ACI Case Study

We have been approached by a new startup company "Attitude Clothing, Inc.", (or ACI), which has an innovative new line of business clothing that reflects a person's mood. Their research and development department has teamed up with expert mood psychologists to create clothing of a certain color, material, and design which will reflect a person's attitude and mood. ACI also manufactures the "AT-ME", which is a specially designed attitude meter that determines a person's attitude, and suggest the appropriate clothing to be worn that day.

ACI's marketing campaign is "Wear your attitude on your sleeve". ACI is promoting this clothing as a way to increase better communication among workers because co-workers will know just by looking at someone how to approach them. ACI's business strategy is to provide high quality customer service along with this unique product. ACI recognizes that this high end product comes with a high price tag, and wants its employees to create a service-oriented atmosphere for which customer are willing to pay. Consequently, ACI's sales staff is essential to its success as the sales staff must be highly motivated to get the unique product off the ground.

I am bringing you in as an expert to create a system for ACI's sales staff that motivates them and creates a competitive advantage over other clothing lines to assure ACI's success. I will give you a good amount of latitude to create this system. Market competitive salaries have already been established, but ACI has decided to allocate 10 percent of the company's profits for you to use in the system you create to motivate the sales staff in any way you see fit.

Working individually, please discuss the following questions, and then draft a memo to me with your suggestions. Remember to idenitfy and apply the material from the text when answering the questions and use heading to correspond to the questions.

1. What behaviors would you advise ACI to look for in hiring ACI's sales staff?

2. What goals would you set for the sales staff, given your answer to number 1?

3. What types of reward systems would you advise ACI to set up to reward the behaviors and goals you have outline? Discuss in detail 4 types of reward systems, and explain why you chose these.