Assignment

Leadership and the Management of Strategic Change at Sainbury.

The assessment of this module challenges all students to translate leadership and management theory into practice. The brief example of Tesco scenario above provides the vehicle for introducing the assessment. Students will critically examining the theories and concepts covered over the course of the semester through a case study of their choice. Demonstrating the depth of their knowledge and understanding of leadership and the management of strategic change.

This assessment is based upon application of course concepts and models to a contemporary case study of your choice. The selected case study should be an organisation/ business/ third sector that have gone through significant change within the last 10 years.

Taking the role of a management consultant, you have been requested to provide a report to help the leadership team of the organisation to improve their leadership and management of strategic change.

Your task is first to analyse the approach to leadership within the specific contemporary business or organisation during the period of transformational change, or paradigm shift. It is important to identify important challenges faced by the leadership and to critically evaluate the outcome of the leadership style and approach in the organisation/ business. (Support your briefing paper with reference to a significant range of leadership and organisational development theories.)

Your conclusions and recommendations will provide a practical approach to the outcomes of the theories used, including specific insights into how the case study organisation could adopt new approaches to leadership and managing strategic change

The answer should include an understanding of leadership topics such as;

• trait/ behaviour,

• contingency/ situational

• Transformational theories including issues such as change management, organisational culture, leaders as strategic learner etc.

• Transformational change and paradigm shifts will be a particular focus of the answer.

Leadership, management style, globalisation, organisational culture, organisational structure, power and politics, leaders as strategic learners, change management are likely to be addressed. It is also important to identify and evaluate how knowledge of leadership and or and organisational development can improve a manager's efficiency and effectiveness in managing an enterprise.

Tips: Demonstration of a clear understanding of the issues. Use of academic theories and models. Critique of a range of leadership, change, culture and management models/approaches Practical and pragmatic conclusions and recommendations.