1. In terms of who is responsible for this, what organizational area holds should we be directing our attention to?

2. Can you identify what should have been done in order to resolve this issue?

3. From your own perspective, can this issue be resolved? Why or why not?

4. Identify any clear ethical violations to people involved in this investigate case study.

5. Clearly explain a strategy that leaders can incorporate to elevate effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity with Acme Bi-Gas.

6. Is there any place in this investigative case study where "the wrong" may have started? Explain your reasoning.

Organizational Leadership Analysis Acme Gas is the one of the world's largest suppliers of gases and gas equipment. In the early 1900 s, Acme became the first company to offer scientific gases and equipment. Acme began a quest for market dominance by providing products for industrial applications that helped customers remain abreast of technological advances through development of industrial, electronic, chemical and medical industry products. Today, Acme's brand helped to define their role as an industry leader. In 2003, Acme merged with Bi-Gas, Inc., to form Acme Bi-Gas. This merger combined the semiconductor qualities of Acme Gas products with the industrial cylinder and equipment capabilities of Bi-Gas. The mission of Acme Bi-Gas is to deliver on commitments to deliver the right product, the right quantity, at the right time. Acme fulfills its vision through strong business partnerships within each market segment to develop a strong preference for Acme products and services. As new business is established, Acme then aligns unique customer needs with other varying service lines of business to develop new commercial opportunities to increase incremental business. Currently, the organizational structure of Acme Bi-Gas is supplemented through sales and servicing of medical, industrial, chemical, and electronic gas products from major and minor populated markets in 46 US states. All markets currently provide Acme with about 10% of the total industry market share. The remaining 90% of the market is serviced by Power Gas ( 35% ), Yazmin Industrial (20\%), Tariq Liquide (20\%), and Rayna Gas, LLC. (15\%). Acme's core business is welding products, which comprise of 53% of its total customer base. Supported by experienced field management consultants, Acme assesses the unique needs of 150 key targets in each territory to seize competitive business and optimize customer effectiveness. In review of Organizational Leadership Case Study 14.72, pseudonyms were used for all names in this paper. Organizational Leadership Case Study 14.72 Raymond Zod is the Western Region Area VP for Acme Bi-Gas. The region employs about 40 industrial management consultants that cover 20 US states, 20 of whom report directly to Ted Kent, a tenured Regional General Manager (RGM) for Acme's Central Division with 10 years of experience in industrial and specialty gases. The remaining 20 consultants directly report to Matt Olson, a Regional General Manager for the South Division with 3 years of experience in liquid and bulk gases divisions. Typically, the regional consultants service 71 major accounts with numerous smaller local accounts. Under Zod's leadership, however, both regions have had 3 different RGMs each, and amassed a 69% annual employee turnover rate, on an aggressive sales plan of 20% over the previous year. Ted Kent accepted the Central RGM position after producing 10 years of progressive growth in the Florida market. Ted is a considerate leader who develops the best consultants with the most culturally diverse sales team in the company. He is well liked and considered fair and consistent. All of his consultants in the Central Division possess a 4-year college degree. He allows his consultants to work collectively to develop their unique industry footprint, while conducting monthly ride-a-longs with each consultant in the field. He does not allow the team to deviate from corporate pricing to obtain business, as each customer is charged per Acme guidelines. He is a leader who goes "by the book". Two of his former managers were promoted to senior management positions in the Florida market. Each of his consultants are consistently ranked amongst the top 10% in the company. He led the Florida market to their highest market penetration percentage for three consecutive year before moving to Gridiron, Texas to assume his new position. Oison accepted his RGM role three years ago through a promotion from the liquid bulk sales division in the Amarillo market. He currently leads a 20-member consultant team, all who are white male alumni of Texas Tech University. He is worshipped amongst his consultant team but is not liked or respected by leaders and associates in operations and administration primarily because of a history of disparaging treatment of minority associates at Acme Bi-Gas. Olson allows his team to set pricing to their discretions to increase probability of gaining competitive business. His team has performed steady the past three years, but marginally below expectations. "Do whatever you need to, but do it now!", is his motto, and his team responded accordingly. In meetings with Acme executives, Zod often refers to Olson as "the best leader he's ever met". Despite that Kent yields consistent deliverables and exceeds expectations, he is routinely documented for minor infractions that "require improvement". As Zod conducts his market visits, 89% of his time is spent with Central Region consultants who exceed expectations. However, he devotes 11% of his time in a South Region faced high employee turnover, an underperforming consultant team, a segregated market mindset, and several employee discrimination complaints. Kent's sales team has been observing the way Zod treats him for some time. Their job performance is negatively impacted as a result of his inability to lead his division without Zod's unnecessary and continual interference. His team is totally astonished as to why Kent refuses to address the negative treatment towards him. Kent understands their concerns but is also of afraid that of how Zod would react if spoke out against him. After another month of sales activity, Zod determines that Kent's team is failing to perform their duties. As a result, he traveled backed to Gridiron, with an Acme HR manager, to place 8 of 20 market consultants on a performance improvement plan. Zod advised each consultant that he will be meeting with them directly each week to review their performance. In response to Zod's actions, Kent reviewed the South Regional sales activity to discover that their results were equal to his region after sales declined. The HR manager confirmed, to Kent's amazement, no performance plans in Olson's market. Despite only having twelve direct reports, Kent led his team to a remarkable 3rd quarter performance. Their efforts generated impressive double-digit sales growth, while six of the remaining eight consultants reporting to Zod voluntarily resigned. The remaining two consultants requested transfers to other areas, but were denied by Zod prior to HR review, causing them to pursue other opportunities. Zod replaced two of the eight open consultant vacancies himself, without input from Kent, with operations associates from the Arkansas market that he had worked with previously. These associates lacked consultative selling experience and were not degreed, but they did possess the willingness to perform at a high level for Acme. After a strong 3rd quarter sales performance by the Central Division, Zod was promoted to Senior VP of Acme Bi-Gas. He allowed Kent to move the new associates back under his control while he searched for the right leader to succeed him as Area VP. After successful onboard training of the new consultants, Kent's team worked effortlessly to cross-train the new consultants to promote collective team learning and closed out the 4th quarter with a 14.72% sales increase from previous year's performance, while understaffed, the highest of any region in the company. His consultants finished in the top 10% of the company, one of only two regions to reach this goal. While Olson's team failed to meet sales due to "hurricane damages", they were promoted to serve as "Top Gun" trainers who would teach industry knowledge to new Acme BiGas associates. Three weeks later, Zod forwarded an organizational announcement to all associates to recognize Matt Olson as the new Area VP of the Acme Western Region. The announcement highlighted Olson's sound judgement, undeniable leadership, and an advocate for cultural diversity in a company that promotes and encourages equal career opportunities at Acme Bi-Gas