B301 TMA05 Implementing the BRF2015 strategy: report to the Board of Directors of Brasil Foods TMA due Thursday 6 April 2017

TMA source material: Block 5: Strategic Implementation Barriers to implementation Strategists as People Structure and Strategy Managing Strategic Change See TGF slide set on Block 5

TMA 05 Selecting concepts from Block 5 as appropriate to your discussion, explain some common barriers to successful strategy implementation and how they may be overcome with regard to the BRF 2015 strategy for Brasil Foods (evaluated in TMA 04). You should write your answer as a report from the perspective of an independent strategy consultant to the board of directors – but with appropriate academic referencing. Ensure that you make relevant and critical use of your selected concepts. 2500 words

TMA 05 Guidance This question requires you to make it clear what aspects of the BRF 2015 strategy you think are likely to be problematic in implementation and what recommendations you would make to overcome such implementation problems. You also need to demonstrate how both problems and solutions relate to material in Block 5. The concepts you choose (both to clarify problems and suggest solutions) can be from anywhere in the Block but part of the challenge of the assignment is to demonstrate your ability to select them appropriately and apply them with critical understanding, and practicality.

So what might this mean? Addressing the question as set? One of the biggest differences in marking grades is the extent students stick to the question. Checking you are on the right wavelength earns marks Working to B301 learning outcomes? Very much so, as this is the main way to earn marks, and essential in order to pass B301 concepts: knowledge and understanding    Thinking critically: at level 3   Clear structure & presentation, including references  Practical & professional skills: in reporting to BRF’s Board  

And how to go about it: 1 Being clear about BRF 2015. The TMA asks you to “make it clear what aspects of the BRF 2015 strategy you think are likely to be problematic in implementation and what recommendations you would make to overcome such implementation problems” So, in preparation, you need to remind yourself what BRF 2015 was about and begin to think what might prove challenging. Remember you explored about some ‘rough and ready’ SAFe principles in your wikis, so that might be somewhere to start planning. You don’t need to write all this planning into your final TMAs, but it may help you to map out the scope of your work – the critical thinking task of deciding what to prioritise and what therefore to write about.

And how to go about it: 2 Write the TMA with Block 5 concepts. You need to choose which (again, a preliminary mind map may help). The TMA asks about identifying problems and overcoming them; so you can draw on: Unit 1: such as ‘planned ‘ vs ‘prioritised’ and many of the other concepts on barrier and success factors Unit 2: managerial and other roles and practical steps to gain trust and leadership Unit 3: how about BRF’s structure and the implications of international expansion? What insights does Raisch offer? Unit 4: how will perspectives on change inform your ‘storyline’? Remember part of the challenge of the assignment is to demonstrate your ability to select concepts appropriately and apply them with critical understanding, and practicality.

So what might that mean? You can’t ‘cut and paste’ this one from Block 5, but do need to choose and prioritise the concepts you use. You need to interpret the challenges and make recommendations, through the lens of Block 5 NB In previous TMAs, many students have worked through concepts in the order they’ve been presented in the texts. That doesn’t necessarily make sense when telling BRF’s implementation story Tutors are not looking for summary of the texts! 

What are tutors expecting (for earning high marks)? Concise summary of main implementation points of BRF 2015 Brief summary of main implementation problems in BRF 2015 – but must be written in terms of appropriate Block 5 concepts Justifying your chosen recommendations for managing interventions that might deal with those selected problems . Again, showing critical and questioning use of Block 5 theory, as a way of understanding and dealing with the problems Discussing each of your recommendations clearly and logically; for example, the level at which it’s focused, where the intervention point is, and what you propose. Recognising the consequences and how they might be dealt with.

Report format “Write your answer as a report from the perspective of an independent strategy consultant to the board of directors – but with appropriate academic referencing.” See the guidelines in your Assignment Guide, section 1.5; which reflect B301’s learning outcome of developing and demonstrating communication skills appropriate to a business context and audience: clearly written, often with sub-headings and a simple section/paragraph numbering system. succinct. Note the guidance is only an example: you can adapt it.