Nyame Bekyere Wholesale Supply and Distribution Company (NBWSDC) sells parts, equipment, and supplies for recreational activities like plastic slides, bouncy castles, swings and electronic trains. In addition, NBWSDC has a service department for the repair and service of the recreational items. The owner, Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere, bought the company five years ago from its original owner. The organization is set up in three divisions: service, retail parts and supplies, and wholesale. The owner and president, has a vice president for each operating division, for example the warehouse has three groups: receiving (checking orders for completeness, returning defective merchandise, stocking the shelves, filling orders), service parts, and order filling for distribution to customers. The warehouse group is responsible for all activities related to parts and supplies receiving, storage, and distribution. The retail sales division includes all functions related to selling of parts and supplies at the two stores and in the mobile sales trailer. Personnel in the retail division include salespeople and cashiers. The retail salespeople also work in the warehouse because the warehouse also serves as the showroom for walk-in customers. In the service department the service manager supervises the service writers, one scheduler, lead mechanics and technicians. The service department includes the repair group at the main store and the service department at the satellite store. The repair group has two service writers who have special expertise in collision repair, electronics, patching of inflatables and wielding of disfigured swings. The accounting and finance groups do everything related to the money side of the business, including accounts payable and receivable, cash management, and payroll. Also in this group is the one person who handles all of the traditional personnel functions. Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere has run other small businesses and he is known as a benevolent owner, always taking care of the loyal employees who work hard and are the backbone of any small business. He is also known as being real tough on anyone who loafs on the job or tries to take unfair advantage of him or the company. Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere has developed a good work ethic among the younger employees and to keep the old-timers fully involved as well. Since he bought the business, He has instituted new, modern, employee-centered human resource policies, however, the company is still a traditional hierarchically structured organization. The company is located at Accra Central where patronage is high as most of their customers are located. The region has many outdoor recreational activities and event organizing owners who hire or buy their equipment. The former owner of the business specifically chose not to be in the recreational sales business, figuring that parts and service was the better end of the business. Two stores are strategically located on opposite ends of the municipality, and a mobile sales office is moved around the commercial centres and recreational areas during the peak months of the year. 3 When Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere bought the company, the parts and supplies business was only retail, relying on customers to walk in the door to buy something. After buying the business, Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere applied good management, marketing, and cash-management principles to get the company out of the red and into profitability. Although it was not the only such business in town, NBWSDC was the only one locally owned, and it had a good local following. About two years ago, there was a recognition that the nature of the business was changing. First and foremost, the large nationwide retailers moving into commercial areas were identified. These retailers were using discount pricing in large warehouse-type stores. These large retail stores could use volume purchasing to get lower prices from manufacturers, and they had the large stores necessary to store and shelve the large inventory. Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere, with only two stores, was unable to get such low prices from manufacturers. He also noted that event organizers in the towns were notorious for shopping around for the lowest prices, but they also appreciated good, friendly customer service. People interested in recreational items also seemed to be following the national trend to shop either in person or through social media. So for a variety of reasons Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere began to develop a wholesale business by becoming a wholesale distributor to the many play gadgets parts and supply businesses in the small towns located in the recreational areas around Accra and in it environs. As part of his business, he created the first catalog for inflatable play items, types of trains, swings and others. Also, he made placing an order very easy as he made a wide range of communication channels available for placing orders and offered delivery services to the customers. Although it is now barely profitable, Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere is concerned about the changes in the industry, competition and about making the monthly payments on the 5 million Ghana Cedis loan he got from his bank to buy the business in the first place. In addition, he reads about the latest management techniques and attends various professional conferences around the country. He has been hearing and reading about this team-based organization idea and thinks it might be just the thing to energize his company and take it to the next level of performance and profitability. At the annual strategic planning retreat, Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere announced to his top management team that starting from the beginning of the new year the company would be changing to a team-based arrangement. Case Questions (30marks)

I. Describe the type of group Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyere want to create for the operation of his business. (2marks)

II. What mistakes has he already made in developing a team-based organization? Explain any three (3). (6marks)

III. Name one example each of the managerial levels in NBWSDC and state two duties each of these managers will perform respectively. (9 marks) 4

IV. Using the organization chart of Mr. Osei Nyame Bekyeres business, how would you put the employees together in teams to enhance team effectiveness. (5marks)

V. State two challenges which are contemporary in nature that he is likely to face in reaching his customers with their choice from his catalogue. (4marks)

VI. In your view how many workers should be assign to a team and why?