Case Study Analysis
This assignment will help you develop your critical thinking and analytical skills, apply ideas, concepts, and terminology from the course to analyzing a real-life scenario, as well as develop your skills of working in a team. You will be required to explore a case study assigned by the professor and analyze it in an essay format.
You are expected to look at the presented situation from multiple perspectives, including but not limited to:
1. Providing a professional assessment of the situation (e.g., reviewing external/internal environmental factors, providing situational analysis, etc.) as if you were an invited management consultant
2. Identifying the issues, explain why they are happening, and explain why particular recommendations are suggested. The recommendations should use material from the textbook
3. Identifying leadership styles, concepts and methods mentioned in the case
4. Evaluating from a critical thinking perspective if the most suitable leadership approaches have been used and if they were used correctly and sufficiently and linking them to what learnt in the course
5. Doing some “what-if” analysis, providing best-practice approaches directed in the context with the situation
6. Formulating at least 5 future action points to get the best possible outcome from the situation, focusing on specific measures, benefits, and risks associated with the plan you propose
Requirements:
· Paper should be at least 5000 words and should exhibit clarity and analytical skills, appropriate for an MBA level. Specifically, your ideas must be presented in a succinct and clear way; key ideas must be easily distinguishable and well-developed
· Paper must contain the following sections: table of contents, executive summary, introduction, main body, conclusion, and recommendations (action points), reference list. Use in-text citations when necessary, as per APA.
· Paper should employ at least 8-10 relevant in-text citations from the textbook and other sources; in order to be considered for an A grade, you have to properly employ relevant research findings beyond the content of the textbook as well as some relevant statistics in your analysis
· You must demonstrate a solid knowledge of the course concepts and ideas as well as your ability to successfully apply them to deal with real-life situations
· You must correctly and sufficiently use professional terminology related to the course
· You must be as specific as possible, illustrating your points with multiple references to the case content
· You must be impartial in your analysis (consider at least two different views), beware of your biases which might affect your judgement.
· You must demonstrate a decent level of critical thinking in your analysis, comparing and contrasting various theories and applying them to the case given
· Paper must be submitted via Turnitin timely (only one submission allowed); late submissions are penalized by 10%/day
· Contribution of each team member should be clearly indicated in the Introduction
This assignment holds a value of 25% of your final grade.
If you experience some extraordinary circumstances which affect your ability to complete the assignment on time, e.g., medical emergency, you should request an extension before the due date, providing supporting documentation
Before you start working on your assignment, ensure that you have paid attention to the rubric below, and listened to the in-class explanations provided by the professor.
Important! This rubric will be used to calculate an average grade for the team which might be further individually adjusted for each student based on the assessment of their contribution to the project by the professor and the rest of the team.
Grading Rubric for Assignment #2
Criteria
Below standard
At standard
Exceeds standard
Assessment of the situation
❏ Accurate and comprehensive assessment of the situation overall has been provided
❏ Leadership methods and approaches used in the case were correctly identified – Use textbook
❏ Conclusions on suitability and sufficiency of the methods and approaches used are solidly justified
❏ Assessment is specific, impartial, and focused on all aspects of the situation
❏ Key points of the author are clearly formulated, well developed, and supported by examples
0-15
16-20
21-25
“What-if” analysis
❏ Various scenarios of what could have been done differently are developed for the entire case as well as for each of the key problems identified in the previous part
❏ Scenario modelling is based on research and textbook recommendations
❏ Decent level of critical thinking, including comparing and contrasting various theories and applying them to the case given, is demonstrated in this part
❏ Analysis is specific, impartial, and focused on all aspects of the situation
❏ Key points of the author are clearly formulated, well developed, and supported by examples
0-15
16-20
21-25
Executive Summary, Introduction, Conclusion, and recommendations
❏ Executive Summary concisely and clearly summarizes key points of the paper
❏ Introduction clearly and succinctly introduces the topic and outlines main goals and a structure of the paper
❏ Conclusion part clearly and concisely summarizes main findings from previous parts
❏ At least 5 recommendations are formulated
❏ Recommendations are specific and relevant (what the issue is, why the issues is happening, specific recommendation to resolve the issue, why the recommendation was given)
0-9
10-12
13-15
Integration of concepts from the textbook/other sources
❏ Multiple sources including the textbook are used in the essay; references are accurate, and all the sources mentioned are actually used in the paper
❏ Cited sources match concepts discussed
❏ In text citations are used to support specific and relevant points, not to provide basic definitions and general ideas
❏ Reference list is formatted properly
0-9
10-12
13-15
Professionalism of the document
❏ Paper contains all required sections
❏ Minimum word or pages count requirement is met
❏ Paper exhibits good writing, research, and analytical skills, appropriate for an MBA-level
❏ Paper is coherent; author’s key points are clear and well justified
❏ All parts of the paper are consistent and well aligned
❏ Paper does not contain grammar or spelling mistakes
❏ Title page is formatted properly
0-12
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Case Study Analysis
Executive Summary
This case study analysis examines the situation at Acme Corporation, a company that is facing a number of challenges, including declining sales, increasing competition, and a lack of innovation. The analysis identifies a number of factors that have contributed to the company’s problems, including a lack of leadership, a poor organizational structure, and a culture of complacency. The analysis also proposes a number of recommendations for how the company can turn things around, including hiring a new CEO, restructuring the organization, and creating a culture of innovation.
Introduction
Acme Corporation is a mid-sized company that has been in business for over 50 years. The company produces a variety of products, including widgets, gadgets, and gizmos. Acme has a strong reputation for quality and customer service. However, in recent years, the company has faced a number of challenges. Sales have been declining, competition has been increasing, and the company has been slow to innovate. As a result, Acme is no longer the market leader.
Assessment of the Situation
There are a number of factors that have contributed to Acme’s problems. One factor is a lack of leadership. The company’s CEO has been in his position for over 20 years. He is a competent manager, but he has not been able to keep up with the changing market. He is also not a visionary leader. He does not have a clear vision for the future of the company.
Another factor that has contributed to Acme’s problems is a poor organizational structure. The company is very bureaucratic. There is a lot of red tape, and it is difficult for employees to get things done. This has led to a lack of innovation. Employees are not given the freedom to take risks and try new things.
Finally, Acme has a culture of complacency. Employees are comfortable with the status quo. They are not motivated to work hard or to improve their performance. This has led to a decline in productivity.
“What-if” Analysis
If Acme had a different CEO, the company might be in a much better position. A new CEO could bring new ideas and a new vision for the company. He or she could also create a culture of innovation and motivate employees to work hard.
If Acme had a different organizational structure, the company would be more efficient. Employees would be able to get things done more quickly and easily. This would lead to an increase in productivity.
If Acme had a culture of innovation, the company would be more competitive. Employees would be encouraged to take risks and try new things. This would lead to the development of new products and services.
Recommendations
The following are a number of recommendations for how Acme can turn things around:
Hire a new CEO. The new CEO should be a visionary leader with a clear vision for the future of the company.
Restructure the organization. The company should adopt a more streamlined and efficient organizational structure.
Create a culture of innovation. The company should encourage employees to take risks and try new things.
Conclusion
Acme Corporation is facing a number of challenges. However, the company can turn things around by making a number of changes. These changes include hiring a new CEO, restructuring the organization, and creating a culture of innovation.
References
Bennis, Warren G., and Burt Nanus. Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
Drucker, Peter F. Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York: Harper & Row, 1974.
Kotter, John P. Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1996.
