Scenario: Quenchbliss is a craft soda company headquartered in El Paso, Texas, with additional facilities in Juarez, Mexico. They have 80 full-time employees between the two branches. In 2023 they saw a massive increase in sales from $16 million to $20 million thanks to their expansion into Juarez. This has led them to further planning of opening facilities in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, particularly to hotels, bars, and restaurants in areas with the most tourism. In this Touchstone, you will synthesize what you have learned throughout the class by making recommendations to Quenchbliss executives on how to maintain organizational health at this time of rapid growth and change. In Unit 1 you developed a SWOT analysis to fully understand the position of Quenchbliss within their market and community. In Unit 2, you recommended an organizational structure and motivational strategies to facilitate change. You will want to have both documents available to help inform your final recommendations.
For this Touchstone, we will make the following assumptions:
• Quenchbliss's strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats (SWOT) identified in the Touchstone Task 1 have not changed and should inform your decisions.
• Quenchbliss is following the recommendations from Touchstone 2 to facilitate its expansion. Recall the timeline, organizational strategy, and resources dedicated to this growth.
• Quenchbliss's employee turnover has improved due to the motivational strategies you recommended in Touchstone 2, but the organization is concerned that despite the motivational strategies you’ve proposed, the major change and expansion will still negatively impact motivation over the next year.
• Quenchbliss is also concerned about how these changes will affect the working units within their organization (see org chart below). They would like advice on how to help diverse cross-functional teams come together quickly and work effectively despite cultural differences.
• Finally, Quenchbliss knows that times of instability can lead to unhealthy organizational politics, power plays, and conflict. They would like to minimize these problems for their organization.
Assignment: You will write a 8-10 page (2000-2500 word) research paper for Quenchbliss, addressing the theories of organizational behavior and how they should be combined and utilized in a way that applies to Quenchbliss, given the recent changes and expansion occurring within the organization. Your research paper will include at least one concept, model or theory from each of the topic areas listed below. For each topic, review the tutorials and select a theory or model that seems most appropriate. In your Touchstone, summarize the theory or model and explain how Quenchbliss should apply it to their organization. The topics are:
• External Environment (Use the SWOT analysis you wrote in Touchstone Task 1 as a reference).
• Change Management (Use the recommendations from Touchtone 2 as a reference).
• Diversity and Cultural Differences
• Team Development
• Conflict, Power, and Organizational Politics
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Directions
Step 1: Review tutorials on each of the topics you’ll be writing about
Some of the most helpful tutorials are listed below, but you should review all the course material and may use any tutorial to inform your decisions.
• Internal and External Environments
• Organizational Change
• Cultural Differences
• Team Development Over Time
• Conflict in Organizations
• Responding to Conflict
• Political Behavior in Organizations
Step 2: Draft the Research Paper
Prepare a research paper to present to leadership at Quenchbliss. The structure for the research paper will consist of five main topics. For each topic, you will identify a problem or opportunity at Quenchbliss either through the scenario or from your SWOT analysis. For each problem you will propose a solution based on the concepts learned in the tutorials.
For the benefit of Quenchbliss executives, summarize the framework, concept or theory from the tutorial (making sure to use in-text citations!), then synthesize and analysis this concept, and how it relates to Quenchbliss, and the change they have decided to undertake.
The topics and guiding questions for the research paper are below. Be sure to cover all of these topics in your paper.
- External Environment
• What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats the organization is facing? This should be consistent with the SWOT analysis you wrote for the Touchstone Task in Unit 1.
• What model may be applied to better understand these factors? Using the model you’ve chosen, describe how each aspect applies to Quenchbliss.
• How can Quenchbliss address the external opportunities and threats you’ve identified?
- Change Management
• What change management model should Quenchbliss use as they enter the new markets? Why is this model the most effective?
• This should consistent with your recommendations (and org chart) in the Touchstone in Unit 2.
• List each step of the model, and address specific actions the organization should take at each step.
- Diversity and Cultural differences
• What cultural differences should Quenchbliss consider when entering the overseas market?
• What specific differences such as minimum wage and vacation time should Quenchbliss consider when entering these two countries?
• What strategies might Quenchbliss use to help them ensure diversity throughout their organization?
Full Answer Section
1. External Environment:
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SWOT Analysis Summary (from Touchstone 1): (This section would be populated with the actual SWOT analysis conducted in Unit 1. For this example, I’ll provide a hypothetical SWOT.)
- Strengths: Unique product offerings, strong brand recognition in El Paso, established distribution network in the US.
- Weaknesses: Limited international experience, potential supply chain vulnerabilities, limited marketing budget for international expansion.
- Opportunities: Growing demand for craft beverages in tourist destinations, potential partnerships with hotels and restaurants, access to new markets in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
- Threats: Competition from established beverage companies, fluctuating exchange rates, political and economic instability in new markets, differing regulatory environments.
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PESTLE Analysis: A PESTLE analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the macro-environmental factors affecting Quenchbliss. (Yüksel, 2012)
- Political: Political stability in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, trade agreements, and government regulations related to food and beverage industries.
- Economic: Economic growth in the tourism sectors of these countries, exchange rates, inflation, and local market prices.
- Social: Cultural preferences for beverages, consumer trends, and social attitudes towards imported products.
- Technological: Advancements in beverage production and packaging technologies, e-commerce platforms, and social media marketing.
- Legal: Food safety regulations, labeling requirements, import/export laws, and labor laws in each country.
- Environmental: Sustainability concerns, waste management regulations, and climate change impacts on local resources.
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Addressing External Factors:
- Opportunities: Quenchbliss should conduct thorough market research to understand local preferences and tailor its product offerings and marketing strategies accordingly. Partnerships with local hotels and restaurants can provide valuable distribution channels.
- Threats: Quenchbliss should develop contingency plans to mitigate the impact of fluctuating exchange rates and potential political or economic instability. Legal counsel should be consulted to ensure compliance with local regulations. Building strong relationships with local suppliers can mitigate supply chain risks.
2. Change Management:
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Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model: Given the scale of Quenchbliss’s expansion, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model is a suitable framework. It provides a structured approach to managing complex organizational change. (Kotter, 1996)
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Steps and Actions:
- Create a Sense of Urgency: Communicate the importance of expansion and the potential consequences of inaction. Share market research and competitive analysis with employees.
- Build a Guiding Coalition: Form a team of influential individuals from different departments to lead the change effort.
- Form a Strategic Vision and Initiatives: Develop a clear vision for the expansion and define specific initiatives to achieve it.
- Enlist a Volunteer Army: Communicate the vision and initiatives broadly and encourage employee buy-in and participation.
- Enable Action by Removing Barriers: Identify and remove obstacles that hinder the change process, such as outdated processes or inadequate resources.
- Generate Short-Term Wins: Celebrate early successes to maintain momentum and reinforce the value of the change.
- Sustain Acceleration: Continue to drive change and avoid complacency. Monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.
- Institute Change: Embed the new ways of working into the organizational culture.
3. Diversity and Cultural Differences:
- Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory: Hofstede’s framework provides insights into cultural differences across various dimensions, including power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation, and indulgence vs. restraint. (Hofstede, 2001)
- Application to Quenchbliss: Quenchbliss must consider the cultural differences between the US, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. For example, understanding differences in communication styles, decision-making processes, and work ethics will be crucial for effective cross-cultural collaboration.
- Specific Differences:
- Minimum Wage and Vacation Time: Quenchbliss must comply with the labor laws of each country, which will vary significantly in terms of minimum wage, vacation time, and other employee benefits.
- Strategies for Ensuring Diversity:
- Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Implement recruitment strategies that attract a diverse pool of candidates.
- Cross-Cultural Training: Provide training to employees on cultural awareness and sensitivity.
- Diversity and Inclusion Programs: Establish programs that promote inclusion and respect for all employees.
4. Team Development:
- Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development: Tuckman’s model describes the stages that teams typically go through: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. (Tuckman, 1965)
- Application to Quenchbliss: As Quenchbliss forms cross-functional teams across different locations, it is important to recognize that these teams will go through these stages. During the "storming" phase, conflict may arise due to cultural differences and differing work styles. Effective leadership and communication are essential to navigate this phase and move towards "norming" and "performing."
5. Conflict, Power, and Organizational Politics:
- Rahim’s Conflict Management Styles: Rahim’s model identifies five conflict management styles: integrating, obliging, dominating, avoiding, and compromising. (Rahim, 1983)
- Application to Quenchbliss: Quenchbliss should promote an “integrating” style of conflict management, which involves collaboration and problem-solving to find mutually beneficial solutions. This can help minimize negative organizational politics and power plays. Clear communication channels, transparent decision-making processes, and a culture of trust and respect can also help prevent conflict and promote a healthy work environment.
Conclusion:
Quenchbliss’s expansion presents both significant opportunities and challenges. By applying the organizational behavior theories and models outlined in this paper, Quenchbliss can effectively manage change, foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, build high-performing teams, and minimize the negative effects of conflict and organizational politics. This will enable Quenchbliss to achieve its growth objectives while maintaining a healthy and productive organizational culture.
Sample Answer
Maintaining Organizational Health During Rapid Growth: Recommendations for Quenchbliss
Introduction:
Quenchbliss has experienced significant growth, expanding into Juarez and planning further expansion into Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. While this growth presents exciting opportunities, it also poses challenges to organizational health. This research paper provides recommendations to Quenchbliss executives, drawing on organizational behavior theories and models, to navigate this period of rapid change and maintain a healthy and productive work environment. The recommendations will address the external environment, change management, diversity and cultural differences, team development, and conflict management.