Barfoot and Thompson : Organising for growth

Abstract

Looking in detail at the 1950s and 1960s, this case considers the challenges faced by the real estate firm, Barfoot and Thompson, as they sought to initiate a programme of branch expansion during this period. What emerges as significant is the purposeful approach toward management and organisation adopted by the partners, which not only assisted the firm to roll out a successful branch structure, but ultimately provided a competitive advantage in the marketplace, which the firm has managed to retain to the third generation of family ownership