Case: Inside the Organisation

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Coolblue (micro-plots)

26-09-2025 237 views 0

Inside the Organisation

Coolblue is a fast-growing e-commerce company that sells electronics and home appliances.

Behind the friendly blue brand, many departments must work together every day. In the day-to-day operation, unexpected issues can put pressure on the organisation. This sometimes makes it unclear which department is responsible, and tensions arise.

This organogram shows how functions are connected, but in practice cooperation is not always smooth.

Here are four short “micro-plots” from daily life inside Coolblue:

Delivery vs. Customer Service
A customer calls because their fridge was delivered too late. Customer Service apologises and offers a small refund. The Delivery Manager is angry: Customer Service is making promises that affect his budget.
Tech vs. Marketing
Marketing wants to launch a “Blue Friday” campaign tomorrow. The IT team warns that the system has not been stress-tested for high traffic. Management pushes for speed.
Finance vs. Stores
The store manager in Rotterdam wants more staff on weekends. Finance says the budget is already too high.
HR vs. Operations
Warehousing needs more people for night shifts. HR can find candidates, but only on temporary contracts. Operations prefers permanent contracts for stability.

In this assignment you will choose at least two of these plots.
For each chosen plot you will describe which departments are involved, explain how they depend on each other, analyse the conflict or tension, and give concrete suggestions for improvement.

Mind: You may use AI tools to help you think, structure your text, or check your English. But never as your only source. If you use AI, write one short line at the end of your work that explains how you used it.

Why this assignment matters
In almost every job you will face situations where departments or teams have different interests. Learning to recognise these tensions — and to suggest realistic solutions — makes you stronger in teamwork, project work, and leadership. These are skills that will help you in many careers, whether you work in business, public service, or start your own company.

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Assignments for students

What to do?

Choose plots
Select at least two of the micro-plots from the case and work them out in detail. You may also choose three or more plots if you want to show extra depth.
Identify departments
For each chosen plot, describe clearly which departments are involved.
Make sure you connect them to the situation in the plot.
Explain dependency
For each chosen plot, explain how the departments depend on each other. Give at least one concrete example per plot to show this dependency.
Analyse conflict
For each chosen plot, describe the conflict or tension. Explain why this situation creates a problem inside the company. If possible, show more than one aspect of the conflict.
Give suggestions for improvement
For each chosen plot, give at least one relevant and concrete suggestion for improvement. Link your suggestion clearly to the conflict. If you can, add more than one suggestion per plot to show a stronger argument.

Assessment criteria

Choice of plots

Pass: You choose at least two plots from the case and work them out.
Merit/Distinction: You choose three or more plots and work them out.

Departments

Pass: For each chosen plot, you correctly describe the departments involved.
Merit/Distinction: For each plot, you add clear detail about the role of these departments inside the company.

Dependency

Pass: For each chosen plot, you explain at least one concrete way in which the departments depend on each other.
Merit/Distinction: For each plot, you explain more than one dependency and show the practical consequences.

Conflict

Pass: For each chosen plot, you describe at least one clear conflict or tension and explain why it is a problem.
Merit/Distinction: For each plot, you explain more than one conflict aspect and link it clearly to company performance or teamwork.

Suggestions for improvement

Pass: For each chosen plot, you give at least one relevant and concrete suggestion for improvement.
Merit/Distinction: For each chosen plot, you give two or more relevant suggestions that are realistic and clearly linked to the conflict.

Submitting your assignment

Submit your work using the Core button in Businessbase.

First, enter your name and email correctly — otherwise you will not receive the PDF with your answers. Then follow the guiding questions. Answer them as carefully as you can. A small spelling mistake is no problem, but careless input or AI-generated answers will not count as a source.

Core assignments for students

Discover whether you master the essence of this case by completing the corresponding core assignments. If necessary, you can share your answers with your teacher or supervisor.

Recommended by teachers

Case method | Cooperative learning

Concrete, realistic situations are individually analysed; afterwards, the resulting vision is presented and discussed in the group.
The individual’s vision is reappraised after seeking additional information. The different visions are selected and appraised.

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Edvard Spaapen

Editor of content during development stage