Question: You are working as an Operations Management Consultant with BSG Consulting, Qatar.

Section A:

Vocational Scenario:

You are working as an Operations Management Consultant with BSG Consulting, Qatar. They provide advisory services to many companies in Qatar and the GCC region. Qatar Airways, a leading international airline carrier in the Middle East, whose main source of business comes from its commercial and cargo operations, has requested the advisory services of BSG Consulting, as they expand their cargo operations across a range of industry sectors in Qatar. Qatar Airways has asked BSG consulting to assist them in providing information that will help Qatar Airway’s operations department achieve their overall business objectives in expanding their business across a range of sectors that are of interest to them. The director of BSG Consulting is planning a key stakeholder meeting with Qatar Airways executives and wants you to put together a report that explains in detail the following key points that will serve as part of the advisory to the client going forward on the applied importance of operations management.

Your report must include the following:

1. Critically analyze the role effective operations management plays in the achievement of tactical and strategic business objectives across a range of sectors.
2. Discuss the contribution of effective supply chains to the organization.
3. Justify the impact of effective operations management and the use of operational techniques on achieving objectives in complex and dynamic trading environments at Qatar Airways, making valid recommendations and solutions.
4. Devise solutions to given operations management problems at Qatar Airways, using a range of techniques and analysis frameworks.
5. Appraise the use of digital technologies for effective operational performance for Qatar Airways
6. Critically evaluate, giving evidence-based recommendations to Qatar Airways of the different techniques and analysis frameworks used by operations managers to solve complex problems and drive organizational performance to achieve high operational performance.

Section B:

Vocational Scenario:

Emirates has for a long time been the number one Middle Eastern airline and has gained international status for its impeccable customer service. It cornered the market in sales, service and the routes it flies pre Covid, its biggest competitor is Qatar Airways, however during the past couple of years, Qatar Airways has invested heavily in retrofitting out an entire fleet of Boeing 747’s and A380’s Business Class Q-Suite designs, additionally they have realigned their operations to be lean, to minimize costs, risks and investing into continuous development and total quality management procesess.  Emirates airlines needs to improve its operational performance so it can be on par with Qatar Airways impeccable operational business model and has now contacted BSG Consulting to provide advisory on the following key areas they need help with. They will require advisory on the range of techniques used to achieve continuous quality improvement additionally to provide a comprehensive strategic risk analysis plan for Emirates Airlines. In you continued role as a senior operations management consultant, you have been asked to produce a portfolio to Emirates Airlines.

The portfolio should cover the following key areas:

1. Review Report: Evaluate and critique a range of total quality management approaches and techniques within the continuous improvement plan in order for Emirates to achieve its organizational objectives.
2. Continuous Quality Improvement Plan: Produce a continuous quality improvement plan for Emirates based on its operational activities, that is underpinned by theoretical concepts, that justifies approaches and solutions, with reference to costs, benefits and sustainable performance.
3. Strategic Risk Analysis: Produce a Strategic Risk Analysis of Emirates Airlines using risk identification and mapping, additionally undertaking a discussion and critically evaluating the role, importance and significance of a Strategic Risk Analysis for Emirates, in the diverse and complex environments they operate in.
4. Assess a range of contingency plans and strategies available to Emirates Airlines, as it seeks to manage organizational and stakeholder risk.

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Scenario

Dr Meredith Belbin studied team-work for many years, and he famously observed that people in teams tend to assume different "team roles." He defined a team role as "a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way" and named nine such team roles that underlie team success.

You are working for Qatar Airways as an HR Executive who has been asked to produce findings on organisational culture, motivation and influencing others in a group. You are to do a group presentation on the theme allocated by your manager.

Aim

The aim of this part of the assignment is to apply the concepts and philosophies of organizational behavior demonstrating your ability to work with others, based upon the understanding of group and group dynamics. Critical analysis on the team development theories will allow an understanding of how to effectively cooperate with others.

Activity

1-The class will take a Self-Perception inventory test. (see appendix attached) This test will allow each learner to identify his/her role. Based on the results the class will be divided into teams and each team will demonstrate an understanding of how to cooperate effectively with others in a team thereby applying the concepts and philosophies of organisational behaviour (Tuckman’s and Belbin’s theories):

2-Doing a group activity (Joint presentation) together on Organisational Behaviour

After the above collaborative work

Your Group presentation should include:

1. Individually-(2 minutes):

1)The result of Belbin’s Self Perception Inventory Test.

2)Your role and contribution to the team work.

3)Reflect on contribution from other team members.

2. In Group-

1. Apply concepts (Perception, individual differences, motivation, empowerment, ethics etc  )  and philosophies (autocratic, custodial, collegial, supportive and system ) of organisational behaviour within Qatar Airways to observe the impact on business performance and productivity.
2. A testimonial explaining what made them an effective or ineffective team. Explain factors that were instrumental in your team effectively achieving its objectives and identify those aspects which threatened successful achievement and cohesive group work.

In your Individual Report on Team Behavior, you should:

3. Critically analyze and evaluate Tuckman’s and Belbin’s theory (team development theories), concept and philosophy in the context of the workplace and how it influences behavior to increase business performance and productivity.

Checklist for your submission:

1. Case study on Qatar Airways on Culture, Politics, Power and Motivation
2. Belbin Self-Perception Inventory Test
3. Presentation slides (group and individual)
4. Report on Team behaviour