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Xaviers Institute
of Business Management Studies
MARKS: 80 ( Each case study
for 20 Marks)
Subject
– Principles and Practice of Management
Communicating in a
Crisis
The crisis the school had just
reopened after this two week break. The same morning, a fire suddenly broke out
on the third floor and spread to other floors, blocking the stairways. There
was widespread panic, as the children started jumping off the balconies,
injuring themselves in the process. The Principal and staff had a tough time
trying to calm down the children and take control of the situation. Fire
engines were called and several of them arrived and began their fire fighting
operations. In the meanwhile, many parents also arrived and tried to enter the
building to speak to the Principal. The phones were ringing continuously. There
was total chaos.
Question 1: How do communication crises arise?
Answer:
Communication crises arise due to a combination of factors that disrupt normal
communication channels and create a situation where information is either
miscommunicated, withheld, or rapidly changing. Specifically, in the context of
Valley High School’s situation, communication crises can arise from:
- Unexpected Emergencies:
Question 2: What should the Principal do to calm down
the angry parents?
Answer: To calm
down the angry parents, the Principal should take the following steps:
- Provide Clear and Timely Information:
- Immediate Briefing: As soon
as possible, the Principal should address the parents and provide a clear
and concise briefing about the situation. This includes what happened,
the current status, and the steps being taken to address the situation.
- Regular Updates:
Ensure that regular updates are provided to keep parents informed about
the progress
Question 3: How will the school regain its reputation?
What services should the school provide in order to maintain its reputation?
Answer: To regain its reputation and maintain it, Valley
High School should undertake the following actions:
- Address Immediate Concerns:
- Repair and Restoration:
Complete any necessary repairs to the building to ensure that it is safe,
functional, and visually appealing. Address any remaining issues from the
flood and fire damage promptly.
- Health and Safety
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Case
Study 2
Case Study on The
power of Non-Verbal Communication
The Power of Nonverbal Communication
Soon after I graduated from engineering college, I accepted a position with the
Sundaram Foundry, a medium-sized firm located in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It
was a good position, since I was the assistant to Mr. Vishwanath, the General
Manager and president of this family owned company, although there were many
technical problems, the work was extremely interesting and I soon learnt all
about the foundry business. The foundry workers were mostly older men and were
a closely knit team. Many of them were related and had been in the foundry for
several years. Therefore, they felt that they knew the business in and out and
that a technical education had no value. In fact, Mr. Vishwanath had mentioned
to me even at the time of my joining, that I was the only engineer ever to be
employed in the foundry. He also let me know that the foundry workers, although
a good group, were very clannish, since they had been working together for
several years. Therefore, it would probably take them some time to accept me. I
introduced myself to the group of foundry workers, a few days after my joining.
As I went around in turn, I felt them eyeing me coldly. As I went down the main
aisle of the foundry, I heard them talking to each other in low voices and
laughing. I found their behavior to be very childish and felt that it was best
to ignore these signs of hostility. I thought that if I ignored them, they
would automatically stop these antics. A few weeks after this incident, I
happened to visit the enamel shop. As I entered, I noticed a worker cleaning
the floor with a hose, from which water flowed at high pressure. I was aware
that it was the practice to clean the shop at least once a week. I turned my
back on the worker and was busy near a dipping tank, when I suddenly felt the
force of a stream of water hitting me. I was almost knocked down by the
pressure and slipped on the wet floor. When I turned around, the worker looked
away in the other direction, as if he had not noticed this happening. However,
I was pretty sure that he had intentionally turned the hose on me.
Question 1: What message did the foundry workers and
the new engineer convey to each other through their non-verbal behavior?
Answer: Messages Conveyed by the Foundry Workers:
- Cold Stares and Low Voices: The
foundry workers’ cold stares and low-voiced conversations when the new
engineer was introduced conveyed disapproval and hostility. This
non-verbal behavior indicated that they were not welcoming of the new
engineer and were possibly skeptical or resentful of his presence and
qualifications.
- Laughing and Whispering: The
whispering and laughing as the engineer walked by suggested that they were
mocking or ridiculing him. This behavior can be a form of exclusion or a
way to assert their dominance and resistance to change brought by the new
engineer.
- Turning the Hose on
Question 2: Mr. Vishwanath, the General Manager and
President, was not often present at the foundry. What could this non-verbal
behavior mean to the workers and the new engineer?
Answer: For the Foundry Workers:
- Lack of Authority: Mr.
Vishwanath’s infrequent presence at the foundry might have led the workers
to feel that they had more autonomy and less oversight. This could have
contributed to their assertive or rebellious behavior towards the new
engineer, as they might perceive a lack of accountability.
- Disregard for New Changes: The
absence of Mr. Vishwanath could signal to the workers that new changes or
new
Question 4: What do you suggest that the engineer
should do after the hosing incident?
Answer:
- Document the Incident: The
engineer should document the details of the hosing incident, including the
time, location, and any witnesses. This documentation can be useful for
addressing the issue formally if needed.
- Report the Incident: The
engineer should report the incident to Mr. Vishwanath or another relevant
authority
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Case Study 3
BS GETS
A D-PLUS ON DIVERSITY FROM MULTIETHNIC COALITOIN
On February 3, 2000, President and
CEO of CBS Leslie Moonves signed a pact with Kweisi Mfume, president and CEO of
the national association for advancement of colored people (NAACP), who had
joined forces with the Hispanic media coalition, and the American Indians in
film and television to request the CBS help to increase Indians in film and
television to request that CBS help to increase ethnic presence in the television
industry. The agreement stipulated the CBS would increase minority
participation both on and off screen by June 30.
In April 2000, CBS announced the
appointment of Josie Thomas to the newly created position of senior vice
president of Diversity at CBS Television. Her job was to improve outreach and
recruitment, hiring, promotion, and monitoring practices in all divisions of
CBS. That fall Moonves announced that 16 of the 21 CBS shows, including news
magazines, would prominently feature minorities. “We think we are a leader in
this area,” Moonves said “We think we are ahead of the curves”
Despite Mooves’s Statement that as
“broadcasters, we believe strongly that it is our duty to reflect the public
that makes up our viewing audience,” there were many who did not feel the
company was sincere in its efforts to improve hiring practices. The national
Hispanic Foundation for the Arts criticized CBS for not scheduling “American
Family,” A pilot drama about middle – class Hispanic family. Moonves said
“American Family” simply did not fit in CBS’s schedule, since there were
already too many strong dramas planned. He said he took the unusual step of
allowing the show’s producer to pitch the CBS-developed networks but no one
picked it up. Meanwhile, the June 30 deadline had come and gone without much
outward sign of change at CBS television.
Josie Thomas is committed to CBS’s
new mandate for multicultural diversity. Twelve of CBS’ prime time series will
have minorities in permanent roles and other series will have minority in
recurring role. Fore of the network’s shows- C.S.I., the district, the fugitive
and welcome to
Since signing the agreement, CBS has
established a strong working relationship with national minority supplier
council in order to help minority supplier council and women’s businesses. The
company has bolstered its internship program to include paid internships on the
west coast, pairing up interns with their areas of interest, Such as finance or
entertainment. There are 10 minority interns in the program. Moreover, CBS has
now made diversity a factor in employee job performance evaluation. “Each area
of the network has developed a detailed plan for diversity,” said Thomas.
“Manager will be reviewed with respect to their diversity efforts and that will
be a factor in compensation decisions.” Ms. Thomas noted that Ghen Maynard, an
Asian American Pacific Islander, had just been promoted form director to vice
president of alternative programming for the entertainment division.
“Will all believe there is a long
way to go,” Thomas said. “What I have found is there are some things that
already exist that are positive, such as news magazines having minority
anchors. We think ‘city of angels’
renewal was an important step. The ratings were mediocre to low, and we did
feel the program was a risk. It says a lot about our commitment”
In June 2001, the coalition gave the
Big 4 Broadcast Networks (all of whom had signed an agreement) a report card
for their efforts to diversity shows on – air and behind the scenes. CBS got a
D-plus.
Mr. Nogales, of the National
Hispanic Media Coalition, said he was disappointed “We expect progress; we
signed for progress” “The numbers in comparison to last year actually look
better”
The pressure being put on the
networks- including threats of “boycott”
and legal action – is having results. At CBS the number of minority writers and
producer has more than tripled, from four to fourteen, including six executive
or co executive producer however, obstacles to a fully integrated future remain
serious-particularly because of misconceptions about the nature of the
television audience and about the way pop culture works. Network executive
worry that “ghetto shows” might promote stereotypes. They wonder if shows like The cosby show are “black” enough. Then
again, they think that casting too many minorities may drive white viewers
away. Some network executives are afraid to cast minority actors in “negative”
roles because they may be criticized for it minority writers, who have been
getting more work lately, wonder if they are not just “tokens”; and despite
some progress it is still almost impossible for Hispanic actor to get non-
Hispanic roles.
Both the NAACP and the coalition
have been battling discrimination for years. CBS is just finding out that a
profound change toward pluralism can take place only with true insight on the
part of management. CBS spokesperson Chris Ender says “We have made tremendous
strides to increase diversity on screen, behind the camera and in the executive
suites. However we certainly recognize that more can be done and more will be
done.”
As far as
Questions
Question 1: What
advantages would accrue to CBS if it becomes a more diverse workplace?
Answer: 1. Enhanced
Creativity and Innovation:
·
A diverse workplace brings together individuals with
different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. This diversity can lead
to more creative solutions and innovative ideas, which can enhance CBS's
ability to produce unique and engaging content.
2. Better
Reflection of the Audience:
·
Diversity in the workplace allows CBS to better
understand and reflect the diverse demographics of its audience. This can
result in programming that resonates with a wider range of viewers,
Question 2: Where
would you have placed CBS on the organizational diversity continuum and where
would you place CBS now? Why?
Answer: Initial
Position (Before Diversity Efforts):
·
Level: "Non-Existent"
or "Tokenism"
o
Initially, CBS would likely have been placed at the
"Non-Existent" or "Tokenism" level on the diversity
continuum. The network had minimal diversity in its workforce and programming,
and the diversity efforts were either nonexistent or superficial, as indicated
by their low rating from the coalition and lack of significant progress.
Current Position
(After Diversity Efforts):
Question 3: Which
approach(es) to pluralism best sums up the diversity policy that is being
developed at CBS? Explain.
Answer: Approach(es) to Pluralism at CBS:
1.
"Integration and
Pluralism" Approach:
o
CBS's policy aligns with the "Integration and
Pluralism" approach, which emphasizes integrating diverse individuals into
the organization while recognizing and valuing their differences. This approach
involves moving beyond tokenism to truly inclusive practices, such as featuring
minorities in
Question 4: How do
the attitudes of management at CBS as depicted in your case study affect the
company’s progress toward forming a more diverse workforce? Explain.
Answer: Impact of
Management Attitudes:
1.
Initial Resistance and
Skepticism:
o
The initial resistance to change, as seen in CBS’s
reluctance to pick up “American Family” and the general skepticism towards
diversity efforts, hindered progress. Management’s initial attitudes
contributed to a slow and inadequate response to diversity demands, limiting
the effectiveness of early initiatives.
2.
Commitment to Diversity:
o Once management
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Case
Study 4
McDonald’s Listening Campaign
At the end of 2002, the world's largest quick service
retailer made its first ever quarterly loss and faced a number of challenges.
It responded by launching its Plan to Win program, part of a global strategy to
modernize the business, followed by the Listening Campaign in the UK. Here, Ali
Carruthers explains how the two initiatives were linked in the
In 2003, things
were looking bleak for McDonald's. Its share price was the lowest it had been
in a decade and it faced a series of seemingly insurmountable problems: It was
demonized by the UK media in the fierce debate raging over obesity; it faced
huge competition on the high street; and it was suffering under a wave of
Anti-Americanism in the wake of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Added to this was the fact that the restaurants
themselves were beginning to look dated and
Speaking earlier this year to the BBC, the
The Plan to Win
The senior management put their heads together and
devised the Plan to Win program, which went public in the last quarter of 2003.
A key part of its focus was a shift to more choice and variety foods, with
salads appearing permanently on the menu for the first time in the
organization's history. Key restaurants began to receive make over and a
supporting advertising campaign with international stars was planned, all of
which were intended to turn the food chain's image around.
But just as things were beginning to look up for the
organization, trouble raised its head again in the shape of the documentary
film "Supersize me," which in turn re-ignited the obesity debate in
the media. It was then discovered that one of the salads McDonald's was
marketing contained more calories than one of its hamburgers. The
The Listening Campaign. The company responded promptly.
Working with agency Blue Rubicon, the in-house communication and media
relations team devised the Listening Campaign. It made the most of the arrival
of new
The key ingredient was listening to customers and staff
and then showing the results of this. "Part of the reason [for doing it]
was that we had to introduce Peter very quickly to employees, customers and
stakeholders," says head of internal communications AIi Carruthers.
"It was also signaling that he'd continue to work to change our culture
and lead the drive for a real transparency of approach. We've been building on
that work ever since."
Focus groups for stakeholders
The communication team made the most of Beresford's
time by booking ahead so that local franchisees could meet him when he
travelled to regional centers for customer focus groups. Next, Listening Groups
were created for the company's regional offices with corporate rather than
restaurant-based employees taking part. Initial meetings were centered around
three classic focus group questions:
* What works?
* What would you change?
* How would you change it?
In each session, six to 10 employees took part and the
sessions lasted around two hours. After the first session, an action plan was
drawn up and fed back to the employees in a second round of focus groups. Then
the agreed proposed changes were put in place by the organization.
Proposed changes put in place
A range of short, medium and long term actions have
been instigated as a result of the focus groups. These include a firm
commitment to hold monthly town-hall sessions to regularly address key issues
within the organization. "We've agreed to use these sessions to feature
various departmental heads," says Carruthers.
"That's so people can put names to faces,
understand the organizational structure better and get an understanding of what
goes on outside their own departments." The company has also committed
itself to involving a new group of employees every six months, and to being
more transparent about its promotion process and how people are assessed for
promotion. It now holds regular Plan to Win meetings, which are related to the
global strategy. "We're using the town-hall sessions to communicate the
global strategy to thebroader office group rather than just senior management
so there's a wider understanding of what we're doing," says Carruthers.
The company has also committed to a peer-nominated
quarterly recognition scheme for the regional and head offices. It's planned
that the town halls will also be used in the recognition scheme. "People
need to say well done to each other and be acknowledged by the senior team,"
says Carruthers.
A change in company culture
According to Carruthers, the strategy has been
recognized globally - a drive for greater face-to-face communication, more
transparency, a growth in leadership behavior and accountability.
"Basically we've been trying to make people feel they're able to ask
questions," she says. "There's nothing wrong with challenging the
status quo as long as it's done in a constructive and respectful way. If we can
use some of those ideas we can probably make it a more enjoyable place for
everyone to work."
There's no doubt that the Listening Campaign has had an
impact on the senior team and general employees alike. Carruthers has had
feedback from both groups and believes the exercise has been an eye-opener for
the senior team: "They frequently mention experiences they've had in those
groups. There's nothing quite like hearing issues for yourself; the good ones
and the more awkward ones."
The feedback from focus-group participants has been
very good; employees say they feel listened to and think their feedback is
being taken on board. "They feel confident to ask questions or send
e-mails directly to people they thought wouldn't have listened to their
suggestions previously. It's changing the culture. Anything that builds trust and
transparency is good. Now it's about delivering on the changes that we said
we'd make."
A hotline to the CEO
A hotline to the CEO has made the company's drive for
transparency and commitment to employees even more credible. The "Ask
Peter" e-mail address was established when Beresford took up his post and
has seen a fair amount of traffic. "It's word of mouth - people see that
it's well responded to," says Carruthers. She sees it as important to be
straight with employees about how e-mails are dealt with and who sees them.
"We're very up-front about the fact that I see all e-mails as well as
Peter, but if we forward them to other departments, they'll be anonymous."
A combination of high and low technology adds to the
feeling of personal contact: Beresford will often answer e-mails with a
hand-written reply. In one famous instance he replied to nearly 100 in one
week. "It doesn't always happen that way, but it's these things that make
a difference. People see it's coming from him and it's quite a personal touch."
Committing to communication, A new round of Listening
focus groups with fresh employees is due to kick off in October. The whole
cycle of questions, action-planning and feedback will be replayed. "We're
working with a new group of employees because we want to keep changing and
avoid having a formalized council of volunteers," says Carruthers.
"They'll look at what they think has happened so far, whether anything
could have been done differently and then we'll hold a review of the proposals."
It's a genuine commitment to keep the focus groups
running on an ongoing basis. Carruthers is also expecting that the flexibility
and fresh new faces will ensure that new topics arise: "They're things
that inevitably come up along the way and get added to the agenda for change.
We just need to follow them through and then tell people the results."
The results
Since Beresford's Listening Tour there's been a
turnaround in the media coverage of McDonald's, which has been much more
positive. The Listening Campaign is changing the internal culture of the
company and its focus group cycles are becoming permanent two-way communication
channels.
Results back in August this year from the last employee
survey showed that internal communication is now ranked by employees as number
four out of 25 departments. "The communications strategy has helped people
become aware of who we are and what we do," says Carruthers. The Listening
Campaign has also helped McDonald's raise its profile externally, as it was
nominated in this year's UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence
Awards and short-listed for Best Use of Media Relations in the PR Week Awards.
Questions
Question 1: Based on this case, develop guidelines for
improving communication with each of different stakeholders through better
listening.
Answer: Guidelines for Improving Communication Through
Better Listening:
- Customers:
- Conduct Regular Focus Groups:
Regularly organize focus groups to gather feedback on product offerings,
service quality, and overall customer experience. Ensure that these
sessions are diverse and representative of the customer base.
- Implement a Feedback Loop:
Develop a system for promptly addressing customer concerns and
suggestions. Communicate changes and improvements made in
Question 2: What are the essentials for effective
communication?
Answer: Essentials for Effective Communication:
- Clarity and Conciseness:
- Clear Messaging:
Ensure that the message is clear, straightforward, and easily
understandable. Avoid jargon or complex language that might confuse the
audience.
- Conciseness: Keep messages brief and
to the point to maintain the audience’s attention and avoid information
overload.
- Active Listening:
- Engage Fully: Listen actively to
Question 3: Write about McDonald’s marketing plan
which they have implemented for success?
Answer: McDonald’s Marketing Plan for Success:
- Introduction of New Offerings:
- Plan to Win Program:
Launched to modernize the business and improve the customer experience.
Focused on adding variety to the menu, including the introduction of
salads and healthier options, in response to health concerns and changing
consumer preferences.
- Revamping Restaurant Image:
Question 4: Do the SWOT analysis of the following:
Answer: SWOT Analysis: McDonald’s
- Strengths:
- Global Brand Recognition:
Strong global brand presence with high customer awareness and loyalty.
- Extensive Network: Large
number of locations worldwide, providing wide accessibility and
convenience.
- Efficient Supply Chain:
Well-established supply chain and operational efficiency, ensuring
consistency and quality.
- Innovative Menu:
Ability
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