Reference no: EM131252845

Project: 21st Century Challenges

Purpose:

The saga of Global Delivery Direct (GDD) continues in assignment 3. Students evaluate 21stcentury leadership challenges and relate them to the issues GDD has been experiencing.

Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment

• use leadership theories, assessment tools, and an understanding of the role of ethics, values, and attitudes to evaluate and enhance personal leadership skills

• develop and implement methods for establishing a constructive organizational structure and culture that fosters positive employee and employer relationships

• evaluate the culture and policies of an organization to recommend and implement improvements that support its vision, success, and sustainability

• assess the interactions between the external environment and the organization to foster responsible and effective leadership and organizational practices

Instructions

Step 1: Review "How to Analyze a Case Study" under Week 8 Content.

Step 2: Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be between 6-8 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.

Step 3: Review the grading rubric for the assignment.

Step 4: As a leadership consultant, students will write a memo addressed to the four Executive Directors. The memo should be presented as a professional document. To learn how to write a business memo, view: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/04/

Step 5: In writing a case study, the writing is in the third person. What this means is that there are no words such as "I, me, my, we, or us" (first person writing), nor is there use of "you or your" (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. Also note that students are not to provide personal commentary.

Step 6: In writing this assignment, students are expected to support the reasoning using in-text citations and a reference list. If any material is used from a source document, it must be cited and referenced. A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. View the sample APA paper under Week 1 content.

Step 7: In writing this assignment, students will use resources from the course material and no more than 3 external source documents. NOTE: The expectation is that students provide a robust use of the course material including the material presented in this assignment.

Step 8: In completing the assignment, students are expected to use the facts from the case study paired with the weekly courses readings to develop the analysis. The case study is not cited or referenced.

Step 9: In writing this assignment, students are expected to paraphrase and not use direct quotes. Students are expected to paraphrase, which can be learned by reviewing this link: https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html

Step 10: Read critically and analyze the following scenario:

Scenario:

An emergency meeting was called in London by John SmytheHeathering, the Executive Director of Corporate Services, when the 2015 numbers came out for the business. Sales dropped 7% overall in a quarterly downward spiral with the largest portion of decline having been in the American division at 3.8%. The move to "Business First" in America prevented the loss from being as great as 6.5%. This change helped but not enough to overcome the full 6.5%. The competition continues to make inroads into the business not just in America but Asia as well.

The purpose of the emergency meeting is to discuss the decline in sales and make whatever decisions necessary to reverse the trend with immediate implementation. The question before the group is how do we reverse the downward trend? A competitive edge is necessary. As 21st century leaders, the Executive Directors realize that five challenges have to be examined if they are to find ways keep the company running at a profit. Further, they know that as company leaders they will have to lead the change required to make the recommendations work.

In the emergency meeting, the Directors decided that they needed professional help. They turn to you, a leadership consultant to help them discover ways in which they can improve sales of the company and set the company up for long term financial health.

Required Elements for Assignment 3:

• Students will write a business memo that:

o Explains each leadership challenge facing the 21st century leader: adaptability, sustainability, innovation, knowledge management, and globalization and the relationship each has to developing a competitive edge in business today;

o Evaluates GDD's current status regarding each of these challenges;

o After completing the analysis of the business, make at least two practical recommendations for each leadership challenge that will put GDD on the path to financial success and explain the reasoning for doing so;

o Selects one of the challenges for which you made recommendations and explain how the Executive Directors, as change agents, will go about implementing the recommendations made.

Step 12: Respond to the questions in Part One and Part Two following the format provided. Be clear and concise in the writing and make sure the questions are comprehensively answered.

Step 13:  Using the grading rubric as a comparison, read through the paper to ensure all required elements are presented.

Step 14:  Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues, and third person writing. 

• Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a first measure;

• Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the paper;

• Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing Center (EWC).  The EWC will provide 4-6 areas that may need improvement.

Step 15:  Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder.