Harrison-Keyes Implementation Plan and Defense

Essay by paper2k6University, Master's August 2007

download word file, 14 pages 3.4

Describe the Situation, and ethical dilemmas. However, a brief situation of corporate background is necessary before the exploration of the identification process.

A global publisher of print products, Harrison-Keyes specializes in scientific, technical and business books and journals, professional and consumer books, textbooks and other educational materials for all levels of study. The company holds about 22,700 active titles and publishes about 2000 new titles each year. Over a century old, Harrison-Keyes was founded in 1899 and made its early money publishing the works of literary giants. Throughout the years, the company's focus shifted to meet demand and by the mid-1950s, it was regarded as a leading publisher of business, scientific and technical information. In recent years, Harrison-Keyes has suffered the woes plaguing the entire industry. As competition from low-cost retailers eats into profits, publishing companies are finding success -- or even survival -- a challenge. In an effort to revitalize the company, the Harrison-Keyes Board of Directors recently hired a new CEO.

Issue and Opportunity IdentificationThe company will encounter multiple issues or opportunities during the implementation of the strategic plan. First, the company is to involve the authors' support in the project. The authors have concerns for the protection of their intellectual property. The support of the authors is a chance to improve future contracts and to boost sales. "Project managers also need to be able to explain to team members and other stakeholders why certain project objectives and priorities are critical. This is essential for getting buy-in on contentious trade-off decisions" (Gray, 2005, p .22). Second, the company is to identify the proper requirements for the e-book program. The identification is a chance to create a model e-book system. "Requirements and features must be in enough detail that contractors have a clear description of the final deliverable that...