Answer each of the questions below. Each question is worth five marks. Limit your answer s to approximately 150 words each.
1.
Define “issue management” and “crisis management.” Support your definitions with at least one example for each concept.
2.
In the form of corporate communication that existed before the information age, what was “unidirectional communication”? What implications did it have for corporate communication?
3.
Define “innovation” from a strategic management perspective. Support your definition with at least one possible example of managerial innovation.
4.
What is “strategic flexibility”?
5.
Describe, using examples, one significant barrier to change within an organization.
6.
Describe the “vision” and “crisis management” schools of thought in change management.
Short Answer Questions
Answer each of the questions below. Each question is worth five marks. Limit your answers to approximately 150 words each.
1. How is “pre–emptive planning” important to organizational issue and crisis management?
2. Explain three of the effects of information technologies on corporate communication.
3. Conduct a brief personal SWOT exercise. What do you currently face in terms of SWOT in your professional life?
4. What is the purpose of a mission statement? In your estimation, are they generally effective? Explain.
5. Briefly explain the steps of Hurst’s organizational ecocycle and discuss how they relate to organizational change.
6. In Flach’s model of response to change, at which two stages do people commonly get “stuck”? Explain.
Case Study Questions
Respond to each of the case studies presented below. Each case study is worth twenty marks. Your responses should include references to the relevant theories, models and concepts discussed in Units 1–6. Use examples to illustrate your points, and review the section of this manual titled “Writing Essays” before starting. Limit the length of each essay to between 1000 and 1200 words.
1. Case Study: Agridex Industries
Context
Agridex Industries has grown out of the amalgamation of more than twenty small–scale producers of pork. Originally, each of the companies operated independently, and established its own standards and competitive methods. Five years ago, in the face of global competition, three of the companies amalgamated to establish a competitive scale. They had the right idea, but the wrong scale. Within another year they sought additional investors, and began to accumulate a number of small pork production companies. Within four years, they had grown to eight times the scale they had originally anticipated.
During this period, there were considerable changes. Some of the buy–outs of smaller companies were hostile. Some of the newly acquired production capacity was not needed, and some was plainly in violation of the environmental standards of the community. Although the company made the right competitive moves and gained considerable market share in the growing Asian market, it came under scrutiny from environmentalists, residents near facilities and government agencies.
Situation
Agridex is consolidating its pork production facilities into three centres. Each one will be larger than any previously existing facility in the country. The application for the development of the centres will require approval for water withdrawal and for effluent management.
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Nearby residents are afraid that their quality of life will be harmed by water and soil pollution and by odours.
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Environmentalists are concerned because this proposal looks like the beginning of mega–production agriculture centres that will threaten the balance of nutrients in many watersheds.
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Others in the industry are concerned because this development may disrupt traditional lifestyles, and may create competitive imbalances and loss of employment.
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The owners of the company feel that they are already meeting what ought to be required of them and that their proposed plants include the best possible facilities and waste management processes.
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Government standards had not anticipated facilities of this order, and regulators are concerned about the precedent they may establish.
Agridex is playing a winning hand in Asia, but stands to lose millions if it cannot get the new facilities developed within two years. Its position in the Asian market may be jeopardized, and the ongoing costs of the twelve locations it currently operates are too high.
Questions:
1.
What would you propose for objectives for the consultation process?
2.
Who are the stakeholder communities?
3.
What communication strategy would you adopt for the stakeholders during Stage 1 of the decision process?
4.
What communication strategy would you adopt for the stakeholders during Stage 2 of the decision process?
5.
What options should the company be prepared to discuss with stakeholders?
6.
How (if at all) should the media be included in this process?
7.
What role will managers at the existing plants play?
8.
Which decision makers will use the stakeholder input?
9.
What interest groups might be involved in this consultation? How will their involvement affect the consultation?
10.
Is public consultation necessary in this situation? If not, why not? What other communication strategies would you recommend?
2. Case Study: Your Organization
Analyse an organization with which you are familiar. You may have to conduct a few interviews to get the information you need to answer the questions below.
1.
What is the mission of the organization? Critique the mission statement. What are its strengths? Can you suggest ways in which it could be improved?
2.
Does this organization have a specific vision of where it will be in three years? Are employees aware of the vision? Do employees find that this vision helps them make service decisions?
3.
Does the organization have a set of values (ethics, principles) by which everyone conducts business? If it does not, is there a need for such values? If it does, do people believe the values or perceive them to be empty words?
4.
Describe five trends that you expect to have a significant effect on this organization in the next five years.
5.
Describe five major customer segments that this organization serves. Which of these customer segments would be the most likely target at which services should be aimed? Does the organization currently target any of its products or services?
6.
How well does the communication approach in this organization support strategic thinking? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the communication approach from a strategic point of view?
7.
If you were designing a communication approach that would help create a strategic culture in the organization, what would you recommend? What information do you think people need most to enhance their ability and motivation to think and act strategically?
8.
What advice would you give corporate leaders to help them move the organization to a more strategic approach?
