The Keyboard Company

The keyboard company is a medium-sized manufacturing firm supplying computer keyboards to many national computer manufacturers. The company has experienced rapid growth since its beginning by president John Zoltan and is now moving into advanced electronics from the electromechanical assembly from the past. John Zoltan had recently attended a university executive seminar, and was so impressed that he brought in the professor as a consultant. At one of their meetings, it was decided that to achieve the "organisational excellence" that Zoltan desired for his company, he should start an internal OD consulting group. The president ran an ad in The Wall Street Journal, and he and the consultant selected four young M.B.A.s. These four, and one young internal prospect from human resources, were formed into what was called the OD group. (See Exhibit 6.1)

Exhibit 6.1

Partial organisation of the keyboard company

President John Zoltan Vice Pres. Vice Pres. Vice Pres. Vice Pres. Vice Pres. Human Resources Finance Manufacturing Engineering Marketing Paul Blake (Controller) Proposed The OD Group