MGT4541 Strategy, Leadership and Management of Organisations Assignment 3 Brief 2025-26 | MU

MGT4541 Assignment Structure and Format

Assignment 3 is a management case study analysis of Cup of Kindness 

Research and critically evaluate, and make recommendations in a report to the CEO of BJ Beverages on whether the BQF/EFQM Model can provide a holistic frame for managing and improving organisational performance at BJ Beverages.  It is important that, as part of your report, you consider the empirical evidence as to whether this approach works as a frame for driving continuous improvement and the effective management of organisational resources. The CEO is also interested to learn if any other organisations are using this model and how successful this approach has been for the organisation. (100%).

Specific case study and issues are as follows:

Cup of Kindness is a coffee company that supplies coffee kits and equipment, and coffee beans to many select distributors and coffee houses in the UK, Europe, South East Asia and the UAE.  The company was originally established by two gap year students who, after graduating, decided to take a year off to travel a lesser-known route in Mexico, where they happened upon a unique coffee bean.  With the local farmers, the two students set up a fair-trade coffee company with the local community, whereby they share profits on an equitable basis from farming the land where the coffee bean is harvested.  

More recently, Cup of Kindness had grown to such an extent in terms of production, volume of people and customer demand that they were subject to a takeover from a large global brand called “BJ Beverages, Plc. which has a different ethos, values, mission, and strategy from Cup of Kindness.  In summary, the global brand takes a different approach to Planning, Organising, Leadership and Controlling of its organisation and resources.  Whilst initially, when the two companies merged, the share value of BJ Beverages plc increased.  However, due to the tensions created as a result of the two juxtaposed cultures of Cup of Kindness and BJ Beverages and public domain reporting on clashes between senior board members with the dismissal of the CEO, the share price of BJ Beverages has, for the first time in 10 years, plummeted to an all-time low.  

The Shareholders have now appointed a new CEO who has some ideas of her own as to how to take a more holistic approach to Planning, Organising, Leadership and Managing and the disparate factions within BJ Beverages.  She is attending a conference on the BQF/EFQM model and has tasked you with writing a detailed, critical and evaluative report on whether this would be a suitable and effective approach to achieve this.

In particular she wants to know whether this approach would faciliate a more holistic management approach in terms of Planning, Organising, Leadership and Controlling, how RADAR relates to POLC, which other similar companies have utilised this approach and what they have/not achieved, what research there is to support the implementation of this approach, for example, by reference to this approach impacting upon ‘the bottom line’, and how organisational culture might impact the success of implementation.

The CEO wants you to coalesce all of the above in a report to her with a robust executive summary and justified recommendations.  She is also interested in your view as part of the recommendations and in understanding the implications of your recommendations. 

Structure of the Assignment:

• Written in case study report format (additional direction will be given in class)
• Type in 12 size font, one and a half spaced
• Analysis and interpretation of the case study
• Logical and sound application of theory
• Provide in-text referencing and reference list in Harvard format.
• One assignment per student is to be submitted online
• Limited to 3000 words (plus or minus 10%).
• Ensure proofreading, editing, correct spelling and punctuation are undertaken
• On the front page, include the title of the assignment, the student's name and the student's number and number all pages.

Assessed Learning Outcomes

• Critically analyse and apply concepts, theoretical ideas and empirical findings which underpin the study and practice of strategy, leadership and management;
• Explore the role of strategy, leadership and management in problem solving and managing change.
• Critically analyse and apply concepts, theoretical ideas and empirical findings which underpin the study and practice of strategy, leadership and management;
• Explore the role of strategy, leadership and management in problem solving and managing change.

Key Reading and Learning Resources

• Jones, R. and George, J., (2015), Contemporary Management, 9th edition. McGraw-Hill-Irwin. See Chapter 9.
• Boulter, L., Bendell, A., Dahlgaard, J. (2013). Total quality beyond North America. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 01 February 2013, Vol.. 33 (2), pp.197-215.

Assignment Marking Criteria

• The extent to which the EFQM/BQF management framework is a potential solution to the business issues raised is well argued
• the use of appropriate sources of information (e.g. reputable business journals, research reports and academic journals)
• the degree to which theory and application in the report are synthesised, critically evaluated and analysed
• the degree to which appropriate conclusions are derived from a critical evaluation of the main issues raised
• clarity and structure of the arguments (formal report writing format with appropriate executive summary, introduction and conclusions)
• overall presentation, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Detailed Marking Criteria for the Report: 

Assignment marking criteria rubric (Report)