The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR), known as the Progressive Casualty Insurance Company through its subsidiaries, provides personal automobile insurance, and other specialty property-casualty insurance and related services in the United States. The company was co-founded in 1937 by Jack Green and Joe Lewis and is headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio.


CEO

Glenn M. Renwick

Chairman of the Board

Peter Lewis

Director

Bradley Sheares

Director

Patrick Nettles

Director

Abby Kohnstamm

Director

Bernadine Healy

Director

Roger Farah

Director

Norman Matthews

Director

Lawton Fitt

Director

Charles Davis

Director

Stephen Hardis

Director

Stuart Burgdoerfer
Assistant Secretary

MM
CFO

Brian Domeck
Human Resources

VK
CIO

RV
Investment Management

WC
Marketing

LB
Claims Group President

SG
Commercial Lines Group Presi...

JB
Personal Lines Group Preside...

JS
Accounting

JB
Secretary & Legal

CJ

Treasurer

Thomas King


In learning organizations, however, both management and informed
workers who are in contact with suppliers, customers, and new
technology, contribute ideas and help develop the strategy. The strategy
of a learning organization is positioned for success because strategies
are more informal and allow for quick changes. According to Mintzberg
et al, "Their strategies are sufficiently open-ended to allow for the
unexpected, so that their capabilities of organizational learning can deal
with rapidly changing situations, (215).

The leadership in traditional organizations will directly influence the
strategy, structure, and environment, or indirectly through the culture of
the organization. In his article, The Genesis of Configuration, Danny
Miller adds, "The personalities of the very top cadre of managers are
expected to have dominated influence on the goals, strategies,
structures...there will be strong associations of ...needs for achievement
and power, and neurotic style, with the strategies and structures of the
firm, (694).

Conversely, the leadership in learning organizations does not have
binding control. Instead, Mintzberg et al, say, "Managers have to learn
the art of asking questions, best done at close proximity to operations. In
a learning organization, managers become accustomed to walking
around and interacting with their subordinates in their work settings,
(214-215). Whereas information, knowledge and control of tasks were
directed by top management, with learning organizations, information is
shared and control of tasks is with employees.

As an example, we will consider Founders Bookstore Services and then
give it an organizational makeover to transform it into a learning
organization.

Founders Bookstore Services was started in 1991 by Dick Reiter after
many years of experience in the college store industry, where he
concentrated on Christian colleges and universities. Due to financial
problems in 1997, the company was sold to College Bookstores of
America and has since operated as a division of CBA.

According to Randall Wiersma, senior vice president, the strategy of
Founders Bookstores has been to compete successfully in their
Christian college store niche and operate in a decentralized manner.

Operating in a decentralized approach is sound advice, but the
organization's strategy should describe goals and objectives. According
to Jay Gailbraith, "The company's strategy specifies goals and
objectives to be achieved...It sets out the basic direction of the
company, (10).

As a learning organization, the strategy for Founders should be
approached with the following: Because each retail store operates on a
college or university campus, and uses a certain number book
wholesalers and suppliers, the strategy should incorporate the
overall goals of CBA, the university, ideas from employees, and input
from suppliers and vendors.
 
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