Management and Organisations MMP_4_MAO

Module Title:

Management and Organisations

Module Code:

MMP_4_MAO

Assignment No/Title:

Individual coursework (portfolio of activities)

Assessment Weighting:

100%

Submission Date:

Monday 14/04/25 (4pm)

Feedback Target Date:

14/05/25

Module Co-ordinator/

Tutor:

Ademola Ajeyomi / Saranzaya Manalsuren /

Word count

2000 (+/-10%)

Submission Instructions:

This assignment is to be submitted electronically

1. This assignment must be submitted electronically by 4.00 pm on the submission date.

2. To submit electronically you must upload your work to the e-submission area within the respective module on Moodle.

3. Multiple drafts can be submitted up to the submission date.

4. Please remember you must leave at least 24 hours between submissions if you change your work. Each submission will overwrite the previous one until the due date and time have passed.

5. You are reminded of the University's regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your assignment, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these regulations.

6. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of your assignment for future reference.

7. Your citation needs to follow the Harvard style referencing.

The Assignment Task(s)

This Assignment was developed to assess the following Learning Outcomes:

1. Describe and explain the different approaches to organisation and management within the context of the external business environment.

1. Apply the key principles of organisational behaviour in the areas of organisational structure, organisational culture, organisational change, work motivation, job satisfaction, psychological contract, working in groups/teams, and leadership.

1. Apply the key principles of human resource management in the key functional areas of employee resourcing, development, rewards and relations.

1. Have the ability to work with others to solve problems, exercise initiative, and take personal responsibility while working through uncertainty and change.

The portfolio of tasks for the assignment:

TASK 1: CASE STUDY ANALYSIS (1000 words)

Case Study: Leadership and Organisational Change at Avalon Foods

Avalon Foods, a medium-sized food manufacturing company based in the UK, had long enjoyed success with its traditional management practices and stable workforce. However, due to increasing competition, changing consumer preferences, and advances in technology, the external business environment was evolving rapidly. The company was struggling to keep up, and employee motivation was declining. Profits were stagnating, and leadership knew something needed to change if Avalon Foods was to remain competitive in the modern marketplace.

To tackle these challenges, the company's CEO, Rita Almeida, decided to implement a series of organisational changes. Ritas leadership style was transformationalshe believed in inspiring her employees to embrace change and strive towards a common vision. Her first step was to restructure the organisation to make it more flexible and responsive to the market. Avalon Foods moved from a traditional hierarchical structure to a flatter, team-based structure. Employees were organised into cross-functional teams, each responsible for specific product lines, giving them more autonomy and ownership over their work.

Rita also recognised the need to foster a more inclusive culture to increase motivation and job satisfaction. Historically, Avalon Foods had been dominated by male managers, and diversity and equality initiatives were minimal. Under Ritas leadership, diversity and inclusion became a top priority. She launched several initiatives, including mentorship programmes for women and minority employees, unconscious bias training for managers, and a new diversity task force charged with ensuring fair recruitment and promotion practices.

In addition to promoting diversity, Rita understood the importance of motivating employees during this period of change. To do this, she adopted a democratic leadership style, encouraging open communication and involving employees in decision-making. Rita regularly held town hall meetings where employees could voice their concerns and provide input on the direction of the company. She also introduced a new rewards system that tied bonuses and promotions not only to individual performance but also to team success and contributions to the companys diversity goals.

Despite Ritas efforts, the transition wasnt without its challenges. Some employees, especially those accustomed to the old hierarchical structure, were resistant to the new team-based model. They felt uncertain about their roles and responsibilities in the new system and feared that the increased emphasis on diversity could impact their own opportunities for advancement. Additionally, not all managers were comfortable with the democratic leadership approach, preferring the more directive style they had used in the past.

To address these concerns, Rita implemented additional support mechanisms. Managers were given training on leadership styles and change management, and employees were offered workshops on working effectively in teams and adapting to organisational change. The HR department played a key role in helping to reskill employees and ensure that the new performance management system was fair and transparent.

The organisational changes at Avalon Foods were aimed at building a more agile and inclusive company culture that could thrive in a dynamic external environment. However, the companys future success would depend on how well employees adapted to the changes and how effectively the leadership team managed the challenges that arose during the transition

Case Study Questions:

Based on the organisational case study provided the above, answer to the following questions:

1. Evaluate Rita Almeida's leadership style in managing the organisational changes at Avalon Foods. How did her approach to leadership and motivation influence the companys transition?

2. Discuss how the restructuring and diversity initiatives impacted the organisational culture at Avalon Foods. How do these changes reflect key principles of organisational behaviour?

3. In what ways did Avalon Foods HR management adapt to support the organisational changes? How did the new HR policies contribute to employee development, rewards, and workplace relations during this period of uncertainty?

Case Study Analysis Requirement:

You are expected to analyse the case study in conjunction with relevant academic theories and engage in wider reading. This means bringing in relevant points from the literature beyond the lecture materials. Incorporate academic sources, articles, and case studies to support your arguments and insights.

The minimum requirement of reference is 10 including academic and non-academic sources (statistics, government data etc.)

TASK 2: REFLECTIVE WRITING (1000 words)

Instructions:

1. Topic Selection:

1. You will choose 3 topics from the following lectures:

i. Week 3: Organisational Culture

ii. Week 5: Organisational Behaviour and Change

iii. Week 7: Leadership

iv. Week 8: Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)

v. Week 9: Work Motivation & Job Satisfaction

1. Activities during the seminar sessions to support the topic selection:

1. Your seminar tutors will encourage you to engage each lecture topic with interactive sessions during the seminar. The seminar activities can include the following:

i. Completing a group presentation

ii. Submitting an individual summary report after reading an academic journal article

iii. Academic debates

iv. Creating a mini poster

v. Writing a reflective piece

1. Demonstrate how you came to the topic selection in your assignment by providing a paragraph as an introduction in your Task 2.

1. Reflective Writing Content:

1. Once you have selected your 3 topics, your reflective writing must:

i. Follow one of key Reflective Models introduced during the seminar.

ii. Demonstrate key theoretical insights gained from each topic.

iii. Discuss how these insights have influenced your thinking and understanding of the topic.

iv. Explain how the knowledge gained from these topics can help you in achieving your future career aspirations.

1. Your reflection should critically analyse how the theories and concepts discussed during the lectures and seminars relate to real-world applications in business and management.

This reflective writing task is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to connect theoretical learning with personal and professional development.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Your submission should be presented in an essay format. The essay should contain two main sections (include sub-sections where appropriate).

2. Sections should be numbered, and a content and cover page should be included.

3. Work must be referenced, following the Harvard referencing format.

4. The minimum of expected number of refence is 10 including academic and non-academic (statistics, government report and data etc.)

5. All the responses to the tasks must be submitted as a Word file (.doc, .docx) or pdf document (.pdf).

6. Coursework must be submitted using Arial font size 11 (or larger if needed), with a minimum of 1.5 line spacing.

7. Your student number must appear on the cover page. Your name must not be on your coursework.

Word Count:

As a guide, aim for 2,000 words (+/- 10%)

Footnotes will not count towards word count totals but must only be used for referencing, not to provide additional text. The bibliography will not count towards the word total.

Assignments exceeding the word limit will be penalised.

The deadline for this assessment is14^th of April 2025, at 4pm.
To ensure you receive timely feedback and stay on track with your studies, we strongly encourage you to submit your work before this deadline. Meeting deadlines is an important graduate skill that demonstrates effective time management and planning, which is essential for success in your studies and future career.

If you are unable to meet the deadline, you may submit your work up to 5 working days late without penalty. Please note that late submissions will be recorded and monitored. Repeated lateness may affect your academic progress. This submission link will close at4pm on 23^rd May 2025 after which no further submissions will be accepted.

If you are facing challenges that affect your ability to complete your assessment, it's important to inform us and seek support. You can speak to your Personal Tutor to discuss academic issues (book an appointment through MyAccount:https://myaccount.lsbu.ac.uk/) or contact an advisor at the Student Life Centre. You may also be eligible for an Extenuating Circumstances claim if you encounter unexpected difficulties (https://myaccount.lsbu.ac.uk/s/article/How-can-I-submit-an-EC-claim).

Assessment Criteria:

Each task is marked according to the following rubric: