Analyse the needs, goals and aspirations of organisations and people involved in interorganisational strategies

Learners may use their own employment context, or that of another organisation with which
they are very familiar, to base their assignment. However, in the case that they are not able
to do so, please use the below scenario:-
You are a senior manager in a business unit of a medium sized enterprise, with functional
management and organisational leadership responsibilities.
Please select and research an organisation of your choice to identify its culture, values,
ethics and legal and regulatory commitments.
Provide brief details of your research in a summary of between 200 and 250 words, this
should not be counted towards the suggested word count. Use the results of your research
to answer the tasks below.
Organisation name: Chosen company Rolls Royce PLC
https://www.rolls-royce.com
Details of your research:
Guidance
The written word, however generated and recorded, is still expected to form the majority of
assessable work produced by Learners at Level 8. The amount and volume of work for each
Unit at this level should be broadly comparable to a word count of 4000- 4500 words.
Task 1
AC 1.1 Analyse the needs, goals and aspirations of organisations and people involved in
interorganisational strategies
GOOD PRACTICE:
In answering this criterion Learners should take cognisance of the STEEPV factors impacting an
organisation’s business units particularly if this involves multinational and international links.
Learners should look beyond the more obvious technological and political for example and review
the softer issues for example the values and beliefs, in other words, their world view
(Weltanschuung). A full answer could also comment on the alignment of the needs, goals and
aspirations of the people involved and their respective organisational entities. Some comments on
autonomy and the effectiveness of policy and strategy cascade from Group HQ to organisational
entities would add to the answer.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 1.2 Evaluate the strategic skills required of the leader to achieve the identified strategic
leadership ambitions
GOOD PRACTICE:
In making an evaluation, you could view skills in terms of behavioural competences and knowhows
needed to address strategic/critical business activities such as mergers and acquisitions;
organisational redesign; selection of partners and suppliers.
Reference could be made to some of the specific domain knowledge and expertise required for the
job role in order to achieve strategic leadership ambitions. Learner evaluation could further make
reference to writers such as Gareth Morgan (McGill) and future/21st Century management
competences that include dealing with ambiguity; working collaboratively, remote management,
holism, environmental scanning and identifying fracture lines.
A more developed response might further comment on the strengths, weaknesses and relevance
of the Anglo American management model and associated tools and techniques in Asia Pacific,
EMEA and BIC markets.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 1.3 Assess the relationship between existing, required and future skills to achieve the
identified strategic leadership ambitions.
GOOD PRACTICE:
Here the assessment could build upon the response to assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.2 and take
your assessment to look at not just existing but also the required and future skills that will better
enable mangers to achieve the identified strategic leadership across the E2E Supplier Customer
Chain and those issues that have been previously identified.
YOUR ANSWER:
Task 2
AC 2.1 Discuss the opportunities to achieve strategic leadership development
GOOD PRACTICE:
In discussing the opportunities to achieve strategic leadership development, the Learner could
refer to the overall corporate governance structure; policy and strategy cascade and the
communications channels in place. In other words, the context and environment in which
opportunities to achieve strategic leadership development can occur. Some comments on the
constraints (theory of Constraints) and barriers in place would add to the answer.
YOUR ANSWER:
» LEARNING OUTCOME 1 : Be able to identify persodership ambitions
AC 2.2 Construct a personal development plan to achieve strategic leadership development
GOOD PRACTICE:
Here the Learner are required to construct a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to achieve
strategic leadership development. At this level Learners should be looking beyond the here and
now and current competencies and skills. This could include behaviours, underpinning knowledge
needed to fulfil a job role within their area of responsibility in context of their organisation and
developing skills these might include those less obvious skills for example language skills or
emotional intelligence. Learners might also set out the current and future requirement for requisite
behaviours and know how’s along with the associated dates by when these would be achieved and
that this period of time indicate, short medium and longer term objectives. Some might find it useful
to undertake psychometric testing of some sort to support their personal development and provide
some base line assessment.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 2.3 Devise an implementation process for the development plan
GOOD PRACTICE:
In devising an implementation process for the development plan answers would refer to an
appropriate implementation strategy; CSFs, Constraints and Assumptions and include resource
implications and possible plans to gain those resources that might be financial but could also
include others and time provision.
YOUR ANSWER:
Task 3
AC 3.1 Assess the achievement of outcomes of the plan against strategic needs
GOOD PRACTICE:
When making the assessment, Learners could start by making reference to strategic planning
process adopted by the organisation. For example, a deliberate or emergent strategy of the
resource base views of the firm (RBV).
This section can only be completed when some of the activities in the plan have taken place and
will possibly be in line with the review dates set out in the original plan. For this criterion you will
note that the objectives in the initial plan need to be measurable if they are to be measured and
built upon as part of the review process.
The plan also needs to consider the changes in the organisation or sector and may need to be
reviewed in the light of these. For example Learners might need to revise the plan in the light of the
maturity of the organisation. For example, a start-up; a mature or declining organisation as each
type will require different leadership styles and domain knowledge. Learners might also need to
adjust to any changes made in organisational style and culture and note that there may be cultural
differences in business units and different locations.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 3.2 Evaluate the impact of the achievement of objectives on strategic leadership
ambitions
GOOD PRACTICE:
Again Learners will need to evaluate the impact of the achievement of objectives on strategic
leadership ambitions. A full answer could set this out in the form of a gap analysis indicating the
gap between current and future objectives and progress achieved towards meeting strategic
leadership ambitions. The answer could also indicate any constraints, assumptions, critical
decisions and critical success factors (CSFs) and measures (KPIs) associated with the
achievement of objectives on strategic leadership ambitions.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 3.3 Review and update the leadership development plan
GOOD PRACTICE:
In reviewing and updating the leadership development plan, Learners could review the relevance
of the current leadership development plan in context of the emerging STEEPV factors impacting
at a national or international level or based on a change in personal goals or opportunities.
YOUR ANSWER:
Task 4
AC 4.1 Evaluate the extent to which the strategic needs of organisations involved in interorganisational
strategy are met from current resources
GOOD PRACTICE:
In evaluating the extent to which the strategic needs of organisations involved in interorganisational
strategy are met from current resources, a full answer could draw upon some of the
ideas of Stafford Beer (Viable Systems Model) and Ross Ashby (Law of Requisite Variety). In
particular, the design of variety amplification and attenuation mechanisms in the context of the
environment and markets in which an organisation operates.
Examples of impact could be the Learner’s role or the impact of other’s that have been developed
as managers in the organisation’s developments in customer services, brand management and
liquidity.
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 4.2 Formulate proposals to develop the strategic leadership resource
GOOD PRACTICE:
When formulating proposals to develop the strategic leadership resource Learners could base the
proposals on a variety of approaches to management. This might also include:
? A detailed functional proposal based on a detailed knowledge of the resource requirements
? An outcome based requirement based on the specification of the performance targets
A scenario based requirement where development of the strategic leadership resource is aligned to
one or more business scenarios, for example, takeover, mergers, developing strategic partnerships
and suppliers noting inter-organisational strategy
YOUR ANSWER:
AC 4.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of strategic leadership development in achieving
advancement of professional leadership practice across organisations
GOOD PRACTICE:
Here Learners are asked to evaluate the effectiveness of strategic leadership development in
achieving advancement of professional leadership practice across organisations. Learners might
choose one specific organisation to give this section some structure then draw upon reading of
other examples both national and international. Responses could build upon the ideas from
assessment criterion 3.2 and explain in more detail the constraints, assumptions, critical decisions
and critical success factors (CSFs) and measures (KPIs) associated with achieving advancement
of professional leadership practice across organisations. Learners might further note the
organisational context and cultural norms that might have an effect on the advancement of
professional leadership