BMIB5005 Leadership and Change Management (AS2) Assignment 2 Brief | De Montfort University

Criteria for Assessment – How you will be marked

The assessment rubric detailing how this assessment will be marked can be found in the assessment brief document posted on Learning Zone.
Further information on University mark descriptors can be found here.

This assignment is designed to assess the following learning outcomes:
LO3. To demonstrate strong self-awareness as a leader and the ability to use this positively to achieve sustainable organizational operations and sustainable organizations in these disruptive times and use sustainability as a differentiator.
LO4. Conceptualise and evaluate how organizational change could be contextualised in the institutional environment.
LO5: Systematically evaluate the process of how to lead and manage change.

Case Study – Endeavours Global Plc (EGP).

Endeavours Global Plc (EGP) are a company based in the East Midlands of the UK. The company headquarters is located in Leicester and it has branches across the UK. EGP is currently the largest manufacturer of quality metal furniture with 50% of the market share in the UK. It has consistently topped the industry in terms of revenue, profitability and returns on investment for shareholders. The company’s operation is predominantly a bespoke model, which allows customers order customised furniture and wait for its production and delivery at a later date. Its workforce across its factories is dominated by traditional metal fabricators and traditional welders who are experts in the use of heat and energy for welding metals together (not ecofriendly and considered bad for the environment). However, manufacturing metal furniture is energy-intensive, from mining raw materials to moulding and welding pieces.

EGP’s current production process generates significant emissions including both minute and nano pollutants, as well as several toxic gases like carbon monoxide, ozone, and nitrogen oxides. EGP is being accused of contributing to climate change challenges with its business model. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Mr Paddington Way – has called a strategy session of the top management team scheduled for the first quarter of 2025 (March 2025) to discuss the company’s plan to change to a sustainable furniture manufacturing process to improve its sustainability footprint considering that the result of the last industry survey by McDerllot & McCarthy Consultants indicates that 70% of respondents said they will rather buy sustainable furniture going forward.

However, just before the end of the last quarter of 2024, Disruptor Integrated Plc (DIP), with a share of 30% of the UK furniture market announced its synergy with an international partner that will enable it commence the production of furniture made from recycled plastics through a technological process for which the partners have intellectual property right (IPR). The new technology will allow DIP to manufacture furniture with considerably less energy and very durable furniture that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor usage. Additionally, DIP will be able to reduce its material cost considerable with the use of recycled plastics which by extension will also make its furniture cheaper than that produced by EGP the current market leader. As a result of the planned synergy by DIP, EGP could be facing significant threats to its current business model that potentially could result in loss of business to DIP if the planned synergy goes through and DIP develop the capacity to manufacture cleaner and cheaper all-purpose furniture.

The Chief Executive Officer has now called an emergency meeting of the executive team in January 2025 to address this pressing issue.

At the meeting, the Executive Director Finance (EDF) suggests that EGP should immediately change to a new technology-based manufacturing process using its financial strength to beat DIP to introducing sustainable furniture production process in its operation. The EDF added that finance (to acquire the planned new technology) is the most important requirement to make the needed changes quickly so that the company can maintain its status as the number one furniture manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the EDF argued that employees will have no choice but to compulsorily adapt to the new technology based sustainable furniture production process regardless of the fact that they are all experts in the traditional welding process. The EDF recommended that the company immediately carry out a cost and benefit
analysis of the planned change before implementation.

The Executive Director Marketing (EDM) suggests that EGP immediately commence a marketing campaign on all channels of marketing and advertising to communicate to customers and the general public that EGP is set to change its furniture manufacturing process to a technology powered eco-friendly process. The EDM argued that creating awareness of the planned change amongst customers and the general public is the most important aspect of the planned change to be successful. The EDM added that the company needs to as a matter of urgency create a specific marketing and advertising budget dedicated to creating awareness around the planned change. The EDM then recommended that the company carry out its our market research to gather first-hand information from its customers and prospective customers on preference for sustainable furniture amongst its customer and market before the company’s marketing campaign.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) whose office is directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company argue that while funding the new manufacturing process and the communication of the planned change to customers and the general public are important elements in the process of the planned change, the most important element is that of ensuring that the new system fits perfectly with the existing production system. The COO therefore recommended that a system audit be conducted to ascertain system change requirements. The COO argue that the new system has to fit the existing system to ensure seemly integration of the planned new system of production.

However, prior to the news of DIP’s planned synergy for the manufacturing of sustainable furniture from recycled plastics, the EGP CEO – Mr Paddington Way – had a brief discussion with you – a Leadership and Change Management Consultant – during networking event where you mentioned in passing the need for a change champion and employee/staff buy-in if organisation-wide change is to be effectively implemented. Considering the three differing recommendations of the Executive directors, the CEO has decided to engage you as a consultant to provide EGP recommendations on EGP’s proposed changes.

Question(s):

Based on the case study above, you are required to prepare a 3000 words (+/- 10%) essay (you are allowed to use headings and sub-heading – report styled essay) that:

• Critically analyses the flaws of the different change implementation propositions provided by the; Executive Director Finance; Executive Director Marketing, and the Chief Operating Officer and the possible negative implications on the operations of EGP.
• Critically evaluate the role of Leadership in the change management process in relation to achieving sustainability as differentiator for organisations – applied to the context of the case study organisation - EGP.
• As a leadership and change management expert, provide a critical analysis recommending an ideal change management process for effective implementation of planned changes in the context of the EGP using at least one each of the change management framework/models and theories we covered / applied / discussed on this Module.