Please reply to this thread of at least 500 words, and must be supported by at least 3scholarly peer-reviewed sources in the current APA format. Any sources cited must have beenpublished within the last five years. must contain biblical integration.The Bible must be cited to support your assertions regarding biblical integration and be includedin references in addition the number of required scholarly peer-reviewed sources.
Fabulous Footwear: Organizational Structure, Adaptability, and Technology Integration through a Strategic and Biblical Lens
Fabulous Footwear is structured as a traditionally centralized, functionally organized business with strong reliance on top-down decision-making. While this hierarchy has allowed the company to maintain some operational consistency and leadership oversight, it simultaneously stifles agility and cross-functional innovation, especially critical in an industry dependent on rapid style shifts and evolving consumer demand. The current structure, which places final decision authority in the hands of President Allison, has created a bottleneck effect. Although Allison possesses strong styling instincts, the company’s dependency on his singular approvals delays responsiveness and undermines distributed accountability. According to Daft (2021), organizations in dynamic environments must adopt organic structures that support innovation, adaptability, and decentralized decision-making to remain competitive. Fabulous Footwear’s rigid structure is misaligned with these principles, thereby inhibiting strategic responsiveness.
Scholarly literature further supports the importance of structural flexibility in dynamic markets. A study by Palacios-Marqués et al. (2021) emphasizes that flatter, decentralized structures allow companies to react more swiftly to market shifts and enable more efficient communication across departments. Currently, the segmented workflow at Fabulous Footwear, where designers, statisticians, sales staff, and plant foremen operate in isolation leads to role ambiguity, missed opportunities, and interpersonal conflict. The conflict between Lawson and Robbins is symptomatic of this siloed structure, reflecting poor vertical and horizontal coordination. In contrast, agile firms create collaborative networks that empower middle-tier managers and cross-functional teams to act autonomously (Chakravarty & Grewal, 2022).
A more appropriate structure for Fabulous Footwear would be a team-based or matrix model. Such a design supports flexible, project-oriented groups that can work in parallel, promoting shared responsibility for outcomes (Jones, 2020). Implementing design teams that include representatives from styling, production, sales, and IT would allow decisions to be vetted from multiple perspectives early in the process, reducing rework and friction later. Moreover, as Schuh et al. (2020) explain, cross-functional integration not only reduces time-to-market but also fosters innovation and employee engagement. By aligning roles to customer-centered outcomes instead of strictly hierarchical functions, Fabulous Footwear could significantly improve both speed and quality of style introductions.
From a biblical standpoint, this change reflects the principle of unity in diversity as expressed in 1 Corinthians 12:12–27, where Paul explains that the body of Christ is made up of many parts, each essential to the whole. Applying this spiritually insightful principle to organizational design, each department and role within Fabulous Footwear should be recognized for its unique contribution to the success of the whole. The current structure overvalues the president’s approval at the expense of the expertise of stylists, statisticians, and e-commerce leaders much like elevating the hand over the eye in Paul’s metaphor. True organizational stewardship, rooted in servant leadership (Mark 10:45), would decentralize authority and empower each employee to use their God-given talents effectively.
Furthermore, stewardship demands the wise use of both human and technological resources (Luke 16:10–12). Olsen’s observations about the underutilization of the company’s new intranet system reveal a significant gap between investment and implementation. The failure to adopt these tools stems less from technological shortcomings and more from an entrenched organizational culture that resists transparency and information sharing. To catalyze change, leadership must shift from compliance-based directives to vision-casting, showing how integrated systems can free employees to focus more on strategic contributions and less on redundant manual coordination.
As the CEO, I would begin by identifying key influencers in each department, respected employees with informal authority, and involve them in the design and rollout of a technology adoption strategy. According to Kotter’s (2019) model for leading change, forming a guiding coalition is vital to overcoming inertia and instilling urgency. I would also implement mandatory cross-departmental digital collaboration on new projects as a condition for style approval, supported by proper training and incentive structures. These measures foster a culture of accountability and collaboration, rather than top-down dependency.
Peer-reviewed studies reinforce the role of leadership modeling and participatory design in technology implementation. For example, Jiang et al. (2020) found that employee resistance to new systems diminishes significantly when leaders actively demonstrate system usage and create clear connections between digital tools and individual goals. Olsen, as director of e-commerce, must be equipped to lead not only the technical training but also the change narrative by helping staff visualize how real-time access to design data, consumer feedback, and production timelines creates competitive advantage. By making intranet use integral to the design-to-distribution process, Fabulous Footwear could synchronize its internal operations with its ambition for trend leadership in the market.
In conclusion, Fabulous Footwear stands at a pivotal moment in its organizational development. Its current structure and decision-making patterns, while historically functional, are increasingly incompatible with the speed and interdependence required by today’s fashion-driven marketplace. Transitioning to a flatter, team-based structure combined with the strategic use of information technology, will not only address internal bottlenecks but also honor the biblical call to steward resources wisely and operate as a unified body. Through servant leadership and collaborative innovation, the company can build a more resilient and responsive organization, poised for sustainable growth and meaningful employee engagement.
References
Chakravarty, A., & Grewal, R. (2022). Organizational agility and performance in dynamic markets: The role of coordination mechanisms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50(1), 89–108.
Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization theory and design (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Jiang, Z., Zhao, L., & Yang, Y. (2020). Overcoming employee resistance to enterprise systems: The role of charismatic leadership and IT training. Information & Management, 57(5), 103242.
Jones, G. R. (2020). Organizational theory, design, and change (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
Palacios-Marqués, D., Merigó, J. M., & Soto-Acosta, P. (2021). Leadership, knowledge sharing, and innovation capability: A mediation analysis in manufacturing firms. Journal of Business Research, 134, 389–397.
Schuh, G., Riesener, M., & Potente, T. (2020). Digital transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises: Challenges and enablers. Procedia CIRP, 93, 173–178.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001). Crossway Bibles. (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Mark 10:45; Luke 16:10–12)
Kotter, J. P. (2019). Leading change (2nd ed.). Harvard Business Review Press.
