1. Overall, how did C&C's early organizational structure contribute to store managers' discontent? C&C Grocery's initial organizational structure operated on a vertical linkage. Vertical linkages are used to “coordinate activities between the top and bottom of an organization and are designed primarily for organizational control” (Daft, 2013). Store managers had responsibility for the grocery chain, front-of-house department, and general store operations, but little knowledge of merchandising, meat, and produce. Instead, their duties included keeping the store clean, the appearance of the employees, providing sufficient cashier service, and ensuring pricing was accurate. Store managers wanted to be trained in management skills to enable them to have the opportunity to be promoted to higher district and regional management positions. With the original structure, the operating activities of store managers actually prevented them from learning these skills, such as merchandising. Frustration was high among store managers, as district store supervisors focused only on visiting stores to ensure that company operating standards were being implemented, instead of training store managers to manage their stores more efficiently. The decision to have a district grocery, meat and produce specialist created an uneven hierarchy in that those responsible for meat and produce reported to their specialist and not the store manager. This created tension in the work environment, as these departments acted independently and were not interested in other departments. This structure has generally contributed to poor communication, lack of priority for employee development, and employee dissatisfaction, which has led to poor performance down the chain.2. What structural issues contributed to the creation of...... middle of paper ...... ultimate supermarkets will reinvent themselves over time, in order to attract and retain a loyal customer base. New concepts, neighborhood marketing and innovation will be the key to success over the next decade. (Imlay, 2006) What is proposed is that a smart mix of products, perhaps meeting demographic tastes and needs, can influence the shopper not to head to the big box store, but rather to remain faithful to its local market. Works Cited Daft, R. (2013). Organization theory and design. Mason, OH: Cengage. Fabac, R. (2010). Complexity in organizations. Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems, 8(1), 34-48. Retrieved from http://www.indecs.eu/2010/indecs2010-pp34-48.pdf Imlay, T. (2006). The challenges of today's American supermarket industry. Microsoft Retail and Hospitality, retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479076.aspx