MG630 Change Management and Organizational Development

PR1: 10-Minute (Paired) PowerPoint Presentation + 5 minutes for questions.

Assignment task

CONTEXT

Sweet Harmony Ltd. (SHL) is a small regional chain of artisanal dessert cafés headquartered in Bath. SHL was originally founded by Amelia Wright. Its shares are now owned by family and friends of Lucas Wright, the current Managing Director. Five other directors manage the company alongside Lucas. Over the past three years, SHL has grown by acquiring independent dessert cafés and patisseries in market towns across the South West of England. SHL now operates 6 cafés, including its flagship store in Bath, and aims to expand to 10 locations.

As part of their expansion strategy, SHL also plans to launch an online ordering and home delivery service, supported by a new e-commerce system. This service would initially be run from the Bath headquarters, with plans to expand into a dedicated dessert production facility.

The growth through acquisitions and the introduction of the online service will result in restructuring within

SHL, including:

• The appointment of a regional manager based in Bath.

• A reduction in the number of café manager roles.

• A reduction in the number of café assistant roles.

• An increase in the number of pastry chefs, plus a production unit manager for the new facility.

• An increase in delivery driver positions.

• The introduction of an e-commerce and digital marketing team to manage the online service.

Currently, each of the 5 other cafés has one café manager. However, SHL intends to introduce one regional café manager and place a pastry chef in each café. The Bath café will continue to have a café manager, while in smaller outlets, the pastry chef will take on both management responsibilities and oversight of assistants.

The proposed restructuring has been met with resistance. Staff feel the reasons for change, the need for reorganisation, and the final staffing structure have not been clearly communicated.

Lucas Wright and his fellow directors believed that staff letters and notices on café boards were sufficient, but the restructuring process has created uncertainty, lowered motivation, and damaged trust in leadership. Staff turnover has increased, with several managers resigning.

SHL also faces additional costs linked to its online expansion, including:

• Recruitment of the e-commerce and marketing team.

• Training costs for pastry chefs to take on management roles.

• Training costs for delivery drivers.

Several long-serving staff who worked in the cafés before SHL’s acquisitions are resistant to role changes and struggle to adapt.

Despite these challenges, Lucas remains ambitious. He recently introduced a dessert gift-box section in the Bath café, which has been very successful. He now plans to roll out similar sections in the other cafés.

This change will impact existing roles and require further restructuring.

Task requirements 

Recognising the difficulties of managing organisational change, Lucas has hired your consultancy to support the planning and implementation of this restructuring.

If you are registered with the Disability and Inclusion Services or have a disability, please contact your module leader to discuss how your reasonable adjustments will be applied to this assignment.

You have been hired by SHL (Sweet Harmony Ltd.) to do some work around how the company has been affected by the VUCA environment in which they operate. Before SHL commissions a report from you (CW1), they wish for you to offer them some insight into how change management might help them, and what strategies/tactical options are available to see them through this difficult time.

As a Pair, you are to:

1. Examine and investigate the strategic and operational importance of change for SHL.

2. Identify, apply and evaluate an appropriate change management model that you would advise SHL to use.

3. Identify the role of Organisational Development in ensuring the future success of the business.

Task Requirements:

• Paired presentation (pair: 2 students) in PowerPoint.

• The presentation schedule will be agreed with the lecturer based on the timetable, and presentations will be held in class in w. c. TBC.

• Time allocation: 10 minutes maximum presentation time, plus 5 minutes for questions.

• All presentations must be recorded for moderation.

Your first point of advice should be the person setting the assignment or the module leader. 

• The final slide must include a brief groupwork log detailing specific responsibilities, activities, and contributions of each member.

• You may bring notes or supporting information for handling questions, but you should aim to maintain eye contact during the presentation.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1: Understand the strategic and operational importance of change in organisations. 

LO 2: Critically evaluate change management theory, strategies and tactical options including organisation development. 

Practicalities: Referencing, presenting and submitting your work

Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online

(http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and

Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Copies are available via the University library. 

Minimum requirements: 

• – 10 references 

• – Mixed academically credible sources for example: Core Textbooks, Journals, News Articles, Professional Bodies, Professional and Credible Videos, Professional and Credible Podcasts References older than 10 years must be supported by a more recent reference. 

How your work will be assessed 

Your work will be assessed against the assessment criteria which have been provided at the end of this brief. As this is a group presentation, a record of individual contribution must be submitted as part of the assignment for all members of the group which details the role played in the creation of the assignment and includes a record of all communications engaged with. 

These criteria have been designed specifically for this assignment and are intended to measure the extent to which you have demonstrated your achievement of its associated learning outcomes (see above). They have been aligned with the institutional grade descriptor appropriate for your level. 

The assessment criteria provide a basis for fair and consistent marking and indicate what is expected of you in this assignment. It is strongly recommended that you engage with them while you are working on the assignment and use them in combination with any feedback you receive once your work has been marked to help you plan for future learning and development.

 Assessment Criteria (Very Important)

  1 Knowledge and understanding 30% (LO1)

 • Understanding of key aspects of a VUCA environment and how and where SHL sits within it.

• A range of relevant readings.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished systematic understanding of a VUCA environment and how and where SHL sits within it. Excellent identification of change and organisational development, and demonstration of its impact on corporate strategy and/or tactical options available to SHL, beyond what has been taught. The supported overall by very good engagement knowledge is supported by recent research from an excellent range of sources to support work.

2 Analysis and criticality 30 % (LO1, LO2)

• Understanding of change management theories and corporate models.

• Understanding of how corporate strategy and/or tactical options available to SHL are affected by the current VUCA environment.

The work demonstrates a highly accomplished ability of analysis and enquiry. A highly accomplished conceptual understanding of change management is evident that enables the work to demonstrate:

• use of theory and corporate models to devise and sustain arguments and solve problems, in relation to how corporate strategy and/or tactical options available to SHL are affected by the current VUCA environment, and how this has influenced business approaches to planned and unplanned change.

• the ability to describe, synthesise and critique all relevant aspects of current research and scholarship, with a nuanced appreciation of the uncertainty, ambiguity, and limits of knowledge.

• use of a highly accomplished range of independently selected relevant and appropriate scholarly sources.  

3 Application and Practice 20% (LO2)

• Ability to select and apply appropriate change management theories and corporate models to develop and apply knowledge and understanding in the context of SHL’s operational situation.

• Recommendations have been made.

Work demonstrates an ability to select and apply in a highly accomplished manner appropriate change management theories and corporate models to develop and apply knowledge and understanding in the context of SHL’s operational situation. Consistently presents thorough research and findings perceptively, convincingly, and appropriately, in wide range of formats, and gathers, processes and interpret a wide range of complex data efficiently and effectively, making excellent use of the appendices. Recommendations have been made that are appropriate, take into consideration key areas of note identified within the presentation, and consider the possible implementation challenges of these. Minimal costing considerations have been provided.

Transferable skills 20% (LO1, LO2)

This should include evidence of:

• Clear presentation and Question handling

• Clarity of slides and attention to detail

• Written (PowerPoint), verbal and electronic communication

• Personal (Group) motivation, organisation, and time-management.

Fluent question handling, drawing on additional supporting information; very familiar with all issues facing the company.

Very clear visuals and carefully spell and grammar checked Work demonstrates a Highly accomplished ability to: communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions accurately and reliably utilising relevant communication skills Presents to a professional standard More than 10 appropriate references present and Harvard Referencing system always followed.

Use the following models, framework, and analysis: OD, Characteristics of OD, STEEPLE, The Greiner Curve Figure, Force Field Analysis, Change Kaleidoscope, Integrating Project Management and Change Management, Change Curve (Kubler-Ross).