RESPONSE TO THOMAS ALFORD'S ASSIGNMENT POST (VIDEO)

RESPONSE TO THOMAS ALFORD'S ASSIGNMENT POST (VIDEO)

(Below is the script and references for the video that is attached).

I WAS STOKED (ONE OF MY WORDS FOR EXCITED) TO READ ABOUT FLIP CAMERAS AND CISCO.  I HAVE A FLIP CAMERA HERE AND WHILE READING YOUR POST, I THOUGHT "WHAT BETTER WAY TO RESPOND THAN TO DO SO ON A FLIP?"  I DIDN'T INSERT TITLE CARDS, CHYRONS OR ANYTHING, BUT THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET THE GIST OF WHAT I'M ARTICULATING SO HERE IT GOES...


FIRST OFF, I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN IN TO THE LIVE SESSION LAST WEEK FROM THE AVAILABLE ARCHIVES AND I HAVE TO SAY GOOD JOB TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE ANALYSIS FOR MAD MEN.  IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHY WE PICKED THAT NAME BY NOW, IT IS AN ACRONYM FOR OUR LAST NAME INITIALS. 

BUT YES, WE DID BASE MUCH OF OUR DESCRIPTION ON KODAK. WE ALSO DISCUSSED STOCK OPTIONS AS COMPENSATION FOR THE EMPLOYEES SO THERE WOULD BE A SEMBLENCE OF BALANCE TO THE MANAGER EMPLOYEE ISSUE OF BRAIN DRAIN.... THAT IS, IF THERE WASN'T ANY TYPE OF STOCK OPTION FOR THE EMPLOYEES, THERE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO STAY AT KODAK, WHICH IN A WAY MAKES THE STORY OF KODAK THAT MUCH OF A TRAGEDY.


BUT BACK TO FLIP  CAMERAS,  I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT FLIP CAMERAS DURING CHRISTMAS OF 2008 AND GOT ONE IN 2009 (STILL WORKS)

AND THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR WORK AND PLAY... IT IS EXTREMELY EASY TO USE ON A MAC OR PC AND WE GOT ONE FOR MY MOM WHO HAS USED HERS IN EUROPE, ALASKA, RUSSIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.  FLIP CAMERAS AS YOU KNOW USE AVI FILES, SO THEY ARE VERY TRANSFERABLE (DESPITE THE RESOLUTION) ANYWHERE.

BUT EVEN SINCE 2008, I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THEM UNTIL ABOUT 2009 OR SO WHEN I HEARD ABOUT CISCO. 
I THEN THOUGHT THAT CISCO'S ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND FINANCIAL POSITION WOULD PROVIDE FOR MORE MARKETING (I CAN'T REMEMBER A SINGLE CAMPAIGN UNTIL PERHAPS EARLY LAST YEAR?) AND FLEXIBILITY  TO HELP THEM GAIN MARKET SHARE AMID THE IMMINENT ARRIVAL OF SMARTPHONES AND THEIR VIDEO CAPABILITY.  WHAT SEEMED MISSING WAS THE INTEGRATION  AND COORDINATION TO ALLOW  IT TO GROW (DAFT, 2007).

SOMETHING I FOUND OUT IN MY ASSIGNMENT POST WAS ABOUT LARGE COMPANIES WHO AIM TO MAKE CHANGE BUT PERHAPS THEY ARE JUST NOT BUILT FOR CHANGE (MCARDLE 2012)

IN 2012, PADE'S LIVE SESSION PRESENTATION TOUCHES UPON ORGANIZAIONAL ECOLOGY, EXPLAINING THAT PERHAPS THE DESTINY OF THE ORGANIZATION IS IN ITS DNA MAKEUP, THAT COMPANIES DONT OFTEN (OR AREN'T ABLE TO) ALTER THEIR FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS (PADE, 2012)

PERHAPS THAT IS WHY SOME ANALYSTS WERE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY HEARD OF THE CISCO PURCHASE OF
FLIP.  AND WHY SOME WHO ESPOUSED CONTINGENCY THEORY WERE CHEERING THE ACQUISITION.

IN ANYCASE, I HOPE THIS LITTLE CAMERA KEEPS GOING; IT IS CERTAINLY STILL HELPFUL TO ME.


    REFERENCES

    McArdle, M. (2012, March). Why Companies Fail. The Atlantic. Retrieved from
        http:/www.theatlantic.com

     Daft, R. (2007) Fundamentals of Organizational Structure, “ Organization
         Theory and Design. ( 9th Ed.), pp. 88-125

    Nohria, N. (1991).  Note on organizational structure. Boston, MA:  Harvard
        Business School Publishing

    Pade, C. (Producer). (2012, February 9). CMGT 500 Week 03 Live Session https://www.fuzemeeting.com/       
        replay_meeting/e7ade9be/2279241  Retrieved from http://www.mcm.usc.edu