C&s Wholesale Grocers

Introduction

The case of C&S Wholesale Grocers: Self-Managed Teams is about when and how to make a major organizational change. Rick Cohen, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers, has to make a decision in a few days about whether to keep the current organizational structure, which is already stretched to the limit, or to explore an alternate structure, self-managed teams, that could improve workflow and morale. This is a challenging decision since the new structure could help manage the increased workload better during the upcoming holidays but there is some risk that starting a new system could make things worse especially in the short term. If the decision is to go forward with self-managed teams, Cohen wonders whether to launch teams with one shift, to only have experienced people on the teams, and whether the teams should be cross functional. Alternatively, it might be better to wait until the beginning of the next year to begin a full-scale experiment with teams. What could be done to hold it together during the increased workload of the holidays?

Diagnosis

Rick Cohen is CEO for C&S Wholesale Grocers, a warehousing and distribution company. This is a particularly challenging decision for Cohen because some things are pushing him toward making a change and some common sense and wisdom is holding him back, at least somewhat; he also does not have much time to take some action which is more critical every day. He “grew up in the family business” (p.191) and wants to continue the successful legacy of “operational innovation that dated back to the company’s founder, Cohen’s grandfather, Lester Cohen. Despite that history, Cohen wondered whether this was the right time to push forward with what might amount to a major operational change, and if so, how to go about doing it.” (p.187) Clearly, Cohen is very thoughtful in his decision making process.