Samuel Drugs Limited – CASE STUDY

TEAM VOLKSWAGEN

Ajay Gupta, Ranvir Singh Panag, Shray Bhalla and

BBA 2, University of the Fraser valley

BUS 304: Organizational Theory and Design

Mr. Giacomo Mengucci

March 30, 2023

 Summary

This case highlights Amita Joshi's experience at Samuel Drugs Ltd, a medium-sized

pharmaceutical firm in India that was experiencing major performance issues. Joshi saw that

while the firm has great manufacturing capabilities, it lacked marketing competence and

required someone to be entrusted with transforming the company to be more marketing

orientated. Joshi surprisingly appointed Rajesh Mishra, the General Sales Manager, as the

Director of Marketing for Samuel Drugs. He proved to be an effective pick and thrived in his

new post. Mishra was chosen as the Managing Director for one of Samuel Drugs' three

subsidiaries, Eastern Pharmaceuticals Ltd (EPL). In addition, he remained in his prior post as

Director of Marketing. Mishra was expected to submit an offer on behalf of Samuel Drugs for

the Government of India's tender for Pharmaceutical distribution in West Bengal. However,

due to a conflict of interest he won the bid for EPL. This was followed by a dispute between

Joshi and Mishra.

Some of the key learnings of this case study would be the importance of communication,

coordination, organisational conflict and organisational effectiveness in an organisation. It

also emphasises the need of leaders addressing both formal and informal components, as well

as the growing influence of interactions and networking.

Amita Joshi- Character Analysis:

Based on the information provided, Amita Joshi was an incredibly intelligent individual who

stood up against irrational norms and prejudices. She fearlessly spoke out against

discrimination and other social ills, assessing cultural shortcomings in her organization and

addressing them in a constructive manner. Her methodical and organized planning made her a
force to be reckoned with, and her courage allowed her to take on challenges that others may

shy away from, which can be seen by her retirement from the Indian Administrative Services.

One of Joshi's most admirable traits was her belief in people and their inherent capability and

willingness to work. She demonstrated this by hiring Rajesh Mishra, an extremely

charismatic and logical individual. However, Joshi did have a few shortcomings in her

personality which may have led her to oversee her surroundings. She tended to trust people

too easily, having too much faith in their integrity. Additionally, she was not always

successful at judging people on a more personal level. Joshi also had a tendency to believe

that everyone would adhere to the same moral and ethical principles as herself, known as the

"similar-to-me" effect.

What would you have done differently if you were Amita Joshi?

Based on the information presented, Amita Joshi appears to have had numerous options in

reaction to the incident involving Samuel Pharmaceuticals Ltd's loss of a critical contract bid.

Before to collaborating with EPL and surrendering management of Samuel Drugs' product

portfolio in West Bengal, one possible course of action would have been to do a full risk

assessment. This would have given Joshi the opportunity to identify possible risks and adopt

mitigation actions, thereby averting the negative implications of losing the bid.

Moreover, rather than simply handing over control of Samuel Pharmaceuticals' product line,

Joshi may have examined different collaboration structures that would have allowed the firm

to retain greater control over its goods and intellectual property. This may have aided the

corporation in better protecting its assets and maintaining a market competitive advantage.

Joshi may also have done a thorough investigation into the bidding process which may have

shown holes in the company's bidding strategy and provided a better knowledge of the

broader bidding process.

While Joshi had allowed Mishra the flexibility to make her own decisions, she could have

assured that channels of communication were always available to provide direction and

assistance when required. This might have contributed to Mishra's decisions aligning with the

company's broader aims and objectives, ultimately leading to better outcome. Consequently,

Joshi might have prioritised building connections with important stakeholders such as

channel partners, suppliers, and regulators. This would have enabled her to gain a deeper

understanding of the company's changing environment and maybe find new prospects for

development and success.

In conclusion, the data reveals that Amita Joshi may have taken several decisions to limit the

risks connected with Samuel Pharmaceuticals Ltd's loss of a critical contract offer. Joshi

might have averted the negative implications of the failed bid by doing a full risk assessment,

considering other partnership models, revisiting the bidding process, keeping open

communication lines, and improving relationships with key stakeholders.