Business Decision Making DBC502

General Instructions

1. This assessment must be your own work (no plagiarism). Contact your tutor if further clarification is required.
2. All assessment tasks must be completed.
3. Your submission should follow the format provided.
4. This assessment is to be completed individually. You are encouraged to conduct your own research.
5. You must complete all tasks in professional business English.
6. If you are unsure of any task stated in the assessment, consult your tutor to seek clarification.
7. APA 7th Edition referencing, and citation is required where indicated.

Grades

Students will be assessed using a grading-based approach. The grades for each assessment range are outlined below.

• Students are required to achieve an aggregated course mark (total of all assessments), of 50% or greater to pass the course.
• Students who achieve less than 50% of the aggregated course mark (total of all assessments) will be awarded an NA grade and are eligible for one resubmission of one assessment, if their first submission was 35% or greater.
• Students must achieve a minimum 50% pass for any resubmission.
• A passed resubmission must still ensure the student has met all the requirements of the learning outcomes within the course.
• When plagiarism is formally identified, and confirmed, students are not permitted any re-submissions to pass their assessments and are deemed to have failed that assessment.

Terms of Reference

Authenticity of Students Work

Where students are suspected of assessment misconduct the following processes will be followed:

• The tutor will assess the level/amount of suspected assessment misconduct, prepare evidence and discuss with relevant Programme Coordinator.
• Where the intention of the student is considered clearly innocent, the work will be assessed as is.
• If appropriate, advice on academic integrity may be given by the tutor to the student.

Where doubt persists, a meeting is to be arranged with the student, student support person, relevant tutor and Programme Coordinator to present the allegation, evidence, and to provide the student with an opportunity to discuss this. Where the Programme Coordinator and Tutor are one and the same, another Manager within the relevant PTE may be asked to participate.

Where assessment misconduct is established and acknowledged by the student, the student may be instructed to resubmit the assessment if allowed by the Programme Coordinator.

Other actions can include awarding a reduced grade or awarding a failing mark/grade. A note is made on the students file.

Where the assessment misconduct is serious or has not been acknowledged by the student, the relevant Programme Manager or Programme Coordinator must discuss the situation with Academic Director. This discussion will lead to a decision to either deal with the issue in the PTE or initiate the student discipline process. The tutor will inform the student of their appeal rights as detailed in the Student Handbook.

The purpose of this task is to examine how effective decision-making tools can enhance organisational change and innovation and develop innovative plans and processes to affect organisational change within a New Zealand business.

Task 1: Effective Decision Making and Change LO3 20 marks

1. Describe how the following components of decision-making tools can enhance operational change and innovation in New Zealand businesses:

• Acknowledging issues
• Identifying causes
• Being solution orientated
• Individual or team think
• Proposing solutions.

(10 marks 2 marks each)

1. Discuss, using examples, how two (2) brainstorming approaches can be used to create innovative solutions for a business.

(6 marks 4 marks for 2 brainstorming techniques and 2 marks for examples for each technique)

1. Using references, describe two bi-cultural approaches to decision making and organisational change in a business setting.

(4 marks - 2 marks each)

Task 2: Effective Decision-Making Techniques and Change LO3 18 marks

1. Describe how the following decision-making tools can impact operational change and innovation in a New Zealand Business:

• Six Thinking Hats
• The 5 Whys
• Lateral thinking

In the description you must:

• Describe the tool and how its applied.
• How the tool can affect operational change
• How the tool can stimulate innovation.

Minimum of two (2) references to be used.

(18 marks 2 marks for the description of each tool, 2 marks for each tools impact on operation change, 2 marks for each tools impact on innovation).

Task 3: Innovative Plannings, Processes and Organisational Change LO4 24 marks

1. Describe two (2) components you will need to plan for each of the following types of change:

• Remedial change
• Structural change.

In the description you must:

• Describe why the component is important for that type of change.
• Describe what you will need to plan for each component (two factors for each are required).

(16 marks 2 marks for identifying and justifying each component, 2 marks for the planning for each component).

1. Discuss, using references, how you can affect people-centric change to create a business which is more aware of bi-cultural and multicultural elements.

In the discussion you are asked to include the change agents and drivers required to achieve this change.

(8 marks 4 marks for the people centric discussion, 2 marks for the drivers and 2 marks for the change agents).

Task 4: Develop Innovative Plans and Processes for a Change LO4 18 marks

As a manager you are asked to develop a plan for a small business going through a structural change.

The business is a local tourism operator and currently has only 10 staff.

The structural change is due to a rapid rise in forward bookings and increased sales opportunities.

In the business there is currently a customer service, accounts, management, and operations team.

This means all sections of the business will need to double in capacity, the number of staff will double in all teams and new processes will need to be introduced.

The owner of the business has used Lewins change model process previously and did not find it suitable.

They have asked for a different change model to be used, and a more innovative and informal approach to be used in your plan.

1. Outline the plan you suggest be used to implement the change and reference it with one of the accepted change models.

The plan has to have a minimum of 5 steps included and be able to be used for all teams.

Roles and responsibilities at each stage should be noted.

(10 marks 2 marks for each step)

1. Describe two (2) innovative approaches you may use for any two (2) of the steps in the change plan and justify why you have chosen to use these approaches.

(4 marks - 1 mark for the description of each approach; 1 mark for the justification of each approach.)

1. With the increased workload in customer services the business owner is looking at ways to make the customer service processes more efficient.

Describe two (2) innovative processes other tourism operators are using to ensure their customer service is maximised.

NB The processes can relate to booking systems, informing customers about tourist activities, shop sales, caf meals or marketing.

(4 marks - 2 marks for the description of each approach)