Employee Training & Development 4th Edition by Raymond Andrew Noe

Exercise 4

Sheming-Plough HealthCare Products Inc decided several years ago to expand its product lines by developing pocket-size stick and sprays of coppertone sunblocks, previously only available as a lotion packaged in squeeze bottles. The company placed a strategic emphasis on developing markets for this product. The company knew from market research studies that its coppertone customers were already using the product in its original squeeze container to prevent sun burn. Due to increased awareness of the dangers of excessive skin exposure, customers who had not previously used sunblock except when at the beach, were looking for a daily sunblock product. Company managers reasoned that their market could be expanded significantly if the product were repackaged to fit conveniently in consumers' pockets, purses, and gum bags. Identify the business strategy. What training needs result from this strategy? What are the training implications of this decision for (1) manufacturing and (2) the sales force?