Change at TerraCycle 1.) Briefly describe the 6 forces that act as stimulants for change.

Which of these forces are most important for TerraCycle? Which are the least important? Explain your answer. The six forces that act as stimulants for change are: competitive forces, economic forces, political forces, global and demographic forces, social forces and ethical forces. Competitive forces include global competitors, mergers and consolidation and the growth of e-commerce. Examples of economic forces are shocks to supply or demand in consumer or financial markets. Examples of global and political forces are changes in political unions, international conflicts and changes in legislation and regulations. Examples of social and demographic forces include an aging population, increased diversity, and the retirement of Baby-Boomers. Examples of ethical forces are changes in the attitudes of consumers and the demands for accountability and transparency. Competitive forces are important for TerraCycle, as it is constantly innovating to remain efficient and ahead of other producers. Also, economic forces are particularly important for this organization, as the goods it produces must be financially sound and viable in economic terms. Ethical and social forces also drive change at TerraCycle as they continually find environmentally-responsible ways to produce products. The least important forces for change are global forces, as they operate domestically, and political forces, as their operation has very little to do with the world of politics. 3.) A variety of targets for change are identified in Chapter 14 [10]. Which of these targets seem most important for Terracyle? Explain. The targets of change identifies are: human resources, functional resources, technological capabilities and organizational capabilities. All of these are inter-related, and picking one in particular is difficult. Functional resources are extremely important to TerraCycle. The environment is one that is constantly changing, and is very stressful. At TerraCycle, employees are expected to work in parallel with each other, as well as on multiple projects at once. There is no set way of doing things. It is TerraCycles functional structure and culture that encourages innovation. Also, human resources within the organization are extremely important. Employees are flexible and perform multiple functions; they hold key competencies necessary for the form to function. TerraCycle employs a variety of valuable people from designers to scientists. 4.) Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, says that the key to making product innovation successful at TerraCycle is the companys organizational culture. Explain how TerraCycles organizational culture supports new product development. TerraCycles CEO, Tom Szaky, describes his employees as open-minded and willing to try new things. He encourages his employees to be open and communicate their ideas with each other. He believes that if people see that their ideas are worth something, they will come to you. At TerraCycle, it is better to have tried and failed, than not have tried at all. TerraCycles culture encourages these characteristics, and this culture allows it to have a unique flexibility. This flexibility allows it to grow at a very rapid pace, where a product can go from idea to market in 9 months, when it takes other companies years to get a product to market.