Essay about Harpo Case Study

865 Words Sep 25th, 2012 4 Pages
Running head: HARPO CASE STUDY

Harpo Case Study
Harpo is a production company that encompasses many forms of communication to the masses through its owner and creator, Oprah Winfrey. Harpo’s campus headquarters are currently in Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago and throughout all the endeavors that Harpo attempts to influence Oprah is the head of the deciding factor. She is the top of the organizational hierarchy. Everything about the company is part of Oprah. So what happens if Oprah is no longer able to be the head of the organization? This case study looks at the problems and potential solutions to an organization that relies on a single individual for decisions.
Potential Dangers There are a few potential dangers of
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Does she want a single individual to be the successor or is she going to have a team of CEO’s and board members make the decisions when she is no long the top of the organization? If Oprah has not made these decisions already, she needs to start forming the groundwork so that it can be done in the near future.
It is also important that Oprah creates a sense of responsibility and a teamwork environment within Harpo so that if in a dire need they need to make a decision without her availability, the company is able to continue on with her being beside them. It is important that Oprah ensure the values of the company are understood and being shown on a daily basis by everyone in her company from the management down to the janitors.
Concerns of Referent Power Referent power is one of the strongest powers that people contend with on a daily basis. A person with referent power means that you are looked up to as an individual with charisma and grace (“French & Ravens”). Most celebrities are considered to have referent power. Some concerns that Oprah should have with the amount of referent power that she holds is to always be sure to portray her values and ideals. Many times due to pressure for companies and figureheads, people begin to forget what they stand for and what they believe in. It is important that Oprah not forget who she is and always show her true values and

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