Sylvan Learning Systems Case Study The Sylvan case study illustrates the challenges of building value and improving business performance through an acquisition and diversification strategy that did not coincide with the capabilities and competencies that originally built the Sylvan brand. Sylvan was founded by W. Berry Fowler in 1979 and during his six year tenure, Berry developed the franchise business model, training and educational programs, and teaching methodology that provided Sylvan with a competitive advantage in the education industry.1 Berry Fowler built his business strategy through an intimate understanding of customers needs and developed Sylvan’s core competencies around providing supplemental education designed to fill the educational gaps experienced by students. 1 Upon Berry’s departure, Sylvan’s new CEO, Douglas Becker, embarked on a corporate-level strategy of related diversification. However, this strategy did not successfully translate into financial economies between businesses nor did it obtain significant market power through these additional levels of educational diversification.2 To that end, this case study will look more closely at Sylvan’s process of diversification and acquisition strategy, management’s leadership as Sylvan transitioned from their founder and the new course the organization charted to address additional challenges for the new millennium. W. Berry Fowler founded Sylvan Learning Center with an investment of $14,500 in 1979.1 As a former teacher and through his own experience of receiving tutoring help during college, Fowler hoped to prevent students falling short academically by filling the educational/learning gaps left by students’ primary educational provider.1 During his six year tenure, Fowler built Sylvan’s competitive advantage through its low cost franchise model, educational programs and teaching methodology. Of particular importance to the success of Sylvan Learning Centers (and sustained competitive advantage) was the ability to capitalize on the expertise and resources of local franchise owners (Fowler lacked the capital to expand on his own) and gain maximum benefit from knowledge they diffused throughout the organization.2 Additionally, through a focused strategy of augmenting K-12 educational services offered by the public school system, Sylvan was able to capitalize and to integrate their i... ... middle of paper ... ...e activities and focus that were critical to the Sylvan’s earlier success (i.e. Sylvan Ventures). That being said, Sylvan’s recent split into two companies to allow better focus and better investment decisions is clearly a gigantic step in the right direction. The goal of this restructuring through down scoping was to reduce Sylvan’s level of diversification, to eliminate unrelated businesses that didn’t serve a strategic purpose, and to help top-level managers refocus on the core business.2 In the case for Laureate, Becker and his top management can solely focus on post-secondary education. For Educate, Inc, Chris Hoehn-Seric and his top-management can solely focus on the K-12 education market. With this focus, Educate, Inc and Laureate should marshal their resources to continue to define and mine opportunities in their respective segments of the fragmented educational market. References: 1. Ashaye, Cotts, Gray, Perry, “Sylvan Learning Systems”, Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. 2. Hoskisson, Hitt, Ireland, “Competing for Advantage”, Thomson Learning 2004. 3. Educate, Inc., http://www.educate-inc.com 4. Laureate Education, Inc., http://www.laureate-inc.com
Dr. Mork shared the impact of stakeholder loyalty on the Crescent School District’s performance results in enrollment of students, positive relations, and a desire to help the students. When stakeholders have a feeling of loyalty, they will tend to speak highly of the district. The loyalty creates a sense of family on the small K-12 Crescent Campus. Teachers and students are very familiar with one another. This family atmosphere has developed into a Crescent brand.
That broader conception of school allowed those schools to better support the students and address social issues that prevent students from accessing their full potential. This conceptual shift can only be spurred by a clear vision of “good education”—which then caused an improvement in their community’s education
Many organizations began as a singular vision of an individual. Someone identifies a market deficiency, impassioned purpose, or perhaps a new technology. Whatever that catalyst has been, these individuals decide to devote their efforts to the idea and create a company or organization that seeks to work towards this vision. However, what occurs when the founding individual steps away and the organization remains? This is the question explored in a case study created by Terri Patkin entitled, “Discord at the Music School” (Patkin, 2007). In this study, the protagonist, Carole, becomes the new director of the Bow-strings Music School, replacing the revered founder, Wendy. This story chronicles Carole’s experiences of frustration and ineffectiveness
"Give me a good theory over a strategic plan any day of the week," is the opening sentence of Michael Fullan's book “Six Secrets of Change”. The read is a guide for both business and education leaders who desire to make their organizations successful. The six secrets that are illustrated in this book are offered as a theory of action. Individually each secret may appear to be simple, yet Fullen layers them with intricate details that express its value to change. Although some of the secrets may be difficult to understand the author makes a conscience effort to provide real-life examples of these secrets through organizational practices. He discusses organizational attitudes and behaviors and provides example in which execution has been successful and other areas that have not been successful. By using these examples, Fullan provides a blueprint for organizational leaders that can be used to guide their action towards successful long lasting changes. Ultimately this will improve organizational culture and efficiency. Michael Fullan is a well-known, author of works devoted to leader...
While charter schools may seem appealing at first, further research shows that they, do, in fact have faults. Because of the high standards portrayed by charters, the brightest students in public schools often flee to charters in search of a better learning environment. Ironically, charter schools usually attract less-qualified teachers due to lower pay. Often, the result is many students eventually leaving the charter system, sometimes with a decrease in learning a...
Identify the company’s philosophy, i.e. its approach to business is to educate and graduates inspired and build a lifelong relationship with its students.
The Dayton Public School District has lost millions of dollars due to a declining tax base, default on mortgages and taxes, and the exodus of major employers like NCR. In an effort to reduce costs to meet budgetary constraints, the core competency of teaching and learning has suffered. The district receives state and federal funding and in order to maintain those dollars, certain technologies must be provided to the students. “Outsourcing in school districts is driven by the ...
National Heritage Academies is a for-profit educational management organization, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was formed in 1995 by entrepreneur J.C. Huizenga. As of 2014, NHA operates 76 charter schools in nine states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, and Wisconsin. Huizenga's vision was to provide a "quality education to all children by applying basic business principles to establish a system of schools that was more accountable and results oriented[1]". NHA markets its schools as "founded on the four pillars of academic excellence, moral focus, parental partnership, and student responsibility[1]". This paper will focus on how NHA schools manifests three HPT standards: Focus on outcomes, Take a Systemic View, and Work in Partnership.
In the John Bersin article, 5 Keys to Building a Learning Organization, Bersin, discusses key points for building learning organizations. Bersin begins by stating that businesses should not revert back to 1980s in building corporate universities, given that this could be expensive, with the cost of the corporate training industry is approximately $135 billion, indicating how expensive the training is. So, how do organizations minimize these costs? (Bersin, 2012).
BR was sold to Delta Foods in 1996 for US $2 billion. At this time, it was one of the largest fast-food chains in the world generating sales of US $6.8 billion. DF purchase of BR brought in a new cultural paradigm. DF is an individualistic, aggressive growth company with brands they believe are strong enough to support entry into new overseas markets without the need for local partnership. The DF strategy is one of direct acquisition and JV’s were not part of their strong suit. DF strategic implementation is based on hiring local managers directly or transferring seasoned managers from their soft drink and snack food divisions. The DF disdain for JVs is clearly reflected by their participation in only those JVs where local partnering was mandatory (e.g. China) to overcome regulatory barriers to entry. JVs had been the predominant strategy for BR which was unlike the DF outlook. Terralumen’s strategy was misaligned and out of sync with the DF strategy. This was unlike the complementarity that existed with BR’s strategy. This misalignment began to affect the JV relationship that had worked well with BR in the initial years. The failure of Terralumen and DF to recognize this fundamental cultural difference between their operational strategy styles i.e. Individualistic and Collectivism leads to their inability to proactively create steps for better alignment in the early period after acquisition, creating uncertainties and difficulties for both corporations. There is a lack of communication and virtually absence of trust between two new partners. DF appeared to be flexing its muscles in the relationship and using a more masculine approach compared to Terralumen’s more feminine approach. Both the corporations are strategically involved in a complex situation where they appear reluctant to address the issues at stake and move ahead together. The DF strategy of
The programs can teach children to work hard for money or work hard for success. In Chicago, Roland Fryer developed a program that helped 3,750 high school freshman in 20 schools. The CEO, Arne Duncan, had a fear that there would be a high rate of students who would drop out in ninth or 10th grade. Fryer’s program stated that at the end of every 5 week grading period, students had the chance of earning $50 for every A, $35 for every B, and $20 for every C in English, math, science, social studies, and physical education. Duncan had found a way to “keep high school students in the classroom” while working to improve the curriculum that they learned (“Cash for
Dess, G., Lumpkin, T., & Eisner, A. (2010). Strategic management : creating competitive advantages. McGraw-Hill Irwin.
...stem yielded excellent achievement results and parent satisfaction. Responding to newly freed markets, for-profit schools grew fastest. By 2008 ten growing chains of schools operated as many as 30 schools. The transformed system interjected not only competition among providers but new technologies including continuous achievement monitoring and Internet reporting to parents on students’ progress. Presumably for-profit competition would work just as well in capitalistic America as social democratic Sweden.
On weekends, I go to the city’s senior center and tutor disadvantaged elementary and middle school students. Rather than allowing these students free study time, YLOC stresses the importance of communication and personal connection to the learning process. By working with these young, eager-to-learn, students, I have come to understand the importance of helping them understand the concept and apply what they learn from the education. Although these students come struggling in school, they leave with a greater idea on how to apply knowledge and study. The rush of being able to communicate knowledge with these students motivated me daily to persevere and work closely with the
One of the biggest special needs of the population being served would be the financial support and funding. Although this this ties in with economic reasons as well it is still a need of the lower class demographic families. These schools don...