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  • April 2006 (Revised October 2006)
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Dansko, Inc.

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Victoria Winston
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:20
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Abstract

For the past 18 months, Mandy Cabot had worried that the shoe business she had built into a thriving operation with $90 million in annual revenue and over 110 employees might instead be a "house of cards." The management philosophy that had guided Dansko's growth, "home schooling"--taking young energetic employees with little business experience and mentoring them--seemed ill-suited for the next phase of growth. Equally as precarious was the fact that with few exceptions, none of the senior management team had any prior experience in the footwear industry. So when a well-respected industry leader asked to talk about a merger, Cabot had to admit that with her "crisis of confidence," it might just be time.

Keywords

Organizational Culture; Revenue; Experience and Expertise; Employee Relationship Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Apparel and Accessories Industry

Citation

Edmondson, Amy C., and Victoria Winston. "Dansko, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 606-071, April 2006. (Revised October 2006.)
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About The Author

Amy C. Edmondson

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

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