MOSS AND MCADAMS (M&M) ACCOUNTING FIRM

CASE STUDY

Presented By:

Vikas Soni, MBA (Pharm.), DOPM-NIPER(M)

INTRODUCTION

Moss and McAdams Accounting Firm Regional accounting firm

160 employees

Six offices in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Primary Services: Corporate Audits & Tax Preparation

Main Office - Green Bay, Wisconsin

Bruce Palmer

Ruby Sands Office Manager

Account Manager

6 Year Experience

Lead of Johnsonville Trucks Audit project

5 Accountants Team

Zeke Olds Accountant, Former Army Vet

Double Major in Accounting & Computer Science

Expertise in Financial Information System

Consulting

Business

Div

ers

ifie

d

40% Growth - 5 Yrs.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE: MATRIX SYSTEM

Moss and McAdams Accounting Firm

Green Bay Office, Wisconsin

Bruce Palmer

Ruby Sands Office Manager

Responsible for assigning Team Leads & Team Members

Ken Crosby

Johnsonville

Trucks Audit

project

Springfield

Metal Project

Accountant, Team Lead of Special Consulting projects

9 Years Exp. In 5 big Accounting Firms

2 Projects

Zack Olds

Sand’s Decision:

• Split Time across both projects

• Morning time for Crosby’s Project

• Afternoon time for Palmer’s Project

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION & ASSUMPTIONS

Mr. Crosby :

• Olds work for all of Thursday on

Crosby’s project: Work demand

• Extensive client’s visits

• Old’s presence for critical assessment

of clients

Mr. Palmer:

• Olds’ Delay in presence

• Crosby’s calls & Emails in afternoon

• Split Time imbalance

• Crosby’s unwillingness to work fairly with

Mr. Palmer

• Crosby is demotivating Olds for Palmer’s

project

• Delay in project deliveries

• Crosby’s Resistance towards complaints

Mr. Olds:

• Make up the time by working hours:

Overtime

• Hurting family life: Work-Life imbalance

• Causing problems on Palmer’s project:

Inefficiency

• Difficulty in switching the thinking: Stress

Ms. Sands:

• Failed to support what leaders and

team members need to understand

about emotions: Lack of Motivation

CASE CONCLUSION

• Ms. Sands, Mr. Palmer and Mr. Crosby all failed Mr. Olds as he struggled to balance

both project teams and his family life.

• Olds was the one in the end who elevated the issues to Ms. Sands; it seems strange

that with the office manager and two team leaders involved one of them should have

been able to make the difficult decision without Mr. Olds forcing Ms. Sands to make

the choice.

• Finally, Olds was assigned full time to Crosby’s project by Sands, Concerning his

Interest in Consulting work.

Mr.

Palmer

Ms.

Sands

Mr.

Crosby

Zack Olds

QUESTION 1: If you were Palmer at the end of the

case, how would you respond?

• I would justify the necessity of Olds in audit to Ms. Sand again

regarding keeping him in Johnsonville project as he has

expertise in financial information system

• Speak to Olds personally about negotiation if possible to him

• Accept the fact that Olds was not happy doing two different

projects at the same time, even if possible for a part time

• Train or hire someone full time for Johnsonville project as it is a

primary service of the firm and needs a dedicated employee

to be there full time

QUESTION 2: What, if anything, could Palmer have

done to avoid losing Olds?

• Objected the suggestions of sharing Olds

• He should have spoken to Crosby and Sands before things got

out of hand.

• Palmer should not have compromised too much on priorities set

for Johnsonville

• Planned schedule for Olds would have been followed strictly.

• As Olds was one of the skilled and demanding employee

Palmer should have built a close relationship by appreciation

and rewarding more.

QUESTION 3: What advantages and disadvantages of

matrix type organization are apparent from this case?

ADVANTAGES:

• Efficient resource allocation:

Resources can be shared across

multiple projects.

• Strong project focus:

Having formally designed project

manager who focuses always on his or

her project.

• Easier post project transition:

Since it works partly on functional

division they can return back once the

project is done.

• Opportunity assessment:

It evaluates an individual’s skills and

knowledge in different divisions, which

makes it easier further to assign the

best person at best place.

DISADVANTAGES:

• Dysfunctional conflict:

Conflicts between functional managers

in sharing resources, work could be

delayed and focuses maybe changed

time to time, because everyone want

the best to do their project.

• Stress:

Project participants may have two

bosses, therefore two different

commands.

• Inefficiency:

some projects may get bogged down in

decision making.

• Work-Life imbalance:

Failed to prioritize between "work"

(career and ambition) and "lifestyle"

(health, family and self development).

QUESTION 4: What could the management at M&M do

to more effectively manage situations like this?

Managing this type of situations from M&M should need to:

• Appoint more staff who can work efficiently

• Apply effective time split between multiple projects

• Arranging training and motivation seminars, whenever

required

• Management must monitor the situation what is actually

happening in the company

• Create open communication between employees and

management

• Provide some small space between work and life for employees

• Offer a competitive benefits or financial rewards to the

employees

THANK YOU!

“The balance in your life is more important than the balance in checking account.”

- Chris Gardner An American entrepreneur, investor, stockbroker, motivational speaker, author

Presented by:

VIKAS SONI Management Scholar,

Pharmaceutical Management.

NIPER, Mohali, Punjab, India.

Vikas.niper2014@gmail.com

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