We are required to write three parts in the report, they are Executive summary, Analysis section and Concluding remarks and recommendations.
Case: Framing a Good Decision
The frames aren’t just around the artwork anymore at the Museum of Modern Art(MoMA) in N.Y.C. As the museum began a major remodeling and expansion contruction project, the wisdom of that decision was raising quetsions.
MoMA, a not for profit educational institution, is supported by admission and membership fees, sales of publications and services, and of course, contribution from wealthy donors.It was founded in 1929 by three private citizens who were determined to make modern and contemporary art available to the public.MoMA was the first museum to devote its art program an collection offers visitors a unique and unparalleled overview of modern and contemporary art.
Early in the 1900s, museum director Glenn Lowry and museum trustees decided that MoMA should not be “ a shrine to the 20th century but rather a vital, forward looking institution committed to the art of the present as well as to the great achievements of the modern tradition.” With this guiding philosophy, the decision was made to expand the museum’s facilities and radically alter its exhibit space. Their rationale was that the museum needed more and better desinged space to accommodate its various existing functions as well as new and different space to meet the challenges of the future and to better articulate its programs devoted to educations about and celebration of modern art.
To accomplish these lofty goals, MoMA’s decision makers directed that the planned expansion and renovation result in a building that would showcase the best f modern art in the most compelling way possible,respect the work of a dicese professional staff, to make justicious use of the institution’s resources,both in the long run and in day to day operations,They wanted a building that would be both an example of great architecture and a great museum as well.With the comp;letion of the new space in late 2007 or early 2008,they hoped to atract a million more visitors,or 2.5 million total.Fulfilling thise dream wouldn’t be easy.
Since the decision to expand was made in 2003,costs of everything from real estate to construction have skyrocketed.(Costs for the entire project are estimated at 650 million.)Since MoMA’s endowment is relatively small(a mere 387 million as compared to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s endowment of more than 1 billion), managers have had to look for alternatives.One decision they made was to pursue for profit joint business venture, a website selling everythig from coffee cups to furniture,with the Tate Gallery in London.Some people felt that the move demeaned the integrity of the museum and created controversy among staffers, an allegation that MoMA officials, of course, denied. And then there’s MoMA’s relationship with its”trustees” individuals who donate large sums of money and are “rewarded” with a seat on the prestigious museum board. To fund the expansion,museum officials have sought contributionfrom current and potential trustees, a common practice for not for profit organizations during a major fund raising campaign.Despite the concerns,MoMA does have a solid financial history and had a budget surplusfor fibe yearsin the last years. However, weathy donors will be paying off their pledges for years and if the museum needs additional cash for any reason, it’s not going to have many places to turn.
The contruction project itself has turned out to be more complicated than orginally planned. When the project was first proposed,its cost was a modest 200 million for about 30 percent more space,and the museum itself was expected to remain open throughout the entire process( estimated to be about 18 months).However, initial blueprints were quickly shoved aside for more aggressive plans. The architectural design by influential Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi increases the museum sapce by 50 percent and is slated to take 48 months to complete. Rather than staying open throughout the process,managers decided to temporarily transfer its portion of the museum’s operation to a former Swingline stapler factory in Queens. Being in a section o the city not considered as glamorous as its midtown location, attendance(and revenues) could suffer, and after completion,there’s no guarantee that the new facility will attract the hoped for additional visitors.

Task: Supposed you are Glenn Lowry, write these three parts to the board of trustees, analyze the most important current strategic, planning and control issues facing MoMA and making recommendations as to how these might be resovled in the coming month and years. Read More…