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Case Study 2011


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Has anyone else noticed how Option 1 doesn't mke sense?

It says that Neil is considering raising the prices from $25 to $30. Neil believes that this would help increase motivation of the students, while doubling the revenue for Reach Out. HOW??

If the revenue for Reach Out doubles, it means that they are taking $10, and therefore the students still get paid $20. This will not increase their motivation because they are still getiing the same amount of pay.

There is likely to be a question on this "mistake".

i agree on this one with you.....

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I was wondering if any of you have notes for the B&M Case study which I haven't named. I am asking this in a polite manner from now on. Thanks!

Edited by Austin Glau
text speak, filter avoidance, unacceptable direct question
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Your welcome! :)

while going through all the post i realized there was no mention about the break-even analysis... there is a mention about the break-even but no further descrption.. so with additional data even a break even analysis can come..

Also there can be questions framed on ethical business behavior and something on communication.. like if formal communications channels are used would it make the communication better?

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Hey! My mock exam is on the 9th, and I don't understand the fishbone diagram...

If anyone can explain it to me, and how it's used, I'd really appreciate it :)

Also, as for the possible questions that may come up:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to Reach Out for remaining a charity?

2. Identify any communication barriers between staff in Reach Out

3. Suggest what type of pricing method Reach Out should use if the PECS cards were produced

4. How can Reach Out appeal to a wider audience?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Family Branding to Reach Out?

6. Identify and Explain 2 other organisational planning tools that Reach Out could have utilised.

These are questions that I scribbled down on my copy, and are the only ones that are coherent, so I hope they're useful! :yes:

Thaanks x

Hey !

So did you have mocks in Business and how did it go?

What questions did you get?

Kind regards,

Dee-Wan

Hey! Yeah, it didn't go that great =/

I got a low 6...

Well, this was some of the stuff they asked:

1. The effectiveness of ethical objectives

2. Benefits and costs of private-public partnerships

3. Benefits of Business Planning Tools (STEEPLE, PEST etc.)

4. Purpose of Business Plans

5. Compare the leadership styles of Neil and Laura and how they might have to change their leadership styles as the business grows (So in the case study, she's more of laissez-faire leader, but as the business grows, she might have to become more autocratic to overcome business problems such as absenteeism and punctuality)

6.Evaluate Option 3

7. Difference, costs and benefits of Brand Development and Product Development (Ansoff's Matrix)

8. Benefits and Costs of Market Research to Reach Out

9 Force field analysis

10. Vision and Mission Statements

That's all I can remember right now, I hope it helps somehow :P

I lost most of my marks because I didn't relate it enough to the case study.

SO DON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE!

Relate all your answers to Reach Out as MUCH as you can, always give examples from the case study

:)

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Your welcome! :)

while going through all the post i realized there was no mention about the break-even analysis... there is a mention about the break-even but no further descrption.. so with additional data even a break even analysis can come..

Also there can be questions framed on ethical business behavior and something on communication.. like if formal communications channels are used would it make the communication better?

We had our mocks last month, and there was only a definition question on the break even model. It didn't really go into that much depth...

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Has anyone else noticed how Option 1 doesn't mke sense?

It says that Neil is considering raising the prices from $25 to $30. Neil believes that this would help increase motivation of the students, while doubling the revenue for Reach Out. HOW??

If the revenue for Reach Out doubles, it means that they are taking $10, and therefore the students still get paid $20. This will not increase their motivation because they are still getiing the same amount of pay.

There is likely to be a question on this "mistake".

i agree on this one with you.....

Have a look at the fishbone diagram. Its actually the students is not motivated by monetary terms, the point here is when RO able to gain surplus, the surplus is used to improve the facility of RO itself.

For example:

i)can be used to buy transportation so that the therapist dosent have to use thier own transport to meet thier clients

ii) RO can cater for more therapist, thus making the therapist much flexible working time as there is more replacement if there is a gap.

This is the factors that able to motivate the therapist by referring to herzberg theory. (the condition of the workplace/motivation theory)

=))

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  • 3 weeks later...

Regarding the financial issues for RO...

My teacher always stress out on this sub-topic:

-Source of finance-what is the alternative source of finance?

-Cash flow-construct cash flow for september till december.

-comment on the current cash flow

-Payback period and Average rate of return for PECS card-calculation

Anyways, can someone give some drawbacks for option 3-sponsorship...

after making some evaluation, my judgement seems unbalance...thanks :coffee:

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Hi guys,

just found this forum seeking for help, but seems like I have done a lot already compared to you guy's or you just haven't uploaded it XD

here are all the term from the paper.

I will upload swot+steeple+ something more :) later tonight XD

bye :) hope you can improve my stuff and help meee

Business Term.doc

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which motivation theories can we apply to all the different stakeholders in reach out i.e. Laura, Neil, Andrew and the student therapists? This was asked in my class and there was a dispute over whether Neil is motivated only by PRP.

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My Mock Paper 1 is tomorrow.... so yay me.

Alrighty. I'm going to be a nice person and upload all the questions I have that my teacher asked during class and was answered during class discussion.

Also, I agree that there should be more financial discussion on here. Btw, we should calculate the Payback Period & Accounting Rate of Return because you know that ish is going to be asked. I would do it.... but I don't really know what to consider as being the initial amount invested. Is it the $10,000 that Neil invested? Because if so... then that gets paid off during the pre start-up month.... So that's weird.

RO Qs.docx

SWOT Reach Ou.docx

Reach out Questions.docx

reach out questions#2.docx

RO Questions 2.docx

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Do you guys think we can say that Laura has functional authority over Neil because she is from a different department and they are supposed to be of equal standing in the business however we can see that Neil cannot make any decisions without Laura's approval. This is evident when she goes off on holiday and Neil can do nothing while she is gone.

Also in terms of leadership styles would you say that Laura is Laissez faire because she simply lets things go as they will or is she somewhat Autocratic because she does not agree to anything unless she likes it(Neil's options). or can we say that she is a hybrid of both?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey vids!

Yesterday i was studying that, and asked the teacher to help me with a problem today.

First of all, you must know how to make/construct and activity network. If you dont know this, please check the book first and then come back :). Now, the critical path is the path that is the most efficient. In which the most can happen in other words. So, the critical path is, the node which has the lowest starting time and the highest finishing time. Check all the nodes, and then mark your critical path with "//".

For more info or if you didnt understand my explanation (highly likely XD) check : http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/alevel/discrete_ch12.pdf

Ciao :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

ohh god. this forum is dead compared to the one they had the previous years, anyways here are some questions that came in my Mock and some from my teacher. good luck.

(1)

a) Define the following terms: (2 marks per definition)

(i) Social marketing (line 15):

(ii) Charity (line 30):

b) With reference to the case study “Reach Out” distinguish between social marketing and commercial marketing. (4m)

c) Prepare a SWPT analysis for “Reach Out” showing the Internal strength and weaknesses, and the external threat and opportunities. (7m)

(2)

Reach out’s vision statement is: “No child with autism will be left behind” (lines 44-45)

a) Define “vision statement”, and explain the importance to this statement to “Reach Out” and it’s stakeholders. (4m)

b) Analyze the usefulness if using below the line techniques such as sponsorships, as a promotional tool for “Reach Out” (4m)

c) Analyze the role of “Reach Out’s” various stakeholders, and the possibility of conflict arising between them. (7m)

(3)

a) Define the following terms: (2 marks per definition)

(i) PRP (Performance Related Pay) (line 40):

(ii) Out sourcing (line 110):

b) Analyze the barriers to effective communication between Andrew Gandin and the part itme therapist on one hand, and the management of “Reach Out” on the other hand. (4m)

c) Evaluate the leadership style used by Laura Chan in the running charity of “Reach Out”. (7m)

4)

a) Define the following terms (2 marks per definition):

(i) Liquidity:

(ii) Working Capital:

b) Using the information in appendix 1; comment on the performance of “Reach Out” in the first four months of operation (4m)

c) To what extent would creating a “family brand” help “Reach Out” in generating further revenue? (4m)

d) “Reach Out” management are considering several options to generate further revenues; evaluate option 1, which is to modify the pricing structure of the therapist schemes, against option 3 which is to obtain sponsorship from a multinational company. (8m)

_____________________________

Marketing questions:

Define marketing objective.

Identify the marketing objectives of reach out.

Describe the methods that Reach Out may use to get market research.

Evaluate Reach Out’s Marketing strategies.

Evaluate methods that Reach Out can use to improve their relationship with their customers.

Describe potential pricing strategies that reach out COULD use to break into PECs cards market? (4m)

Examine the advantages and disadvantages of firms like Reach Out to operate as a single brand in the market.

Evaluate possible primary and secondary research that organizations like Reach Out can conduct to ensure that firm’s marketing approaches are effective in targeting its consumers?

________________________________

Examin Neil’s 3 options to generate revenue in terms of the effect that they could have on 3 different stake holders.

Evaluate factors affecting the growth of Reach Out.

Examine the cause of the ethnical conflict between Neil and Laura.

analyze the costs and benefits of Reach Out; having a taller organizational structure.

Edited by pumkinns
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I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Andrew's fascination with trampolines. Necessary detail.

Aside from that I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet but isn't it kind of unethical/incorrect to label a business a charity when Neil receives commission?? Seems odd.

HAHAHHAHA, yes the trampolines were vital to our knowledge (Y)

I thought it was weird as well, but I think you bring up the whole Public-Private Partnership experience and how he is financially motivated to work for the good of the charity? Because it's not like Andrew and Laura are doing anything productive for the business, while they get stable salaries. For Laura it kinda makes sense because previously she worked as something in a supermarket (unstable job), so she'd want a stable income for her son and stuff. As for Andrew, I don't know why he was hired in the first place, he is of no use whatsoever.

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hey

i was going through the leadership styles of neil and laura, and ive gotten a little ocnfused about something, maybe others have also picked up on

imo Neil has an autocratic leadership style (eventhough he's not the main leader of the charity but he is adirector) where he does worry about what his subordinates are doing, as he showed when he said he was getting irrated by Laura's laissez-faire leadership style. he expects the therapists and andrew to listen to him and to anticipate what is expected of them (power culture) and he expects them to act within their job descriptions (role culture). but he isnt mentoring, or monitoring either just like laura and therefore also has somewhat of a laissez-faire leadership style. The thing i dont understand is that he's complaining about laura's style when he's not doing any better at keeping the therapists and andrew in line.

this case study is becoming more and more like a tv series where everyones got problems with eachother :P

anyways, lemme know what you guys think of the leadership styles of laura and neil and this issue

(laura is obviously laissez-faire :P )

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HAHAHHAHA, yes the trampolines were vital to our knowledge (Y)

I thought it was weird as well, but I think you bring up the whole Public-Private Partnership experience and how he is financially motivated to work for the good of the charity? Because it's not like Andrew and Laura are doing anything productive for the business, while they get stable salaries. For Laura it kinda makes sense because previously she worked as something in a supermarket (unstable job), so she'd want a stable income for her son and stuff. As for Andrew, I don't know why he was hired in the first place, he is of no use whatsoever.

tbh if it wasnt for neil RO wouldnt exist.. and if it wasnt for neil these problems would have just escalated into even more trouble for RO in which case laura wouuldnt be able to respond in the right way seeing as she has poor intuitive decision making skills. Neil is already retired so he wont be doing this for the money, nor is he motivated by money. which is weird because PRP is essentially based on Taylor's motivation theory where man is motivated by money. I agree with 'radhikak' about working for the good of the charity but i dont think its about the money. I think its because with PRP if the charity does bad (has minimal cash reciepts) his pay will get less whereas if it were fixed, the charity would be paying neil more than what they could actually afford. So by having PRP based on the performance of the charity (NOT directly neil which is actually not smart of the IB), in bad times the charity looses minimal money to Neil's pay meaning it has more surplus to fix itself up. But if the charity does well, then Neil is just taking larger sums. I guess if it averages out, RO will be paying him less than if ithey were paying him a fixed salary. the fact that his performance is measured by the cash income of RO is wrong because he is definitely indiorectly linked to RO as he just does finance, no promotion of anything which would icnrease donations. hope that makes some sense :S

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