Risk and Carl Shirley Essay

Submitted By ibrahimo1
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Pages: 3
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For teaching purposes, this is the case-only version of the HBR case study. The CFO of a plastics company has been asked to moderate a heated internal debate over a revolutionary technology. The head of R&D thinks the company should use it to break into a whole new industry, while the VP of the firm's most profitable unit believes it's a pipe dream that should be abandoned. The company's future could be riding on the decision. Is it time for the CFO to stop facilitating and take a strong stand promoting one choice over the other? Two experts comment on this fictional case study.

Topics:
Decision making; Leadership; Risk; Strategy

To me it seems like Carl Shirley's boss is relying on her inputs with regards to financial aspects of going with and without plastiwear and also their ability to commercially productize a novel albeit academic idea. Although Carl might have heard arguments from Walter and Scott in their respective meetings for and against plastiwear, he may not have all the facts in front of him and therefore he wants Shirley to do the due diligence for him by staying neutral, collecting all the facts for and against the idea by engaging with Walter and Scott, do some number crunching to come up with worst and best case financial situation and company's competitive position with and without plastiwear as a product. Shirley can choose weather she wants to side with either Walter or Scott as it is a given that final decision is Carl's prerogative and he will do what is best for long term financial and competitive business position of the company and what will be more valuable for shareholders.
Personally I feel Shirley should give her opinion as to which one makes more sense based on all the facts in front of her and all the past experience and data in this market as Carl will hardly have time to read more than 2 page summary or a 15-30 min presentation and may not have access to all the dirty information that Shirley has. Besides being a person with reputation of being neutral there is every possibility that Carl wants to know what is in her mind and what is her opinion howsoever value it
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