Question: Julia & Tim Forsyth have been approached by two large travel companies who are interested in acquiring the business. They have done some research into the potential buyers; one of them, Elizabeth's Travel, has a reputation for being highly efficient and very profitable with a prescriptive approach in relation to the management of employees. The other company, Solarsoft, is a complete contrast. It was originally a travel industry software company that has diversifiedinto general travel services and utilises a softer, flexible management style. The Forsyths are not certain that they want to be acquired, but if they do they need to consider which company will be most appropriate for them.

Julia & Tim have been impressed by Lee's contribution to the business since he joined in July 2017 and he has been included in discussions with them in relation to the potential buy-out in addition to concerns expressed about the types of management styles adopted by Elizabeth's Travel and Solarsoft.

Lee, after some reflection, considered that he had acquired the skills and knowledge base whilst studying for his degree to undertake some research and critically evaluate the management styles of the two companies.

His initial research indicated that Elizabeth's Travel is run very efficiently and mechanistically with clear lines of demarcation in relation to jobs, time keeping and absences tightly monitored and overall a ‘top down' approach to management. Elizabeth's Travel is very prescriptive (possibly obsessive) about how its staff do their jobs. On the other hand Solarsoft appears to be more concerned with results than the method, resulting in a more relaxed approach to the management of its employees. Staff are encouraged to participate in decision making.

Lee suggested to the Forsyths that he could undertake some more detailed academic research and write up his findings in order to help them evaluate the potential scenarios of a take-over. They appreciated the offer and accepted.

The Task: You (in the role of Lee) are required to write an essay of up to 3,000 words which investigates and critically analyses the concepts of Scientific Management and the Human Relations approach followed by an evaluation of the likely impact of acquisition of bothupon Forsyth Travel.

• Using third party sources (academic literature) for support, analyse the theoretical concepts of Scientific Management and the Human Relations approach. Include referenced examples from modern day organisations to illustrate your discussion.• From your research determine the nature of people management at Elizabeth's Travel and Solarsoft. Support statements with referenced evidence.• Conclude with an informed evaluation as to how the different management styles of Elizabeth's Travel and Solarsoft might impact upon ForsythTravel taking into account the type and size of the business.

As part of your preparation for the essay you will take part in an assessed tutorial, where you will need to be prepared to discuss different aspects of both schools of thought. This is an early opportunity for you to test the extent of and make improvements to your knowledge and understanding.

Notes: • Use credible references

• Be sure to paraphrase (and make sure that you know what this really means)

• Ensure that you use speech marks for all quotes; do not overuse quotes

• Use the Harvard system for referencing; as well as the Harvard style, you should include both in-text references and an end-of-text list of references

• Considerable reading and research is required for this assignment, and you should make a start immediately and plan for regular work. Leaving the assignment to the last few days is highly likely to result in a submission that lacks the detailed understanding and analysis required.

Assessment Structure Guidance

Details / Guidance

Introduction: A brief introduction to the essay (approximately 250 -300 words) based upon the assessment brief. Write in the third person (avoid "I").

Literature Review: Using third party sources (e.g. academic literature) for support, analyse the theoretical concepts of Scientific Management and the Human Relations School of Thought. Be analytical rather than descriptive.

Discussion: Discuss and evaluate the concepts in relation to modern day management.

Conclusions: This section should pull together the main points from your analysis/discussion. It should summarise what hasbeen learned from the research. No new information should be presented in the conclusion.

Reference List: Provide a list of the academic sources you have consulted and which are cited directly in the text.

All these sources should be properly cited using the Harvard style (see Study Hub/AIR).