Teamwork and Diversity Recommendations for Sanderson Soaps
This paper examines the organizational structure of Sanderson Soaps, a family-owned business experiencing rapid growth, and recommends changes to improve teamwork and workforce diversity across its divisions. Drawing on a case study, the paper proposes the formation of a governing committee at the executive level and recommends expanding and diversifying teams in the Product Development, Marketing and Sales, and Distribution divisions. The Accounts Division is held up as an internal model of effective teamwork. The paper argues that without deliberate structural changes — including broader team membership and demographic diversity — Sanderson Soaps will struggle to expand geographically, serve a wider customer base, and maintain competitiveness after the founders' eventual retirement.
- Introduction: Growth context and need for expanded teamwork
- Working Teams Change Recommendations: Division-by-division team expansion proposals
- Proposed Changes Rationale: Evidence-based reasoning behind each recommendation
- Insights on Teamwork and Diversity: Broader organizational lessons on diversity and collaboration
- Conclusion: Synthesis and warning about inaction
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper moves logically from diagnosis to prescription: it identifies specific structural problems in each division before recommending targeted solutions, making the argument easy to follow.
- Concrete data points from the case — gross sales figures, customer demographics, family-to-employee ratios — are used to ground recommendations in evidence rather than generality.
- The paper uses an internal benchmark (the Accounts Division) as a positive model, which strengthens the argument by showing that effective teamwork is already achievable within the same organization.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied case analysis: it reads organizational details closely, identifies gaps between current practice and best practice, and maps each recommendation back to a specific finding. This technique — problem identification followed by evidence-based prescription — is characteristic of business and management writing at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction, followed by a division-by-division recommendations section organized with labeled sub-headings. A rationale section then explains the reasoning behind each recommendation using case data and cited scholarship. An insights section broadens the discussion to general principles of teamwork and diversity. The conclusion synthesizes findings and issues a forward-looking warning about organizational decline if changes are not adopted.
Introduction
From the outset, it is important to note that there is a clear need to increase the number of working teams at Sanderson Soaps. This assertion is largely founded on several factors. With the company's gross sales having reached $3 million last year, Sanderson Soaps appears to be on track to becoming a much larger enterprise. Indeed, the company was barely able to fill orders last quarter. The future growth of the company will be largely dependent on how well management harnesses the power of teamwork to advance the organizational agenda.
It should be noted that at present, the company does not operate as a cohesive team focused on accomplishing specific organizational objectives and goals. This is true at both the executive/managerial level and at the employee level. If the company does not embrace teamwork and increase the number of working teams, the Sandersons' dream of expanding into other markets and eventually establishing a nationwide presence will most likely not be accomplished.
Working Teams Change Recommendations
There will be a need for a governing committee at the organizational level. This is a team that will help not only in the formulation of the overall strategic direction of the organization, but also in directing the mission of Sanderson Soaps. The governing committee will also be charged with evaluating recommendations from various departments with the aim of harmonizing organizational operations. Further, the committee will be responsible for conflict resolution.
The team in James' division will need to be expanded and its diversity enhanced. At present, the division employs a total of six employees. While two of the six work in the development and testing of new products, the other four work in the production arm of the division. It is recommended that the team be increased to at least ten employees. It is also recommended that team diversity be embraced within the division. This is particularly important given that 50% of the current team comprises employees drawn from the Sanderson family. Additionally, Sanjay is the only non-white employee in the division — and across the entire organization.
Margaret needs a larger team. At present, the division has only two employees, despite being one of the most critical divisions for the continued growth of Sanderson Soaps. Diversity considerations should also be taken into account in this case.
The distribution team will also need to be further enhanced. At present, the division employs a total of ten employees, five of whom are drawn from the Sanderson family. It therefore follows that diversity ought to be taken into consideration here as well.
This division serves as the organizational model when it comes to the promotion of teamwork. As presently constituted — with a total of eight employees functioning as a team — no additional team members are required in this case.
Proposed Changes Rationale
At the organizational level, the company does not currently operate as a team. For instance, opinions cannot be freely aired during executive staff meetings due to reservations some members have regarding their colleagues. John appears to be the most dominant force, and other members — such as Anthony — appear keen to avoid getting in his way. This is an indication that only a few individuals hold real executive authority, which could negatively affect the morale of other team members. To address this, there will be a need for a governing committee as described above. Decisions of the committee will be ratified on the basis of voting, ensuring that no single member has disproportionate sway.
When it comes to the production division, sales appear to be increasing rapidly — the company was barely able to fill orders last quarter. An expanded team will be essential in anticipation of continued sales growth. Moreover, the company's long-term survival will depend on its ability to serve a cosmopolitan customer base. For this reason, the production division should be composed of a more diverse team capable of formulating products that meet a wider range of market tastes and trends.
At present, the company's largest customer base comprises women aged between 24 and 70, with a significant percentage (65%) of this group falling between 45 and 65 years old. Furthermore, a large proportion of the company's client base (70%) resides in Maine. If the company is to grow its bottom line and enhance its market stability, it must expand its reach — both geographically and with regard to gender. Margaret will need a larger team to accomplish this goal.
As sales continue to grow, the distribution department will also need to accommodate a larger team. Employees in the department already complain of being overworked, and there appears to be no meaningful collaboration at present. The lesson for John in this case is clear: "leaders can't achieve goals or desired results without effective collaboration" (Heyman, 2011).
Conclusion
Among other things, teamwork will help blend complementary strengths at Sanderson Soaps. For instance, John loathes personnel issues, while Rachel and Scott have different strengths. It is not difficult to see how individuals with different skills and abilities could work together to eliminate weaknesses and promote efficiency. Organizational effectiveness depends precisely on this kind of structured collaboration.
Anthony's division could be considered the model division when it comes to teamwork. As a result of Anthony's deliberate efforts to foster understanding and appreciation for performance, employees in the Accounts Division are a motivated and cohesive group. Alongside the other recommendations highlighted throughout this paper, Anthony's model ought to be replicated across the entire organization.
If nothing is done and the company continues operating as it currently does, decline will be largely inevitable. This is especially true given that the balance the company enjoys at present is likely to be disrupted when the founders eventually retire.
References
Fox, W. (2007). Managing Organizational Behavior. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Heyman, P. (2011). Collaboration: Create a team culture. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-a-Culture-of-Collaboration&id=6369127
Morgenson, F. P., DeRue, D. S., & Karam, E. P. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5–39.
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