Assessment task 1Outcome coveredAll outcomes (1-5)Section 1:(a).The PESTEL analysis heading are a framework in which environmental influence are categorized into six main types: political, economic, socio-cultural, technological,, environmental and legal.1.P: political forces, as the political arena has a huge influence upon the regulationof business and the spending of consumers and other businesses. The political is including government stability, taxation policy, social welfare policies and the trade regulations.In our case of J D Wetherspoon plc, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission take a ruling about broken the ‘tied house’ system, this ruling limited the brewer selling the beer and brewing the beer at same time. And the government pays attention for the disadvantage.2. E: economic forces, as the state of a trading economy in the short-term andlong-term influence the wealth of a population. The economic is including interest rates, inflation, and disposable income and product seasonality and so on.About the J D Wetherspoon plc, in the start of twenty first century, J D Wetherspoon was facing much more competition. The retail licensing marking had adapted to the changes in the ‘tied house’ system and other retail pub chains like Regent Inns an d Punch Taverns had been developing their businesses. And the supermarket began selling drinks also have influence on the company.3.S: socio-cultural forces. Such as religion and demographics impact upon productdesign and spending by consumers. It includes lifestyle trends, education level, population demographics and social responsbilityIn the case, people more and more carefully to take attention on their health, so they began to reduce the wine drinking. Then J D Wetherspon plc develops a kind of low ethanol wine.4.T: technological forces, such as information technology influences productionmethods, and transportation influences market penetration and product costs. It will include speed of introduction of new technologies, innovations/developments and consumer buying options and so on.In the case, with the technological develop, the beer can be bottled and selling in the market. Because of this, people isn’t need to drink beer only in the pubs. This can decrease the sell share of the J D Wetherspoon.5.L: legal forces, such as product safety influences design, and trading practicesinfluence how businesses conduct themselves in the market. It may include likeemployment law, healthy and safety, company law and consumer protection and so on.In the case, the government issued policies to limit the wine drinking, and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission take a ruling about broken the ‘tied house’ system, this ruling limited the brewer selling the beer and brewing the beer at same time. All of these legal force could have influence on J D Wetherspoon.(b).The analysis of the organization’s internal and external strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis is a very popular tool with managersmanagers began as bar staff or cleaners. The company provide lifelong training and adopt he staff suggestion, and communicate with them, J D Wetherspoon provide quiet environment and the service are always satisfied the consumer demand, all of these can protect the company develop well.W: the food in pubs of J D Wetherspoon, it supports complimentary crisps with baguettes, this kind is bad for customers’ health and it didn’t distinguish the hot degree, this might cause customer’s discontented for the J D Wetherspoon. It also doesn’t have children’s meals. This will let the customers of adult unconvenient, and it may because the children are hurt. All of these can loss the customers.O:J D Wetherspoon is managing he pub style as ‘quiet’. But now, it acquired the Lloyds pub chain, J D Wetherspoon develop it as another style. This kind of pub’s music dazed outlets with a much stronger entertainment element and show TV programs, this can attract much more customers. The company also begun developing budget hotel, this can develop another market and increase the profit of J D Wetherspoon.T: J D Wetherspoon faced many computers, like Regent Inns, Punch Taverns and the supermarket. They will strive the share of market and the customer. The government policy also influences it. Like the limit of brewing and drink beer in the century of the city, this also can decrease the share of J D Wetherspoon. (c).Through a SWOT analysis an organization can assess its current position and makecomparisons with competitors in order to plan activities and resources appropriately. It is the first stage of planning and helps managers to focus on key issues. It is important remember when carrying out a SWOT analysis that it is not absolute. Simple rules for successful SWOT analysis like next:Be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of the organization.Analysis should distinguish between where your organization is today, and where be in the future.Be specific. Avoid grey areas.Always analysis in relation to the competition.Keep your SWOT short and simple. Avoid complexity and over-analysis. SWOT analysis is a kind of subjective and short term in its nature, so it can’t use to analysis long-term situation.For example, when you analysis the opportunities, you can think about: where are the good opportunities available to our organization？Section 2:(a).1. Organizational culture is difficult to define precisely. A simple description is that it is a system of shared meaning between members of an organization or ‘the way we do things here’. It acts as the social glue which holds the organization together. Research shows that the culture of an organization can significantly affect the way in which the company operates, particularly in terms of its effectiveness. Shared values become embodied in the organization’s ideology or philosophy and act as a quite to behav ior and ways of dealing with anxiety.In J D Wetherspoon pubs, it says that people are its best asset. The company is satisfied the staff, so this is its organizational culture. It has a flexible training policy which enables people from all kinds of different backgrounds to join the company. It is committed to lifelong training and it provides staff with opportunities to gain relevant qualifications such as those offered by the British Institute of Innkeeping, 20% of senior managers began as bar staff or cleaners.2. Basic assumptions at a very fundamental, almost subconscious, level tell employees how to perceive, think and feel about things. These are the elements of culture are unseen and not openly identified in the day-to-day interactions of the member s of the organization. Culture elements at this level exist as ‘unspoken rules’ and are rarely discussed within the organization. They direct the way events and actions are perceived and interpreted by the organization.In the case, J D Wetherspoon create a quarter of the space in each establishment is non-smoking.(b).A kind of recognized model of organizational culture is Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy. It is based on how quickly organizations receive or strategies and the level of risk that they take. Deal and Kennedy stated that these two factors gave rise to four generic types of cultures, which they called tough guy/macho culture, work hard/play hard culture, bet-the-company culture and process culture. Through the case, we canknow Tim Martin is a ‘big man’ in his company; he manages the company with his mind and idea, it company is include by the food industry, all the staff work hard every day, and then they will have a holiday for several days. So J D Wetherspoon is suit the tough work hard/pay hard culture.The work hard/pay hard culture’s core value is keeping good customer service. In the case, the company has a ‘lifestyle guarantee’ which aims to give managers time for a life outside work. Another key aspect of the company’s operation is ‘invo lvement and communication’. Staffs are kept in touch with weekly newsletters, a monthly company video and by publicizing the minutes of Board meetings. The company always pays highly attention to the staff and the customers, and the information’s high-speed recreation, and the company also does these suggestions quickly.(c).Culture is something every organization has, but it is not a concrete entity. The culture of an organization impacts upon how that organization reacts to change and it also explains what an organizations stands for. Organizational culture is difficult to define precisely. A simple description is that it is a system of shared meaning between members of an organization or ‘the way we do things here’. The founders of the organization have traditionally had a major impact on the organization’s early culture. Through the culture and the behaviors, in the company, the company built the pubs environment very quiet and let its staff work hard in several days and have a holiday in several days.So, a kind of culture will have a kind of behavior.(d).The other type of Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy of recognized model of organizational culture is process culture, it is focus on details and process excellence. However, the stress may come from internal politics and stupidity of the system. This kind of culture has slow feedback/reward and low risk. As a food industry, it pays attention on the result about the customers satisfied. So it isn’t paying much attention on the details and process. If the company becomes the process culture, it will bog down with how things are done and not with what is to be achieved.Section 3:(a)In the Generic-Strategies---Michael Porter (1990), there are three strategies: cost leadership, differentiation and segmentation, niche or focus strategy.1.Cost leadership is a low cost leader---gain competitive advantage from being ableto produce at the lowest cost---‘cost advantage is the focuses’, the low cost doesn’t mean low price---gain the benefits. It in a broad market scope environment where it has a kind of substitute products and power competition. 2.Differentiation is differentiated goods and services satisfy the needs of customers,and the companies can de-sensitize prices and focuses on value-higher price and a better margin. So it needs to incur additional costs in creating its competitive advantage. It in a broad market scope environment is in that the customers’loyalty can help the company limited and reduce new entrants and competitors. 3.The segmentation, niche or focus strategy is included cost focus and focusdifferentiation.The cost focus is a form aims at being the lows cost producer in that niche or segment, it in a narrow market scope environment like low cost than thedifferentiation in a niche.The focus differentiation is a firm creates competitive advantage through differentiation within the niche or segment. Its potential problems are small,specialist niches could disappear in the long term. Its associated environmentis in the narrow market scope, you can use a special product from the majordeveloped market competitors who have different purposes.(b)In the case, during the1980s and 1990S the company relied on organic growth by acquiring suitable sites and converting them into J D Wetherspoon pubs. And it is developing a style that is quiet, healthy and satisfied environment. In the case, we can see that it build non-smoking and provide health food to the customers. To its staff, the company thinks that people are its best asset. This style is more different with others.In our case, all of these we have said, during the 1980s and 1990s, J D Wetherspoon is a pub chain, it has many pubs, the company’s aim is to manage the pub to satisfied with the customer, and it is always make its strategy in the pub chain, its all of actions like provide cheap beer and non-smoking area and so on, which are all of set the main point to its pub manage style.So I advise that the company’s situation is suit Generic-Strategies---Michael Porter (1990), differentiation.From the strategy, J D Wetherspoon gets more benefits, here I only identify four about it: the company build its own style and brand, it has its own customer group, the expansion about share and scope is growing quickly, and the benefits is more than before.(c)During the 21st century, J D Weterspoon was facing much mire competition, and through the government’s policy limited, its develop was decrease and slowly, then it begain to change its style and acquired others, it serve breakfast and open earlier in the morning, support the family dining area, show televised football and so on. The company also began to manage other area like the hotel.So it suit Generic-Strategies---Michael Porter (1990), segmentation, niche or focus strategy.During the1980s and 1990s, the company relied on organic growth by acquiring suitable sites and converting them into J D Wetherspoon pubs. In the case, we can see that it build non-smoking and provide health food to the customers. To its staff, the company thinks that people are its best asset. It is Generic-Strategies---Michael Porter (1990), differentiation.During the 21st century, it also pays attention to the staff, but it try to change its style, manage motel, and the food what has provided.(d)When a company was changing business strategy, it must be considering the factors, so as J D Wetherspoon .Exterior environment: by the start of the twenty first century, because of the retail licensing market had adapt to the changes in the “tied house”system and other competitor had been adapted it and developing their business. So JD Wetherspoon was facing much more competition. Many other competitorsrun the pub and receive the pay rent, this situation lead to saturation of the pub market. So J D Wetherspoon needs to change its business strategy.Policy: during 2002-2004, government allows the supermarket began selling drinks, particularly premium larger, at loss-leader prices. This means that the pub can not compare with supermarket in price. On the other hand, government concern about binge drinking and the consequent ant special behaviors, particularly in city centers. This lead the decrease of new pub number and shares of case form. They must to change to save their company.(e)Strategy is many things like plan, pattern, position, ploy and perspective. As position, strategy is the stance organizations take. Organizations can choose to: be a specialist provider; be the low-cost provider and so on. In the case, we can know that: at first, it supplies special environment quiet, clean, non-smoking to others. During the development of pubs, they all became to do special environment like that. Then J D W began to serve breakfast, show World Cup football and so on, it also develop new brand like ” L N O”, and begun developing budget hotel as “Wetherlodges” to change its strategy, all these process of strategy from differentiation to focus on difference strategy choosing is its strategic choice. So the strategy choosing is a process.(f)Key issues in the management of a business strategy like next:Market/industry knowledgeSufficiency of resources and capabilitiesOffering consumers ’a unique value ’ perceived or realEstablishing a key ’differentiator’Consistent communication consistentlyManagement must keep change feasible and StructureRecognize the principal causes of strategic change.About the J D Wetherspoon, I will talk about two points:Consistent communication consistently. In the J D Wetherspoon, ‘movement and communication’, staffs are keeping in touch with weekly newsletters, a monthly company video and by publicizing the minutes of broad meeting.And J D Wetherspoon attend to listen to the staff voice, like their suggestions wetherspoon’s ‘listening’ policy is based on a system successfully pioneered by the hi-foreteller, richer sounds.Establishing a key ‘differentiator’. During the development and growth of the company, it provides real ale beers at relatively low prices and care about child and disable, it build non-smoking area to keep health for the customers.Section 4:(a)Because of the two powers about restraining forces and driving forces take effect. The strategy of J D Wetherspoon changed over time. Through two forces of restraining is the force working against desired changes. And the other force of diving is the force of working for desired changes.If the diving force is stronger than restraining force, then the firm will be changing. The leader could compare the two forces, and consider the company need to change or not.Next we will talk about J D Wetherspoon’s driving force and restraining forces.1.Driving forces: The increase competition, many competitors run pubs to rentthe money.Government takes many police like concern about bingedrinking, and thought it is anti-social behaviors.The changing market, the market appears to be over-supplied.2.Restraining forces: Inertia (habit) of the J D Wetherspoon, like their staff, theyhave habit to their ruler and management. They want the steadyenvironment of work.Strength of culture in the J D Wetherspoon is very strong, theculture has a strong effect on J D Wetherspoon and its staff andits structure.(b)The big changes from business ethics is a mainly factor in the J D Wetherspoon.In the case, the government concern about binge drinking and think it is an anti-social behaviors, and it is particularly in the city canters. The situation of pub wasn’t been saw to be encouraging brings them bad policing. The event causes a bad effect on J D Wetherspoon.The bad influence on J D Wetherspoon about profit and shares and sales. Tim Martin now as an executive, he had give up his power through daily time. So the business ethics is very important factors for J D Wetherspoon.(c)The role of management of J D Wetherspoon dealing with the changes is like next:Establishing directions: developing a vision of the future often in the distant future, and strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision.During the J D Wetherspoon’s development and grows, the firm sale bear in cheap price, take non-smoking area, provide television program and so on. All of these means J D Wetherspoon adopt the above behavior to reply change.Aligning people: communicating direction in words and deeds to all whose cooperation may be need so as to influence the creation of teams and coalitions that understand the vision and strategies and accept their validity. About the J D Wetherspoon, it communicates and knows about customers needs, then change its business, like breakfast serving in the morning before normal time at 11:00 a.m.Motivating and inspiring: energizing people to overcome major political, bureaucratic and resource barriers to change by satisfying basic, but often unfulfilled, human needs. Monitoring organizing and results, through find the careless to solve the problems. The leader should fide out the difference between J D Wetherspoon and others. It always needs to communication with people, know their needs and solve them, help them to adapt the changes in the company.(d)I will give some suggestions to J D Wetherspoon’s management, in order to help them analysis a change situation. I am introducing the three-step conceptual framework from Kurt Lewin to management. He has introduced the three-step change model in 1951 and has agreed the change that should be involved and concerned with the three stages and the individuals.The three stages like next:Unfreezing the present. Reducing the forces maintaining the organization in its present situation. Recognizing the need for change and important.In this stage, management need let their employees know the importance ofthe change. In the 21th centaury of the case of J D Wetherspoon, it faced more competition. Some other retail pub chains had been developing their business,and some of the pub are increasing the market appears to be over-supplied.The government limited the drinking and the consequent anti-social behavior.In a word, the market share, profit and sales are decreasing. So the company needs to change.Moving to the new level. Shifting the behavior of the organization to a new level by encouraging staff to adopt mew behavior and attitudes. The implementation of the change.In this stage, the employee needs to accept the mew business culture with the management’s help. Leader can use motivate methods to encourage employees say yes to the change. For instance, they can give rewards toemployees, or so benefits. About J D Wetherspoon, it has some changes like: most pubs have a dedicated family dining area where children and theirparents can eat together, and the pub began to serve breakfast and open earlier in the morning, and pubs start to show TV program and the television football, and so on.Refreezing the new level. Stabilizing the organization in its new state of equilibrium by, for example, establishing a new culture or new structure that reinforces the change.In this stage, the behavior and attitudes of the employees needs managers’force to treat and adapt the new culture, and monitor is essential. Managers need to ensure the business changes’attitudes and concepts and the new business culture. The company of this case should adapt a number of methods to strength change and achieve fully implement the change.If it needs ensure the successful about fully implement change. We need adapt Kotter and Schlesinger’s management style in order to dealing with the resistance to change.Education and communication. In this method, leader needn’t presume the information and knowledge and passed downward through the organization automatically, on the other hand, they should communicate with the employee in every stage of change. In J D Wetherspoon, it adopts a key aspect of operation about “involvement and communication”. Employees always keep touch with weekly newsletters, a monthly company video and by publicizing the minutes of board meetings. J D Wetherspoon does well in the acting and listening for their business. J D Wetherspoon can effectively use the method to communicate with staffs.In education aspects, J D Wetherspoon need set train classes for employees to improve the themselves, and ensure that staffs could adapt the new business culture and structures. In order to reduce the feel of worry, then will positive to change. Staffs clear up any misunderstandings and receive the full facts, the resistance will subside.Participation: the leader should let the employees to consultation process, and ensure them could obtain enough information of change. The manager also take them know they are valued; their opinion is valued for the company. This situation can ensure their information is right and immediate, and ensure the combat rumor and effectively combat employees feel they have lake of information and communication. So it is difficult for individuals to resist change the idea in which they have participated.。
