Leadership

Assessement 2

The Price Waterhouse professional video explores the decision by a computer hardware supplier to upgrade its own IT systems. The video explores the interactions between various managers, board of director members and key employees. As such the video though focusing on an IT strategy explores a number of key organisation behaviour and managerial issues, many covered in this course. Key issues include; interpersonal skills which cover, communicating and understanding others, managing up and politics at work (influencing), conflict management, negotiation, team work (or lack of it), the impact of various Bolman and Deal frames, even motivation of various staff to come on board with the new system.

It is very rare to find a case study let alone a video case that has such a rich variety of topic areas. Change management and leadership could also be considered in this case study but these are not the key focus of this course.

URL LINKS

Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxde1aymyDI

Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEw2pGOFO30

Part 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95i0rgCDswc

Part 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQMlfOvGLZA

This last video provides a breakdown of the PriceWaterhouse solution regarding an IT solution. This is not the focus of the case analysis from a People and Organisation perspective but does give you some insight into the ‘quick solution’ consulting -non organisation behaviour informed approaches often offered by Consulting Firms in the 1990’s when IT was the solution to every organisation issue.

The Assessment Task Requirement is the following (taken from the Course Guide for this Semester Includes additional details of word limit and structure):

Assessment Task 2: CLN Group case study analysis

Structure of Report: Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Business Report – consisting – Introduction, Case Analysis, Identification of Key areas People & Organisation Systems, Processes, and Practices needing to be addressed, Recommendations (Detailed, Justified, Indicated value and benefit created), Conclusion to Report. References, Appendices (supporting documents, analyses, etc).
Further information will be provided in class sessions.

The written report aims to help participants understand their learnings from the course through application to management practice. It specifically addresses the learning objectives related to understanding the political frame, interpersonal skills, working with difficult people, and managing conflict.
The case study provides an enactment of an organisation undergoing a change project that allows students to apply concepts and theories outlined in the learning objectives. The assessment addresses program objectives related to preparing work ready graduates.

Students are expected to prepare a written analysis of the case which describes behaviours and critical incidents, and uses relevant literature to classify these and draw inferences about managing others. A range of literature is to be used as means of supporting observations and statements.

Two perspectives are to be chosen from the following: the political frame, communication, gaining and using power, negotiation, and managing conflict.