Analysis of Utah Symphony and Utah Opera’s Merger Proposal

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2. Include the employees in the decision-making process: Many barriers show up because you are not paying enough attention to the employees. One member of symphony remarked, “Neither I nor any of the other member of the orchestra’s musicians or staff knew anything of the proposal until it was announced March 14.” You should care more about Symphony members as you are previously in charge of the Opera. When employees feel that they are heard in the decision-making process, they are more likely to support–rather than merely comply with– those decisions, their bosses, and the organization as a whole. (Brockner, pp.125)

3. Reduce the conflict by encouraging more cooperative productions: Symphony and Opera already have some cooperation with each other for some specific productions. The merger actually provides a more convenient platform for the two departments to work together and may spark better performance. Teamwork can help two departments maximize utilization of talents and have a better understanding of each other. (Hill, L.A., & Farkas, M.T., pp.12)

Recommendations to Long-term challenges:

1. Sustainability

a. Cut down the staff member and create a flat structure: currently, Symphony and Opera have 56 staff in daily operation. After the merger, staff members should be cut down both to save administrative cost and improve the operational efficiency. Notably, you should keep the same amount of staff from Symphony and Opera to show the equity and prevent the conflict.

b. Use variable wage and provide a bonus: another way to cut down the program is to use variable wage according to the number of shows attended and performance evaluation rather than fixed wage. An additional bonus will be available if the organization is having a satisfying surplus at the end of each fiscal year. The change will not only save expenses but motivate musicians to work hard and perform better. It could induce a positive chain reaction. Better performance will attract more audience and potential donors, and generate more revenues. When musicians get the bonus, they will work ever harder.

2. Organizational culture

a. Build new organizational culture: CEO must focus on building a desirable culture as “group norms shape employee’s behavior more powerfully than either monetary rewards or physical work environments” (Chatman, pg. 22). For example, the new organization could be autonomy, harmony, and transparency. To implement it, you must evaluate your “own behavior to understand the signals (you) are sending to members” (Chatman, pg. 28). For these musicians, it is better to inspire them to take ownership of work, without needing pressure from others to perform. Chatman explains, “the less formal direction you give employees about how to execute strategy, the more ownership they take over their actions and the better they perform” (Chatman, pg. 23).

3. Strategy

a. Perform orchestral concerts to expand educational programs: Opera has been a successful pilot for the educational program by staging performance for over 70,000 students throughout the state. The existed pool could also be the potential audience for the Symphony. By performing orchestral concerts to the students, they can see the subtle combination of opera and symphony, some of them will become interested in the orchestra as well. Since Symphony is already fully scheduled, it is better off to attract more audience than providing more shows.

b. Work with world-class artists and improve the reputation of the organization: The merger together with the positive chain-reaction mentioned before will generate a diverse of productions. With the higher quality of performance, the new organization should work with world-class singers and conductors to further improve its reputation.

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Bibliography:

Dobbin, F., Kalve, A,. & Kelly, E (2007). Diversity Management in Corporate America. Contexts, 6, pp. 21-27.

Hill, L.A.,& Farkas, M.T. (2001). A Note on Team Process. Harvard Business School, PP.1-17.

Chatman, J., & Cha S. (2003). Leading by Leveraging Culture . California Review Management, volume 45, no.4.

Brockner, J. (2006). Why it’s so Hard to be Fair. Harvard Business Review, March, PP.112-129.