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Quenchbliss Case Study
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
Porter's Five Forces: Porter's Five Forces framework analyzes the competitive forces within an industry, helping Quenchbliss understand its competitive landscape. (Porter, 1979)
Threat of New Entrants: The craft beverage market is relatively accessible, posing a moderate threat of new entrants, especially local competitors in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Quenchbliss can mitigate this by establishing strong brand loyalty and securing distribution agreements.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Depending on the availability of local ingredients in the new markets, suppliers could have moderate to high bargaining power. Quenchbliss should diversify its supplier base and establish long-term contracts to mitigate this risk.
Bargaining Power of Buyers: Hotels, bars, and restaurants, the primary target customers, have moderate bargaining power. Quenchbliss can strengthen its position by offering unique products, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service.
Threat of Substitute Products: Traditional sodas, juices, and alcoholic beverages pose a significant threat of substitution. Quenchbliss must differentiate its products through unique flavors and branding to maintain a competitive edge.
Rivalry Among Existing Competitors: Competition from established international beverage companies and local craft beverage producers will be intense. Quenchbliss must focus on building strong brand recognition and developing effective marketing strategies.
Addressing External Factors: Quenchbliss should conduct thorough market research in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic to understand local consumer preferences and adapt its product offerings and marketing strategies accordingly. Building strong relationships with local suppliers and distributors is crucial. Developing contingency plans for currency fluctuations and political instability is essential for mitigating risks.
2. Change Management:
Lewin's Change Management Model: Lewin's model, with its three stages of unfreezing, changing, and refreezing, provides a simple yet effective framework for managing organizational change. (Lewin, 1951) This model aligns well with the previous recommendations from Touchstone 2.
Steps and Actions:
Unfreezing: This stage involves preparing the organization for change. Quenchbliss should:
Communicate the rationale for expansion clearly and transparently to all employees.
Address any concerns or resistance to change.
Create a sense of urgency by highlighting the potential benefits of expansion.
Changing: This stage involves implementing the change. Quenchbliss should:
Implement the new organizational structure recommended in Touchstone 2, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities.
Provide training and support to employees to adapt to the new processes and systems.
Establish clear communication channels and feedback mechanisms.
Refreezing: This stage involves stabilizing the change and making it part of the organizational culture. Quenchbliss should:
Reinforce the new behaviors and practices through recognition and rewards.
Monitor the effectiveness of the change and make adjustments as needed.
Celebrate successes and acknowledge the contributions of employees.
3. Diversity and Cultural Differences:
Trompenaars' Model of National Culture: This model identifies seven dimensions of culture: universalism vs. particularism, individualism vs. collectivism, neutral vs. affective, specific vs. diffuse, achievement vs. ascription, sequential vs. synchronous time, and internal vs. external control. (Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner, 1997)
Application to Quenchbliss: Quenchbliss must consider the cultural differences between the US, Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic across these dimensions. For instance, differences in communication styles (neutral vs. affective) and time orientation (sequential vs. synchronous) can impact teamwork and project management.
Specific Differences:
Minimum Wage and Vacation Time: Quenchbliss must research and comply with local labor laws in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Minimum wage and vacation time regulations will vary significantly from those in the US and Mexico. Consulting with local legal counsel is essential.
Other Cultural Considerations: Differences in work ethic, communication styles, management styles, and social customs should be considered.
Strategies for Ensuring Diversity:
Diversity Training: Implement mandatory diversity and inclusion training for all employees, focusing on cultural awareness, sensitivity, and communication.
Cross-Cultural Teams: Create diverse teams with members from different countries and backgrounds to promote cross-cultural learning and understanding.
Inclusive Leadership: Train managers to be inclusive leaders who value diversity and create a welcoming environment for all employees.
Local HR Practices: Adapt HR policies and practices to align with local cultural norms and legal requirements.
4. Team Development:
Katzenbach and Smith’s Team Performance Model: This model emphasizes the importance of shared purpose, specific performance goals, complementary skills, mutual accountability, and small team size for high-performing teams. (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993)
Application to Quenchbliss: As Quenchbliss forms cross-functional teams across different locations, it should ensure that each team has:
A clear and shared purpose aligned with the overall organizational goals.
Specific performance goals that are measurable and achievable.
Members with complementary skills and expertise.
A system of mutual accountability to ensure that all team members contribute effectively.
A small team size to facilitate communication and collaboration.
5. Conflict, Power, and Organizational Politics:
Dual Concern Model: This model proposes that individuals’ conflict management styles are based on two dimensions: concern for self and concern for others. This results in five conflict management styles: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. (Pruitt & Rubin, 1986)
Application to Quenchbliss: Quenchbliss should encourage a collaborative approach to conflict management, which involves high concern for both self and others. This style promotes open communication, problem-solving, and mutually beneficial solutions. To minimize unhealthy organizational politics:
Promote transparency in decision-making processes.
Establish clear communication channels.
Foster a culture of trust and respect.
Address conflicts promptly and constructively.
Implement clear policies regarding ethical conduct and conflict of interest.
Conclusion:
Quenchbliss's expansion offers tremendous growth potential. By strategically applying the organizational behavior principles outlined above, the company can effectively manage change, build a strong and inclusive culture, develop high-performing teams, and mitigate conflict and negative organizational politics. This integrated approach will ensure that Quenchbliss not only achieves its business objectives but also maintains a healthy and productive organizational environment for all its employees.
Sample Answer
Maintaining Organizational Health During Rapid Growth: Recommendations for Quenchbliss
Introduction:
Quenchbliss's expansion into Juarez and planned entry into Jamaica and the Dominican Republic signify significant growth and opportunity. However, such rapid change presents challenges to organizational health. This research paper provides recommendations to Quenchbliss executives, utilizing organizational behavior theories and models, to navigate this period and maintain a thriving work environment. The recommendations address the external environment, change management, diversity and cultural differences, team development, and conflict management.
1. External Environment:
SWOT Analysis Summary (Hypothetical Example): (Replace with your actual SWOT analysis from Unit 1)
Strengths: Unique flavor profiles, strong regional brand, established distribution network in the US Southwest.
Weaknesses: Limited brand recognition outside the Southwest, potential supply chain complexities with international expansion, dependence on specific local ingredients.
Opportunities: Growing demand for unique beverages in tourist markets, potential partnerships with hotels and resorts, expansion into new international markets.
Threats: Competition from established international beverage brands, fluctuating currency exchange rates, potential political instability in new markets, varying import/export regulations.