Running head: THORSTEN HEINS
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Thorsten Heins’ Structural Approach to RIM’s Adaptive Challenge
Andrea N. Anthes
Virginia Commonwealth University
THORSTEN HEINS
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Thorsten Heins’ Structural Approach to RIM’s Adaptive Challenge
Introduction
BlackBerrys were so popular and highly addictive in 2006 that the device earned the
nickname, “CrackBerry.” The moniker spread quickly, was added to Webster’s New World
College Dictionary, and earned the recognition as the 2006 Word of the Year (Wiley, 2006).
Unfortunately, due to the continued success of Research In Motion’s (RIM) main competitors,
the iPhone and the Android, the BlackBerry lost its appeal to smartphone consumers. As a
result, RIM’s stock fell over 90% in the last four years from $150 to $6 a share (Marlow, 2012).
Research In Motion could not continue to endure such drops in its performance or else they
would soon face the end. An adaptive challenge is defined by Drath (2001) as a struggle
confronting “a community or organization for which it has no preexisting resources, remedies,
tools, solutions, or even the means for accurately naming and describing the challenge” (p. 21).
RIM was undoubtedly encountering an adaptive challenge and needed a solution. Thorsten
Heins, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for RIM, pronounced, “You climb a mountain step by
step,” (Bohn, 2012, para. 4) and that is exactly how he lead his company out of this predicament.
According to Bolman & Deal (2008) a good frame, or set of ideas and assumptions,
makes it easier for a leader to analyze a situation so that he or she can decide what to do about it.
By utilizing a structural frame, Heins focused on thinking clearly and getting organized (Bolman
& Deal, 2008). “The structural frame depicts a rational world and emphasizes organizational
architecture, including goals, structure, technology, specialized roles, coordination, and formal
relationships” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 15). From this lens, Heins dedicated his attention to
establishing realistic goals, setting direction for the company, and improving their product and
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technology. Using this structural approach, RIM remains a competitor in the smartphone
industry and surmounted the adaptive challenge before them.
Establishing Realistic Goals
One of the main assumptions driving the structural frame is that organizations exist to
achieve established goals (Bolman & Deal, 2008). To surmount the adaptive challenge from a
structural perspective, Heins needed to create realistic goals for his company. He respected his
station in the current mobile device market and acknowledged that RIM could not beat the
iPhone and Android at this time. "We have a clear shot at being the number three platform on
the market. We're not just another open platform on the market, we are BlackBerry,” said Heins
(Bohn, 2012, para. 1). This goal is based on another key assumption of the structural frame,
which is that “organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal agendas and
extraneous pressures” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 47). While Heins most likely felt compelled to
set lofty goals by RIM’s stakeholders, he remained rational and created realistic targets that
could be achieved with direction and innovative, hard work.
Setting Direction
When Heins first took over as CEO after being a loyal RIM executive for years, he
proclaimed, “There’s no need for me to shake this company up. Our product is great.” If
anything, he added, “we just need to talk about it more” (Marlow, 2012, para. 3). Heins
continued to evaluate the company’s crisis under another assumption within the structural frame.
“Problems arise and performance suffers from structural deficiencies, which can be remedied
through analysis and restructuring” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 47). RIM changed its structure to
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create a single, integrated marketing organization led by the new Chief Marketing Officer, Frank
Boulben (Bohn, 2012).
Less than 100 days into his tenure, Heins realized that marketing was not RIM’s only
problem. Without a solid product that could compete with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s
Android options, marketing would not matter. “We recognize the need for change,” said Heins
(Liedtke, 2012, para. 4). An effective leader sets direction for his or her team, but will not
hesitate to change course if needed (Lencioni, 2002). Heins realized he must “[provide] focus to
the company, making clear what counts, what everybody needs to work on” (Marlow, 2012,
“Day 94,” para. 1). RIM considered what made their products successful in the first place, and
commenced a major initiative-- surveying all of the BlackBerry users around the world to
discover how they were utilizing their devices. Heins would use this information to set direction
for the company and improve RIM’s next product, the BlackBerry 10.
Improving Product and Technology
What Heins discovered from the expansive survey was that security was still
quintessential to RIM’s customers; in fact, it was one of the main reasons corporations still
sought out the wireless service provider (Marlow, 2012). Highly structural, effective teams are
known to “take action and remedy problems,” including “[addressing] quality issues [and]
customer service needs” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 113). Considering that many of RIM’s
clientele utilize the device for business purposes, Heins ensured that the new technology would
continue to allow users to multitask in a secure environment, while offering better calendar
management, and more ways to connect with other workers (Liedtke, 2012).
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Heins also noted that many of their users were carrying BlackBerries for work and
another device for fun. Heins’ goal was to consolidate their devices, which would mean
increasing the amount of applications available to their customers and adding more features for
personal use. Heins spent a good deal of time wooing software developers with the proper tools
and financial incentives in an effort to persuade them to work with BlackBerry 10 to increase the
number of apps available to BlackBerry users. The “BlackBerry Balance” element of the
operating system makes it easier for users to separate their work life from their personal life by
allowing them to sort and switch fluidly between two different menus (Liedtke, 2012). RIM
invested a lot of effort into the camera function, as well, which will allow the user to go back
several frames before the picture was taken to ensure the perfect shot in case the subject blinks
(Liedtke, 2012). All of these new features should help meet the business and personal needs of
RIM’s customers.
The release of RIM’s new product is still months away, however, the preview for the
device shows promise and gives the company’s future some hope. Operating under a structural
framework, RIM addressed the issues brought forward by their customers, made improvements
based on their clients’ needs, and as a result, RIM is “convinced this platform will shape the next
10 years as profoundly and as positively as BlackBerry shaped the last decade," proclaimed
Heins (Liedtke, 2012, para. 17).
Conclusion
According to a recent report on Wall Street Journal Live, RIM’s shares soared almost
17% in September 2012 after the BlackBerry 10’s demonstration (Scaggs, 2012). Research In
Motion is also up to approximately 80 million subscribers worldwide, which is an increase of
THORSTEN HEINS
two million customers since early June (Liedtke, 2012). RIM overcame the adaptive challenge
that plagued their company only months ago. Heins operated under certain assumptions that
fundamentally support the structural frame, such as:

“Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives.

Organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal agendas and
extraneous pressures.

Structures must be designed to fit an organization’s current circumstances (including
its goals, technology, workforce, and environment).

Problems arise and performance suffers from structural deficiencies, which can be
remedied through analysis and restructuring” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 47).
Through Heins’ leadership influenced by the structural frame, the employees at Research In
Motion are working toward a realistic goal, and heading in the right direction. Heins listened to
RIM’s supporters and kept what the company was doing well, while he acknowledged the areas
that they lagged behind. The new BlackBerry 10 integrates those features and hopes to increase
productivity and provide some entertainment for users so that they no longer need to carry two
devices to meet their business and personal needs. Thorsten Heins took one step at a time up a
mountain, and due to his wise choices, can see success from the summit.
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References
Bohn, D. (2012, September 25). The verge. Retrieved from
http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/25/3406824/rim-ceo-thorsten-heins-clear-shot-numberthree
Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership. (4th
ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Drath, W. (2001). The deep blue sea: Rethinking the source of leadership. San Francisco, CA:
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Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. (1st ed.). San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Liedtke, M. (2012, September 25). Blackberry maker plants seeds for comeback attempt.
Retrieved from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ceo-blackberry-maker-makes-case-comeback
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Scaggs, A. (Performer) (2012, September 28). Rim shares soar. The news hub. [Video podcast].
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Wiley, J. (2006, November 1). Webster's new world college dictionary: Info addicts are all
thumbs. Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/websters-newworldr-college-dictionary-info-addicts-are-all-thumbs-55824847.html