Interior Design Dreyer

: a business model in need of new coating

Abstract

This Case Study tells the story of Interior Design Dreyer, a small German family business in the third generation. They started as a simple provider of paintworks and over the years adopted a differentiation strategy focusing on customized services. Today, they find themselves positioned as a premium service provider for a niche market of customers. The industry of craftsmanship has been severely struggling with a shortage of skilled workers in the past years which represents a threat to the company’s survival. The current operational strategy is based on specifically trained master painters who are a scarcity. Moreover, the company lacks a family-internal successor. Readers will obtain an understanding of the dynamics in small family businesses. It allows studying a business model from a traditional industry that has been evolving over almost a century and is now confronted with the lifetime and scarcity of its most important Key Success Factors. The Literature Review discusses whether an academization is responsible for the staff shortage, provides leadership implications in modern companies, and highlights conditions for succession planning. The Teaching Note serves as a guideline for how to approach a case analysis in Management and Business Strategy classes. The goal of this Dissertation is to emphasize the importance of alignment in business intent, organizational structure, and operational strategy.

Date of Award	16 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Magalhães Guedes (Supervisor)