Participants take the role of senior managers of a nationwide firm of accountants, Austin & Oakley, who have been invited to sit on a Strategic Action Committee. Charged with deciding on the most advantageous plan for expansion they must review a variety of issues in order to ensure the business maintains a clear strategic focus. The options to consider include an acquisition, developing new services and a specific marketing campaign. The choice has to be made in line with the Company’s mission statement and core objectives.
Competencies: Interpersonal Sensitivity
Participants assume the role of the Board of the UK operation of a large wholesale distribution company. The Company has grown rapidly as a result of acquisition and now has six large subsidiaries in Europe. The holding company, Stiebel Leverkusen, has asked them to look at four critical areas of the business, namely Distribution, IT, Finance & Accounting and Branding. Participants must come up with initial recommendations to address problems in each of the four areas.
The Participants meet as colleagues in the management of a large multi-national, Rainforest and Kerr Ltd, who specialise in the publishing, printing documents. A number of issues are on the agenda in this meeting, including Health & Safety, employee integrity, a confidential appraisal and the inappropriate behaviour of a key customer. The group must work together to generate recommendations as to how they should proceed with each issue.
Each Participant sits on the Executive Committee as a Head of Department within the law firm Moloney & Walker. The Committee is faced with four different scenarios which raise issues such as client management, re-branding, performance monitoring and the threat of litigation against the firm. The Participants must discuss each issue and agree upon the most appropriate ways to proceed.
Acting as a group of consultants, the Participants are requested to make recommendations concerning a number of issues facing an NHS Trust. The group is presented with four agenda items each requiring a prompt solution. The issues addressed include managing performance problems, changing shift patterns, public relations and access to services for all sections of the community.
Participants assume the roles of senior managers in the Public Health Service who sit on a committee charged with driving forward a number of change initiatives. The group is meeting to discuss issues relating to organisational change within the Public Health Service arising from Government initiatives. The issues cover matters concerning restructuring and cultural change, partnership working, the provision of services and communications.
Participants meet as general managers of Leisure Hotels, who meet regularly to discuss operational issues. The managers have been nominated to form a policy committee responsible for discussing and resolving a number of issues facing Leisure Hotels. Their task is to provide recommendations for handling: the threatened loss of a service contract, a publicity initiative, a security review and pricing flexibility.
Participants form a Management Trainee Committee which is asked to review various issues so that senior management can gauge views from the junior management population. The issues to be reviewed by the committee include opportunities for training and career development, the launch of a company-wide customer service award scheme, flexitime working and a suggestion for cutting costs. Participants must work together to produce appropriate recommendations.
Participants meet together as a group of consultants to discuss a number of issues facing Meditech Limited, a manufacturer and supplier of specialist medical equipment and instrumentation. The topics raised by the scenarios address different aspects of general management including staff motivation, quality, Health & Safety issues, disciplinary procedures and equality. At the end of each discussion the group records brief written recommendations for action to address the issues, which must be agreed by all.
Participants meet together as a group of graduates in the European Marketing Division of International Marketing Services a US multi-national organisation. The organisation specialises in providing services to the air transport industry worldwide. The areas under discussion are marketing scenarios which include brand positioning, distribution and logistics, a new service launch and the selection and retention of agencies in the Middle East.
