Organisational Change and Development - Business Change Proposal
*Only need PART 2.
Case Study: Smith Brown Chemicals
Background information:
Smith Brown Chemicals is a medium-sized chemical distributor located at the rear of a large metropolitan shopping precinct. Smith Brown Chemicals purchase large quantities of cleaning chemicals. These are delivered in 205 litre drums and include solvents, acids and other corrosives and detergents. These products are decanted by Smith Brown Chemicals' workers into retail size containers (not exceeding 30 litres/ kilograms), re-labelled and delivered in company-badged delivery vehicles to retail outlets throughout the metropolitan area. There is, within 25 metres of Smith Brown Chemicals, a local nursing home that cares for elderly residents with age-related conditions including dementia. Across the road from the nursing home is a child care centre that provides day care for children less than five years of age.
Smith Brown Chemicals employs 50 people whose duties include the day-to-day running of the business and decanting of the chemicals into smaller containers. Small spills during the decanting procedures are cleaned up with rags, which are disposed of at the end of the day in the general waste dumpster in the rear yard of the premises. The dumpster is collected by a waste contractor on a weekly basis. The Smith Brown Chemicals building was constructed in 2000 and has been fitted with limited emergency equipment. None of the workers has received any training in safe handling of chemicals or how to cope with emergencies and there is no emergency plan displayed in the workplace. There is no established process for dealing with injuries that happen at work.
The computer with all the employee details and financial records is not password protected and anyone could access and amend the information. The employee detail form requested information about the employee's entire past health issues. The wage and superannuation records seemed to be incomplete.
Smith Brown Chemicals is situated on a busy intersection and there have been several significant vehicle accidents in front of the premise. All empty chemical drums are stored in the rear yard against the back cyclone fence. These drums are collected on a monthly basis and as many as 250 drums can be stored there awaiting collection. Behind the cyclone fence is a large open, overgrown paddock with dry grass, which is owned by the local council. The council has advised Smith Brown Chemicals that they wish to build a community centre on this site at some time in the near future. There is huge water wastage at Smith Brown Chemicals - toilets all use the single flush system and the business currently uses 30,000 litres of water a week. The council explained the federal government is now introducing legislation concerning efficient water usage, especially by industries. The current by-law has fines of up to $50,000 for excessive water breaches.
Project description:
Put yourself in a position of an external change agent who has been hired by senior management of Smith Brown Chemicals (SBC) to oversee major organisational change and to develop Business Change Proposal. The proposal to be delivered in two stages to the SBC CEO and SBC Senior Management before it is implemented.
Part 1: 2500 WORDS
- Identify and briefly describe all hazards and risks at SBC. (650 words)
- Conduct background research in regards to the legislation and compliance requirements applicable to SBC-in particular those relating to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and inventories. Describe what hazards are inherent in this situation. (650 words)
- Conduct a risk assessment and risk management analysis - detail and implement the procedures for assessing the likely levels for each risk present at SBC, risk causes, and risk consequences. (600 words)
- Develop a risk assessment matrix and prioritise all risks identified based on urgency how they will need to be dealt with (Extremely High to Low). (600 words)
Part 2: 3000 WORDS
- Develop operative risk control procedures (mitigation strategies) for dealing with / treating each risk (from Extremely High to Low) that could be put in place, supported by literature review and real-world examples, case studies, and business reports. (500 words)
- Discuss in details each of your risk control procedure, how you are going to implement it, and what likely problems and resistance you may experience. (500 words)
- Develop alternative risk control procedures (Plan B) for dealing with / treating each risk (from Extremely High to Low) that could be put in place if your original plan (Plan A) does not work, supported by literature review and real-world examples, case studies, and business reports. (500 words)
- Discuss in details each of your ‘Plan B' risk control procedure, how you are going to implement it, and what likely problems and resistance you may experience. (500 words)
- Develop and discuss in details an implementation plan / Action Plan you are going to present to SBC CEO and Board of Directors to approve, identifying timeline, budget, and resources requirements. (500 words)
- Considering current turbulent economic environment and increasing competition, develop recommendations for further development of SBC, how to monitor the external environment and find new business opportunities for growth. (500 words)
Presentation:
You will be required to present your assignment in class at an allocated time.
- the presentation to be 7 to 10 minutes (4 to 5 minutes each student)
- the presentation to have around 10 slides (12 slides maximum)
- copyright information and graphical images used within the slides to be referenced
- in-text information used within the slides to be referenced
Note: This is a final year unit and requires professionalism, hence you are expected to demonstrate professional presentation skills and you will be marked also on:
- verbal communication (terminology, clarity of the language used, effective communication skills, including cultural sensitivity, etc.)
- nonverbal communication (effective body, facial, eye, spatial, paralanguage communication)
- readiness to present at the allocated time (attendance and active participation during presentation of others)
- timing, time management, and organisational skills of the group (time management of your group, change of speakers)
- interactivity with audience and professionalism (overall quality of presentation slides, impression of the presentation, answers provided after the presentation)
- student peer review (asking questions and providing feedback to your peers / classmates)
Project Part:
Suggested structure of the Business Change Proposal:
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Background information
- Objectives to be achieved
- Scope and limitation of the change proposal
- Proposed operative risk control procedures (suggestions) for each hazard and risk identified and analysed, supported by literature review and real-world examples, case studies, etc.
- Potential problems identified for each operative suggestions provided; mitigation strategy for each risk provided; alternative suggestions (Plan B) provided
- Implementation plan / Action Plan provided
- Recommendations for further development, monitoring the external environment and finding new business opportunities for growth
- Conclusion
- References
Note: This is a Bachelor level assignment and you will also be marked on:
- overall presentation of the report (e.g. formatting, cover page, table of context, etc.)
- structure of the report (e.g. headings used, logical and intuitive flow of information, etc.)
- quality of the report (e.g. language used, arguments presented and discussed, etc.)
- Conclusion of the report (e.g. succinct summary of the presented information and a brief conclusion, recommendations for the future, etc.)
- referencing (use of external information sources, quality, validity of the data presented, relevance of the information presented, consistency of a reference style, etc.)