Context: The Case Study
Please read the following Case Study (which has been anonymised, but which is based on a real-life example) and then respond to the accompanying tasks in the form of a consultant’s report*.
Your company, Orion Analytics (OA), is a UK-based company offering specialist services to Middle East states. OA has recently been offered a contract with a GCC member state (‘the State’) to act as the procurement services arm (‘Procurement Agency’ / PA) of the government for the next 10 years (including for government – led services such as health, defence, and education).
The family see a successful PA as an essential stepping stone and commercial ‘bridge’ with capitalist countries worldwide. A properly run PA would enable the State to diversify its economy away from oil which is now providing diminishing revenues. It therefore wishes to base its approach to business ethics in respect of how the PA operates in discharging its procurement functions with other companies inside and beyond the State along lines which meet the ‘best practice’ of countries elsewhere, for example in the UK and western Europe. In that way the ruling family believe, much needed future inward investment in the State will be generated.
The ruling family are well aware of ‘challenges’ when dealing with procurement which previously led to embarrassing publicity in discussions within the Majlis (the State’s representative assembly). Also, geographically nearby are five countries currently in the world bottom ten for corruption. The ruling family are worried the State will be compared negatively alongside those already featuring at the bottom of this Worldwide Corruption Index; compilation of which is overseen by the World Bank.
Although the king, who was educated at Eton in the UK, is favourably disposed to OA and would readily appoint them to run the new PA, his son is more sceptical. The Crown Prince is aware of a number of ‘scandals’ affecting the UK in recent years which have caused him to doubt the UK as representing a ‘gold standard’ regarding business ethics.
Before awarding the contract to OA therefore, the ruling family have determined that the award will be dependent on receipt and acceptance of a detailed Consultant’s Report which will also be evaluated in due course by the World Bank on whom the State is already increasingly reliant in stabilising its currency (AK), the Arabic Krona…
Your Tasks as Principal Business Analyst for OA
Produce a consultant’s report of 1,600 words (core focus is given in italics below and read the following Assignment Guidance carefully also before preparing your answer) which:
Task 1:Using research based on your analysis of two recent business ethics ‘scandals’; analyse the potential risks that would affect the new PA in terms of its accountability, transparency of operation and employee ethical conduct.
Task 2:Develop an options assessment of how a suitable ethical standard relating to accountability, transparency and employee conduct is to be achieved by PA and monitored in practice.
Task 3:Critically evaluate and justify the sort of leadership model (taken from your study of leadership within this Unit) and philosophy that would best support a sustainable ethical organisation. Illustrate a leadership management of change initiative to remedy the unethical behaviour / culture of one organisation identified section 1 (i.e. using one only of the two ‘scandals’ identified in Task 1). Link these lessons to conclusions and recommendations for the PA organisation.
Assignment Guidance:
- Executive Summary
- Reference List
-Introduction: (around 150 words)
-Task 1: (around 475 words)
-Task 2: (around 475 words)
-Task 3: (around 500 words)
*** Words count = 1600 words.
*** In-Text Citations and References using Harvard style.