Chapter 14: Managing the Control Process

Complete set of links to companies

Levi Strauss & Co. is mentioned in the text as a firm that practices clan control (see page 408 of your text). View the firm’s web site, especially the "Careers" page, and then view Fortune Magazine’s list of the Best Companies for Minorities to Work For. Using the information from these two sites, answer the following questions:

1. Based on the information available at the Careers page of their web site, is Levi’s using bureaucratic or clan control? What information did you use in making your choice?
2. What benefits of clan control is Levi’s experiencing? What are some of the potential problems with clan control systems, which Levi’s should be aware of?

Internet Exercise

View the web site of Seven-Eleven, the convenience store corporation. (Hint: Access the CEO’s Letter, from the 2000 Corporate Annual Report.) Gather information about the company’s control systems, and then answer the following questions:

1. What levels of control systems are evident at Seven-Eleven’s web site?
2. Control systems are being used for what purposes at Seven-Eleven?
3. Does Seven-Eleven seem to be using bureaucratic control or clan control? What information led you to this conclusion?

Explore Further

One of Seven-Eleven’s competitors is Casey General Stores, which operates about 1200 stores, concentrated in the upper Midwest. (Compare this to Seven-Eleven, with over 21,000 stores across the US and 19 other countries.) View Casey’s web site, and compare the information about the companies’ control systems. What are some possible causes for the differences you find? (Hint: View Casey’s Annual Report, and read the CEO’s Message.)