FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

MODULE : BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 1.1

SUBJECT CODE : BBMAX1A & ABBMX1A

ASSESSMENT : GROUP ASSIGNMENT

FORM OF ASSESSMENT : CASE STUDY

FORM OF SUBMISSION : ONLINE SUBMISSION

DATE : 16 MARCH 2024

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

 Assignment should include a cover page containing all the relevant information such
as subject and subject code, your course, your initials, surname, student numbers,
your Lecturer’s initials and surname, your e-mail and cell phone numbers and date of
which the assignment must be submitted.
 The assignment should have a table of contents, which contain the questions asked
and page numbers.

 Typing should be done in 1.5 spacing on A4 paper. Font size is 12 Arial or Times
New Roman and justified on both sides. It is advisable to use a proper numbering
system for the assignment and to use it consistently.
Assignment specific Instructions:

 Please refer to the below case scenario and answer all the relevant questions to follow
based on the chapters covered for each separate business module.
 The assignment structure needs to include a cover page, index, and list of three
references/Bibliography. Also, it is advisable to have an introduction and conclusion
as to enhance the quality of your assignment writing.
 This is a group assignment with a min. of five and a max. of seven people per group.
 All assignments need to be submitted online via Vutela only, as it is the only
recognized university platform for all valid online assessments.
 This assignment will count a first (50 marks) of your final semester mark and no late
submissions will be accepted.

Please do comply with all the above instructions prior to your final submission on
Vutela!

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Read the case study below and answer the question that follows:

WILLIAMS & COMPANY – BUSINESS & IT’S CHALLENGES

Williams & Company (known as WC) is a South African-based management

consulting firm. WC is a medium-sized business that has been in existence for
20 years. The firm provides consulting services to corporations including
business optimisation consulting, project management, productivity
improvement training, and improvement measurement systems. In the last
decade the business environment, locally and internationally, shifted
drastically.

WC had to contend with the following changes: A world-wide economic down-

turn which resulted in large businesses going down. The financial services
industry took serious strain as lending practices were confronted by
governments and regulatory bodies. This led to the institution of new
compliance, governance, and risk management policies. Certain countries
headed towards bankruptcy which required international intervention and
assistance provided by the world bank. The market generally, across industry
sectors, became much more cost sensitive. A trend emerged SME where the
start-up rate of new small and medium-sized enterprises (businesses)
diminished. Liquidation in the SME sector increased at an alarming rate. Due
to corporate restructurings and downsizing, and greater risks for entrepreneurs
in the SME sector, retrenchments became the order of the day, and new
employment creation stagnated. The management consulting industry was not
unaffected. Business models changed, and consultancies merged and formed
joint ventures to achieve greater market share and drive competition out.

Consultancies also expanded into new markets particularly in Africa and Asia in
response to limited growth opportunities in existing markets. Utilisation of new
technologies particularly in information management became a priority to
create more cost-effective structures, and to gain advantage in greater access
to market intelligence. In the South African context, government initiated a
more aggressive push towards Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
(BBBEE). This changed the ownership profile of businesses, as well as
procurement and supply policies and practices. The drive towards employment
equity became sharper, and labour legislation became much stricter

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concerning resourcing and employee relations. Furthermore, employee
development became regulated in terms of skills development legislation. The
financial services industry became more regulated as far as credit supply was
concerned.

Moreover, substantial increases in fuel prices in South Africa, driven by the oil
price, and energy supply capacity challenges and the consequent increase in
costing of electricity, had a major inflationary impact across the economy.
Instability in commodity prices and worsening industrial relations strained the
resource sector, a major contributor to the South African economy. WC
launched several initiatives to respond to the changes in the business
environment. A major strategic movement was to form a business partnership
with a global consultancy to ensure access into Africa and to achieve market
consolidation. The cost of royalties paid to their international partner became
an issue because of exchange rate volatility and a weakening Rand. This
affected WC’s cost of sales significantly.

The following provides perspective on the financial impact of changes in the

business environment and the effectiveness of WC’s response to these
changes:
Impact 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Sales 1.8 mil 16.5 mil 12 mil 11.5 mil 9.8 mil
Operating 38% 36.5% 24% 22% 16%
profit
margin

The partners of WC had to intervene urgently. They realised that it was

necessary to become much more aware and conscious of their external
environment. After conducting a comprehensive business environment scan,
the partners of WC identified several external opportunities and threats. They
learned that strengthening the business internally and minimising weaknesses
would be critical in building capability to exploit opportunities and remove
threats. WC’s partners executed a complete diagnosis of the internal
functioning of the firm. They did this through: Employee interviews an
organisational effectiveness questionnaire financial analysis Focus groups with
key leaders in the business Feedback from clients by means of a survey A

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 competitor assessment. The following business and organisational strengths
were identified: Management competence technical capability Brand presence
in the resource sector Industry knowledge Investments in research and
development of the practice Successful implementation of projects
Development of existing clients.
In addition to strengths, these weaknesses came to the fore: Narrow product
and service offering Outdated and inflexible pricing Lack of expertise in new
information and communication technologies Complicated commercial
processes and procedures Lack of new business development Inappropriate
employment and talent sourcing approach. The partners and executive of WC
convened to discuss the strengths and weaknesses. The primary outcome of
the meeting was to agree on improvement priorities going forward.

Source: Erasmus, B. 2019. Introduction to Business Management.

11th edition. Cape Town. Oxford University Press Southern Africa.

Instructions:

 Answer all the questions to follow

 Number Questions Correctly
 Refer to the below assignment Rubric for guidance on how to answer
your respective questions and mark allocation.
 Apply the latest Harvard referencing for all sources referred to
 Include at least three (3) – five (5) sources of information.

QUESTION 1 [5]

What Macro environment factors can you identify from the case study that Williams &
Company (WC) has been impacted by?

QUESTION 2 [10]

To reposition itself effectively, WC must enhance its awareness of macro-

environmental factors, which you have identified in Question 1. Give suggestions or
recommendations on how the company can achieve this.

QUESTION 3
[5]
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Discuss the initiatives that WC can take to improve its micro business environment.

QUESTION 4 [10]

To stay competitive and manage the impact of the factors in the environment, a
business needs to analyse both the micro-environment and the external environment
(the market- and macro-environments), done through a process known as a SWOT
analysis. Conduct a SWOT analysis for WC.

QUESTION 5
[10]

Conduct a stakeholder identification and analysis for WC. For each stakeholder
group, analyse their interests, expectations, and potential impact on the company.

QUESTION 6
[4]

A management role is a set of specific tasks or behaviours that a person is expected

to perform because of the position he or she holds within an organisation. Identify
and briefly explain any two (2) Decisional roles to help the management of WC to
overcome the business challenges they my face in the future.

QUESTION 7
[6]

Provide a difference between an efficient manager and an effective manager. How

can WC management ensure that they are both efficient and effective at the same
time?

TOTAL: 50 MARKS

5
RUBRIC

CRITERIA Excellent Good Fair Poor

(90-100%) (80-70%) (60-50%) (Below 50%)
Macro Clear identification of all Identifies most Identifies some key Fails to identify
environmental macro-environment factors macro- macro environment many macros
factors identification impacting the company environment factors factors
factors from the environment
case scenario

Suggestions or Clear suggestions on how Identifies most identifies a few Fails to make
recommendations the company can suggestions and suggestions or recommendations
for overcoming reposition itself recommendations recommendations on and suggestions
macro- on how the how a company can on how the
environmental company can reposition itself company can
factors reposition itself reposition itself

initiatives that WC Clear initiates identified to Identifies most Identifies a few Fails to identify
can take to improve improve its micro business initiatives to initiatives to improve initiatives to
its micro business environment improve the micro the micro business improve the micro
environment. business environment business
environment environment

SWOT Analysis Clear identification of the Identifies most Identifies only a few Fails to identify
Strengths, weaknesses, SWOT analysis SWOT analysis many SWOT
Opportunities and Threats factors factors analysis factors

Stakeholder A thorough analysis of Good analysis of Adequate analysis of Inadequate

Identification and each stakeholder group's stakeholder stakeholder interests, analysis of
Analysis interests, expectations, interests, expectations, and stakeholder
and potential impact on expectations, and impact, but may lack interests,
the company. impact. depth or contain expectations, and
Demonstrates a deep Demonstrates a some inaccuracies. impact.
understanding of their solid Demonstrates a
perspectives understanding of limited
their understanding of
perspectives. their
perspectives.

Management roles Able to demonstrate a Identified most of Identified a few Fails to make a
clear understanding of the the management management roles correct
type of management roles roles require required identification of
required the management
role required

Efficiency and Clearly provides the Reasonably Attempts to provide a Fails to

Effectiveness difference between provides the difference between adequately
efficiency and difference efficiency and provide the
effectiveness and makes a between effectiveness difference
clear application for the efficiency and between
company effectiveness efficiency and

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 effectiveness

Clarity and Writing is clear, concise, Provides Writing is sometimes Writing is unclear,
Organisation and well-organized. reasonable unclear or disorganized, and
Demonstrates excellent recommendations disorganized. contains
grammar, spelling, and for improving Contains some errors numerous errors
punctuation. Adheres to all stakeholder in grammar, spelling, in grammar,
assignment guidelines. relationships and or punctuation. May spelling, or
aligning company not fully adhere to punctuation. Fails
objectives with assignment to adhere to
stakeholder guidelines. assignment
interests. guidelines.
Writing is
generally clear
and organized.
Demonstrates
good grammar,
spelling, and
punctuation.
Adheres to most
assignment
guidelines.

Use of sources Effectively uses a variety Uses credible Uses some sources, Fails to use
of credible sources to sources to but they may not be adequate sources
support analysis and support analysis credible or properly or citations.
recommendations. Sources and cited.
are properly cited. recommendation.
Sources are
mostly properly
cited.

NB: This rubric provides a framework for evaluating the assignment based on
the key criteria outlined in the assignment instructions. The instructor can
adjust the weighting of each criterion based on the allocation of marks and
discretion.