ethical statement influences the market entry by aligning their desire with the fishers and the nations to protect the fishing ecosystem. Have the same values will enhance the market entry strategy for this US manufacturer into India.