Presidency University

Course code: MGT 161

Spring 2009
Course Instructor: Tamima Hossain
Date: 08. April. 2009

CASE STUDY:
NUPATH FOODS, INC.

Group Members:

Md. Abul Hasnat – 081 091 025

Quazi Nayeemul Huq – 081 222 025
Nusrat Ali - 081 031 025
 INTRODUCTION

James Oranth, the vice – president of Nupath Foods Inc. was very much
satisfied with the latest sales figures of the company. He was pleased
with the successful marketing campaign of the sagging sales of Prowess
cat food as the Sales volume of the product has increased by 20 percent
in the past quarter compared with the previous year. The market share
was up as well.

The improved sales of Prowess were credited to Denise Washington who

was the brand manager for cat food at Nupath. She was a very promising
employee of Nupath as she has shown her talent in only two of her work
in the company.

Now, James Ornath wanted to reward her by promoting her to the

recently vacated position of Market Research Coordinator. The job would
give broader experience in some high profile work, which will enhance
her work at Nupath. It must be noted that Ornath’s career boosted by
working in the same post at Nupath several years ago.

When James Ornath told Denise about the promotion, she was shocked as
she thought being a brand manager would bring her success more in top
management level as the job involved directly to the company’s
profitability. She was now in an odd situation and did not know what to
do?

The aim of this report is to carry out a strategic analysis of Denise

Washington and to sort out her problem with Nupath Food Inc. from the
evaluation of the case study and as well as related external research. The
report consists of the SWOT Analysis model.
 BACKGROUND

Denise Washington had joined Nupath Foods Inc. less than two years ago as
an assistant brand manager after leaving a similar job at a consumer products
firm. She was one of the few women in marketing management at Nupath
and had a promising career with the company.

James Ornath, the vice- president of Nupath was very impressed with her job
and decide to promote her. He offered her the recently vacated position of
Market Research Coordinator.

However, Denise Washington was shocked by hearing about her new

position as she personally believed that her existing job would lead her to
success in top level management. She thought that she was sidelined in spite
of being one of the top women in brand management at Nupath. The reason
behind this was because she thought the company did not want women in
top management level. She thought like this because her previous employer
made her clear that women cannot cope up with the heat at the top
management level and was best suited in technical support positions after a
brief term in lower brand management jobs.

Thus, she thought Nupath was following the same game and put her in a
difficult situation that is, whether she should confront Ornath and try to
change Nupath sexist practices or resign.
 SWOT Analysis

Strength:
1. Denise Washington when became the brand manager of
Nupath Foods inc. she increased the sales volume of the cat
food. It’s a strength of Denise in this case.

2. She was praised by the Vice President of the company Mr.

James Ornath for her short term improvement in the career

3. James Ornath was concerned about Denise because she was a

hard working employee and of course an effective one.

4. Denise was the most efficient among the women in

marketing department of Nupath. That’s why her promising
career attracted James to offer her a promotion.

5. James Ornath evaluates employee’s performance. That’s why

he is offering the route to the top management to Denise
which is a good sign for the development of Nupath Foods
Inc.

Weakness:
1. Denise Washington is a stereotype attributing women. She
thinks that all the researching jobs like the market research
coordinator is a “backroom’ job which is far away from all
the bottom line activities of the company. It’s basically a
technical job position.

2. Denise thinks that the market research coordinator position

is not the route to top management in the most organization.
That’s why she thinks that James Ornath is ethnic profiling
Denise by offering the job.
 3. Ms. Washington is also unwilling to do the job. Because she
already enjoying herself as an brand manager of the
“Prowess Cat Food”

4. There is a Fundamental attribution error of Denise over

James Ornath. She thinks that James Ornath is trying to
sideline her from the position which has a direct impact on
company’s profitability.

5. Denise is also stereotyped about gender discrimination. She

perceived that she was sidelined because the company didn’t
want women in the top management. Her pervious employer
made it quite clear that the women couldn’t take the heat in
the marketing management that’s why she is tended to place
in technical support position.

6. Another major weakness of the case is that Denise & Mr.

James Ornath don’t have a good relationship between them.
Seemingly she doesn’t know her boss well enough to be
openly critical. For that reason Denise is not feeling enough
comfort being in the organization with an offer of a new
position.

Opportunities:

1. If Denise Washington accepts the promotion offer her

career can be accelerated to the top management. Because
James Ornath also developed his career by working as a
market research coordinator.

2. Denise has a lot of stereotype perception. For this reason

she gets things in the wrong sense. If Denise gets the job
she could be one of the members of top management of
Nupath. This is her target in the career.
 3. As the case shows Denise and her boss James Ornath don’t
know each other well. That’s why they can’t talk with each
other openly. If they create a effective communication
between them things would be more better than before.

4. James Ornath shows the employee oriented managerial style

in this case. This is a good sign for Denise to develop her
career with Nupath as she becomes the market research
coordinator.

Threat:
1. Stereotype perceptions of Denise have fall her in a difficult
situation. If she accept James’s offer she would be
sidelined, as she is thinking. So she now faced with the
difficult decision confronting Ornath or submitting her
resignation letter.

2. It would be a vital threat for Nupath Food inc. if Denise

leaves the job. The sales volume can decrease as like before
because of practicing the age old marketing policies.

3. Denise thinking that she is being sidelined from the road of

top management because she is a woman. This perception
could force her to create a chaos in the organization because
she was too bewildered to protest when the vice president
told her about the new job in Nupath.
 Summary of SWOT Points
Strength
1. Improvement in sales
2. Denise’s achievement in
short time
3. James Ornath’s concern
about Denise
Washington
4. Denise’s promising career
among the women in
marketing Department
5. Performance Evaluation by
Ornath
Threat
1. Stereotyping can make
Denise to resign from
Nupath
2. Denise’s resign can
decrease the sales volume
3. Denise can create a chaos
in the organization through
her ethnic profiling about
the promoting offer
Weakness
1. Denise Washington’s
stereotype perception
2. Ethnic profiling of Denise
about the promoted job
3. Unwillingness to do the job
4. Fundamental attributing
error
5. Stereotyping attribution of
gender discrimination
6. Ornath & Washington’s
weak intra-communication
Opportunities
1. Promotion acceptance
2. Acceleration of
opportunities by changing
stereotype attribution
3. Effective communication
with the vice president
4. Employee oriented
managerial style of James
Ornath
 Discussion Question

1. What symptoms(s) exist in this case to suggest that something has gone
wrong?

Ans:

This case is based on attribution error. For wrong perception of Denise

Washington about the situation things have gone wrong leading her
disappointment with the organization and change in her OCB. The
symptoms to suggest are:

• Stereotype attribution of Denise about offered

position, gender discrimination, and
organizational culture.

• Weak communication between James and

Denise.

• Ethnic profiling and unwillingness to the job.

These things have created the situation bad for Denise Washington, as she is
loosing her wish to continue with Nupath.

2. Diagnose the underlying problems that have led to these symptoms.

Ans:

The case is in a pendulum situation of Denise. This symptom is leading

her to stop continuing with Nupath. Her stereotype attribution is making her
stronger to protest the unfairness happening with her. Weak communication
with her boss Mr. James Ornath, is mainly making the case critical. This is
because she does not understand Ornath’s approach. Ornath is trying to
enhance her career in the broad aspect till the top management. Because he
also became the vice president of Nupath from market research coordinator.
But Denise Washington is thinking that she is being sidelined from the top
management because she is a woman. For this misunderstanding Denise is
now thinking of submitting her resignation letter to stop continuing with
Nupath’s Food Inc.

3. What actions should the organization take to correct this problem?

Ans:

Nupath’s Food inc. is increasing its sales volume. It’s a good sign for
the organization. Because it has employees like Denise Washington. She is a
hard working woman with a promising career of two years at Nupath. For
some misunderstanding with her superiors she is thinking to leave Nupath.
This is a matter of sorrow for the company. So the company should take
some actions to clear out these misunderstandings. The case is going wrong
for mainly stereotyping perception and weak communication among the
employees of Nupath. So the suggestions to correct the problems are:

• Intra-communication should be higher and

clearer than before. Because, if the employees
know each other well they can talk with each
other openly to solve critical situations.

• The space of stereotyping should be narrower

by empowering both male and female in higher
positions.

• All the employees should know clearly about

there job positions to clarify there route to
success while working in the organization.
 CONCLUSION

The case of Denise Washington is quite sad. She being a stereo-typed person
is finding it difficult to accept her new position in Nupath.

By analyzing the case we found that mainly there is a communication gap

between the employees and their superiors in Nupath which is greatly
affecting the company’s promising employee’s like Denise Washington. The
company should look into this matter seriously before losing effective and
efficient workers. If this problem is overcome workers would not leave the
job.

Another point which came into limelight by SWOT analysis is that there
should not be any gender discrimination. The space of stereotyping should
be narrower by empowering both male and female in higher positions.

Thus, if all these confusions and problems are sorted out properly
employee’s like Denise Washington would not be disappointed and for sure
would not think about resigning.