Despite the limitations posed by slow production and limited market coverage through marketing operations, the manufacturer managed to achieve sustained growth, based mostly on the high quality of the products and services. But the single element of high quality is no longer the sole determinant of corporate success. Since the company had mostly been based on producing skis meeting the highest standards of quality, part of the administrative operations were overlooked. In other words, the company under Howard Head had been focused on product management, rather than business or market management.

The situation turned however when Harold Seigle was appointed the new chief executive officer of Ski Head Company. He developed and implemented various strategies relating to the internal and external environments of the organization. His leadership began with a corporate restructuring that would align Ski Head to the modern organizational models. In response to the changes implemented, Howard Head said: "I think that this is typical of the kind of business that starts solely from an entrepreneurial product basis, with no interest or skills in management or business in the original package. Such a business never stops to plan. The consuming interest is to build something new and to get acceptance. The entrepreneur has to pick up the rudiments of finance and organizational practices as he goes along. Any thought of planning comes later. Initially he is solely concerned with the problems of surviving and building" (Howard Head, Harvard Business School, 1982). In other words, he himself had realized the limitation of Ski Head and was aiming to support the changes brought in by Seigle.

The future of Head Ski Company is yet unknown as the organization seems to find itself at the crossroads...

In order to insure however that the ski manufacturer is able to make the transition and become a strong and modern competitor, they need the full support of their founder and formed CEO Howard Head. This basically means that he should embrace the new wave of changes affecting the company, as they are generated by the modifications in the market trends, consumers' demands, the strategic approaches implemented by the competition or any other features in the micro and macro environments. In other words, the founder should keep an open mind and accept that in order to survive and restore the prestige of his company, he must accept the new demands. He must not however allow all changes to be reflected within his organization, but he must analyze the latest forces with a critical eye and divide those that could be integrated for the success of Ski Head from those that could result in negative outcomes.
Ultimately, the approach taken by Howard Head should revolve around the benefit of the organization in the contemporaneous dynamics of the business community. And since he already has a capable CEO to analyze and integrate the newest market features, he should support his actions. While paying attention to the restructuring process and the implementation of changes, he should also remain focused on preserving the features that had initially consecrated Ski Head Company as the leading manufacturer of skis. Otherwise put, Howard Head should embrace change and adaptation as the sole means of survival and future success, but he should let this role be played by Harold Seigle. The founder's focus should fall on continually promoting the idea at the core of the Head skis: quality.

Reference:

September 1, 1982, Head Ski Company Inc., Harvard Business School