Question:
- Read the case carefully and complete the proposal by filling in the correct sentence NUMBERS. (Some parts of the proposal will have more than one sentence) Do not copy the sentences; do not add your own ideas.
Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza
1. Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza is a medium-sized chain of fast-food restaurants. Its branches are predominantly based in the north-west and Midlands of the United Kingdom and, until lately, this regional concentration and profile has enabled the chain to compete with the larger, international fast-food brands in these areas (many of whom have outlets near to a Zinn’s restaurant). 2. However, in recent years, many of Zinn’s restaurants have begun to struggle; they are losing both customers and staff. 3. The décor and furniture look tired, cooking equipment needs replacing; the menus require updating. As with all fast-food businesses, the chain’s sales have been threatened by the recent trend towards ‘healthy eating’ and concerns over the environmental impact of the fast-food sector. 5. The recent recession has boosted sales slightly as customers look for cheap opportunities to eat out. 6. Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza should move to healthy combination of meals along with healthy drinks that needs careful planning with the help of food dieticians. 7. Various contests like ‘the happy family moments’, ‘coast to coast’, ‘Full of care’ are to be introduced. 8. Direct marketing as the term suggests, is a method of directly marketing to your consumers by means such as telephone marketing, Online marketing, E-mail based marketing, etc. which Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza needs to tap especially now. 9. The working hours and pay scale of the staff must undergo revision. 10. Lugo furniture manufacturers, situated in Midlands, use the extremely attractive Candi Tube Collections that attracts all ages. The company has quoted very reasonable charges for refurnishing. 11. By introducing the contests there will be a boost in sales and market share by creating an awareness of the brand and instilling it in the minds of the consumers. 12. The telephone, online marketing that offers direct information to the consumers on their diverse products and services will giving the consumers sufficient knowledge about the products and deals of Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza. 13. Good décor and furniture attract the eyes naturally. And the rule goes if the staff is happy, the customers are also happy. 14. There is threat that Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza may be labelled as JUNK FOOD SUPPLIERS and POOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, if changes are not made. 15. No business wants to close down because customers do not trust.
| Category | Sentence Number |
| Analysis of the problem: | |
| The Reasons: | |
| Proposed Solutions: | |
| Benefits of the proposed solutions: | |
| Risk to the organisation if the proposed changes are not made: |
- Read the sentences below and decide the function of each sentence by specifying which states a claim and which states a support. Fill your answers in the blank boxes.
| Sentence | Function |
| Belgrade, as a tourism destination, is not competitive in terms of walking tours around the city compared to other major Serbian destinations. | |
| This is due to the undeveloped infrastructure around green areas (Maksin, 2011). | |
| As a post-industrial city, Belgrade lacks revitalization, which makes it less competitive. | |
| So, a holistic economic approach that takes into account human and environmental needs may help change the situation (World Tourism Organization, 2011). |
PART II (50 marks)
In well written essay of around 300 words, answer the following question.
Team working is one of the core skills for employability. According to Schein (1980), teams form for both functional and psychological reasons. Write an essay discussing the functional and psychological reasons according to Schein theory. (This question will test your essay writing and paraphrasing skills.)
Answer:
Plagiarism Warning:
As per AOU rules and regulations, all students are required to submit their own THE-Final work and avoid plagiarism. The AOU has implemented sophisticated techniques for plagiarism detection. You will be penalized for any act of plagiarism as per the AOU’s rules and regulations.
Declaration of No Plagiarism by Student:
I hereby declare that the submitted THE-Final work is a result of my own efforts and I have not plagiarized any other person’s work.
My submission through the official forms and channels are considered as confirmation and approval on what is mentioned earlier regarding plagiarism.
This examination is composed of two parts. Answer all questions.
PART I (50 Marks)
- a. Read the case carefully and complete the proposal by filling in the correct sentence NUMBERS. (Some parts of the proposal will have more than one sentence) Do not copy the sentences; do not add your own ideas.
Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza
1. Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza is a medium-sized chain of fast-food restaurants. Its branches are predominantly based in the north-west and Midlands of the United Kingdom and, until lately, this regional concentration and profile has enabled the chain to compete with the larger, international fast-food brands in these areas (many of whom have outlets near to a Zinn’s restaurant). 2. However, in recent years, many of Zinn’s restaurants have begun to struggle; they are losing both customers and staff. 3. The décor and furniture look tired, cooking equipment needs replacing; the menus require updating. As with all fast-food businesses, the chain’s sales have been threatened by the recent trend towards ‘healthy eating’ and concerns over the environmental impact of the fast-food sector. 5. The recent recession has boosted sales slightly as customers look for cheap opportunities to eat out. 6. Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza should move to healthy combination of meals along with healthy drinks that needs careful planning with the help of food dieticians. 7. Various contests like ‘the happy family moments’, ‘coast to coast’, ‘Full of care’ are to be introduced. 8. Direct marketing as the term suggests, is a method of directly marketing to your consumers by means such as telephone marketing, Online marketing, E-mail based marketing, etc. which Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza needs to tap especially now. 9. The working hours and pay scale of the staff must undergo revision. 10. Lugo furniture manufacturers, situated in Midlands, use the extremely attractive Candi Tube Collections that attracts all ages. The company has quoted very reasonable charges for refurnishing. 11. By introducing the contests there will be a boost in sales and market share by creating an awareness of the brand and instilling it in the minds of the consumers. 12. The telephone, online marketing that offers direct information to the consumers on their diverse products and services will giving the consumers sufficient knowledge about the products and deals of Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza. 13. Good décor and furniture attract the eyes naturally. And the rule goes if the staff is happy, the customers are also happy. 14. There is threat that Zinn’s Burgers and Pizza may be labelled as JUNK FOOD SUPPLIERS and POOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, if changes are not made. 15. No business wants to close down because customers do not trust.
| Category | Sentence Number |
| Analysis of the problem: | The Restaurant is losing customers and staff because of a change in the customer’s choices and employee dissatisfaction. |
| The Reasons: | A change in the socio-economic profile of the customers, interiors of the restaurant are old fashioned and fails in attracting the customers. |
| Proposed Solutions: | Inclusion of a dietician for maintaining nutrition in the food. A change in the look and feel of the outlets. Aggressive marketing of the newly developed food products and ambiance created by the renovation in the restaurants. |
| Benefits of the proposed solutions: | It will increase the footfall of the customers and profits will increase. The company will be able to retain employees by giving them ease in the working environment. The company will be able to compete in a perfect competition market where big brands are trying to create dominance. |
| The risk to the organisation if the proposed changes are not made: | A consistent drop in sales volumes can force the company to close some of its non-performing outlets. Retention of an employee will become difficult, lack of trained and experienced hands can complicate the situation for the company even further. |
- Read the sentences below and decide the function of each sentence by specifying which states a claim and which states a support. Fill your answers in the blank boxes.
| Sentence | Function |
| Belgrade, as a tourism destination, is not competitive in terms of walking tours around the city compared to other major Serbian destinations. | Claim |
| This is due to the undeveloped infrastructure around green areas (Maksin, 2011). | Support |
| As a post-industrial city, Belgrade lacks revitalization, which makes it less competitive. | Support |
| So, a holistic economic approach that takes into account human and environmental needs may help change the situation (World Tourism Organization, 2011). | Claim |
PART II (50 marks)
In well written essay of around 300 words, answer the following question.
- 1. Team working is one of the core skills for employability. According to Schein (1980), teams form for both functional and psychological reasons. Write an essay discussing the functional and psychological reasons according to Schein theory. (This question will test your essay writing and paraphrasing skills.)
Essay
A primer in Team dynamism: a necessary element to balance functional and psychological aspects of the work
The formation of the correct team to implement a task is the most important exercise for a manager because the appointment of the right person at the right place creates team dynamism for accomplishing the functional needs of a project. However, while doing it, the psychological reasons associated with the functioning of a project cannot be denied. The hypothesis developed by Schein (1980), holds a lot of substance because the absence of team working can cripple the abilities of an employee to deliver the desired services because of an incompetent working environment (Chand, 2019).
Team working is a core skill because it has a direct relation with the working ambiance. Broadly, a working ambiance can be studied for two major conditions. The first condition is the condition when all the functions are running smoothly. On most occasions, the managers want to conduct the operations in a standardized format. Psychological factors associated with working never come to the surface during this phase, however, when things become hostile or extraordinary events surround the functionality of a group, then under this condition, the skill of teamwork plays a crucial role (Lank, 2018).
For instance, a change in the behavior pattern of an individual working in a team can create some roadblocks in the functionality of the endeavor. The essence of team working can solve this problem where other team members can support the ailing team member and bail him out from the situation. This process is also known as team dynamism when a team makes some adjustments at an internal level to handle working patterns.
The same team dynamism can become a handy tool to address some changes in the external environment of a business. It has been observed that teams sharing a great team dynamism often perform better when external challenges surfeit up. This is why a manager needs to ensure that teams should be structured following functional needs along with a psychological semblance among the team members. This semblance will allow an individual to practice his team skills to the full potential and ensure a smooth functionality for the endeavor.
References
Chand, S. (2019). Group Dynamics: it’s characteristics, stages, types and other Details | Management. Your Article Library , (Online) ( Available At) https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/group-dynamics-its-characteristics-stages-types-and-other-details-management/5363. Accessed 21-01-2021
Lank, H. (2018). Team Dynamics. Essays in the Sociology and Social Psychology of Sport Including Methodological and Epistemological Issues. Eric , (Online) ( Available at) https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED148791. Accessed 21-01-2021.
