Product details

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Abstract

This case study was written for a graduate course in organisation and human resources management. It gives the students the opportunity to test their understanding of previously introduced management tools for change process and to transfer it to the specific situation of the new product development process in a start-up. In 2003, three years after Meyer Mikrotechnik, a research and development focused start-up located in the south of Germany, was founded, the company suffered from financial distress and went bankrupt. After reducing the staff to eleven employees (all engineers) and having sold some of the companies' patents, the liquidation trustee found, in KEA Technologies (KTS), a new company that was willing to take over some of the assets and to guarantee the going concern of the business as a new entity, Meyer Mikrotechnik KTS. Despite all management efforts of the new chief executive officer, the employees of Meyer Mikrotechnik KTS were still in the mindset of the former conditions. This meant they were not able to take advantage of the gained individual responsibility and they showed some reluctance at individual decision making and market oriented behaviour. So the major challenge for the new management was not to lose the support of the staff during the change management process.
Location:
Industry:
Size:
10 full-time employees, 2,100 full-time employees
Other setting(s):
March to October 2005

About

Abstract

This case study was written for a graduate course in organisation and human resources management. It gives the students the opportunity to test their understanding of previously introduced management tools for change process and to transfer it to the specific situation of the new product development process in a start-up. In 2003, three years after Meyer Mikrotechnik, a research and development focused start-up located in the south of Germany, was founded, the company suffered from financial distress and went bankrupt. After reducing the staff to eleven employees (all engineers) and having sold some of the companies' patents, the liquidation trustee found, in KEA Technologies (KTS), a new company that was willing to take over some of the assets and to guarantee the going concern of the business as a new entity, Meyer Mikrotechnik KTS. Despite all management efforts of the new chief executive officer, the employees of Meyer Mikrotechnik KTS were still in the mindset of the former conditions. This meant they were not able to take advantage of the gained individual responsibility and they showed some reluctance at individual decision making and market oriented behaviour. So the major challenge for the new management was not to lose the support of the staff during the change management process.

Settings

Location:
Industry:
Size:
10 full-time employees, 2,100 full-time employees
Other setting(s):
March to October 2005

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