Case Study

Key account management at Sika (b1): Peter Venkman’s challenge

3 pages
November 2017
Reference: IMD-7-1884

Sika AG is a global specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing and protecting in the building sector and the motor vehicle industry. The CEO believed that one of the key reasons for the company’s success was its people and its organization. He had focused the company’s strategy on building a strong technology company with equally strong market presence in emerging markets. In 2014 the company’s almost 17,000 employees worked to supply over 23,000 products manufactured in 160 factories to customers in 90 countries and more than 20 industries. The CEO and his senior management team believed that the matrix organizational structure was appropriate for this complex organization because it gave strength to local managers while also leveraging opportunities across the target markets. As Sika’s business grew and customers and products became more specialized, the company had formally introduced a global key account management system, which incorporated Key Account Managers (KAMs) for customers who were buying significant volume of purchase from Sika. Depending on the geographic scope of the customers, Sika had local, regional and global KAMs. The introduction of KAMs had created a matrix structure at Sika, which posed challenges to the day-to-day management of the company’s operations. In particular, there were conflicting needs between account, functional and geographic managers. This case examines these conflicting needs in the context of a major client launching a regional tender for Africa purchases.

Learning Objective
  • The main target audience for this case is senior level executives seeking to understand the challenges and opportunities of leading in a matrix organizational structure.
Keywords
Matrix Organization, Leadership
Settings
Sika, Manufacturing, Chemicals
Present
Type
Field Research
Copyright
© 2017
Available Languages
English
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This case study is part of a series
  • Key account management at Sika (A): Leading in the matrix
  • Key account management at Sika (b1): Peter Venkman’s challenge
  • Key account management at Sika (b2): Ray Stantz’s position
  • Key account management at Sika (b3): Egon Spengler’s dilemma
This case study is part of a series
  • Key account management at Sika (A): Leading in the matrix
  • Key account management at Sika (b1): Peter Venkman’s challenge
  • Key account management at Sika (b2): Ray Stantz’s position
  • Key account management at Sika (b3): Egon Spengler’s dilemma
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Key account management at Sika (A): Leading in the matrix
By Martha L. Maznevski Charles Dhanaraj and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1883 ©2017
Summary
Sika AG is a global specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, seal...
Reference IMD-7-1883
Copyright ©2017
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sika
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Key account management at Sika (b1): Peter Venkman’s challenge
By Martha L. Maznevski Charles Dhanaraj and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1884 ©2017
Summary
Sika AG is a global specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, seal...
Reference IMD-7-1884
Copyright ©2017
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sika
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Key account management at Sika (b2): Ray Stantz’s position
By Martha L. Maznevski Charles Dhanaraj and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1885 ©2017
Summary
Sika AG is a global specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, seal...
Reference IMD-7-1885
Copyright ©2017
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sika
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Key account management at Sika (b3): Egon Spengler’s dilemma
By Martha L. Maznevski Charles Dhanaraj and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1886 ©2017
Summary
Sika AG is a global specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, seal...
Reference IMD-7-1886
Copyright ©2017
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sika
Industry Manufacturing, Chemicals
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications