Systems Archetypes at Ford Motor Company

Introduction

The system archetypes refer to highly effective instruments employed to gain insight into behavior pattern. They are reflective of the fundamental structure of the studied system. They archetypes can be employed in two manners that include prospectively and diagnostically. Diagnostically, archetypes assist managers to acknowledge behavior patterns which are already there in their organizations. They work as the means for obtaining insight into the foundational structures of the system from which there was emerges of archetypal behavior. Diagnostically is the form of archetype that is commonly used. Archetypes are essential tools that one can use to find a solution to a recurring problem. Archetypes are also prospectively useful for planning. They can be employed to evaluate whether structures and policies under consideration might be changing structure of the organization so as to create the archetypal behavior as managers articulate the means in which they anticipate to attain the ends of their organization. If this is the case, managers can adopt remedial action prior to the embedment and adoption of the new plan in the structure of the organization. This paper reviews three Ford Motor Company archetypes, the problems they indicate and the best solution to be employed to solve these problems.

Archetypes Observed in the Organization

Success to Successful

Ford was based on a strong manufacturing foundation where innovation and quality were the key things. This made Ford one of the best motor companies in the US. This foundation has still been the main cause of Ford success. Fords still invest on the quality of its product. This has highly enhanced its popularity not only in the United States but also in the entire world. Ford has experienced exponential growth in different parts of the world, after starting as small manufacturing company. Its foundation has provided it with great ability to produce great products that are highly reliable and competitive in the market (Corporate.Ford.com, 2014).

Escalation

The Ford Company has been experiencing stiff competition from other international motor companies. In this regard the ford management has been employing all possible measures to raise the company’s competitive advantage. Quality and uniformity has always been the ford’s strategy to enhance its competitiveness. Although the company has different plants located in different parts of the world, the company has been ensuring that all the plants maintain the same level of quality and they make uniform product in each identified brand. This has enhanced in developing similar brands with no trace of variation despite the production location. This has highly raised the company’s competitive advantage in the market and also served well in customers’ maintenance (Corporate.Ford.com, 2016).

Growth and Underinvestment

Since its establishment, Ford has been experiencing growth year after year. However, the company is currently experiencing stiff competition from other motor companies that have highly invested in innovation. The company’s growth in the current market is highly undermined by lack of innovation or little investment in innovation. Most companies are moving with the current technology where they are always focusing on producing new luxurious products that employ the current IT technology. This is making their products to be more marketable and preferred by the modern upper class individuals who prefer classic products that match their social status (Corporate.Ford.com, 2016).

Problems Indicated by the Archetypes

The problem indicated in success to successful is that the company has been taking advantage of its strong foundation to survive. This is thus making the company to fail in employ enough effort to utilize the skills and ability of the current workforce, despite having a very talented workforce. This makes the company lose its ability to improve their product based on the current market and preference of the modern upper class society. The main problem with escalation is that the company still employs old strategies to fight competition. As other companies try to be more innovative to meet the demand of modern customers, Ford is fighting to maintain old customers that believe in their quality. Although uniformity is important it hinders the company from introducing new designs frequently due to the need of communicating the model to all plants and ensuring the original quality is maintained in all plants. This slows the company’s innovative ability. The company in growth and underinvestment archetype shows that it has invested very little in innovation. There are very few new innovative modern designed being produced and the rate at which they are produced is threatening based on the rate at which its competitors are making new changes in their models (Corporate.Ford.com, 2014).