No abstract

The Sunnyhill Health & Racquet Club (SHRC) is a very small, private, volunteer-run, not-for-profit club located on a swath of prime real estate in the heart of a wealthy community in Sunnyhill Township. At the behest of the club’s board, SHRC President David Wilson has been tasked with developing financing strategies to address the current (perceived) shortcomings of the club. Like he did for decades working in Post Office Square, in Boston’s Financial District, Wilson knew he had to (1) understand the current financial capacity of SHRC, (2) discern the members’ desire for financial contribution, and (3) develop financing options. Here, strategies to finance improvements to the club include debt utilization (and the necessary servicing of any debt commitments), one-time capital injections through the disposition of club property, and/or enhanced revenue generation. Developing strategies in an environment of disparate stakeholder goals provides additional challenges for Wilson.

In this case, challenges related to enacting change within a small, private, not-for-profit tennis club in a wealthy suburban community are considered. David Wilson, President of the Sunnyhill Health & Racquet Club, is tasked with developing a plan to address areas of concern within the club’s physical infrastructure toward possible upgrading of the club. With a diverse range of members (and their associated interests) and community stakeholders gathering to influence the decision, the case presented allows for rich discussion on change management strategies. Indeed, as Wilson is met with severe resistance to a unilaterally designed grandiose design by these constituents, it is subsequently left to him and a third party team of analysts to present a spectrum of plans to both address the issues at the club and meet members’ various needs and wants.