Reference no: EM133023166

1. Read the Case for Analysis: Dubois French Eatery below and answer the following questions: Please see below for additional information.

a. The initial problem for Alissa was how she would manage locations one hour apart and maintain high quality and service. The current problem is Hugo's management style. To what extent would you say these two problems are programmed vs. nonprogrammed? Explain.

b. What type of decision process led Alissa to hire Hugo (e.g., rational, intuitive, satisficing, non-programmed, bounded rationality, Carnegie Mode, etc.)? What type of decision process should Alissa have used? Why?

c. By the end of the second year, problems loomed. Patrons loved Hugo, but there were delivery problems, bill-paying delinquency, lax business attitude, and the possibility of Hugo opening a competing restaurant. If you were a consultant, what would you advise Alissa to do? Why?

As Alissa Mason drove up the mountain through the rain, she turned up the volume on the radio to clear her mind. However, even the steady rhythm of the truck's windshield wipers steered her mind back to the problem-Hu-go, Hu-go. Ten years earlier, Alissa's dream of opening a French-style restaurant came true with the launching of Dubois. Even now, Alissa smiled, recalling how the once-annoying habit of mispronunciation (Doo-boys instead of Doob-WAH) by ranchers and townspeople had become yet another endearing quality of owning a business in a small town.
In 2000, a graduation gift from her rancher dad provided Alissa the opportunity to travel throughout France, culminating in a stint at a cooking school in Paris. Upon return to her hometown, and armed with a dream, her MBA, and a box load of ideas for tantalizing meals, Alissa was certain she had the recipe for success. She was right.
The opening of Dubois French Eatery in her hometown was a triumph and its popularity and reputation for delicious food spread rapidly, attracting state and regional press coverage. In addition to a strong local customer base, the restaurant's location on the route from the interstate to several popular mountain resorts offered opportunities to become a favorite stopover for tourists, skiers, and hikers. Within a few years, the amazing success of the business and the constant barrage of suggestions for a second location closer to the resorts encouraged Alissa to consider expansion. The problem would be how she would manage locations almost an hour apart while maintaining the level of quality and service customers expected.
Hugo Marchand appeared to be the answer to her prayers. A handsome, charming Frenchman, Hugo was a talented chef from a large family of talented chefs. The youngest of four brothers, Hugo realized he would not inherit the family restaurant and decided to emigrate to America to build a reputation as a chef away from his dominating father and brothers.
Hugo's experience and amazing talents as a chef, his natural ease in managing staff, and the charm and joy he displayed in his interaction with customers soon convinced Alissa that she had found the perfect person to direct the new restaurant. Looking back, she realized her own enthusiasm for expansion and a starry-eyed impression of the Frenchman, shared by an adoring public, led to mistakes in her business judgment.
Following a fabulous opening, the new restaurant soared to financial success, far outpacing its small-town sister location. But by the end of the second year, problems loomed. Alissa's travels to the resort location became more frequent, cutting into the time needed at the original restaurant. Crowds filled the resort location. ("We love Hugo." "You're so lucky to have found him.") Patrons waited patiently in line. However, delivery problems led to frequent changes in popular menu items. Recurring delinquency in the payment of bills and invoices, as well as Hugo's increasingly lax attitude regarding his presence on site, led to confrontations. Realizing his value to the organization, Alissa always accepted Hugo's promises to do better. Each time, the problems returned, and staff frustration at both locations increased.
Recently, rumors reached Alissa that Hugo was exploring the possibility of opening his own rival French restaurant. Alissa was not sure she wanted to keep Hugo, but she did not want her popular chef to move and take devoted customers with him. The bottom line-the clientele wanted Hugo. Alissa was certain he would be able to obtain financial backing for his venture based upon his talents and popularity. She realized she must do something before Hugo moved further into the process.
As she drove, Alissa was aware of the increasing stress. The situation with Hugo was taking over every aspect of her life. The time for serious discussion loomed. For days she had weighed her options.