jason deboer-moran - management application portfolio

8/9/2019 Jason DeBoer-Moran - Management Application Portfolio

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Management Application Portfolio 2

Running Head: MANAGEMENT APPLICATION PORTFOLIO

Jason DeBoer-Moran: Management Application Portfolio

Jason DeBoer-Moran

MBA 700, Cohort MA264

Dr. Carol Rinkoff

March 8, 2010


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Executive Summary

The Management Application Portfolio (MAP) is an integral part of the Master of

Business Administration (MBA) program at Concordia University - St. Paul, Minnesota. It

reflects my growth, my personality, the resources I bring to my employer, and the in depth

research I have accomplished in the social technology industry. This portfolio is broken up into

six major sections that highlight specific growth and professional understanding that has taken

place throughout the MBA program. These sections illuminate my personality, passion, prior-

knowledge, and the growth I have experience through the course of this program.

Career Autobiography

The career autobiography highlights professional accomplishments and skills that I have

obtained through my journey from undergraduate studies to completing a graduate degree. It

also demonstrates my advancement in the field of social technology while I have continued to

remain an expert in the provision of customer support while in my current position.

Formal Educational Experiences

This section of the MAP highlights the formal educational journey that I have undertaken

outside of the completion of the MBA program at Concordia University - St. Paul, Minnesota. It

specifically highlights my journey as a lifelong learner and the passion I have for education. I

speak to the strengths of a liberal arts background, experiential learning in technology, and

continued study in social technology through conferences and local events that I have attended.

MBA Curriculum Highpoints and Milestones

The entirety of the MBA program at Concordia University - St. Paul, Minnesota was full

of learning and an opportunity to gain knowledge. There were several courses that provided

exemplary resources that I look to highlight as illustrative of my growth as a leader. Selected


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papers are provided as examples of learning that has occurred. These courses demonstrate my

growth and supply a connector between the career path I was on when I began the MBA program

and the career path I am on now.

Leadership andLearning Experiences

My entire career has taught me the value of experiential learning. It is through my

experience in leadership early in life that I learned what it means to take on leadership roles in

the workplace. My involvement in leadership positions in my professional life has led me to

grow and advance my career. Specifically my involvement in social technology at Concordia

University has led to my recognition regionally as a resource for social networking knowledge.

My involvement on the graduate policies committee has led to a deeper understanding of

academia and has led to my future growth as an instructor.

Social Technology Industry Analysis

The industry analysis of the social technology industry is the opportunity that I have had

to demonstrate the specific industry that I have elected to research throughout the course of this

program. As an industry expert, I track the history, the present, future implications, and identify

several actionable areas for blue ocean growth in the future.

Strategy Matrix

The final section of this portfolio is the strategy matrix. The strategy matrix is a tool

developed by Joel Barker (2005) that seeks to clarify the implications external events have on

strategic growth and helps chart the future as companies seek to grow and expand into new

industries.


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Career Autobiography

Much of my formal job experience is directly connected to the Information Technology

Department at Concordia University - St. Paul, Minnesota. My interest in technology began in

elementary school when my uncle brought home the projects he made in a robotics class while

he was in college. As I learned about the various parts that make computers work while spending

time with my uncle, I was able to experiment in computer repair by taking apart the family

computer and fixing it before my parents realized what I had done. Working with computers is

not my main passion; it is through working with computers that I have been able to accomplish

my true desires: teaching and working with people.

My passion for teaching and working with people was formed while volunteering at Lee

Valley Ranch in Custer, South Dakota. While in high school, I was invited to spend the entire

summer at the camp to direct the peer leadership program. The camp director, Dick Borrud, put

me in charge of developing curriculum for daily leadership classes and leading the volunteer

team in projects to keep the camp running. The peer leadership team provided customer service

and relationship building under my leadership. This foundational leadership experience

challenged me and helped me learn skills of delegation, prioritization, and curriculum

development.

In 1997, I travelled to St. Paul, Minnesota in order to study at Concordia University. I

applied for a work-study position at the Technology Help Desk and began building the broad

liberal base of undergraduate education that Concordia is known for providing. At the beginning

of my second year of studies, the Help Desk Manager offered me a part-time staff position in the

technical repair and network management area. I accepted the offer and began balancing part-

time employment with full-time studies. My main duties in this position were processing


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purchase orders, repairing advanced computer problems, shipping and receiving laptops from a

remote repair location, and assisting with the network infrastructure. As I continued to work in

this position, my role began to evolve into training and support for faculty and staff members at

the University. I realized at that time that one of the greatest joys I can have is standing in front

of a room of people and teaching them how do accomplish new tasks.

After graduation, I was offered a full time position as an Instructional Designer and Web

Developer. The main objective of this position was working behind a computer and ensuring that

the University web sites were functioning properly and that our online courses were built

correctly. After six months in this role, I realized that I missed working directly with people. My

job satisfaction had dwindled, and I needed to make a change. I applied and was accepted to

serve as a volunteer for Youth Encounter. I submitted my notice and prepared to travel to India

and Nepal as a relational youth minister.

The relational youth ministry team travelled around the Midwestern United States and

throughout India and Nepal for one year. We developed music programs, taught classes, and

worked to build relationships between churches in India, Nepal, and the United States. Through

this experience, I learned the importance of community development, understanding cultures,

and respect for the challenges that are experienced in cross-cultural situations.

After I had completed my travels with Youth Encounter, I returned to the Information

Technology Department at Concordia University as Help Desk Coordinator. When I returned, I

learned that a lot had changed and that very few people associated the Help Desk with quality

customer service and training. After the first year of rebuilding the Help Desk, the University

Staff Organization recognized me for the Moments in Excellence Award for providing


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exemplary customer service. I worked to mentor student workers as exceptional customer

advocates and worked to recover the service orientation of the Help Desk.

In 2005, the Information Technology Department went through a major reorganization

and in an effort to maintain the departmental focus on customer service I was promoted to

Coordinator of User Services. The Technical Repair area was consolidated with the Help Desk

and I began supervising full time staff members in addition to student employees. At this time,

we consolidated many job functions and we reduced the turnaround time for computer repairs

from one week to two days.

As I have neared the completion of the MBA program at Concordia University, my

attention to systems thinking, customer service, and teaching has led to my promotion to

Assistant Director of Computer User Services. I have been able to enhance customer support and

hone my project management skills as I manage a larger team of staff members and student

employees. My love of community development has fused with my passion for social

technology. I have used social networking tools in order to educate the staff at Concordia

University how to circumvent customer service challenges and I have worked with faculty in

order to market Concordia University as an industry leader in social networking. In 2009, I was

recognized by a community of my peers in the Twin Cities as being one of the Top 20 Social

Media Innovators for the work I have done with Concordia Universitys social media efforts. I

have found that serving communities digitally through social networking tools just as fulfilling

as serving people with quality customer service face to face.


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Formal Educational Experiences

Looking at the formal educational experiences throughout my life there are many events

that stand out as major milestones in my educational process. I believe that each of these

milestones have been formative in laying the foundation for the self-directed learner that I have

become. Each educational experience that I have had in my life has built upon the ones that

came before it. The coursework I sought out in college, my international experiences, and my

professional studies, have all been instrumental in creating the person that I am today. It is

impossible to summarize all of the learning events that have occurred in my life, but this

document will seek to identify and note the significance of several experiences that I consider

milestones in my learning experience that were instrumental in my development.

College

I completed my undergraduate studies at Concordia University St. Paul, Minnesota in

2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Pre-Seminary Studies. The

liberal arts basis of Concordia University was instrumental in developing a love of learning and a

desire to be a lifelong learner. It was through the diverse liberal arts program that I discovered a

rudimentary knowledge of many fields and worked to develop connections between the entire

coursework.

Frequently, I encounter individuals who believe that there is little value in a degree in the

humanities. These same people extol the value of practical degrees like pre-professional degree

programs. I consistently disagree with this line of thought and find a great deal of value in liberal

arts programs. I believe that the English Literature program that I participated in at Concordia

University prepared me for a career in Information Technology in many ways that a pre-

professional program would not have. Specifically, through the thoughtful analysis of literature,


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I have learned to understand culture and language in ways that many individuals who work in

technology do not. My pre-ministry courses prepared me to understand group dynamics and

relationships. These skills are highly sought after in my field of expertise. I feel as though my

liberal arts degree combined with my experience with technology has made me a bilingual

person. I can speak technology while avoiding jargon. My continual goal in the work that I do

is to eliminate the threat that people experience when they meet new technology through

thoughtful explanation and empathy.

Post-College

I travelled to India and Nepal for four months in 2003, this experience was highly

educational for me. I had the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture and learn through

the process. There was very little formal education experience, but I believe that some of the

best self-discovery can occur when immersed in a culture different from ones own. While

travelling throughout India the group I travelled with was treated as dignitaries from the churches

in the United States. We had the opportunity to learn how businesses were running, how

communities were forming, and how partnerships were working between churches in the United

States and India. This experience taught me the importance of cultural understandings and

taught me quite a bit about my own perceptions about the international world. Citizens of the

United States easily forget the disparity between the wealthy and the poor. I felt challenged

when confronted with the misery of poverty, but I was even more challenged by the joyfulness I

found in the people. As a result, I learned that there are great things happening in India and that

are many opportunities for partnerships between non-profits and the developing world.


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Professional

My professional training has not involved any formal certifications or accreditations.

Unfortunately, my employer does not have the resources to fund certification programs for

Information Technology staff. Our institution is a tuition driven institution, therefore all funds

are routed into programs that directly influence student growth. This does not mean that my

learning has ceased, but that the opportunities for formalized acknowledgement of my learning is

less. Much like my experience with Lee Valley Ranch Camp, my professional experience at

Concordia University has placed me in a position where I am constantly learning and growing in

project management skills and technical knowledge. Each day I encounter problems that require

quick thinking or advanced research to resolve. When new software is ordered and

implemented, I spend a great deal of personal time familiarizing myself with the functions and

developing training materials to educate our customers on the best ways to use these tools. This

is successful for me because technology is a passion and a hobby. In the last six months, I have

spent a great deal working with our Admission, Development, and Marketing Departments to

develop strategies for digital project management and promotion.

As I have sought to grow my skills in marketing and social technologies, I have spent a

great deal of time meeting with individuals in the Minneapolis area that are currently working in

this field. I have attended several events and had the opportunity to learn from speakers like Seth

Godin, Ze Frank, and Tara Hunt regarding how marketing is changing with social technologies. I

have active memberships in the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association and the Twin

Cities Social Media Club. It is through these conversations and through spirited discussion at our

local social media club events that I have expanded my skills and my reputation in the

community as an innovator in social media.


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Conclusion

My discovery of a love of learning in my American Thought course, the practical skills I

developed at Lee Valley Ranch Camp, my liberal arts education at Concordia University, my

international experience in India and Nepal, and my growing passion for social technologies are

all milestone occurrences in my journey as a lifelong learner. I have found that some of the

greatest learning opportunities happen outside of the formal classroom. The overarching theme

of my education is that I have learned how to learn. Looking back at each of these formal

educational experiences, I see how I have become the person that I am today. I have developed a

passion for learning and for helping people learn. I believe this is best accomplished when

learning is not forced, but instead by walking with people as they discover new things. As I look

to expand my career by becoming a professor of social technologies, I believe my prior learning

experiences will continue to be an asset to both myself and those I will teach.


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MBA Curriculum Highpoints & Milestones

The time that I have spent at Concordia University in the Master of Business

Administration (MBA) program has allowed me to refine my passions, enhance my application

of systems thinking, and advance my knowledge of strategic business development. The value

of my experience in this program is not only growth in theoretical knowledge, but practical skill

in leadership and innovative thought. Through the Leadership and Organizational Development,

I learned Stephen Coveys (2004) model of voice which is achieved through the fusion of

passion, need, talent, and conscience. This model has become an excellent method to track my

personal and professional development throughout my involvement in the MBA program.

When I began the MBA program, I had a very different understanding of my voice than I

do today. I had grown complacent in my work and I believed that my ability to advance was

stifled. I felt disconnected in my work life and that was directly affecting my personal life.

Participating in this program has taught me to sense my passion, apply my talent, understand my

needs, and trust my conscience. This program began around the same time that I immersed

myself in social technology. There is great significance in the connection of these two events.

The recognition I have received in the local social media and interactive marketing community

come directly from the growth I have experienced in understanding my voice.

As I undertook this course of study, two passions rose to the forefront: my love of higher

education and social technology. These passions are visible throughout the curriculum, but I

believe that there were several significant milestones in the coursework where I grew in my

understanding, my potential shown through, and my skills grew. I will highlight each of these

courses specifically.


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philosophy that grounds IDEO (Kelly, 2005), in the context of a marketing course emphasized

the connections between innovative thinking and marketing.

OLC 605: Operations and Technology Management

When I evaluated the coursework required to complete the MBA program at Concordia

University, I felt that a course titled Operations and Technology Management would primarily

consist of review. My experience working in an Information Technology Department had taught

me a great deal of practical skills associated with managing technology. Instead of being

underwhelmed by this course, I found myself enjoying the exploration of strategic operations

management. This course pushed me to explore strategic management of operations resources

specifically in customer driven quality (see Appendix C). This connects well with my industry

study of social technology as many social tools are now being used to enhance customer

relationships. I was able to identify a common thread in the importance of strategy pervading an

entire organization in operations as well as marketing. This course also emphasized the synergy

between operations strategy and overall corporate strategy. Creating experiences versus

marketing products was shown as a great method to venture into Blue Ocean thinking and

innovative design (Pine & Gilmore, 1998).

OLC 615: Topics in OrganizationalLeadership

The Topics in Organizational Leadership course began right as I was promoted to a

senior management position at Concordia University, St. Paul. I went from supervising one full-

time employee to supervising three full time employees including an additional manager. My

team had grown in size and I had begun thinking about the importance of culture and group

dynamics in the workplace. I began to sense the stress taken on by fellow coworkers and tension

between myself and my colleagues. As I explored group dynamics in detail (see Appendix D), I


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was able to practice my learning on a daily basis in the workplace. I was also able to draw prior

experience with dysfunctional teams into my writing and develop greater understanding of

problems that can develop when leading teams.

OLC 620: Strategic Leadership

The strategic leadership was the height of my studies in the MBA Program. I believe it

was in this course where I was finally able to articulate the connection between strategy and

business success. As I applied Porters Five Forces to a higher educational institution (see

Appendix E), I was able to illustrate innovative thought and a direct connection to my

workplace. The suggestions in this document have been constantly in my mind as I have become

more influential in the workplace. My understanding of social technology coupled with my

understanding of innovation in the workplace can work to bring attention to the positives at

Concordia University as well as work to resolve negative experiences.

Future Growth

Reflecting on the professional and educational growth that have I experienced through

the MBA program at Concordia University, St. Paul it becomes evident to me that I have grown

a great deal in understanding my passion and my talents. I have become very active in our local

social technology organizations and have worked directly to influence events and build

relationships between Concordia University and this community. I have actively sought

opportunities to use my passion for social technologies. The MBA program at Concordia

University has taught me skills that easily transfer to any workplace and industry. I look forward

to the opportunity to bring my passions and desire to the forefront of any position that I may

attain in the future.


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Leadership-Learning Experiences

When I began the MBA program, I had a simple definition of leadership that I learned

from one of my early mentors, Dick Borrud. Dick (Lecture, 1994) would constantly remind his

staff that he believed that true leaders have the ability to see what needs to be done and they have

the willingness to do it. I remembered this definition and frequently would refer to it when I

served in leadership positions. As I near completion of an MBA Program through Concordia

University St. Paul that has emphasized leadership development and innovation, I have learned

a great deal more about leadership. I can quickly summarize what I have gained through this

program by enhancing the definition that I originally learned. A true leader can see what needs

doing, has the skill to recognize and recruit talent to accomplish tasks, has the ability to inspire

that talent to action, the humility to acknowledge the role of the team in accomplishing the task,

the ability to think strategically, and the ability to communicate.

In the past three years, I have had countless experiences serving in leadership roles.

Through each experience, I learn more about my leadership style and myself. There are three

experiences that standout as representative of my growth in leadership over the last few years.

These experiences are my active pursuit for social media at Concordia University, Concordia

University Graduate Council, and my recent promotion to Assistant Director. Through each of

these experiences, I was able to grow in knowledge and experience in what it means not only to

act as a leader in my own life, but in the life of an institution.

Social Media Task Force

I have spent the last few years working as an advocate for social technology at

Concordia University. I have accomplished this through participation in discussion, training, and

conversation about how Concordia can advance its market position with social media tools. I


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have worked to bring the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter of Social Media Breakfast to speak at

Concordia University. I have also sought to increase engagement of students, faculty, and staff

in the conversations that take place in online environments through increased blogging and web

projects. I have consulted with Concordias Admission Department in terms of best practices for

reaching out to prospective students and partnerships with businesses in the greater Minneapolis

area. My participation in social technology garnered me the recognition as being one of the Top

20 Social Media Innovators in the Twin Cities. I learned the importance of communication and

mentorship through my involvement in this task force. This team developed to become a cross

departmental group, everyone involved has different opinions and desires for how the university

should move forward with social technology. It was essential to ensure everyone has the

opportunity to present ideas and to be mindful of how these ideas fit strategically with the

context of expanding Concordia Universitys reach into the community. When I was able to

speak to different departments, mentoring and showing the best practices to use social

technology became my central goal. I have found that this has led to the creation of

departmental advocates to further our reach into the community.

Graduate Council

For the last two years, I have had the opportunity to serve as the student representative

for the Graduate Council at Concordia University. My role on this committee has been to

represent the perspective of graduate students on this policy committee. I have had the

opportunity to work with Michael Walcheski in the creation of an exceptional graduate

scholarship recognition program to highlight exceptional scholarship in the graduate programs.

The initial concept was to seek to create a yearly honors ceremony for graduate students. I was

able to bring my expertise in social technology alongside Michael Walcheskis knowledge of


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university policy and tradition to expand this to an online honors program. It has been a great

learning experience to see what it takes to create policy at an academic institution. In the last

two years, two major new graduate programs have come up for review and approval at the

council level. The first was the Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and the second was

the Master of Arts in Teaching. I was able to observe the presentation, learn the qualifications

required to bring a new graduate program to council, and have the opportunity to ask questions

regarding the rigor of various programs.

Assistant Directorship

Six months ago, I was promoted to the Assistant Director of Computer User Services. I

now supervise a much larger staff and have had to learn about how I lead in management

positions. I have discovered that I am an empowering and teaching leader. When I work with

individuals, I like to focus on mentoring and helping people develop solutions and interpret the

best ways to accomplish tasks. I quickly learned in my early positions as a Help Desk Manager

that those working closest to the problems know the best solutions. I have recently encountered

this in my leadership style when an employee from another department shifted into my

department. This employee frequently asked for direction out of the fear that I would disagree

with her methodology. After several months of talking with her, we realized that I want to serve

as her advisor as well as her supervisor. She is able to understand implications of decisions at

detail than I can. I can supply her with the vision from higher up at the University and work to

protect her from the frequent bureaucracy that hinders progress. I work to educate those that I

work with in why I make decisions I make and seek to empower them to make decisions that are

defensible by logic.


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Social Technology Industry Analysis

The social technology industry will be the instigator behind the evolution of emerging

technological devices this decade. It will be important to for all companies involved in

technology-centered industries to understand the implications social technology will have on

product releases. From basic marketing and advertising product releases to methods to enhance

and create new hybrid products, all will be affected by the presence of social technology. Before

the Internet, technological development and product releases centered on task accomplishment.

The emphasis in the industry was on developing technology that could process faster than

competitors could. Recent innovations in the technology industry have led to the development of

software and tools that help people keep in touch or communicate about themselves. Devices are

being developed that are more portable with applications that allow people to interact with their

surroundings in new and intriguing ways.

The foundations of the social technology industry is centering on understanding the

human element in space and time as an interconnected person. The One Laptop per Child

initiative did not focus on making a single affordable piece of technology for an individual, but

rather technology that could be used by a community. The wireless system in these affordable

laptops is specifically designed to interact and connect one computer to another in order to create

a network of individuals who can work together to accomplish tasks. While this was a charitable

initiative the developments that rose from this product has brought many of the affordable

technology which has brought tools like the Kindle e-book reader, affordable netbooks, and the

tablet computers that will come to market this year (Gannes, 2009).

The perceptive consumer no longer wants a powerful computer; they want a connected

computer. This computer can take the form of a high-speed networked Smartphone, netbook, or


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full powered laptop. The market will continue to reward those companies that can release

products that are stable, community driven, and interconnected. Interfacing with social networks

is no longer something to be considered a bonus as much as it is an essential feature. Community

developed products like Googles Android Phone operating system and Apples publicly

available App Store, will be representative of tools that the entire technology industry will look

to copy or interface with.

History of the Social Technology Industry

The primary innovation that brought forth the social technology industry was the rise of

the personal computer. As computers became affordable with user-friendly interfaces, the

personal demands on technology increased. Suddenly, technology was no longer about scientists

and laboratories, but about personal use and entertainment. The rise of the Internet for personal

use occurring in the late 1990s brought even greater emphasis on the personalization of

technology. The hyper-personalization of technology in the last 20 years and the discoveries that

technological devices can improve daily life for individuals has created the emerging social

technology industry.

Current examples of social technological devices that are in common use are smart

phones, netbooks, and socially based tools like Twitter and Facebook. These technologies have

grown out of the fusion of computers and internet communication tools. It is from these

commonly used devices that the next directions of social technology will be determined. The

very nature of the social technology industry is that it takes highly innovative expensive

technologies and fuses them with existing technology. The smart phone rose out of the fusion of

the telephone, the personal digital assistant, wireless data networks, the internet, and global

positioning services. This device continues to evolve, as the technology grows more precise and


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more affordable. Global positioning services in smart phones continue to revolutionize the

expectations that consumers have for the mobile devices and have begun to fuse the smart phone

with social technologies.

Emerging social technologies like Twitter, Foursquare, and Facebook have begun to

reform the concept of social community and have begun to change the way advertising occurs.

Businesses have begun to explore what it means to interact with their customers through social

technology. Many companies have sought to build relationships with their customers. This

foundational shift has caused a disruption in the understanding of marketing. While Twitter,

Facebook, and MySpace may be the market leaders in social technology today, the change in

interaction between corporation and customer will change regardless of the platform used to

communicate. As a result, it is imperative that corporations and individuals understand this

cultural shift. The specifics of how to use certain tools is not as important as the knowledge of

how interactions are changing.

Past forces impacting social technology.

The greatest historical forces on the social technology industry are social and legal forces.

Social technology evolves in the hands of the end users. The success and failure of a product is

not so much dependent on elegance of design, price point, or quality of service, but in the wide

acceptance by a group of users. Community acceptance is essential to the success of a social

technology. The success of companies in the social technology industry depends on user

acceptance. Changes to the structures of networks or the reliability of social technological tools

can spell quick disaster for industry leaders. The social network Friendster learned the challenges

that this can spell to business as they collapsed due to poor reliability and lack of authenticity

(Boyd & Ellison, 2007). The industry is very fast moving and many companies rise and fall


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based on user acceptance. Social acceptance is not just a challenge for internet service companies

like networks; it also shows in hardware manufactures as well. Social acceptance of the iPod has

caused the mp3 player to dominate the market, but it is often cited for design stagnation and poor

software support (Reisinger, 2007). It is essential for a product to grab a passionate user base in

order to be successful in emerging technology.

The legal forces that have shaped social technology are primarily Copyright law. Quite a

few essential technologies are patented and require for licensing in order to build from the

technology. The multi-touch technology from Synaptic that is featured in the iPhone and iPod

touch requires that Apple arrange with Synaptic to use this technology. Many innovations in

emerging technology tend to be very similar and large copyright battles can develop. Nokia just

recently began proceedings against Apple claiming unlawful use of digital phone technology.

Innovative devices frequently require partnerships between multiple companies to develop.

These partnerships can easily become embroiled in lawsuits when negotiations fail or

inequalities are perceived.

There are quite a few discontinuities within this industry. First, the computer was

intended as a business device. As the device transitioned to personal use, the entire social

technology industry was born. Secondly, the Internet began as Arpanet and was intended as a

national defense network, once modem based networking became accessible to many homes, the

Internet developed into a communication tool and commercial space. The third major

discontinuity is the ease of publication obtainable through the Internet. As anyone could edit

pages, all of the sudden anyone could become a publisher.


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Past drivers of the social technology industry

The origins of the social technology industry can be traced back to the late 1990s. As the

Internet became a mainstay in the household through dial-up networking, people began to find

value in communications through technology. The release of Microsoft Windows 95 was a major

influence in the dawn of social technology as its release included many features that directly

benefited online communication. The birth of social technology tied directly to the personal use

of e-mail, Internet-based billboard services, and internet service providers (ISPs) like AOL,

MSN, and CompuServe. The primary evolution of social technologies began when ISPs opened

the gates to the entire Internet. Large ISPs no longer controlled which content was accessible,

and the floodgates to content access and creation was opened (MSN works, n.d.). In 1995,

tools began to develop that allowed people to create WebPages of their own. Geocities and

Angelfire were two early services that allowed the non-technical computer user to create

WebPages for anyone to view. Further evolution continued with the increasing accessibility to

high-speed broadband connections, wireless internet access, and finally mobile web access. As

use of the Internet became more convenient, adoption rates increased and innovation in social

technologies increased. Weblogs or blogs grew in popularity between 1998 and 2000. Friendster

opened the world to personal social networking in 2002 out of which grew MySpace and

Facebook. Twitter brought the world microblogging in 2006.

Present Conditions of the Social Technology Industry

The social technology industry is constantly evolving as new products are released and

old products evolve to create todays landscape. Companies in the social technology industry are

working quickly to bring products to markets and enhancing the experience with existing

products through the release of friendlier user experiences. Changes in the culture of the


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network on top of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn may be methods that future companies use to

leverage their connections in social technology.

Suppliers of Social Technology.

The major suppliers are those who supply bandwidth and connectivity to social

technology. Internet service providers and device manufacturers directly supply the connections

that make social technology possible. The networks themselves are also suppliers. Twitter,

Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace all act as suppliers for the customers who elect to participate

on their networks. Failures of these suppliers to provide expandability and to plan for growth will

directly influence their market dominance (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

Buyers of Social Technology.

The main buyers of emerging technology are individuals. They have greater power to

select where they take their business. The connection to communication tools has made the

customer much more perceptive than in many other fields. In early 2009, Facebook changed its

user policy in an attempt to gain access to profile information to increase their marketing

opportunities. The privacy changes caused many end-users to threaten to leave due to their

disagreements (Vascellaro, 2009). This necessitated Facebook appeasing its user base and turn

around their proposed changes. The balance between private life and making data available to

marketers will be a continued challenge for companies involved in social technology.

Substitute Products in Social Technology.

The greatest substitute product for social technology companies to be concerned with is

the option of closed social networks versus public social networks. Several industries are

creating social networks that require special invites to participate or special product purchases

that include a social networking option. These substitute products will threaten the growth of


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larger more public social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Companies who

develop tools that interact with social technology battle continuously for market share. In the

end, each device still allows connectivity to social networks, so the social technology industry is

widely free of this battle.

Intensity of Competitive Rivalry in Social Technology.

The intensity of competitive rivalry is increasing as more networks enter the market.

Much of the competition between networks relates directly to the preferences of end users as

well as the features provided. The battle between MySpace and Facebook illustrated that small

startups can quickly rise to overtake widely backed industry leaders at any time (Iaa8, 2010).

Social technology companies are working to ensure that they can provide the right amount of

features, with excellent reliability and authenticity. Companies that do not regulate authenticity

can open themselves up to questions of reliability.

The Future of Social Technology

As social technology continues to grow and more competitors enter the marketplace, it is

evident that the strongest companies will remain major competitors over the next decade. Twitter

and Facebook will challenge each other, and Google will begin to move in on some of features

provided through Google Wave and Google Buzz. There is a large battle ongoing for dominance

in location awareness. If Twitter can determine how to link its network with location aware

devices, it will make major headway against competitors like Foursquare, Bright Kite, and

Loopt.

Future Industry Drivers of Social Technology

The future of social technology exists in location awareness. Many people wish to

communicate the location they are at as more cellular phones are able to connect to GPS and


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directional tools like electronic compasses, there will be great growth in location sharing. The

industry will grow to favor this type of technology making it simple to state what you are doing

and where you are doing it. This will appeal to alternate reality game developers and social

network tools. Advertising will increase in relevance and timeliness. Increased access to global

wireless network tools will provide the means for individuals to communicate quickly. The

groundwork is laid for this technology in the most recent generations of smart phones and

portable computers, game developers have begun to create applications that are location aware,

and advertisers have recently flocked to location aware social networks like Foursquare. This

will only increase in growth and will thrive as many end users find this access convenient and

relevant.

Technology is evolving rapidly as related to social networks. Apple and Google will enter

location aware advertising within the next 12-18 months. There is a battle for passive location

awareness in applications installed on the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry occurring right now.

These applications allow users to designate themselves at certain locations when they are present

at them. The top application will be decided in the next 24 months. There is room for coexistence

between active location awareness (Google and Apple models) alongside passive awareness

(Foursquare, Gowalla, My Town, Loopt, Latitude). Entertainment destinations like bars,

restaurants, and theaters will shift small percentages of advertising budgets into location aware

advertising within six months to test the waters as part of a social media campaign.

Future Scenarios for the Social Technology Industry

Scenario planning allows businesses to determine potential shifts that may take place in

industries that can lead toward success or failure. The goal of scenario planning is to prepare for

the unexpected. Joel Barker (2008) reminds businesses that scouting the future allows companies


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to prepare for the unexpected. Preparation for potential scenarios allows for companies to profit

when markets change.

Scenario 1: privacy activism stifles social technological growth.

The basis that many social technology companies build upon is based on free use for

customers in exchange for access to personal information. Which individual have access to this

information is a large concern facing individual users. How this information is shared with

potential advertisers has long been a concern of individual users and other companies. Targeted

advertising has been one of the greatest achievements based on internet search technology.

Increased relevance has led to increased revenue. Access to specific information based on

individual users social preferences is considered the next step in socially relevant advertising.

Facebook has already come under a great deal of negative press for perceived misuse of personal

information. Privacy activists have stood strong against these misuses. If legislation were

released that were to decrease benefits for companies to target advertising to individuals, then a

strategy would have to be created in increase revenue from end-users through pay per use

features.

Scenario 2: massive consolidation.

Small private companies and venture capital founded many emerging social technology

companies. The recent recession in the United States has led to a drying up of venture capital for

many small startups. Larger companies have been buying smaller companies. This has created

several very large companies with fierce competition and mimicry. Pure innovation in social

technologies has come in the creation of devices to enhance use of the existing technology. As

the companies have consolidated, there has been a tendency of the large companies to release

very similar products and competitors instead of innovation in the technology.


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Scenario 3: location aware advertising.

The growth of location aware advertising will frame the next evolution of social

technology. Small companies like Foursquare, Gowalla, and My Town are creating social

gaming conventions to encourage people to unveil their location to social networks. As they have

done this, there has been a growth of social advertising based on locations. Companies have

begun to offer coupons for local restraints when you check in to certain locations. This has

created a great deal of information available for social networks to release to advertisers as well

as an interesting game for social media users to participate.

Blue Ocean Opportunities in the Social Technology Industry

Determining Blue Ocean opportunities in the social technology industry is a large

challenge given that the entire industry itself is so young. It appears that almost every avenue

holds a new ocean of customers awaiting discovery. The main objectives to creating successful

Blue Ocean Strategies for the social technology industry can be found as increasing customer

access through convenience. Utilizing the Blue Ocean Strategy to determine who non-customers

are and eliminating the difficulty they experience entering the market (Kim & Mauborgne,

2005). Increasing access to quality customer service, increasing location sensitive applications,

and the creation of practical personal responsibility applications will help unveil new territory for

existing and new companies to create successful products.

The development of customer service tools that capitalize on social networks.

Currently, marketers are working to understand social technology and trying to use it in a

push-marketing method. The real power of social technologies is in the potential for the tool to

be an equalizer. CEOs can appear as real people and customer service divisions can diffuse poor

service experiences. There is specifically a great need to educate businesses on the need to be


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social via blogs, microblogging tools, and social networking sites. Something must be done to

reduce the hesitancy or the obstacles to entry. Comcast has made major strides in enhancing their

customer service relationships through searching and communicating through Twitter. They have

established a customer service division specifically to monitor social networks to reach out to

frustrated customers (Vascellaro, 2008). Multiple tools are emerging to support customers

proactively through social technology, but no one system has reached dominance. Currently the

methods that appear to work best are constant monitoring and searching. A tool that

accomplishes this in an automated way will open up a blue ocean for many companies who wish

to expand their support from reactive to proactive.

The development of additional and more specific location aware applications.

As Cellular technology increases and more and more phones are sold with Global

Positioning Services included, social technology tools are being used to capitalize on location

awareness. Foursquare, Gowalla, and My town are location aware social help people discover

new areas of the city. These applications are social networks themselves and allow for people

who know each other to connect in real time at locations. They award users with badges for

special events or accomplishments. Location aware applications have real value for merchants

and restaurants as they offer the ability for public endorsements of locations (Needleman, 2010).

Foursquare notifies friends when other friends visit specific locations and allow them to put that

visit in context. Merchants are able to offer special offers and even create badges to encourage

attendance at certain locations. Advertising and tracking of individuals as they move through

space and time will be very helpful to businesses who wish to move to where people congregate.

The creation of more location aware applications will allow better data to be gathered and allow


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for those who run that service to communicate and profit from marketing knowledge about

personal behavior in cities.

The development of additional personal responsibility applications.

A final blue ocean opportunity that exists is the offering of personal responsibility

applications. These applications could connect with existing social networks like Twitter or

Facebook. A current service for weight loss could connect with Twitter to enhance the personal

accountability towards success. Weightwatchers already uses public accountability in their

program to encourage individuals to lose weight (Weight Watchers, 2010). Fusing this public

accountability tool with social technology could increase awareness and success from customers.

Already people are weighing themselves and reporting their daily weigh in via Twitter powered

scales. Weightwatchers can capitalize on this through application development or social network

based meetings. There is strength in being accountable to a community. The revolution of social

technology has illustrated that not all community needs to be face to face, it is possible for

community to exist virtually as well.

Conclusion

The social technology industry is a rapidly growing industry that has implications for all

service industries in high technology and even public service. As this industry continues to

expand and grow, it is evident that the historical drivers will continue to push this industry

forward into the future. As broadband and connectivity increase throughout the world, the desire

for individuals to connect through social technology will increase. The concept of an Internet-

based community will have far stretching implications. Past legal and social forces will continue

to remain influential in the future. The application of Porters Five Forces Strategy Framework

presents the challenges and strengths companies who are currently active with social technology


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or looking to expand into social technology will face. Currently there are some very large

competitors involved in social technology, but there is great risk involved. There is a history of

large companies quickly decreasing in popularity and ultimately failing when newer startups

enter the scene. It is advisable for companies looking to gain market share in social technology to

focus on building applications that interface with existing industry leaders like Twitter and

Facebook. As the market continues to grow companies should continue to explore blue oceans

especially in personal accountability applications. As they do this it is important for companies

to be aware of the implications of an increased privacy sensitive public may have in the future. In

conclusion, this industry will have a great impact on the future of the technology industry as a

whole as companies release products that continue to enhance social technology experiences.


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Strategy Matrix

Joel Barker (2005) has developed a software tool for strategic exploration called the

Strategy Matrix. This tool allows individuals to explore the future through anticipated

significant occurrences through trends, innovations, events and initiatives. The software tool

then compares these occurrences against strategic objectives and key characteristics known about

the industry being analyzed. Applying this tool to the social technology industry (See Appendix

F) allows the viewer to see how events like increased sensitivity to privacy, globalization, and

asynchronous community development, and a continued recession in the United States will affect

growth in the social technology. Because the social technology industry is very fast moving, I

selected a short-term length of 2 years and a long-term forecast of 5 years. As the Industry

Analysis indicated, there will be large changes that will occur throughout the next few years as

the social technology industry grows and refines its purpose.


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References

Barker, J. (2005). Strategy Matrix (Version 2.2) [Software]. Available from the Institute for

Strategic Exploration: http://strategicexploration.com/strategy-matrix/

Barker, J. (2008). Excerpts from Joel Barkers Innovation at the verge speech [Video file].

Video posted to: http://www.internationalspeakers.com/speakers/ISBB-

553CGN/Joel_Barker/

Bennis, W. (1999). The end of leadership: Exemplary leadership is impossible without full

inclusion, initiatives of followers. Organizational Dynamics, 28, 71-80.

Boyd, D. M. & Ellison, N. B., (2007)

Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Retrieved from

http://consommacteurs.blogs.com/files/socialnetworksites_boyd-ellision_2007.pdf

Covey, S. R. (2004) The 8th habit: From effectiveness to greatness.New York: Free Press

Drucker, P. (1999). Knowledge-worker productivity: The biggest challenge. California

Management Review, vol. 41, no. 2, 79-94.

Gannes, L. (2009, February 7). TED: Negroponte says OLPC started netbook crazy; will open-

source its hardware. GigaOm. Retrieved from http://gigaom.com/2009/02/07/ted-

negroponte-says-olpc-started-netbook-craze-will-open-source-its-hardware/

Iaa8. (2010, March 3). Social network rivalry and the rise of google buzz. Message posted to:

http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/cornell-info204/2010/03/03/social-network-rivalry-and-the-

rise-of-google-buzz/

Kelly, T. (2005). The ten faces of innovation. New York: Doubleday.

Kim, W. & Mauborgne, R. (2005).Blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space

and make the competition irrelevant. Boston: Harvard Business School Press


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MSN works to find its focus. InFree encyclopedia of ecommerce Retrieved March 2, 2010 from:

http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/734/Microsoft-Network-MSN-MSN-WORKS-FIND-

ITS-FOCUS.html

Mui, Y. Q. (2007, February 7). Teddy bear, Version 2.0. The Washington Post. Retrieved from

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020601910.html

Needleman, S. E. (2010, February 23). Services combine social media, marketing. The Wall

Street Journal. Retrieved from

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703787304575076001164243926.html

Pine, J. & Gilmore, J.H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy.Harvard Business Review,

76(4), 97-105.

Porter, M. E. (2008, January). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard Business

Review, 86(1), 78-93. Retrieved March 7, 2009, from Business Source Premier database.

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7

Vascellaro, J. E. (2008, October 27). Twitter goes mainstream. The Wall Street Journal.

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Vascellaro, J. E. (2009, February 19). Facebook's about-face on data: Retreat on user terms

highlights touchy area of shared yet private info. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123494484088908625.html


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Appendix A

Innovation Action Plan Concordia University

I have been involved with Concordia University, St. Paul over the last ten years. During

this time, it has become clear that the university is at a crucial moment. In order to continue to

remain viable we must encourage the growth of an innovative culture. The model of our

competition has changed and the things that made Concordia unique are now fading. Ten years

ago, our main competition were the sister Concordia schools, today our competition has opened

up to include not only our sister schools, but public, and many for-profit Universities. At one

point, Concordias distance learning powered adult learner focused education was very

innovative compared to the competition. The new competition has moved in and we are

struggling to find new markets. One of the biggest struggles experienced as an employee at

Concordia is that many of the staff members at the University feel as though they are not

working hard enough. There is a constant push to demand more output from a smaller

workforce. One of my closest colleagues and one of the more innovative thinkers at Concordia

recently left the University after his supervisor informed him that there was a groundswell of

concern that he was not competent. She continued to explain to him that if he wished to change

this belief he would need to work 60 hours a week in order to ensure he could complete existing

projects and create new projects. There simply was not enough time in the day for this

individual to innovate as well as complete the massive task lists. He left the university feeling

that his colleagues did not respect him and even worse, that his supervisor did not defend him. If

Concordia wishes to move forward, the university must understand that the biggest asset they

have is the ideas and knowledge that their employees have. The three ways Concordia can

develop an innovative culture is by creating a cross-departmental collaborative working space,


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implementing a ten percent time policy for creativity, and by featuring the innovative work that

rises out of the aforementioned changes to the public.

One of the largest problems facing Concordia is that different departments struggle with a

climate of distrust and poor communication. Even under my Vice President, areas do not

communicate well. The members of the Library Services team do not trust decisions made by

the Computer Services Department, the Computer Services team does not understand actions

taken by the Administrative Computing team. These areas feel that they are not respected, that

they are at risk for elimination, and that the individuals in the other areas do not have the best

interests of the University at heart. Conversation in our respective areas frequently brings up

feelings that areas are working against goals that are tantamount to the success of the University.

In order to change this culture of mistrust, I would begin by implementing a temporary

workspace in the Buenger Educational Center during the summer. For two weeks at a time

different vice presidential areas will move into this space as a primary work location. This area

would be cubicle free and the desks would be configured so that you sit beside someone from a

different department. People would be forced out of their comfort zones and mingle with people

they normally would not interact with. The main goal of this configuration change is that people

would be forced to learn about others. This would be a great strength for the University because

everyone is an expert in their own areas; this change would create an opportunity for new tools

to develop and new concepts to form. Teams would form to pursue projects across departmental

lines. Another innovation tool, the development of a ten percent time policy, could enhance

these projects.

The development of a ten percent time creativity policy has occurred most successfully at

Google. The basic idea is that every employee spends ten percent of their workweek on


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something new that can add value to the organization. I believe it is essential for Concordia to

make it a required duty for each employee to work on something new for at least four hours a

week. These would not be four additional hours a week, but four hours out of the existing

workweek. There would be a monthly meeting where innovative projects are proposed and task

forces would develop around these projects. There would be no demand made of the team on

these projects, just simply that they show forward movement. Some of these projects will be

successful; some of these projects will not be successful. Both successful attempts and

unsuccessful attempts should be celebrated. The goal is to celebrate the fact that risks are being

taken and that innovation is occurring. .

These projects would need to be presented to the community, not only internally but also

externally. If Concordia were to develop a more innovative culture, more knowledge workers

would desire to work at the University. This would greatly increase the ideas and innovation that

would occur, because with new employees will bring new ideas. I propose that we develop a

strong blogging focal point for the University. These blogs would be promotional tools to keep

the entire University abreast of the work being done in the innovation task forces as well as to

inform the public that Concordia is being innovative. There would be space for communication

and space for comments from not only the invested team members, but also the University

community. This would allow for everyone to have a voice in the direction that the projects are

heading and ensure that communication occurs constantly. A strong blogging format for

communication would ensure that the University could be seen as a viable competitor and as a

place where ideas and contributions of individual staff members are used across the board.

I believe that Concordia is in a unique position to bring about great innovation. They

have faculty and staff members who are at the peak of their field. All that needs to happen to


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make innovation occur is to enhance communication and break down existing departmental

cliques. Even by temporarily creating a cross-department collaborative work space the

boundaries between departments will dissolve. When experts are permitted to mingle with one

another, new projects will form. Coupling this with the development of a policy driven ten

percent creative time for all job descriptions will ensure that people are empowered to

accomplish great things. It is key that the pressure to succeed be removed from these teams in

order to ensure that proper risks are taken to foster the most innovative growth. With the above

mentioned changes, it is important that the happenings of these creative teams is communicated

in an open forum. I believe that a blog-based interface will ensure that teams are open and that

feedback is received. These changes will not be easy for the University to make, but if they can

capitalize on the fact that they already employ knowledgeable, trustworthy people, innovative

change could occur consistently. This will cause new fields to open up and ensure that

Concordia will thrive alongside heavy competition.


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Appendix B

Callaway Golf Company: Looking Forward

When evaluating a marketing strategy it is important to acknowledge that marketing is

not just the job of the marketing department, it should weave itself through the entire company.

Callaway Golf Company [CGC] has clearly taken this to heart and has incorporated innovative

thinking throughout the organization. This innovation creates a product that markets itself to

customers acquainted with the industry. They have grasped the importance of word of mouth

marketing and have worked to create products that can sell themselves. Callaway is in a difficult

position. They are the market leader in developing innovative golfing technology, but as of 1998

they were experiencing a decrease in sales and a loss of $27 million (Lal & Prescott). Running

a successful innovative, industry leading company requires constant adjustments in order to stay

ahead of the competition. The golf industry has become increasingly competitive over the last

twenty years. This competition positions Callaway Golf Company in line with the vision

statement of the CEO, Ely Callaway, to market towards average golfers by supplying its unique

equipment to help improve the satisfaction these players have with the game of golf. Ely

Callaway is correct to be concerned for the future of Callaway Golf. In the twenty year rise of

Callaway Golf the market has become more competitive and many companies have brought

similar products to market.

Problem Statement

Callaway Golf Companys 1998 decrease in sales were not the result of poor innovation,

poor management, or bad product design. The problems that challenge CGC are because they

are struggling to help bring new equipment to new golfers. Market saturation and limited


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product lifecycle requires Callaway Golf Company to supply its equipment to individuals that

make the transition from beginning golfer to average golfer.

Key issues

Ely Callaway summarized the vision of Callaway Golf Company as being If we make a

truly more satisfying product for the average golfer, not the professionals, and make it pleasingly

different from the competition, the company would be successful (as cited in Lal & Prescott,

2005, p. 1). Callaway Golf Company has been successful at creating a more satisfying product

and they have made it pleasingly different. The revolutionary S2H2 club design and the Big

Bertha oversized metal woods launched an entire new product within the golf industry, Prior to

the Big Bertha, the driver was the golfers least favorite club (Lal & Prescott, p. 3). The

saturation of Callaway Golf Companys drivers is evident in the fact that by 1999 69% of all

professional golfers played with a CGC driver (Lal & Prescott, p. 1). Callaway Golf Companys

goal should be continuing to focus on targeting average golfers. It is essential that they resist the

temptation of paying for celebrity endorsements that do not come naturally. Continuing to

increase research and development funding will be essential to continue to bring innovative

products to the market. The satisfying and pleasingly different products designed for average

golfers will also appeal to avid and professional golfers because the technology behind them is

unique.

The industry has some special challenges related to average golfers. It is important for

CGC to be constantly aware of the challenges that face average golfers and to make them their

own in order to create new customers. Between 1988 and 1998, golf attracted between 1.5

million and 3.0 million beginning golfers per year, but most quit (Lal & Prescott, p. 9). One

of the reasons cited for most golfers quitting or not playing more often is the increasing cost to


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play. Lal & Prescott continue saying that worldwide interest in golf is increasing, but the market

for premium equipment is declining. Callaway is positioned to step in and make the golf

experience for beginning golfers more enjoyable and help them transition to average golfers.

One of the key moments for CGC innovation is that when they sought out to improve the

company they brought two people from outside the golf mainstream to function as major players

in the company. Ely Callaway had just sold his winery when he was approached to become an

investor in the company. Ely had a history in the golf industry, but prioritized thinking as an

average golfer instead of a professional golfer. Once he invested, he became the CEO and then

worked diligently to bring Richard Helmstetter, a successful manufacturer of Japanese billiard

cue sticks. Helmstetters lack of knowledge about the physics of golf became the companys

greatest strengths. It is essential that CGC continue to bring additional people from outside the

golf industry to ask questions and lead to innovative breakthroughs.

CGC should actively seek out average golfers as consultants. Tom Kellys Ten Faces of

Innovation is an important text for the members of the company development teams to be aware.

They should work to assume roles that will put it in line with their target market. The role of the

innovative anthropologist will be essential to learning what the average golfer desires as well as

what it will take to help a beginning golfer make the transition to average golfer. When working

in any industry for a long period it becomes easy to slip into a routine and assume you know the

customer due to your experience. Anthropologists have a knack for not falling into routines.

(Kelly, p. 23). Lal & Prescott provide some insight into the mindset of a beginning golfer, most

view the golf retail experience as fun, but they also are price sensitive. Many beginning golfers

purchase second hand clubs or starter sets. This information is valuable information that can be

added to by a team that prioritizes the roles established in the Ten Faces of Innovation.


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Particularly the roles of anthropologist, cross-pollinator, and collaborator will be essential for

CGC to focus on for continuing to meet the needs of their customer base.

Alternatives

Callaway Golf Company must focus on the beginning and intermediate golfer in order to

increase revenue and increase sales. One of the biggest challenges facing beginning golfers is

the cost of clubs. As a result, many beginning golfers resort to purchasing secondhand

equipment. As of the publication of Lal and Prescotts case CGC did not have an avenue for

sales of second hand equipment. A SWOT Analysis performed on Callaway Golf Company in

November, 2004 referenced that the gray market for Callaway Golf equipment is a serious threat

to CGC. In order to reduce this gray market it would be advisable for CGC to open a licensed

used and refurbished club shop online. This would allow CGC to capture the revenue and to

supply a reduced price product that is worthy of the Callaway brand.

An additional challenge faced by beginning golfers is selecting clubs. Many golfers rely

on the advice of individuals in the large retailers regarding their club purchases. CGC has found

it difficult to adequately train these salespeople and it will be increasingly difficult given the

saturated market. In order to meet these challenges and build relationships with the customer,

CGC should offer professional club fitting seminars at these stores. This would provide

notoriety to the off course retailers as well as attention to the Callaway name and add a personal

touch for the customers.

A strength that CGC has is their powerful word of mouth recommendations. They should

enhance this by creating a web-enabled application for golfers. This would allow golfers to

network in their communities as well as make club recommendations for each other. Callaway

could use this technology to drive additional visitors to their website and keep contact


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information for new product releases. This would help them overcome the challenges of off-

season releases.

Recommendation

My recommendation for Callaway Golf Company is that they focus on increasing

communications with average golfers. The objective being to create an avenue that allows for

beginning golfers to transition to average golfers. I believe the most cost effective way to do this

and appeal to younger golfers would be to create a Callaway Golf Company Social Network. I

believe that a great name for this site and application would be The Callaway Links. It would

be accessible through the CGC homepage as well as Facebook Applications. The site would

provide the ability for golfers to create networks of foursomes. Participants in the site could

input the CGC clubs that they use as well as clubs from competing companies. This site could

make suggestions of popular replacement clubs from the CGC catalog. Golfers could log in to

the site to rate various golf courses and different clubs that they have used. Callaway would

need to focus several positions towards community management in order to interact with the

community and respond customer service complaints and concerns. This site would allow

Callaway to capitalize on their excellent products, bring additional information to customers, and

deliver recommended products. In order to appeal to non-golfers the site could incorporate a

game that would drive them into the golfing community. Once these individuals are brought into

the community, they could then build relationships. These relationships will lead to creating

future Callaway customers.

The solution creating of a social network for golfers will help Callaway in many ways. It

will allow them to build relationships with customers that will lead to a passionate base of

customers. CGC will be able to identify key members of the community to involve in product


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development research and anthropological studies. The site will allow customers to select

equipment based on recommendations from professional Callaway staff members as well as their

friends. This site provides customers with products that will meet their needs. The site could

provide links to a potential CGC store for secondhand equipment if they like an older model club

that a friend uses. CGC could also provide video footage of the technology used in the creation

of their clubs in order to explain the advantages to selecting pricier Callaway clubs over the

cheaper models of the competitors. Finally, the CGC social network would meet a need in the

golf industry. CGC has always been a company that stands on the edge of technology and

creates new avenues for the golf industry as a whole. This site would allow for beginning golfers

to make connections with other golfers and engage in friendly competition. It will allow golfers

to communicate and connect with people around the world. When they travel they will know

which golf courses they should visit and which Callaway Golf Company driver to use when they

get there.


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References

Callaway Golf Company SWOT Analysis. (2004, November). Callaway Golf Company SWOT

Analysis, Retrieved November 29, 2008, from Business Source Premier database.

Kelly, T. (2005). The ten faces of innovation. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-51207-4.

Lal, R. & Prescott, E. (2000, Revised September 26, 2005). Callaway Golf Company (HBR #5-

501-019). Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.


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Appendix C

Customer Driven Quality

The failure to deliver products or services that the customer considers valuable is one of

the greatest downfalls that can happen to corporations today. It is possible for companies to

deliver excellent products only to fail at serving the customer. As a result, it is important to

determine what the customer values and where constant improvement can occur in order to

increase the customers perceived value. Deming, who famously brought the concepts of quality

improvement to post-war Japan, indicates that improvements in quality lead towards lower costs,

which translate into higher productivity, which leads towards increased market share (Meredith

& Shafer, 2007, p. 129). Repeating this continuously in a constant state of improvement will lead

towards greater customer satisfaction. Customers who experience a great deal of quality will

become return customers. The return customer who continues to find value in the experience of

doing business will become evangelists for the corporation and invite their colleagues and

friends to partake in the quality experience. It is imperative that the company understand the

relationship that they are entering into by doing business with the customer. The commitment to

relationship between company and customer requires understanding that the customer drives

quality. It is essential for the corporation to mix their internal definitions of quality with the

definitions provided by their customers. Corporations should also look to institute a solid review

system to determine how they are performing over time and to gauge their improvement.

Producers Definition of Quality

The producers definition of quality primarily deals with the areas of quality under

control of the corporation. This is where great strides were made by post-war Japan under the

recommendations and guidance of W. Edwards Deming. According to Deming the major cause


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of poor quality is variation. Thus, a key tenet of Demings approach is to reduce variability in

the process (Meredith & Shafer, 2007, p. 129). The corporation has direct control over

variation and strives towards reduction in variations and defects in manufacturing. Repeating the

quest for quality in manufacturing and design at every level within the corporation will certainly

lead towards increased customer satisfaction. This is only a piece towards ensuring customer-

driven quality throughout the organization. While the customer will appreciate receiving

functioning units, there are an increasing number of competitors on a global level striving to

reach the customer with high quality products. It is important to look beyond the manufacturing

process to ensure the customer perceives a high level of quality throughout their experience with

the product.

Definition of Customer-driven Quality

The relationship between corporation and customer brings a large challenge to the

corporation. The biggest challenge is that the customer has complete control over the start and

end of the relationship. As a result, it behooves the corporation to work to ensure the customer

finds quality throughout the process of purchasing, but also in ownership. Sparks and Legault

(1993), indicate that manufacturers have historically focused on quality of production and have

begun to focus on design. To ensure for customer-driven quality, Sparks and Legault state that it

is important that manufacturers also focus on sale, delivery, and post-sale service in addition to

quality in production and design. It is everything after the sale occurs that continues to reflect on

the perception of quality from the consumer.

Prioritizing customer-driven quality requires constant attention to the customer and their

needs. Responding to customer concerns can happen in two methods: the reactive approach or

the proactive active approach (Foster Jr., 1998, p. 67). In the reactive approach, the co

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