MMP_4_MAO Management and Organisations Assignment Brief | LSBU

MMP_4_MAO The Assignment Task(s)

This Assignment was developed to assess the following Learning Outcomes:

Describe and explain the different approaches to organisation and management within the context of the external business environment (summative assessment via assignment)

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 (summative assessment via assignment)

Apply the key principles of human resource management in the key functional areas of employee resourcing, development, rewards and relations (formative assessment via seminar work)

Have the ability to work with others to solve problems, exercise initiative, and take personal responsibility while working through uncertainty and change (formative assessment via seminar work)

TASK 1: CASE STUDY (800 words)

Ubuntu Inc. is a leading company manufacturing microchips in the Kwa Zulu Natal region of the Republic of South Africa. Among other firms developing microchips, Ubuntu is famous for its high ethical values in dealing with workers and customers. The company's honesty in its dealings and ability to deliver both planned and emergency orders in record time gives it a competitive edge in the industry. 

Amahle has been a manager at Ubuntu for six years and leads the company's sales team. In a recent performance evaluation exercise involving workers, customers, and senior managers, Amahle's score is in the 80th percentile. She scores high in leadership abilities, competence, and motivating and inspiring team members. Further feedback from the exercise extols Amahle's skills and recommends improved practical application of her skills for her team and organisational success. Based on the input, Amahle is determined to improve her leadership skills in the next financial year. 

Mthembu, a subordinate to Amahle, was moved to the sales team two years ago. He has a record of sterling performance rating throughout his stay at Ubuntu for the past ten years. Mthembu has a good work ethic, is highly efficient in dealing with customers, is committed, and is ready to go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction and meet team objectives. Despite his achievements, Mthembu lacks technical knowledge of microchip production.

In the last two months, Mthembu's performance has been waning. He now missed deadlines and was less efficient. Amahle, with the mindset of developing Mthembu, assigned him two big sales projects to give him the development opportunity he requested. Amahle is known for this developmental approach and has an optimistic view of her team members' performance. During the weeks leading to the delivery of the projects, Amahle worked with him on his plans and checked in regularly. At every catch-up meeting, Mthembu continued to assure her that everything was going as planned despite the visible signs of failure. This ended up negatively impacting Amahle's team. Other team members were upset and confronted Mthembu about his inability to deliver the projects.

Amahle called out Mthembu's irresponsibility and improper behaviour and met with him often to discuss his behaviour. She also discussed the situation with Mthembu's teammates to get their perspective. To help Mthembu get back on track, Amahle sometimes downplays the seriousness of Mthembu's unusual behaviour, considering how the situation can affect his mental health. However, Mthembu does not seem to understand the gravity of how his attitude has affected the team.

Further meetings with Mthembu reveal he is suffering from personal well-being and financial issues. He is also concerned about the changes Amahle implemented a few months ago to the team. Mthembu accepted Amahle's feedback and was ready to take responsibility for his actions. However, one of Amahle's most significant concerns is getting a stellar performer back on track amidst Mthembu's apparent waning confidence.

Based on the situation, respond to the following:

1.  What are the actions from the case that depicts Amahle as a manager and as a leader?
2. Drawing on the Hersey and Blanchard model, describe Amahle's leadership style with justification.
3. If you were Amahle, what work culture would you want to develop to help increase collaboration and cooperation between Mthembu and other team members?  

TASK 2: REFLECTIVE WRITING (500 words)

Write a reflection on the topics discussed in weeks 2 (External Environment), 6 (Working in Groups and Teams), Week 8 (Organisational Change). In this task, illustrate 3 key takeaways you have learnt about each topic and highlight how this will help you practically in your career. Also, based on your reflection on the class discussions, identify any areas of skills and/or knowledge that you feel will help you in your career.

TASK 3: PRACTICE (1200 words)

Choose one of the roles below. For your chosen role, prepare a resourcing and development plan.

•  Radiographer
• Business Analyst
• University Professor

Your plan should include the following:

1. Recruitment plan: 

• An appropriate job advertisement
• An indication of appropriate recruitment sources with justification of why you have chosen each source.  

2. Selection plan: 

• Highlight the selection process you will employ in choosing your preferred candidate with justification for each step in the selection process (e.g., test/interview types and sample questions). Justify every step in this process.

3. Development plan: 

• Demonstrate the training and development types you will employ to develop the chosen candidate based on the job role. Your plan should include but not be limited to the development aims and objectives, venue and duration, need assessment, etc.

Students are expected to engage in broader reading to bring in relevant points from the literature in their answers.

Presentation:

• Your submission should be presented in a report format. The report should contain three main sections (include sub-sections where appropriate).
• Sections should be numbered, and a content and cover page should be included.
• Work must be referenced, and a bibliography must be provided.
• All task responses must be submitted as a Word file (.doc, .docx) or pdf document (.pdf).
• Coursework must be submitted using Arial font size 11 (or larger if needed), with a minimum of 1.5 line spacing.
• Your student number must appear on the cover page. Your name must not be on your coursework.

Word Count:

As a guide, aim for 2,500 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.

MMP_4_MAO Assessment Criteria:

Each task is marked according to the following rubric: