...identified could have been minimized by different communication strategies. According to the case study, Sundown Bakery has been experiencing turmoil between its management and employees. The major catalysts of the situation involved newly hired operations manager Has Mickelson's decision to impose new rules on matters such as the compulsory use of uniforms and the introduction of an employee manual. The true nature of the problem can be attributed to Mickelson's inability to consider and acclimate to needs of Sundown's communication processes and the context to which they were previously communicating. Here we will analyze likely causes of the bakery's employee resentment over changes that have been implemented by management in respect to the communication process, context and noise. We will then derive different strategies that could have minimized the nature of the problem. Understanding the communication process is an important part of achieving effective communication and avoiding barriers that would prevent it to flow freely in the organization. It involves a sender, message, medium (channel), receiver and feedback. By analysing the case study, we have interpreted that the issue arose mainly due to incorrect ways of handling the medium aspect of the process. The medium aspect relates to the channels used to convey information from the sender to the receiver. In Sundown Bakery's case, this has been improperly handled by the operations manager who chose to distribute the important...
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...Laurentian Bakeries Case Study Cases in Financial Management Case Synopsis Founded in 1984 Laurentian Bakeries Inc. operates in the industry of manufacturing a vast variety of frozen baked products within their three operating plants in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto. The operating plants produce items such as frozen pizza in Winnipeg, MB, pies in Montreal, QC and Cakes in Toronto, ON- with each representing 30%, 30% and 40% of the total revenue stream respectively. The buyers for this company include large institutional clients such domino’s pizza, etc. which have a significantly higher level of power whereas the seller of the products consists of several food producers which have a relatively low level of power. With the cost of setting up a plant of this scale being high, substitute products will also remain high in the market causing the overall profit margin to be low. With the company’s ongoing effort for continuous improvement Danielle Knowles (VP of operations) proposed to expand one of the operating plants in Winnipeg-which was based on the opportunity if the company expanded into the U.S. market. Statement The statement of the problem is how Danielle Knowles will prepare a capital project expenditure proposal to expand the company’s frozen pizza plant in Winnipeg; which is consistent and in line with the company’s capital allocation policy. The proposal should also satisfy the company’s continuous effort for improvement, identification of lost...
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...Capacity Needs Biddy’s Bakery was started as a hobby for Elizabeth and her friends and not with the intent to be a big business. Elizabeth’s business had a slow start and operated at a loss for the first few years. When Elizabeth moved her business into a larger building, she did not consider decreases in future profits and customers. When business started out to be slow and then increased slowly, Elizabeth should have taken that as a sign not to be too aggressive in her approach to obtain more space. It would have been a different situation if business would have increased consistently from the time it became known. The expansion to the storage area in the initial location of Biddy’s was a smart decision. It allowed there to be extra space while not taking too much of a risk. “Capacity planning is the process of projecting future capacity needs based on current company use and industry trends. For example, the gradual increase of a production workforce in response to an increase in product demand is capacity planning. A company invests significant resources into capacity planning, including the purchase of new equipment and the leasing of new facilities. Understanding the advantages of capacity planning can help justify the costs” (Anderson). The following are elements that Elizabeth should have considered when evaluating capacity needs before moving into the larger facility: Monitor Costs If Elizabeth would have taken into account facilities, personnel...
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...Laurentian Bakeries Capital Allocation Policy Recommendation Capital Allocation Policy purpose Strategic plan Reinforce the management philosophies by achieving certain objective that all projects be consistent with business strategies, support continuous improvement, consider the human resource and environmental impact, and provide a sufficient return on investment. company background and case summary identify and quantify inefficient or lost opportunities and establish targets for their elimination Capital Allocation Policy Operating Plan identify major continuous improvement initiatives and budget for the associated benefits Capital Allocation Policy Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) present the project's linkage to the business strategies. include specific details of economic and engineering, involvement and empowerment, human resource, environment. Cost of Capital (WACC) Net Present Value Questions? Thank you! Laurentian Bakeries Inc established in 1984 manufactured a variety of frozen baked food products at plants in Winnipeg (Pizzas), Toronto (Cakes) and Montreal (Pies) In late May, 1995, Danielle Knowles, vice president of operations for Laurentian Bakeries Inc prepared a capital expenditure proposal to increase capacity in the company's frozen pizza plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in order to expand in the US market three year plan of capital requirements The first year of this Strategic Plan becomes the annual Operating Plan. identify major continuous improvement ...
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...Assignment1: Biddy`s Bakery Case Study Odontuya Erdenebileg Bus 515 Professor, Dr. Travis Davidson July 18, 2012 Explain the challenge Elizabeth faced in meeting her capacity needs and what she should have considered before moving into the larger facility. However, initially sales were slow at the beginning, after a few years Biddy`s Bakery began to attract an attention of customers thus, first floor of “Biddy`s” home couldn`t provide all demand. Therefore, Elizabeth decided to move larger facility. After Biddy`s Bakery moved into larger facility which is more capacity than needed, Elizabeth noticed that her sales volume had not been met with what she expected and she was paying for a facility with unused space. In my opinion, she should have calculate carefully how larger facility needs for Biddy`s Bakery, how much costs the location, and whether she can make more sales than now she is doing. In other words she needed to consider Capacity Planning. Capacity planning is the process used to determine how much capacity is needed in order to manufacture greater product or begin production of a new product. (Burack, E.H & Cassell, F. H. 1967). If she had considered it before moving into larger facility, she might choose the different place which is more convenient for Biddy`s Bakery`s capacity and thus, they were not spend money for useless expense. Business might have been successful. Determine what`s wrong with the proposal made by the team of the business...
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...The case study discusses challenges that the Iggy’s Bread of the world are experiencing ensuring effective leadership while maintain the culture of the organization. Igor and his wife Ludmilla Ivanovic both started the Pain d’Avignon bakery with no previous in baking. Passion, motivation, and dedication enabled the bakery to grow at an unprecedented rate. Upon insisting on using only organic ingredients, the Ivanovics and their partners seemed to be going in different directions and consequently decided to sell their share of the bakery and start a new one where they can continue their business journey. Iggy’s Bread of the World was established and in just six months, and no marketing, the bakery generated revenues over $1.5 million. As they became more successful, new challenges arose. Challenges included hiring new employees, assigning a management team, and making decisions concerning expansion. As they grew bigger, the Ivanovic lost control over day to day operations and new management team led by Matthew McRae – the appointed COO took over. Tensions began to rise as the new management team were looked at as outsiders who were attempting to change the culture set by the owners. Employees perceived the new management team as uncaring and inconsiderate of the family culture. The Ivanovics must thoroughly analyze the credibility and qualifications of the new management team. All new employees including any executive member is required to embrace the culture of the business...
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...Question 1: Explain the theoretical rationale for the NPV approach to investment appraisal and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the NPV approach to two other commonly used approaches. (30 marks) After reading the ‘Laurentian Bakeries’ case study, answer the following question: Question 2: Appraise Laurentian Bakeries’ expansion into the US frozen pizza market. (70 marks) You should answer Question 1 of this assignment in no more than 1000 words. The examiner would expect to see a detailed discussion of the theoretical rationale for the NPV rule. Note that describing the properties of NPV does not count as an explanation of the theoretical rationale. For Question 2, the examiner would be keen to find out if you have a clear understanding of the case study and the technique for calculating the NPV of a project. On the next page is a copy of the assessment sheet the examiner will use in order to arrive at a mark. You should answer Question 2 in no more than 1500 words. 1. Did the coursework demonstrate a clear understanding of the case study? (a) Were the assumptions made by the student appropriate? Assumptions on the incremental cash flows that would arise from the expansion of the operations in The US:Example:A. The market value of the site and existing building.B. Demolition costs and site clearance.D. Lost earnings on other products due to executive time spent on the new facility.G. the reduction in the corporation’s tax bill resulting from tax depreciation of the...
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...Running head: PANERA BREAD CASE ANALYSIS Panera Bread Case Analysis LaToya Melvin Davenport University BUSN 520 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 3 LITERATURE REVIEW Synopsis of the Situation 4 Key Issues 4 Define the Problem & the Opportunity 6 Alternative Solutions 6 Selected Solution 7 Implementation/Recommendations 7 CONCLUSIONS 7 WORKS CITED 8 Abstract This case study focuses on the market analysis for the Panera Bread Company. The case will examine five components; the synopsis, key issues, problem and opportunity, alternative solutions, selected solution, and implementation/recommendations. Throughout the case, questions will arise as Panera faces challenges in the growth and the operation of the business that will include such issues as marketing, pricing and factors within its consumer base. Literature Review Synopsis Panera Bread is a company founded in 1982, named Au Bon Pain at that time by Louis Kane and Ron Shaich. Panera Bread goal was to offer the best quality product and to be nationally recognized by its bakery-café specialty. Panera Bread’s strategy is to make great bread and to make it broadly available, being the bread experts in the industry. They service consumers-on-the-go, who...
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...Case 7. HIT AND MISS MANUFACTURING: A Star is Born The head of HR department, Atty. Mila Bravo was directed by the company president to act as leader of a committee whose task is to revise and update the current compensation scheme of the company. The President designated the following as members of the committee: 1. the accountant 2. the executive secretary 3. an employee in one of the operating units 4. an officer of the labor union 5. the internal auditor 6. a representative from the public During the first meeting, the seven members were all present. The president made a briefing regarding the purpose of the group, the circumstances that lead to the formation of the group, and his expectations about the group’s output. The group proceeded to determine the various factors relevant to the determination of the rates of the various jobs. Most of the members of the committee, however, cannot devote the time required to finish the job within the time frame indicated by the committee’s effectiveness. The first two meetings were held without much fuss. Everybody was given the opportunity to air his or her views about the various matters forwarded for discussion. For one reason or another, the accountant failed to appear in the succeeding meetings. He never attempted to explain his position to the committee leader or to any member, but his body language indicated that he was too busy doing more important concerns or the president...
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...European energy markets. - Ongoing research in General Management, Organizational Behavior, Technology and Operations Management, and Entrepreneurial Management. - ERC case interviews and field research in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, Selected events: Glocoll Program on campus; MBA events in Munich, Frankfurt, Paris and London; the European Area Conference; CSR Conference in Brussels; EAB meeting in Milan; L'Etudiant Conference in Paris; ELC Meeting in Geneva. It is with mixed feelings that we say farewell to our Research Associate, Mr. Karol Misztal. Karol first joined the ERC in 2010, and quickly became a valuable member of our team. We are thankful for his contributions to our organization and, undeniably, he will be deeply missed. Please join us in wishing Karol the very best of luck and success in all his future endeavors. We were also very fortunate to welcome two outstanding Harvard College students to the ERC team for a two-month internship: Ms. Nina Chen and Mr. Roland Yang. We would like to thank them for their great work and we wish them all the best for their future careers! br> And to all of you, Happy Holidays and best wishes for 2014! Newly Released Cases Case study "FX Risk Hedging at EADS" Co-authored with Professor Carl Kester, FIN, this case describes how, in 2008, EADS, the European aerospace group that owns Airbus, was faced with the decision of how best to hedge against the risks stemming from a large and...
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... Super Bakery, founded by Franco Harris in 1983, has developed into a virtual corporation in which only core strategic functions are actually performed in house. The remaining activities , such as distribution, selling and manufacturing, are outsourced to specific external companies. The implementation of this virtual strategy, and several other unique tactics, helped Super Bakery increase their sales and productivity in the years following. However, when implementing a virtual corporation, there are several risks involved which management was well aware of. The wide variety of costs involved with serving such a broad range of customers proved to be problematic. Super Bakery decided to implement an ABC costing system, whose main focus is capturing cost by customer order rather than by a specific product. Consumptions of costs are recorded directly when then occur, or through the use of cost drivers as needed. Super Bakery uses historical costs when actual costs or unavailable, and costs drivers when historical cost and direct costing are unattainable. Super Bakery uses specific responsibility centers for those functions they perform in house, and other arm’s length centers for outsourced activities. Through the use of the company’s relational database, Super Bakery is able to examine costs incurred by several different fields, and evaluate such costs based on profitability and performance of different parts of the business. B) The ABC system adopted by Super Bakery proved...
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...beginning of the 21st century, its CEO/ Chairman, Yang-Ho Cho undertook various transformation initiatives - for instance, improving service quality and safety standards, technology integration, upgrading pilot training, better business focus; putting in place a professional management team, improving corporate image through sponsorship marketing, etc. He gave a new corporate direction in the form of '10,10,10' goal. However, Korean Air is held up by a slew of challenges. Among which are inefficiencies of - Chaebol system of management, possible clash of its cargo business with its own shipping company, limited focus on the domestic market and growing competition from LCCs. How would Korean Air manage growth as a family-owned conglomerate? The case offers enriching scope for analysing a family business’s turnaround strategies, with all the legacy costs involved. Pedagogical Objectives • To discuss the (operational) dynamics of Korean Chaebols - their influence/ effects on the country’s industrial sector and the economy as a whole • To analyse how family-owned businesses manage the transition phase - from a supplier-driven economy to a demanddriven economy • To identify all the possible reasons for Korean Air ’s turbulent times and assessing whether they are controllable or not • To critically evaluate Korean Air ’s transformation efforts - in terms of growth, productivity and cost cuts, especially the efficacy of '10,10,10' goal in a family-run business • To identify various challenges...
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...1. How do changes in the demographic makeup of Sundown Bakery reflect transformation of the larger workforce? Consider the following dimensions of culture as you describe the impact of culture on communication within the company: high and low context styles, individualism and collectivism, and power distance. Answer The changes in the demographic makeup of Sundown Bakery precisely reflect the transformation of the larger workforce. In addition, Carol and Bruce hired three employees to be in charge of running the Sundown Bakery. The three persons came from El Salvador and France respectively. So, with an expanding business, they hired new employees to work in this company. Recently, Sundown hired workers from seven different countries so they have different national backgrounds and cultures which reflect transformation of the larger workforce in the demographic makeup of the company. So we should concern the impact of different cultures on communication. Analysis Small | Large | Sundown | * National background. [Similar] * Culture. [Similar] * Language. [Similar] * Education. [Similar] * Age. [Similar] Homogeneous | * National background. [Different] * Culture. [Different] * Language. [Different] * Education. [Different] * Age. [Different]Heterogeneous | 2. How would you describe the early organizational culture of Sundown? How has the culture changed as the company grew? Answer a. The early organizational culture of Sundown has a sociable environment...
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...contemporary organizational issue you find intriguing. Use one field site or example for the entire paper. Also, be explicit about the level issue. For example, if you are using the concept of personality then it is an individual level issue. A list of concepts and their related levels is provided in a separate document. Focus of paper-related requirements: Outline: Submit a formal outline for your paper, complete with references. The purpose of the outline is to help you organize your content, which also results in increased clarity, improved logic, and better structure of the paper. There may be adjustments from this document to your final paper, but at this stage the paper should not require major revisions. Final Paper: Use a case study format for the structure of your paper. Identify and analyze issues using course concepts, and propose recommendations for the organization you are focusing on. Use of course concepts 1. Use a minimum of 8 concepts for the paper. Include a list of the concepts you used at the beginning of the paper. 2. Briefly define each concept you use within the text (a paragraph or two). 3. For each concept, write a diagnosis at one level (e.g., the person level). For example, you might write “The employee misses work frequently due to stress from conflict with her supervisor.” Note, stress and conflict would require definitions.) 4. For each concept, write a solution or solutions. Identify the level(s) you addressed in Step 2...
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...Calendar Overall for Case-Study Presentation & Mid-Term Exam – MGT 4760 (Strategic Management) Sem 1, 2012/2013 Sec 8 (M-W) No. | Week | Topics | Class Day | Date | Schedule | Details | | 1 | Chapter 1: The Nature of Strategic Management | 1- Mon 2- Wed | 10/912/9 | | | | 2 | Chapter 2: The Business Vision and Mission | 3- Mon 4- Wed | 17/919/9 | | | | 3 | Chapter 3: The External Assessment | 5- Mon 6- Wed | 24/926/9 | | | | 4 | Chapter 4: The Internal Assessment | 7- Mon 8- Wed | 1/103/10 | Quiz 1 (Chapter 1.2.3) | | | 5 | Chapter 4: The Internal Assessment | 9- Mon 10- Wed | 8/1010/10 | | | | 6 | Chapter 5: Strategies in Action | 11- Mon 12- Wed | 15/1017/10 | | | | | BREAK(22/10 – 28/10) | 13- Mon 14- Wed | 22/1024/10 | | | | 7 | Chapter 5: Strategies in Action | 15- Mon 16- Wed | 29/1031/10 | Case Presentation Session 1Case Presentation Session 2 | Group 1:L: Lia Hilaliah (Case Study 3)Group 2:L: Mas Syairah bte Mohamad (Case Study 5) | | 8 | Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice | 17- Mon 18- Wed | 5/117/11 | | (Mid-Term Exam 7/11 Wednesday)Seminar Room 1.1 | | 9 | Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice | 19- Mon 20- Wed | 12/1114/11 | Case Presentation Session 3Case Presentation Session 4 | Group 3:L: Mohamed Sheikh (Case Study 9) Group 4:L: Izzati Nor binti Salleh (Case Study 14) | | 10 | Chapter 7: Implementing Strategies: Management and Operations...
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