Assignment Brief Academic Year 2023-24

Module code MG630 Change and Module leader: Dr Sisi Wang

and title: Organisational Development

Assignment CW1: 2,000 Word Individual Assessment 60%

No. and type: Report weighting:

Submission Sunday 9th June 2024 before 2 Target feedback 3 weeks after submission
time and date: pm. time and date: deadline.

Assignment task

CONTEXT

Sweet Treats Limited (STL) is a small regional chain of cake shops with its headquarters in Warwick. STL
was originally set up by Julie Bird. Its shares are now owned by family and friends of James Bird, the
current Managing Director. Five other directors manage the company with James.

Over a three year period STL has expanded by taking over independent cake and cookware shops in local
towns in the Midlands. STL now has 6 shops including the main shop in Warwick and is hoping to expand
to 10 shops.

As part of their ongoing expansion plans STL also wants to introduce an online ordering service using a
new online software package. This would offer a nationwide delivery service to customers’ homes. This
service would initially run from STL’s headquarters in Warwick but with plans to expand into a new
manufacturing unit.

The expansion through takeovers and the introduction of the online cake ordering service will result in
restructuring changes within STL.

These would include:

• the introduction of one regional manager based in the Warwick shop
• a reduction in the number of shop manager roles
• a reduction in the number of shop assistant roles
• an increase in the number of cake bakers as well as a unit manager (for new manufacturing unit)
• an increase in the number of delivery driver roles
• the introduction of an e-commerce team to manage the online business

Each of the other 5 shops now has one shop manager. However STL would like to introduce one regional
shop manager and have a cake baker in each store . The Warwick shop would continue to have a shop
manager. In the smaller shops, the baker will also act as the shop manager and manage any shop
assistants.

Internal approval:
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The proposed restructuring is not popular with the current employees. They feel that the reasons for the
change, the need for the reorganisation of staff and the final staffing structure have been poorly
communicated to them.

James Bird and his two fellow directors thought that the letters sent to staff and the notices on the staff
notice boards in each shop clearly communicated the reasons for the reorganisation and the new structure
that was to be put in place.

However the restructuring process is causing uncertainty among staff. The staff have also experienced a
loss of motivation and a loss of trust in James Bird and his fellow directors. There is an increase in
voluntary staff turnover including the loss of managers. STL will also have additional costs associated with
the online business expansion which will include :

• recruitment of the e-commerce team and associated IT software

• training costs for bakers to become shop managers
• training costs for delivery driver roles.

A number of the staff in current job roles had originally been employed in the shops before the takeover by
STL. Some of these staff are not very flexible and are resistant to any change in their job roles.

James Bird is keen to continue to expand and develop the company and has recently refitted part of the
Warwick shop with a section selling partywear. This has proven to be a success and James now wants to
introduce similar sections into the other shops. This development will impact on current job roles and will
involve some restructuring.

James is aware of the problems associated with the planning change and restructuring and so he has
contracted your management consultancy to help with the planning of this change.

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

LO 3: Synthesise unplanned and planned change and organisation development approaches

LO 4: Critically assess the key areas of organisational and individual resistance to change

Task requirements

On the back of your presentation to them, you have now been hired by STL to give further detail into their
VUCA environment and the change management model proposed in your presentation. They wish for you
to advise of a strategic change for them and provided clear, guided steps for this initiative aided by an
appropriate Change Management model. They also wish for you to addresses possible resistance to
change at organisational and individual levels to the proposed change.

GUIDANCE:

a) Using your PR1 content, guided by the feedback you have received, you are to write a 2,000 word
professionally written and presented business report which:

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 1) Identifies and rationalises a strategic change that STL should take.

2) Uses a change management model to outline a planned change approach to this proposed
change.

3) Addresses the potential for organisational and individual resistance of the proposed change
plan and provides possible solutions to overcome resistance.

Referencing and research requirements

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:
- 15 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.

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.

Submission details

 This assignment should be submitted electronically. Please use the relevant Turnitin submission
point in the Upload My Assignment area on LSST Connect.

 Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format. Turnitin will only accept
the following file types: Microsoft Word, PDF. Your file must also contain at least 20 words of text,
consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less than 40MB in size.

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  You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do submit
your work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent version.

 Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission, which
will be sent to your LSST e-mail address. Please keep this receipt for future reference, along with
the original electronic copy of your assignment.

 You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on
the University website: https://www.bucks.ac.uk/current-students/registry-helpdesk-and-academic-
advice/academic-integrity-and-misconduct In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging
that you have read and understood these regulations.

 Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will
be considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded,
but will be capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard.
Work submitted after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.

Before you submit

 Please use the provided checklist below to make sure you are ‘fit to submit’ your work
 We recommend you use this checklist as soon as you get this assignment brief to help you plan
your work

Fit to Submit: Assignment Checklist

This brief assignment checklist is designed to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes
students make in their coursework.
Have you read the assignment brief? If not, do so now!
In it you will find details of the assessment task, word count, the assessment criteria your work is marked
against, and the learning outcomes – the basis for the assessment strategy in each module.

Students often lose marks by forgetting some of the more straightforward elements of their
assignments. We recommend that you “tick off” each of the points below as you prepare your work for
submission. If you need any help, ask your tutor and/or visit
https://bucks.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessment-and-examination

Have you read and understood the assessment criteria?

Have you met the learning outcomes? You will lose marks and your work may even be failed if
you have not.

Have you demonstrated you can think and write critically in the completed work? This means
you have supported your arguments/explanations appropriately e.g. using relevant academic
sources and you have offered discussion points which extends your own or others’ viewpoints
to make reasoned conclusions/judgements.

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Have you maintained an appropriate tone throughout your work? Is your work formal, focused,
developed and clear?

Have you checked that the referencing in your assignment is in line with your programme
requirements?

Have you proof-read your work and used spellcheck software to check your spelling and
grammar?

Have you checked the presentation of your work is as specified by your tutor, for example, are
font size, colour, style, line spacing and margins as the tutor specified?

Have you kept to the word count (or equivalent)? If you are not sure, check with your tutor.

Can you confirm that the work submitted is your own and maintains academic integrity?

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Assignment Brief Academic Year 2023-24

Fail Fail Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass

0-34 (F) – 35-39 E – 40-49 (D) 50-59 (C) 60-69 (B) 70-79 (A) 80-100 (A+)
Fail Marginal fail
Not successful Below required Satisfactory Good Very Good Excellent Outstanding
standard
Knowledge and The work The work The work The work The work The work The work
understanding demonstrates a demonstrates demonstrates a basic demonstrates a sound demonstrates a demonstrates a highly demonstrates an
25% limited and/or insufficient yet systematic breadth and depth of sophisticated and accomplished exceptional systematic
substantially understanding of key understanding of key systematic critical systematic systematic understanding of key
inaccurate or no aspects of a VUCA aspects of a VUCA understanding of a understanding of a understanding of a aspects of a VUCA
understanding of key environment and how environment and how VUCA environment and VUCA environment and VUCA environment and environment and how
aspects of what and where their chosen and where their chosen how and where their how and where their how and where their and where their chosen
constitutes a VUCA company sits within it. company sits within it. chosen company sits chosen company sits chosen company sits company sits within it.
environment and how Some Some within it. There is some within it. There are within it. Excellent Outstanding
and where their chosen coherent and detailed coherent and detailed coherent and detailed coherent and detailed identification of planned identification of planned
company sits within it. knowledge around knowledge around links with planned and links with planned and and unplanned change and unplanned change
Examples of coherent planned and unplanned planned and unplanned unplanned change, as unplanned change. The within their chosen within their chosen
and detailed change. Passing change with links to the well as the impact these impact on corporate organisation, and organisation, and its
knowledge around consideration given to importance of corporate have on corporate strategy and demonstration of its impact on corporate
planned and unplanned the importance of strategy and strategy and management practices’ impact on corporate strategy and
change is missing. No corporate strategy and management practices’ management practices’ role in organisational strategy and management practices’
consideration given to management practices’ role in organisational role in organisational change is well management practices’ role in the identified
the importance of role in organisational change within their change within their documented and role in the identified organisational change.
corporate strategy and change. Recent chosen business. There chosen business. There supported overall by organisational change The work is coherent
management practices’ research is limited to is limited engagement is good engagement very good engagement setting, beyond what and detailed,
role in organisational support work. with recent research to with recent research with recent research has been taught. The demonstrating
change. Recent support work. from a limited range of from a good range of supported overall by knowledge
research is missing to sources to support sources to support very good engagement well beyond what has
support work. work. work. knowledge is supported been taught, all of
by recent research from which is informed by
an excellent range of recent research from an
sources to support excellent range of
work. sources to support
work.

Internal approval:
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Analysis and The work demonstrates The work demonstrates The work demonstrates The work The work demonstrates The work demonstrates The work demonstrates
criticality a limited or no ability an insufficient ability of a sufficient analysis and demonstrates a sound a sophisticated ability a highly accomplished an exceptional ability
25% of analysis and enquiry. analysis and enquiry. enquiry. ability of analysis and of analysis. ability of analysis and of analysis and enquiry.
Conceptual Conceptual A basic yet sufficient enquiry. A sophisticated enquiry. A superior conceptual
understanding of understanding of Conceptual A sound conceptual conceptual A highly accomplished understanding of
change management is change management is understanding of understanding of understanding of conceptual change management is
limited thus the work evident and enables the change management is change management is change management is understanding of evident that enables
does not: work to evident that enables evident that enables evident that enables change management is the work to
• devise and sustain partially demonstrate: the work to the work to the work to evident that enables demonstrate:
arguments how • use of theory and demonstrate: demonstrate: demonstrate: the work to • use of ideas and
corporate strategies corporate models to • use of theory and • use of theory and • use of theory and demonstrate: techniques to devise
and management devise and sustain corporate models corporate models to corporate models to • use of theory and and sustain
practices have been arguments, and solve to devise and sustain devise and sustain devise corporate models to arguments and/or
affected by the current problems around how arguments and solve arguments and solve and sustain arguments devise and sustain solve problems, in
VUCA environment, corporate strategies problems in relation to problems, in relation to and solve problems, in arguments and solve relation to how
and fails to demonstrate and management how corporate how corporate relation to how problems, in relation to corporate strategies
how this has influenced practices have been strategies and strategies and corporate strategies how corporate and management
business approaches to affected by the current management practices management practices and management strategies and practices have been
planned and unplanned VUCA environment, have been affected by have been affected by practices have been management practices affected by the current
change and how this has the current VUCA the current VUCA affected by the current have been affected by VUCA environment,
• describe and influenced business environment, and how environment, and how VUCA environment, the current VUCA and how this has
comment upon approaches to planned this has influenced this has influenced and how this has environment, and how influenced business
aspects of current and unplanned change business approaches to business approaches to influenced business this has influenced approaches to planned
research and • the ability to describe planned and unplanned planned and unplanned approaches to planned business approaches to and unplanned change
scholarship, with little and comment upon change change and unplanned change planned and unplanned • the ability to describe,
or no appreciation of aspects of current • the ability to describe • the ability to describe • the ability to describe, change synthesise and
the uncertainty, research and and comment upon and comment upon synthesise and • the ability to describe, critique all relevant
ambiguity, and limits scholarship, albeit aspects of current aspects of current critique aspects of synthesise and aspects of current
of knowledge. with only a developing research and research and current research and critique all relevant research and
• use relevant and appreciation of the scholarship, with a scholarship, with a scholarship, with a aspects of current scholarship, with a
appropriate sources uncertainty, sufficient sound appreciation of sophisticated research and highly nuanced
resulting in few if any ambiguity, and limits appreciation of the the uncertainty, appreciation of the scholarship, with a appreciation of the
scholarly reviews. of knowledge. uncertainty, ambiguity, and limits uncertainty, nuanced appreciation uncertainty,
There is a limited range ambiguity, and limits of knowledge. ambiguity, and limits of the uncertainty, ambiguity, and limits
of independently of knowledge. • use of a sound range of knowledge ambiguity, and limits of knowledge.
selected relevant and • use a sufficient range of independently • use of a sophisticated of knowledge. • use of a superior
appropriate scholarly of independently selected relevant and range of independently • use of a highly range of independently
sources. selected relevant and appropriate scholarly selected relevant and accomplished range selected relevant and
appropriate scholarly sources. appropriate scholarly of independently appropriate scholarly
sources. sources. selected relevant and sources.
appropriate scholarly
sources.

Application and Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates an Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates an Work demonstrates an Work demonstrates an Work demonstrates an
Practice limited or no ability to insufficient ability to sufficient ability to ability to select and ability to select and ability to select and ability to select and
30% select appropriate select and apply select and apply apply in a consistent apply in a capable and apply in a highly apply in a highly
change management appropriate change appropriate change and informed manner effective manner accomplished manner accomplished and
theories and corporate management theories management theories appropriate change appropriate change appropriate change innovative manner
models to develop and and corporate models and corporate models management theories management theories management theories appropriate change
apply knowledge and to develop and apply to develop and apply and corporate models and corporate models and corporate models management theories
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 understanding in the knowledge and knowledge and to develop and apply to develop and apply to develop and apply and corporate models
context of their chosen understanding in the understanding in the knowledge and knowledge and knowledge and to develop and apply
organisation’s context of their chosen context of their chosen understanding in the understanding in the understanding in the knowledge and
operational and change organisation’s organisation’s context of their chosen context of their chosen context of their chosen understanding in the
situation. operational and change operational and change organisation’s organisation’s organisation’s context of their chosen
Presentation of situation. situation. operational and change operational and change operational and change organisation’s
research and findings is Presentation of Presents research and situation. situation. situation. operational and change
not clear or effective, or research and findings is findings in several Consistently presents Consistently presents Consistently presents situation.
interpretation of often not clear or formats, and gathers, research and findings thorough research and thorough research and Consistently presents
information (i.e. effective, or only in a processes and interpret effectively and findings perceptively findings perceptively, thorough research and
statistics) ineffective limited range of data efficiently. appropriately, in and appropriately, in a convincingly, and findings perceptively
and/or incomplete. formats, and Recommendations many formats, and wide range of appropriately, in wide authoritatively, and
Recommendations are gathering, processing have been made that gathers, process and formats, and gathers, range of formats, and appropriately, in wide
missing. and interpretation of are somewhat interpret data process and interpret gathers, processes and range of formats, and
data ineffective appropriate but efficiently and a wide range of interpret a wide gather, process and
and/or inefficient. unfocused, not taking effectively, making complex data range of complex interpret a wide
Recommendations are into consideration key good use of the efficiently and data efficiently and range of complex
inappropriate for the areas of note identified appendices. effectively, making very effectively, making data efficiently and
chosen organisation. within the report. Recommendations good use of the excellent use of the effectively, making
have been made that appendices. appendices. outstanding use of the
are appropriate but Recommendations Recommendations appendices.
gives limited have been made that have been made that Recommendations
consideration to the key are appropriate, take are appropriate, take have been made that
areas of note identified into consideration key into consideration key are appropriate, take
within the report and no areas of note identified areas of note identified into consideration key
consideration given to within the report, and within the report, and areas of note identified
the possible give good consideration give excellent within the report, and
implementation to the possible consideration to the give excellent
challenges of these. implementation possible consideration to the
challenges of these. implementation possible
challenges of these. implementation
Minimal costing challenges of these.
considerations have Detailed costing
been provided. considerations have
been provided.

Transferable skills Work demonstrates Work demonstrates Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates a Work demonstrates a
20% limited or no ability to: insufficient ability to: sufficient ability to: Consistent and Highly proficient ability Highly accomplished exceptional ability to:
-communicate -communicate -communicate confident ability to: to: ability to: -communicate
information, ideas, information, ideas, information, ideas, -communicate -communicate -communicate information, ideas,
problems and problems and problems and information, ideas, information, ideas, information, ideas, problems and
solutions accurately solutions accurately solutions accurately problems and problems and problems and solutions accurately
and reliably utilising and reliably utilising and reliably utilising solutions accurately solutions accurately solutions accurately and reliably utilising
relevant communication relevant communication relevant communication and reliably utilising and reliably utilising and reliably utilising relevant communication
skills (level of written skills (level of written skills (level of written relevant communication relevant communication relevant communication skills (level of written
communication) communication) communication) skills (level of written skills (level of written skills communication)
- Present report to a - Present report to a - Present report to a communication) communication) - Present report to a - Present report to a
professional standard professional standard professional standard - Present report to a - Present report to a professional standard professional standard
Fewer than 10 Fewer than 10 A minimum of 10 professional standard professional standard More than 10 More than 10
appropriate references appropriate references appropriate references appropriate references appropriate references
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present and Harvard present and Harvard are present and More than 10 More than 10 present and Harvard present and Harvard
Referencing system not Referencing system not Harvard Referencing appropriate references appropriate references Referencing system Referencing system
followed. followed. system sometimes present and Harvard present and Harvard always followed. always followed.
followed. Referencing system Referencing system
sometimes followed. often followed.