Assignment Scenario

You are employed as senior manager in a regional chain of bookstores. Due to changes in patterns of bookselling and the move to online buying and electronic books, the managing director is considering making changes to the business model that will:
• Widen the product range in store to improve profitability and viability whilst reducing the current high levels of existing stock held
• Make stores more efficient and lower costs by optimising staff numbers and roles
• Develop the online presence of the company to widen the market and improve market share
• Change the ambience of the store so customers can have coffee and, if they wish, join a book club which will meet monthly to discuss a book that members have read

Achieving these aims and objectives will involve:
• Movement of some staff from customer-facing roles in stores to online sales management roles at head office
• Expansion of head office operations to manage the expanded online presence
• Development and improvement of it systems to meet the needs of expanded online selling
• Closure of some stores which may involve redundancy or redeployment of staff
• Redesign of remaining stores to include other book-related products and cafés
• Providing spaces for the monthly discussion group
• Retraining of staff for new and different roles

You have been asked to focus on the change and look at how it can be managed effectively to involve all stakeholders and to develop a change strategy to meet the given business aims and objectives.
You need to write a report explaining models/frameworks for change, suggesting how stakeholder involvement can be ensured and setting out a strategy for change. You should carry out some research into the organisations that sell books and the bookselling industry in general. This will provide a greater understanding of the business and inform your answers.

Task 1
The managing director needs an understanding of the models or frameworks for strategic change in organisations and how they can support the changes that need to be made.
The first section of your report must:

• Analyse the factors that have brought about the strategic change in the organisation, the implications of not responding to these and a justification of the need for change
• Evaluate a range of models of strategic change that could be used to support the organisation through the changes
• Assess the benefits to organisations of using models or frameworks to support them through change

Extension activity
To achieve a Distinction, you must also support your findings with an analysis of how a named organisation has used the frameworks or models to support strategic change.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
LO1 AC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1D1
LO3 AC 3.1

Task 2
The managing director knows that change is unlikely to be successful unless stakeholders understand the reasons for change and the change process so they are committed to it.
In the second section of your report, you must:
• Assess the different approaches that could be used to involve the internal and external stakeholders in the planned changes
• Assess the impact on the change process of the demands made by different internal and external stakeholders
• Evaluate the causes of resistance to change that could affect the success of the changes

Extension activity
To achieve a Merit, you must also analyse management techniques that can be used to manage the resistance to change.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
LO2 AC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2M1

Task 3
In the final section of your report, you need to develop a change strategy which will achieve the aims and objectives of the organisation. Your strategy must:
• Use suitable models or frameworks
• Evaluate measures and systems that could be used to monitor the progress and effectiveness of the change strategy

Extension activity
To achieve a Merit, you must also assess the role of the leader in creating and implementing a change strategy.
To achieve a Distinction, you must also recommend ways to overcome potential issues encountered when implementing change strategy.
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
LO3 AC 3.2, 3.3, 3M1, 3D1