Category: Management

3. Haval X7 Project Launch As a global leader GWM is planning the launch of its latest SUV model, the Haval X7, designed to combine cutting-edge technology, modern design, and exceptional performance. This new model is aimed at strengthening GWM’s position in the competitive mid-size SUV market and appealing to a growing base of tech-savvy and performance-driven customers. The objectives of the project have been summarised as including the following.
– Create an innovative and stylish vehicle with advanced safety features, fuel efficiency, and smart technology integration.
– Identify customer preferences and market trends.
– Set up production lines, source high-quality materials, and ensure quality control standards.
– Develop a compelling marketing campaign highlighting the vehicle’s unique features and value proposition.
– Establish pricing, coordinate with dealerships, and ensure a smooth rollout across target markets.
– Integrate eco-friendly practices in manufacturing and promote fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
As part of your report, you are required to provide a detailed project execution plan for the successful launch of the Haval X7. The plan should cover the following critical elements (with relevant assumptions where necessary):
– Project Life Cycle: Outline the distinct phases of the project, from initiation to closure.
– Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Create a hierarchical breakdown of the project’s key deliverables and tasks.
– Gantt Chart: Develop a timeline showing task schedules, milestones, and dependencies.
– Project Dependencies and Durations: Present a network diagram that illustrates task sequencing, dependencies, and estimated durations.

LSP has decided to begin selling its office furniture across Canada. They have chosen All-Trade Office Furniture (ATOF), a national retailer that requires large volumes delivered to their distribution centers located in Edmonton AB and Halifax NS.LSP will be required to ship to ATOF in TL quantity to both locations and the CEO has asked that you source one or more TL providers. The CEO has also reiterated their commitment to their company vision is to remain ethical and sustainable and has asked that this also form a part of the decision-making process. In discussion with the CEO, you have discovered that the LSP company does not currently have a formal ethics policy. You recommend that this be considered and agree to provide some guidance on what an ethics policy should include.You have been asked to specifically to:Detail the factors that you would use in comparing truckload companies against each other and develop a proposed weight or ranking of at least five service/operational characteristics/performance factors according to what you consider to be their level of importance in selecting a new carrier. These operational considerations must include one specific sustainability initiative by the carriers. As All Trade’s quality program is heavily driven by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), risk prevention and mitigation is a key function that LSP must address. Your CEO has asked you to develop at least five steps that can be taken to mitigate damages to products on shipments to All Trade. These can include materials handling methods as well as unitization methods. To complete the KPI process, please offer the specific responsibilities of the shipper and the carriers in minimizing risk.

IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, has committed to becoming a fully circular and climate-positive business by 2030. Recognizing the need to address overconsumption and environmental degradation, the company has reimagined its entire business model based on circular economy principles. These include designing all products to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured, or recycled, and using only renewable or recycled materials. IKEA’s sustainability strategy includes offering spare parts to extend product life, introducing buy-back and resell programs for used furniture, and investing in renewable energy across its stores and supply chains. For instance, the Buy-Back Friday initiative allows customers to return used furniture for store credit, encouraging reuse rather than disposal. The company also plans to phase out plastic and ensure all cotton and wood used are sustainably sourced. A key aspect of IKEA’s approach is empowering customers to participate in sustainability through education and easy-to-use services. Although the transition presents challenges such as cost, supply chain adjustments, and consumer behaviour change, IKEA is seen as a global leader in aligning profitability with planetary health.
answer below Questions:
1) Explain the core principles behind IKEA’s circular business strategy.
2) How does IKEA promote consumer participation in sustainability?
3) Recommend one way IKEA can further strengthen its circular model globally.
Evaluation Rubrics:
Understanding of circularity concepts 2 marks
Design and reuse elements 2 marks
Consumer participation strategy 2 marks
Illustrative programs 2 marks
Innovation in circular ideas 2 marks
Scalability of solution 2 marks

LSP Manufacturing creates office furniture for both home and business customers. They have been in business for fifty years and sell primarily to business offices and e-commerce consumers in the Greater Toronto Region. The Operations Manager at LSP Manufacturing has been looking for a new warehouse space to either expand into or consolidate all of LSP’s requirements in one building. They have expanded into the adjacent units at their current location, however there are no other units available in the foreseeable future.The layout includes a production area (that is going to require more future space), a set of offices (that will also require more space as they grow), and the warehouse where raw materials and finished goods are stored. The interior of the warehouse is twenty-five feet high, with LED lighting throughout. It has four truck-level dock doors to accommodate forklifts for loading finished goods and unloading raw materials. The Operations Manager sees two possible alternatives – find one large warehouse that can accommodate all of the operations including production, warehousing, and office space or, alternatively, find a public warehouse that can take on the warehousing requirements and use the current space to expand production and the office space.You have been asked to prepare a preliminary report on the logistical impacts of the two options. As the Director of Logistics – you’ve been asked to focus your analysis on logistics (materials handling, transportation, warehousing, etc.). Specifically, you have been asked to:Describe five advantages and five disadvantages for each of the two new warehousing options. Make a final choice, and justify your decision based on your comparisons

Aisha Mutale is the founder and CEO of Zambezi Organics, a fast-growing agribusiness SME based in Zambia. The company specializes in producing organic fruit juices sourced from local farmers. Initially, Aisha’s charismatic and visionary leadership helped the company gain traction, but as the business expanded, new challenges emerged. Zambezi Organics is facing increased competition, fluctuating raw material prices due to climate change, and supply chain disruptions. Aisha prefers to make quick, instinctive decisions based on her entrepreneurial mindset, often taking risks to seize new opportunities. However, her management team, led by Operations Manager Daniel, believes a more structured, data-driven approach is necessary to ensure long-term stability. Recently, the company faced a major decision: whether to invest in a new production facility to meet growing demand. Aisha was eager to proceed, emphasizing the potential for expansion, while Daniel warned about the risks of uncertain market conditions and suggested a more cautious approach.
Assignment Questions:
Leadership Styles & SME Impact: Analyze Aisha’s leadership style. How has it contributed to the company’s success? What challenges might arise from her approach as the business scales?
Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: What factors should Aisha and her team consider before making the investment decision? How can SMEs navigate uncertainty when making high-stakes decisions?
Entrepreneurial Mindset vs. Managerial Mindset: Compare Aisha’s entrepreneurial mindset with Daniel’s managerial approach. How can SMEs strike a balance between entrepreneurial risk-taking and structured decision-making for sustainable growth?

Elizabeth Cornwell is the daughter of Franklin Cornwell the grandson of Benjamin David Cornwell, the founder of Cornwell Corporation. In 1912, Benjamin David Cornwell founded the Cornwell Corporation, a transportation company, in Boston, MA, and its fleet consisted of a single truck Cornwell Corporation grew its fleet from a single delivery truck to a multinational corporation. Because of his strong leadership style, Benjamin David Cornwell gained the trust and respect of his employees, the government, the public and Cornwell’s competitors. In fact, during WWII Cornwell Corporation helped the US military in its shipments to Europe. Benjamin David Cornwell remained the CEO and President of Cornwell Corporation until 1977. He retired at the age of 85 and his son, Franklin Cornwell took over Cornwell’s leadership and implemented new policies to meet his vision of growth and sustainability. Although Franklin had a different leadership style than his father, he continued to drive Cornwell’s success and growth for decades. In fact, Cornwell Corporation expanded its line of work and added multiple new business under its umbrella. When Franklin decided to stepdown, he named his daughter Elizabeth to take control of Cornwell Corporation,Elizabeth’s education and academic background is excellent. Elizabeth graduated law school top of her class and she is licensed to practice law in MA. NY and CA. Elizabeth has a Ph.D. in Constitutional law. Soon after she became the new CEO of Cornwell Corporation, Elizabeth started to make radical changes to the company.
What is the likely power base Elizabeth is using to influence others?
reward power
legitimate power
referent power
expert power
coercive power

Oxbridge University maintains a powerful mainframe computer for research use by its faculty, Ph.D. students, and research associates. During all working hours, an operator must be available to operate and maintain the computer, as well as to perform some programming services. Beryl Ingram, the director of the computer facility, oversees the operation. It is now the beginning of the fall semester and Beryl is confronted with the problem of assigning different working hours to her operators. Because all the operators are currently enrolled in the university, they are available to work only a limited number of hours each day. There are six operators (four undergraduate students and two graduate students). They all have different wage rates because of differences in their experience with computers and in their programming ability. The following table shows their wage rates, along with the maximum number of hours that each can work each day.
Each operator is guaranteed a certain minimum number of hours per week that will maintain an adequate knowledge of the operation. This level is set arbitrarily at 9 hours per week for the undergraduate students (K. C., D. H., H. B., and S. C.) and 8 hours per week for the graduate students (K. S. and N. K.). The computer facility is to be open for operation from 8 AM to 10 PM Monday through Friday with exactly one operator on duty during these hours. On Saturdays and Sundays, the computer is to be operated by other staff. Because of a tight budget, Beryl has to minimize cost. She wishes to determine the number of hours she should assign to each operator on each day. Formulate and solve a spreadsheet model for this problem. Determine the total cost.

Elizabeth Cormwell is the daughter of Franklin Cornwell the grandson of Benjamin David Cornwell, the founder of Corrwell Corporation. In 1912, Benjamin David Cornwell founded the Cormwell Corporation, a transportation company, in Boston, MA, and its fleet consisted of a single truck Cormwell Corporation grew its fleet from a single delivery truck to a multinational corporation. Because of his strong leadership style. Benjamin David Cormwell gained the trust and respect of his employees, the government, the public and Cornwells competitors. In fact, during WWII Cormvell Corporation helped the US military in its shipments to Europe. Benjamin David Cornwell remained the CEO and President of Cormwell Corporation until 1977. He retired at the age of 85 and his son. Franklin Cormwell took over Cornwell’s leadership and implemented new policies to meet his vision of growth and sustainability. Although Franklin pad a different leadership style than his father, he contlinued to drive Cornwells success and growth for decades. In fact, Cornwell Corporation expanded its line of work and added multiple new business under its umbrella. When Franklin decided to stepdown, he named his daughter Elizabeth to take control of Cormwell Corporation.Clizabeth’s education and academic background is excellent. Elizabeth graduated law school top of her class and she is licensed to practice law in MA, NY and CA. Elizabeth has a Ph.D. in Constitutional law. Soon after she became the new CEO of Cornwell Corporation, Elizabeth started to make radical changes to the company:
What is the likely power base Elizabeth is using to influence others?
reward power
Wegitimate power
relerent power
coercive power