Case: Greeley Hard Copy, Portable Scanner Initiative (A) AND Greeley Hard Copy, Portable Scanner Initiative (B). Read both cases.
Reading: O’Reilly, C., & Tushman, M. (2004). The ambidextrous organization. Harvard Business Review, 82(4), 74-81. (Use to assist in answering the
questions.)
The questions for this week’s case assignments are given below. The questions are equally weighted, so you should devote about a page to each of them.
1. Drawing on the videos (mostly) and the ambidexterity article, explain how and why the mainstream business (flatbeds) undermined the Portable Scanner
initiative in three important ways during the (A) case (there are more than three ways, but choose the three you think are most important). Your explanations
should bring in evidence from specific case facts or events.
o Note: Don’t just identify a single event (e.g., redirecting Perez’s $10 million) as one of the three important “ways.” Instead, identify a broader category (e.g.,
resource acquisition) first, then bring in specific case facts or events as supporting evidence.
2. Drawing on the videos and the ambidexterity article, explain three key features of Greeley and the Portable Scanner initiative (i.e., PCC) that helped them
function as an effective ambidextrous organization in the (B) case. Please explain both what the feature is and how it helped, and again bring in supporting
evidence from specific case facts, people, and/or events.
o Note: Similar to question 1, you should choose broader features (e.g., leadership) rather than a single event (e.g., some single thing Faraci or Oman did).