BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project

Module 1 – SLP
Strategic Review
BACKGROUND:
First, run the simulation using the Default
Decisions. In other words, use the prices and R&D percentage that are
already there. Capture or collect the results for each product (X5, X6, X7) as
you run each year. Copy (using Excel, by hand, or some other method) the
Financial results and Marketing results, as well as the information provided by
the Advisor.SCENARIO
It is December 15, 2015. Joe Schmoe, the VP of
Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., is smugly patting himself on the back for
how well he has done with pricing and product development on the three products,
X5, X6, and X7. He knows his strategy was not very creative, since he did not
change any prices or R&D allocations over the four-year period (actually
six years, counting 2010 and 2011). But he is certain that he did not need to
change anything, and that his overall performance is proof.
However, Sally Smothers, CEO of Clipboard Tablet
Co., has a different opinion, and she fires Joe.
You are hired. You applied for the position a
few weeks ago and interviewed, unaware of the fate of Joe Schmoe at the time.
So here you are, Dec. 15, 2015, VP of Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., and
ready to move the company ahead into 2016. Your boss, Sally Smothers, is
expecting you to take over and move the company forward in terms of product
development, and smart pricing.
ASSIGNMENT:
Write a 4- to 6-page paper, not including cover
and reference page, according to Sally’s directions as follows:
Sally wants to make sure that you are ready to
move ahead and asks you to review the past four to six years to see what was going
on in terms of product development, sales, pricing, and performance against the
competition. You collect all of the data and write a report which is due on
Sally’s desk January 2, 2016.Module 1 – Case
BACKGROUND:
XCG
THE EXCELLENT CONSULTING GROUP
Communication from Art Epance:
Welcome to this project. ABC Company and Whole
Foods Market expect us to provide them with top-notch advice on how to
integrate Whole Foods into ABC Company. I will be working on analyzing ABC
Company. You will be working on analyzing Whole Foods Market. Review as much
information as you can on the Whole Foods Market website, particularly that in
the “Investor Relations” section. At a minimum, review the following
materials in preparation for your report/analysis:Review Case Analysis since it is so important in this final course.
The purpose of a Case is to show that you have thought critically about the
subject matter that you are learning and to make an argument for aClaim about the specific situation in the Case
Assignment. Stephen Toulmin has developed an Argument Methodology that is very
useful inMaking a Case.
To review Case Analysis and Toulmin’s Argument Methodology, go to .trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=1&page=custom1″>Making a
Case page.
CASE 1 ASSIGNMENT:
First, you need to do a strategic analysis of
Whole Foods Market. The executives want us to provide an independent, objective
view of Whole Foods Market’s current strategic position, including full
information of Whole Foods Market’s mission, vision and values. They want to
identify its current set of strategic goals, and acritical assessment of the competition and the
competitive environment (remote and operating environments). Also, they want to
see the opportunities and threats Whole Foods is presently facing, and they
need a general idea of the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Whole Foods
Market and ABC Company want to know if we think they should make any strategic
changes or continue with the status quo. Synthesize everything you have
learned, provide a final recommendation, and justify your reasoning.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 2 – Background
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
Background
Organizational
Development (OD) is a fundamental
management subject and important for an MBA degree program. One aspect of
Organizational Development is Organizational Diagnosis, which is not as
comprehensive as the overall development or change process. Diagnosis is often
the first step in the OD process. Over the years, there have been many OD
models developed. Some are better than others and some are more useful in
certain situations than others. Later models were developed with Open System
Theory in mind, which tends to make the models more comprehensive. ABC Company
and Whole Foods Market are interested in using an OD model to diagnose Whole
Foods Market’s current situation. You will need to have an understanding of
some of these models in order to make a recommendation.BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 2 – SLP
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
InModule 2, you will
continue with the scenario and simulation you began in the Module 1 SLP.
REQUIRED READING
SCENARIO CONTINUATION:
SLP2 – It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a
great New Year’s Eve celebration. You have finished analyzing the performance
of Clipboard Tablet Co. in a great report that you turned in a few days early
to Sally Smothers. Now you are ready to charge ahead into the future.
As you turn on the TV you notice something
strange. The TV commentator is saying something about New Year’s Day, 2012. You
look around and everything looks different. Yes, it’s true; it’s New Year’s
Day, 2012. Time has rewound – a Time Warp, like the guy in the movie “Groundhog
Day.”
You realize that you get to make the decisions
for Clipboard Tablet Co. starting with 2012. Perhaps you can do better than Joe
Schmoe.
At the beginning of each year (2012-2015), you
will determine your pricing, your R&D allocations, and whether or not to
discontinue any products. You make your decisions and time advances to the end
of that year, and you look at the results to see what happened. You keep track
of your decisions and make notes about your reasoning and analysis of the data,
keeping the data for later analysis.
You run the Marketing of Clipboard Tablet Co.
through the end of 2015. It is now December 31, 2015, New Year’s Eve. What is
your total Score? Did you do better than Joe Schmoe?
You decide to organize your notes about your
decisions, your analysis, and your reasoning into a report, which you think
will help you move ahead into 2016.
Module 2 – Case
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
BACKGROUND:
XCG
The Excellent Consulting Group
Communication from Art:
Thank you for your report on the strategy
analysis of Whole Foods Market. Now, we need to move ahead to the next part of
this project.
ABC Company and Whole Foods Market have decided
they want to do an Organizational Diagnosis to determine how various aspects of
Whole Foods Market are aligned, such as inputs, resources, productivity,
throughput effort, outputs, performance, strategy, etc. They want to know if
there are any significant issues at Whole Foods Market and how these issues
might affect its integration into ABC Company

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 3 – Background
Case: Inputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 2
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=3&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=3&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
Background Reading for
Case 3
The background reading
for the Case in this module focuses
on the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model. You will be using this model to
complete the case.
David Nadler is the founder and CEO of Mercer
Delta Consulting Group. An internationally recognized expert in organizational
change, Nadler has written seven books and numerous articles for practicing
managers. Michael Tushman is a Full Professor at the Harvard Business School.
He has written or edited eight books and is widely published in academic and
practitioner journals.Abstract:
Using an operational framework, thediagnostic funnel is introduced, which prescribes the
appropriate actions of a process consultant in conducting anorganizational diagnosis. Thediagnostic funnel comprises the four actions of (a)
selecting a generaldiagnosticmodel, (b) collecting data that minimizes bias, (c)
analyzing the data to reduce the likelihood of error, and (d) deriving a unique
diagnostic paradigm, specific to the organization under
study. It is argued that the actions described by thediagnostic funnel will result in a diagnosis that achieves
a high level of scientific rigor. To provide a detailed description of thediagnostic funnel, a case example of anorganizational diagnosis is presented.
Gregory, B. T., Armenakis, A. A., Moates, K.,
Albritton, M., & Harris, S. G. (2007). Achieving Scientific Rigor in
Organizational Diagnosis: An Application of the Diagnostic Funnel.Consulting Psychology
Journal: Practice & Research,59(2), 79-90. Retrieved on
November 7, 2012 from EBSCO.
There are no reading
assignments for the SLP
However, if you need a refresher on various
theories (product life cycle, pricing, price elasticity, market saturation,
product development, etc.) there are a multitude on the Internet.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 3 – SLP
Case: Inputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 2
BACKGROUND
In Module 3, you will continue with the scenario
and simulation you worked on in the Module 1 and Module 2 SLPs.
REQUIRED READING
SCENARIO CONTINUATION:
It’s New Year’s Day, 2016. You just had a great
New Year’s Eve celebration, having finished analyzing the performance of
Clipboard Tablet Company, and are ready to charge ahead into the future. You
turn on the TV and notice something strange (again). The TV commentator is
saying something about New Year’s Day, 2012, and you realize that you are in
Time Warp 2.
Your decision-making process will be different
this time, as you will be using CVP analysis, a technique with which you
recently became familiar.
You analyze the results of the first set of
decisions you made in Time Warp 1, from 2012 to 2015. You use CVP analysis to
help determine a new strategy, employing the CVP Calculator.
You analyze the results using CVP and develop
your complete four-year strategy, making notes about your analysis and your
reasoning process, just in case you have to do this again.
You finish the report that shows your strategy
for the next four years during Time Warp 2.
Do not run the simulation yet; just turn in the
report.
ASSIGNMENT
Write a 4- to 6-page paper, not including cover
and reference page, in which, after again reviewing and analyzing the results
that you got in SLP2 (Time Warp 1 decisions), you develop a revised strategy and
make a case for this new strategy using analysis and relevant theories.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT
The key aspects of this
assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your
paper include:
·
The revised strategy
consists of the Prices, R&D Allocation %, and any product discontinuations
for the X5, X6, and X7 tablets for each of the four years: 2012, 2013, 2014,
and 2015.
·
You must present a
rational justification for this strategy. In other words, you must make a case
for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant theories.
·
Use the CVP Calculator
and review the PowerPoint that explains CVP and provides some examples.
·
You need tocrunch some numbers (CVP Analysis) to help you
determine your prices and R&D allocations.
·
Make sure your proposed
changes in strategy are firmly based in this analysis of financial and market
data and sound business principles.
·
Present your analysis
professionally making strategic use of tables, charts and graphs.
·
Time Line Summary:
SLP1
·
2015: Hired on December
15.
·
Turned in first report
to Sally a few days early on December 30.
·
Celebrated on December
31.
SLP2
·
Time Warp 1 begins:
January 1, 2016 warps into January 1, 2012.
·
You realize you have to
make decisions for 2012 – 2015, which you do.
·
December 31, 2015 – You
have gone through all four years, and you write your report to summarize how
you did. You are hoping that you will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2016.
SLP3
·
Time Warp 2 begins:
January 1, 2016 warps into January 1, 2012. (Again)
·
Now it is January 1, 2012: You decide to use CVP analysis and develop a four-year plan for
your strategy. You analyze the results of your first decisions in Time Warp 1
and make notes. You use the CVP Calculator to help develop a strategy, and make
more notes explaining your logic and analysis.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
Note the following tips
and suggestions:

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 3 – Case
Case: Inputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 2
BACKGROUND
XCG
The Excellent Consulting Group
Communication from Art:
I reviewed your report regarding Organizational
Diagnosis, and I thought you did a nice job. I presented your recommendation to
ABC Company and Whole Foods Market, and had several discussions with them.
They’ve finally decided that they want to use
the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model to analyze the overall congruence in the
company – they like the Input and Output analysis that this model provides.
First, the company’s executives are interested
in the Inputs, including the strategy. They are interested in getting an
objective opinion of what their critical inputs are and how they align with
their strategy. So I suggest that you very quickly brush up more on the Congruence
model, particularly for this assignment on inputs.
REQUIRED READING:
Nadler, D. A. & Tushman, M. L. (1980) A
Model for Diagnosing Organizational Behavior.Organizational Dynamics, 9 (2), 35-51. Retrieved on November 7, 2012
from EBSCO.
CASE 3 ASSIGNMENT:
Using the Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model,
conduct an analysis of Whole Foods Market’s inputs and how they align with the
strategy.
For the analysis, I suggest that you start with
strategy, since you have already done some work on this aspect in your first
report. Review Whole Foods Market’s strategy and then determine which one of
Porter’s competitive strategies fits with this strategy. Then review the
company’s inputs and determine one or two specific critical inputs from each
input category: environment, resources, and history.
Ultimately, I want you to determine how aligned
the critical inputs are with the strategy. Is there high congruence
(alignment), some congruence, or little to no congruence? I expect you to
support your claim with a good, logical argument using the information you have
collected.
In order to make this case, you first need to
review the strategy and then classify it as one of Porter’s competitive
strategies. Then identify the Key Input factors in the first three categories.
Explain why these are the critical input factors. Then determine how congruent
the three input factors are with the strategy.
Be sure to include references. Turn in the 4- to
6-page paper by the end of the module.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
Case Expectations:
1. Discuss the organization’sstrategy and classify it
according to Porter’s three generic competitive strategies.
2. Identify the most critical inputs in each of the
first three categories and justify why they are critical. Also explain what
effect the inputs from one category have on inputs from the other categories.
How well does the strategy fit with the environmental, resource and historical
inputs you identified?
3. Make a Case for your proposition as to how the
Key Inputs support (are congruent with) the Strategy. Specifically make a
claim: “The inputs at Whole Foods Market consisting of Organizational
Environment factors, Internal Resource factors, and Historical Tradition
factors are [highly, partially, or minimally] congruent with the company’s strategy.”

4. Support your analysis with objective evidence.
Sources of information for the entire project may include interviews,
organizational documents and reports, articles in newspapers, and trade
publications. Be sure to cite your sources and provide a list of references.
Write up your report in a 4- to 6-page paper and
submit it by the end of the module.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
·
You may use a simple
diagram to highlight important factors. However, do not use the diagram in lieu
of valuable analysis (or to take up valuable writing space) – it should be in
addition to your paper of 4-6 pages of analysis.
·
Just because you have
written the minimum four pages does not mean that you have adequately covered
the topic. Err on the side of writing more rather than less.
·
Choose the data you use
carefully. Is it relevant and important?
·
Include a cover page and
reference page, in addition to the 4-6 pages of analysis described above.
·
Include headings within
the paper.
·
Cite and reference all
sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This
means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five
words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed”
or paraphrased from other sources.
Follow .trident.edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf”>TUI Guidelines for
well-written papers.

Module 4 – Background
Case: Outputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 3
Background Reading for
Case 4
In Case 4, you will continue with the
Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model to assess an organization’s outputs. Nadler and
Tushman identify outputs as existing at the individual, group, and
organizational level. They also emphasize the importance of identifying the
outputs that the organization desires vs. what is actually achieved.
Read:
Nadler, D. A. & Tushman, M. L. (1980) A
Model for Diagnosing Organizational Behavior.Organizational Dynamics, 9 (2), 35-51. Retrieved on November 7, 2012
from EBSCO.
For Case 4, focus on the Outputs aspect of this
model. Read pages 43 to 51.
Outputs are not complicated to understand. At
the Organization level, they are the products and services that are provided to
its customers. (It can also be the value provided to its owners, but we are not
going to consider this here.) The primary way that a company measures its
performance is financially: Sales, Profit, Return on Sales (ROS), Return on
Assets; and also via market share.
The organization is made up of various groups.
One way to look at groups is by functional area: marketing, operations,
purchasing, etc. Another way, if the company is large, is by its various
divisions or by its product groupings. Here it becomes a little more
complicated to measure performance, but it is possible by defining the goals
and objectives of each group.
The bottom level of the organization is the
individual. Each person has a job description and is responsible for specific
outputs for that job. The main method of performance measurement here is
individual productivity: Outputs/Inputs (e.g., widgets/hour, or reports/day).
This is more difficult to quantify and for a specific company is difficult to
obtain, since this data is not generally reported. Sometimes you can infer some
individual measures, for example, by dividing Profit by the number of total
employees, to get a measure of overall profitability per person.
There are no reading
assignments for SLP 4
However, if you need a refresher on various
theories (product life cycle, pricing, price elasticity, market saturation,
product development, etc.) there are a multitude on the Internet.
Optional Review
Materials – Once again, here is
the link to the sample Internet resource list for the course. Click .trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=86&module=0&page=custom1″>here.

Module 4 – SLP
Case: Outputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 3
BACKGROUND
In Module 4, you will continue with the scenario
and simulation you worked on in the Module 1, Module 2, and Module 3 SLPs.
REQUIRED READING
SCENARIO CONTINUATION:
It is now January 2,
2012 (again), still at the beginning of Time Warp 2. You have just completed your revised strategy
using CVP analysis, and you are ready to charge ahead. You implement your
decisions for 2012, see the results at the end of the year, and collect these
results to use later. Again, you implement the decisions you have already made
for 2013, and collect the results at the end of the year. You do the same for
2014 and 2015, hoping this time that you can finally move ahead into 2016.
It is now New Year’s Eve, 2015 — what you hope
is the end of not only Time Warp 2, but all the time warps. You have the
results of your decisions. How did you do? What was your final score? Will it
finally be 2016 when you wake up?
It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a great
New Year’s Eve celebration, you finished another four years of moving Clipboard
Tablet Company through 2012 – 2015, and are ready to charge ahead into the
future. You notice something strange (again): The TV commentator is saying
something about New Year’s Day, 2012.You are now in Time Warp 3.
Maybe you need to keep improving Clipboard
Tablet’s performance so that you can finally move ahead. Vowing to do better
this time, you decide that your best approach is to develop a four-year
strategy like you did the last time.
You analyze the results of your last set of
decisions from 2012 to 2015. You are going to use CVP analysis (and the CVP
Calculator) again to help determine a new strategy. You will get better at it.
You analyze the results from Time Warp 2 using
CVP and develop your complete four-year strategy. You decide to make notes
about your analysis and your reasoning process, just in case you have to do
this again.
You finish your report showing the strategy you
are going to use these next four years, Time Warp 3.
ASSIGNMENT
Using the strategy that you developed in SLP3,
run the simulation. Review and analyze these results (from your Time Warp 2
decisions) and develop a revised strategy for Time Warp 3. Support your revised
strategy using analysis and relevant theories.
Please turn in a 4- to 6-page paper, not
including cover and reference page.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 4 – Case
Case: Outputs Diagnosis, SLP: Time Warp 3
BACKGROUND
XCG
THE EXCELLENT CONSULTING GROUP
COMMUNICATION FROM ART:
Onward to the next project: Outputs of Whole
Foods Market. As I indicated before, this is a follow-up using the Nadler-Tushman
Congruence Model.
We need to analyze how Whole Foods Market has
been doing in terms of its performance and how it stacks up against its goals.
We will do this at three levels: the overall organizational level, the group
level, and the individual level. The Congruence Model explains this well. You
should be up to speed on this model.
The executives want to know how congruent the
outputs are across the three levels. Given your analysis of performance at each
of the three levels, are the interactions of these outputs congruent – highly,
somewhat, or very little? Make this determination and support it with a logical
argument using the information that you obtain about Whole Foods Market’s goals
and performance.
REQUIRED READING:
Nadler, D. A. & Tushman, M. L. (1980)A Model for Diagnosing
Organizational Behavior.
Organizational
Dynamics, 9 (2), 35-51.
Retrieved on November 7, 2012 from EBSCO.
CASE 4 ASSIGNMENT:
Use the Nadler-Tushman
Congruence Moduleto analyze Whole Foods
Market’s outputs. Start with the Organizational Level. Identify the Outputs –
what does it produce and sell? What are its goals? How has it been performing?
Then go the group level. What are some groups that Whole Foods Market
identifies, and the goals and performance of these groups. Finally, discuss the
Individual level. Here you will find it difficult to get much detailed
information, so identify five to seven key jobs and their outputs. How can the
performance of these jobs be measured? Finally determine the congruence of the
outputs and make a strong argument for your case.
Be sure to include references. Turn in the 5- to
7-page paper by the end of the module.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
In order to make your case you need to identify
the outputs of the organization at each of three levels. Also identify the
goals that it has set and its current performance. Include the following:
·
Outputs at the
organizational level are the products and/or services that it provides to its
customers. What are these and how does the company categorize them? How does it
measure its organizational performance (e.g., sales, net profit, return on
sales, return on assets, market share, customer satisfaction, etc.). Provide
some specific performance data.
·
What are some ways the
company identifies groups? For example, are there geographic groups (or
divisions), functional groups, etc. What are the outputs of these groups? How
does it (or how might it) measure performance of these groups?
·
What are some of the key
individual functions, and what are their outputs? How do these outputs
contribute to the group outputs? How do they measure individual performance?
·
Evaluate how the outputs
at the different levels interact with each other. Determine if you think the
congruence of the outputs is high, medium, or low. Thenmake a strong case. It is very important that you support your
position with evidence and information that you have discussed earlier in the
report.BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 5 – Background
Case: System Feedback Loops, SLP: Time Normal
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
Background Reading for
Case 5
While most of models of organizational diagnosis
that we have been exposed to in this class recognize the existence of feedback
loops, none of them really offer a thorough discussion of the complexity of
feedback or how it can be used to promote organizational improvement and
development. To get a better view of this topic, we turn to the work on systems
thinking and organizational learning. Much of this literature is based on the
work of Peter Senge, whose seminal bookThe Fifth Discipline popularized the notion that organizations are
capable of learning.
In all of the reading,
pay particular attention to the two types of Feedback Loops: Reinforcing
Feedback that causes growth, and Balancing Feedback that provides stabilizing
effects.
This first reading is a good overview.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 5 – SLP
Case: System Feedback Loops, SLP: Time Normal
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
BACKGROUND
In Module 5, you will continue with the scenario
and simulation you worked on in the Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, and Module 4
SLPs.
REQUIRED READING
SCENARIO CONTINUATION:
It is still 2012:
January 2, 2012, the beginning of Time Warp 3. You have completed your analysis and revised
strategy for the next four years. Just like the last time, you enter your
predetermined decisions each year and collect the data for future analysis.
Now it is New Year’s Eve, 2015, and you are
hoping against hope that Time Warp 3 and all time warps will soon come to an
end. You have the results of your decisions. How did you do? What was your
final score?
It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a great
New Year’s Eve celebration, you finished another four years of moving Clipboard
Tablet Co. through 2012 – 2015, and are ready to charge ahead into the future.
You turn on the TV and notice something strange (again?). The TV commentator is
saying something about New Year’s Day, 2016.You have moved ahead into 2016.
You realize that this experience has been
invaluable. You know it will help you make better decisions for Clipboard
Tablet Co. as you move forward. But before you move ahead, you want to make
sure that you have learned what you need to know.
You decide to analyze and compare the last two
Time Warp results. You want to see how this last Time Warp results compare to
the previous Time Warp results (the results from this run in SLP5 to the
results of the run in SLP4). Putting the results side by side and the decisions
side by side, you are able to analyze what happened and how the results are
different. You use CVP analysis to help you understand why the results were
different.
You think this is very important and you write
it all down so you can refer back to it later if you need to as you move
forward into 2016 and beyond.
You hope this never happens to you again, even
though you realize how valuable this experience has been.
ABUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 5 – Case
Case: System Feedback Loops, SLP: Time Normal
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=5&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
BACKGROUND
XCG
THE EXCELLENT CONSULTING GROUP
COMMUNICATION FROM ART:
Let’s wrap up this project.
So far, ABC Company and Whole Foods Market like
what we’ve been doing. I have this last project, which involves analyzing Whole
Foods Market’s feedback loops and organizational learning opportunities.
I want you to take a look at the feedback loops
in Whole Foods Market.
REQUIRED READING:
Refer to the background reading on System
Feedback Loops.
CASE 5 ASSIGNMENT:
Identify one Balancing Loop and one Reinforcing
Loop. These feedback loops should be critical to Whole Foods Market’s
performance and success. You should have a good idea of what these are from
your previous analysis.
Explain each one of these loops – what are the
causal factors and how do they affect each other. For the Reinforcing Loop,
look for an area where there is growth. For the Balancing Loop, look for goal
behavior. Once you have identified and explained these critical feedback loops,
identify how Whole Foods Market has generated organizational learning, and how
they can go further and generate additional organizational learning. What do
they need to do to improve their performance further?
Be sure to include references. Turn in the 5- to
6-page paper by the end of the module.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
This is what you need to do:
1. Determine the two critical feedback loops.
Describe each Feedback Loop that you identify in your organization and explain
why you selected them.Make sure you explain the Loop, the cause and effect process
within the Loop. You could also include
aCausal
Loop Diagram. If you do, show the
arrows and direction of effect (+ or -). Also, determine what the warrant is
for your case.
2. Briefly discuss the theory of organizational
learning so that you provide a summary of this information to the executives –
establish this as common ground.
3. Identify the learning activities in each
feedback loop that Whole Foods Market has already undertaken.
4. Identify the opportunities for organizational
learning in each Feedback Loop. Make a Case that these are learning
opportunities. Logically show how the feedback process provides an opportunity
for the organization to learn and improve its performance. Be precise. Depth
and breadth in your discussion is always a good thing.TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
·
You may use a simple
diagram to highlight important factors. However, do not use the diagram in lieu
of valuable analysis (or to take up valuable writing space) – it should be in
addition to your paper of 5-6 pages of analysis.
·
J

BUS599 – MBA Integrative Project
Module 6 – Home
Integration and Reflection
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=6&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=6&page=essay”>.jpg” alt=”Reflective essay”>