Management Strategies
Name 3 management strategies in response to reviewing KPI data
staff training, staff motivation, change in management styles or management skills, increased investment in technology, improving quality in production, cost cutting, initiating lean production techniques, redeployment of resources (natural, labour and capital), innovation, global sourcing of inputs, overseas manufacture and global outsourcing
Who created the concept of 'the learning organisation'?
Peter Senge
Name the two high-risk communication strategies
Manipulation and Threats
Name the 3 steps
Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze
Name four stakeholders who are likely to be effected by a business change
Owners/Managers/Employees/Customers/Suppliers/Community
Define CSR
What are the two reasons to implement management strategies?
Seeking new business opportunities
Define the 'Learning Organisation'
A business that is flexible, adaptive and productive. It is one that facilitates the learning of its employees and looks to continuously transform and evolve.
Name the four low-risk communication strategies
Communication, Incentives, Empowerment, Support
Define the 3-steps
Unfreeze: Preparing the business for change
Change: Implementing and transitioning to the change
Refreeze: Reinforcing and anchoring the change to become the 'new normal'
What are two ways an employee could be negatively affected by business change?
Loss of employment, alteration of job/roles, change to work environment (safety/productivity), others?
What are two ways for a business to implement CSR during business change?
Open and honest two-way communication
Support for those struggling with the change
Ensuring a sustainable impact on stakeholders
Define 'cost cutting'
Reducing costs without having a significant impact on the overall value to customers / business performance.
Name 4 of the 5 disciplines of the learning organisation
Personal mastery, mental models, team learning, systems thinking, building shared vision
What are two advantages of using 'empowerment' to overcome employee resistance to change?
Shows a level of trust in employees can help gain support for the change
They are less likely to resist decision they have been involved in making
Name an advantage and a disadvantage of using the 3-step change model
Advantages:
It is a simplistic model to use during the change process
It is completed in steps, so it is easy and efficient process to implement
Disadvantages:
The refreeze stage is difficult in real businesses as it takes time and effort to embed new changes in a business (no time for the change to settle down)
At the refreeze stage, stakeholders may be worried that another change is coming leading to change shock
Explain two circumstances where a business change may negatively impact customers
Some changes can result in a negative impact on customers leading to less satisfaction eg. Stop producing a product, change the product, change how it is available to customers
How can managers provide support to employees undergoing change?
Stakeholders that will be negatively impacted by the change should be provided support to help them through a stressful time
Managers should demonstrate emotional intelligence by being sympathetic to the needs of the relevant stakeholders during times of change
Employees may need training to perform new role, help with resume writing, time off for interviews, career counselling.
What are two KPIs that are likely to be impacted by redeploying resources, and how?
Improved productivity growth (reorganising under used resources)
Reduced staff turnover (HR resources -motivating employees by giving them other roles)
Improved level of wastage (moving resources around so less need to be disposed)
Define 'team learning' and explain why it is important
The process of aligning and developing the capacities of a team to create the results its members truly desire
Individuals that learn together will grow more rapidly
This is an important discipline because it places emphasis on the team rather than the individual.
What are two disadvantages to using 'incentives' to overcome employee resistance to change?
Is a costly process to provide this for all impacted employees
Can cause conflict if incentives are different for each employee
What are three important things to do during the 'unfreeze' stage?
Identifying what needs to change
Creating urgency by demonstrating a need for change
challenge current beliefs that may resist change (breaking down the old way of doing things)
Removing inertia and preparing stakeholders for the change
Explain two impacts business change could have on the local community
Can impact on a local community if business change results in higher or lower levels of employment (Outsourcing) as a result money can start to outflow of the local economy
Change can assist in stimulating the local economy
How can a business show CSR to the local community during change?
Consider the natural environment
Choose local suppliers
Boost local employment
Redeploy staff rather than make them redundant
Consider the needs of customers when implementing changes, including communication
Define 'staff training', explain how 2 KPIs may be affected by it, and how it helps seeking new business opportunities
•Training is the process of improving an employee's skills and knowledge - After negative KPI results a manager may train staff to improve the result
•Impact on KPIs including:
Improve productivity and sales
Less workplace accidents
Decreased staff absenteeism and staff turnover (Increased job satisfaction)
•Impact on seeking business opportunity:
May upskill staff to do something new in the business
May be trained to identify areas in the market
What is 'systems thinking', and explain how it relates to the other four 'disciplines' of the learning organisation.
The ability to see the big picture rather than see things in isolation.
For a business to be deemed a learning organisation they need to implement all of the other 4 principles as one does not work without the others, system thinking keeps all the other disciplines together
Define 'manipulation' and provide two advantages and one disadvantage to using it as a method of overcoming employee resistance to change.
Gaining support from employees by the selective use of facts or deception
Advantages:
Can reduce resistance because employees are likely to be told the benefits of the change without knowing the negatives
Can quickly get employees on board
Disadvantages:
Can reduce morale and culture if employee find out
Can result in negative relationships between employee and employer
Name a management style that you think is suitable during each of the 3-stages, and explain why that management style would be the best to use
Any of the persuasive, participative, or consultative could be used at any stage. The other two are likely unsuitable, but it depends on student argument.
Explain how ALDI implementing self-checkout technology in their stores might impact four of their stakeholders
Owners: May impact net profits
Managers: Dealing with resisting customers
Employees: Change of duties/loss of employment
Customers: Changing experience/lower prices/resistant to change or technology
Suppliers: Unlikely to impact, maybe a change in level of supplies required if demand increases/decreases?
Community: Loss of employment if staff laid off
What are three ways a manager/business can show CSR towards employees during a change that results in job losses? Explain your answers.
Inform staff of the changes
Provide a timeline of the change process
Identify any job losses that might occur (honesty)
Provide support for employees facing job loss (i.e. outplacement services)
Provide additional support for employees experiencing stress and anxiety as a result of the possibility of redundancy
Redeploy staff wherever possible to reduce job losses
Consider voluntary redundancy rather than forced redundancy wherever possible
Other?