Introduction.

In the case of young entrepreneurs, Melodie Stewart started her business to offer a

matchmaking service for corporate, governmental, and non-profit groups after going through

the difficult experience of an abrupt job loss (Hurst, n.d.). Her business was based on

fostering relationships, providing value, and positioning herself as the go-to source for

knowledge (Hurst, n.d.). Melodie's parents initially sent her four post-dated biweekly checks

totaling $200. She later made a presentation to a bank manager with the help of her best

friend and business partner Kim Doherty and was successful in obtaining a $1,500 overdraft

loan. They were successful in launching Pro-Net and establishing its incorporation,

trademark, and copyright (Hurst, n.d.).

Root Problems.

At first, Melodie and Kim collaborated on every decision as equal partners. They later

divided the duties, though, as the demands increased (Hurst, n.d.). Because they overworked

themselves, stress and burnout developed in them. The division of duties meant that Kim was

to oversee finances and logistics, while Melodie would hold the ultimate say in marketing,

sales, and promotion to ensure that when addressing any fresh venture or decision in front of

them, they may concentrate on talking about the demands of the customers. The second issue

was with Net's service being overextended. They consequently became extremely busy and

forgot about their professional and personal side of things. There was also evidence of

gender-related barriers in the case as they were pitching their presentations

Fundamental Cause.
The main issue may have been Pro-Net's attempt to attract a wide range of potential

customers, from elite to small groups with diverse networking requirements. They ended up

committing too much themselves to a range of responsibilities and skills to please everyone.

Possible Alternatives

Based on these four environmental conditions, Mintzberg proposes a theory of organizational

forms (Laegaard, J., & Bindslev, M., 2006). There are five organizing forms that can be

employed, according to Mindtools.com (n.d.), and they are as follows:

 Simple organizational or entrepreneurial structure- This simple architecture is

characterized by its speed, adaptability, and leanness. When the company is small, it

functions effectively, but as it expands and decides to share responsibility and

decision-making, this structure will not be ideal (Laegaard, J., & Bindslev, M., 2006).

 Machine bureaucracy. The defining of the organization was supported by the

formalization of tasks, routines, and processes (Laegaard, J., & Bindslev, M., 2006).

Based on their functions, the tasks are divided into departments. This company might

be very successful and strongly reliant on scale economies.

 Divide-and-conquer form- This layout is generally used when there are multiple

distinct product lines and business units (Laegaard, J., & Bindslev, M., 2006). The

main benefit is that it offers line managers more power and accountability. The

duplication of resources and operations, however, is the divisional structure's primary

shortcoming.

 Expert bureaucracy. The company relies on highly qualified experts who advocate

decentralized decision-making, intense specialization, and ownership of their work

(Laegaard, J., & Bindslev, M., 2006). Professional associations are most frequently

found in universities, accounting businesses, and law firms.

When a task's scope is wide-ranging, Melodie and Kim should hire project managers to

handle it attentively and delegate responsibilities that are more specifically defined in terms

of service. One team can be in charge of training, while other overseas networking events. In

this case, either the dimensionalized form or a novel organizational design could be applied.

As the size of the assignment grows, the risk of conducting business without the appropriate

funds and personnel increases. The alternative would be to focus solely on a single service to

minimize exposure. For Pro-Net to outperform all of its competitors in service delivery and

attract new clients, the most suitable organizing form is a simple one.

Adding new partners to help with the responsibilities would be the third alternative. When

Melodie served as a chief marketing officer and Kim as a chief financial officer, the new

partner might act as a chief operating officer to oversee activities like training or even assist

Kim in logistics.

Evaluation of Action Plan.

According to Maslow's Hierarchy, as explained by CFI Education (n.d.), human motivation is

based on pursuing needs at various levels, including physiological needs including water,

food, affection, and relaxation; safety needs, which relate to the need to feel safe and secure

in one's life and surroundings and include things like one's job security and reliable income;

need for love and belonging, which encompasses the desire to give as well as receive love,

such as friendship among others;

Melodie felt at ease and satisfied with her pay after realizing her physiological need for a

paycheck from her company. Her dedicated parent and closest friend Kim provided her with

enough assistance to satisfy her need for recognition and admiration. As a result of the work,

she did at Pro-Net, she gained the respect of her initial investor, the bank manager, and her
clients. This has more than satisfied her need for respect. If Melodie had not felt the need for

self-actualization, she would not have been able to find the time to travel and further her

knowledge in other areas. Melodie and Kim decide to be respectful in response to this

necessity and concentrate on their major area of expertise, which is training.

Conclusion.

Being flexible to changing customer expectations was the cornerstone of Pro-business Net's

practices. Melodie and Kim's next tactical move should therefore be to choose between a

simple organizational structure and a creative one. But since they want to stay small and

concentrate on honing their core competency, the third choice should be chosen.

References

CFI Education. (n.d). “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”. Retrieved 10-04-2023

from https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/maslows-hierarchy-of-

needs/

Hurst, D. (n.d.). Young Entrepreneurs -- Seizing Opportunities and New Directions. Acadia

Institute for Case Studies. Acadia University.

Mindtools.com. (n.d). “Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations”. Retrieved 09-04-2023

from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_54.htm