It's 2010, and Gary Swart, CEO of oDesk, is contemplating the next steps for his organization. Founded in 2004 in California, oDesk manages an online market that fits companies with Contractors. ODesk provides fact-based advice on Contractors, including skills, experience, and certificates, to employers, who use this advice as a basis for interviewing and hiring Contractors. ODesk collects commissions, approximately 10% of gross services, on all work that goes through its platform. oDesk has experienced robust growth since its beginning and to date has focused on an extremely distinct market segment: small and medium-sized companies, Contractors who provide computer programming services, and U.S.-based companies hiring foreign Contractors.
oDesk Changing How the World Works Case Study Solution
Swart believes that the time has come for oDesk to expand beyond this niche, but he is worried about keeping market placement and oDesk's powerful reputation and, as such, he wants to grow in a very focused manner. Should oDesk enlarge its customer focus to include large employers? Broaden the services its marketplace offers beyond computer programming? Widen its geographic reach? Each of these growth options entails costs and offers opportunities. Swart considers each of these in turn.
PUBLICATION DATE: February 02, 2011 PRODUCT #: 411078-HCB-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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