Trident BUS599 Module 2 case and slpModule 2 – Background
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
Case 2
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.
Required Reading:
Download and read this white paper by Falletta
about OD models. Salvatore Falletta, President and CEO of Leadersphere, has
written a white paper that reviews several commonly used models of
organizational diagnosis. You will use several of these models in conducting
your integrative Case project.The relevant part of this paper in terms of this
class is the first 31 pages. The last part of the paper (pp. 32-43) deals with the theoretical
foundations of the Burke & Litwin model, Falletta’s Organizational
Intelligence Model; this is optional reading. We are not covering Falletta’s
Organizational Intelligence Model.
Falletta, S. V. (2005) Organizational Diagnostic
Models: A Review and Synthesis. Retrieved November 7, 2012 from .leadersphere.com/img/OrgmodelsR2009.pdf”>http://www.leadersphere.com/img/OrgmodelsR2009.pdf
Falletta provides an overview of Open Systems
Theory (OST) in his paper (pp. 8 & 9). Keep in mind that OST is not an OD
model, but rather a basis for most of the later models. For a deeper
understanding, go to the following optional reading and read about systems,
systems thinking, and organizations as open systems. You will see that
businesses are not unlike living organisms: they depend on the environment for
sustenance; they comprise multiple, mutually dependent parts; and they affect
the environment in the course of their daily activities. Open Systems Theory
provides valuable insights into organizations.
Optional Reading
National Defense University,Systems Thinking and
Learning Organizations,Retrieved
November 7, 2012 from .au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt1ch4.html”>http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt1ch4.html
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 of articles on the Internet.
Optional Review
Materials
Once again, a small sample of Internet materials
that may help you throughout the course can be accessed by clicking .trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=86&module=0&page=custom1″>here, and can serve
as a complement to previous course materials. You are encouraged to supplement
this list if you need additional refreshers.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 2 – SLP
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
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.

ASSIGNMENT
Run the .com/simulate/jelson/tablet-development-sim-1/simulation/#p=page0″>Clipboard Tablet Co. simulation
with your strategy, making decisions year by year for prices and R&D
allocations. Write a 4- to 6-page paper, not including cover and reference
page, in which you:
Write a report that shows your decisions and the
results. Discuss why you did better or worse than Joe Schmoe.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT
The key aspects of this
assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your
paper include:
·
As you run the
simulation, keep track of your decisions and the results – both financial and
marketing. Copy and paste the results into Excel or into a Word document. You
can also record the information that you get from the Advisor who discusses the
market and compares Clipboard Tablet Co. products to the competition. Make note
of the Final Total Score.
·
You should include your
Final Total Score, some tables, and/or graphs showing some of the results. Be
sure to explain the differences clearly, using good logic.
·
Remember that the key
here is analysis.
·
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 begins:
January 1, 2016 warps into January 1, 2012.
·
You realize you have to
make decisions for 2012 – 2015.
·
January 2, 2012 – input
decisions for 2012.
·
January 2, 2013 – input
decisions for 2013.
·
January 2, 2014 – input
decisions for 2014.
·
January 2, 2015 – input
decisions for 2015.
·
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.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS
Your paper will be
evaluated on the following seven points:
·
Breadth – Is the full
breadth of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
·
Depth – Does the paper
address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background reading and
other background resources as references?
·
Critical thinking – Is
the subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically,
relevantly, and precisely?
·
Clarity – Is the writing
clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis
of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points
conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
·
Organization – Is the
paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for
graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?

·
Referencing (citations
and references) – Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where
appropriate? Are the references from the background reading and assignment
present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography
present and referred to via citation?
·
Application – Are the
concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject?
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
Please note the
following tips and suggestions:
·
Include a cover page and
reference page, in addition to the 4-6 pages of analysis described above.
·
Include headings for all
papers greater than two pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings
as “space fillers.”
·
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.

BUS599 – MBA Integrative
Project
Module 2 – Case
Case: Organizational Diagnosis, SLP: Time
Warp!!
.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=home”>.jpg” alt=”Introduction”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=bkg”>.jpg” alt=”Background information”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=case”>.jpg” alt=”Case assignment”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=slp”>.jpg” alt=”Session long project”>.trident.edu/CourseHomeModule.aspx?course=456&term=114&module=2&page=objectives”>.jpg” alt=”Objectives”>
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.
REQUIRED READING:
Download and read this white paper by Falletta about
OD models. Salvatore Falletta, President and CEO of Leadersphere, has written a
white paper that reviews several commonly used models of organizational
diagnosis. You will use several of these models in conducting your integrative
Case project.The relevant part of this paper in terms of this class is the
first 31 pages. The last part of the
paper (pp. 32-43) deals with the theoretical foundations of the Burke &
Litwin model, Falletta’s Organizational Intelligence Model; reading that is
optional. We are not covering Falletta’s Organizational Intelligence Model.
Falletta, S. V. (2005) Organizational Diagnostic
Models: A Review and Synthesis. Retrieved November 7, 2012 from .leadersphere.com/img/OrgmodelsR2009.pdf”>http://www.leadersphere.com/img/OrgmodelsR2009.pdf
Falletta provides an overview of Open Systems
Theory (OST) in his paper (pp. 8 & 9). Keep in mind that OST is not an OD
model, but rather a basis for most of the later models. For a deeper
understanding, go to the following optional reading and read about systems,
systems thinking, and organizations as open systems. You will see that
businesses are not unlike living organisms:they depend on the environment for
sustenance; they comprise multiple, mutually dependent parts; and they affect
the environment in the course of their daily activities. Open Systems Theory
provides valuable insights into organizations.
Optional Reading
National Defense University,Systems Thinking and
Learning Organizations,Retrieved
November 7, 2012 from .au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt1ch4.html”>http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt1ch4.html
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
2 ASSIGNMENT:
There is some disagreement in the Executive
ranks as to which OD method or model should be used. Some executives have
familiarity with a couple of models, but it seems to be only based on what they
have read or heard about. You need to explore some models and determine their
strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately recommend which one is best for Whole
Foods Market. As part of making that determination, you will also need to
identify several critical issues facing Whole Foods Market.
The executives want you to include the7S model, the Congruence
Model, and the Burke-Litwin Model in your analysis. Pickthree or four more models to include for a well-rounded group of OD
models.
Prepare a report in which you include the
following:
1. A brief overview of what each of the six or
seven models you are analyzing does.
2. Clearly identify the strengths and weaknesses of
each model.
3. Identify and discuss two or three issues that
Whole Foods Market is facing.
4. Determine which model you think is the best one
to use.
5. Recommend which model to use.Make a Strong Case. Explain why your selection would be the best
choice, and how the recommended model can be used to help diagnose the issues
you have identified.
This should be a 5- to 7-page paper (not
including Title Page and References).
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS
Your paper will be
evaluated on the following seven points:
·
Precision – Does the
paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
·
Breadth – Is the full
breadth of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
·
Depth – Does the paper
address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background reading and
other background resources as references?
·
Critical thinking – Is
the subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically,
relevantly, and precisely?
·
Clarity – Is the writing
clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis
of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points
conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
·
Organization – Is the
paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for
graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?

·
Referencing (citations
and references) – Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where
appropriate? Are the references from the background reading and assignment
present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography
present and referred to via citation?
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 5-7 pages of analysis.
·
Just because you have
written the minimum five 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 5-7 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.