CIMA Paper E2 Project and Relationship Management Study Text Published by: Kaplan Publishing UK Unit 2 The Business Centre, Molly Millars Lane, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 2QZ Copyright © 2015 Kaplan Financial Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. Acknowledgements We are grateful to the CIMA for permission to reproduce past examination questions. The answers to CIMA Exams have been prepared by Kaplan Publishing, except in the case of the CIMA November 2010 and subsequent CIMA Exam answers where the official CIMA answers have been reproduced. Notice The text in this material and any others made available by any Kaplan Group company does not amount to advice on a particular matter and should not be taken as such. 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ISBN: 9781784152970 Printed and bound in Great Britain. ii Contents Page Chapter The concept of strategy and the rational approach to strategy development Chapter Alternative approaches to strategy 49 Chapter Competitive advantage 83 Chapter The nature of the global business environment 115 Chapter Competitor analysis 163 Chapter Leadership and management 203 Chapter HRM approaches to managing and controlling performance 265 Chapter Behavioural aspects of control 309 Chapter Organisational culture 343 Chapter 10 Building, leading and managing teams 381 Chapter 11 Techniques for managing organisational relationships 413 Chapter 12 The finance function and managing its relationships 455 Chapter 13 Managing organisational change 489 Chapter 14 Managing projects 535 Chapter 15 Project management tools and techniques 583 Chapter 16 People and projects 633 iii iv chapter Intro Introduction v How to use the materials These official CIMA learning materials have been carefully designed to make your learning experience as easy as possible and to give you the best chances of success in your Objective Test Examination. The product range contains a number of features to help you in the study process. They include: • • • a detailed explanation of all syllabus areas; extensive ‘practical’ materials; generous question practice, together with full solutions This Study Text has been designed with the needs of home study and distance learning candidates in mind. Such students require very full coverage of the syllabus topics, and also the facility to undertake extensive question practice. However, the Study Text is also ideal for fully taught courses. The main body of the text is divided into a number of chapters, each of which is organised on the following pattern: vi • Detailed learning outcomes. These describe the knowledge expected after your studies of the chapter are complete. You should assimilate these before beginning detailed work on the chapter, so that you can appreciate where your studies are leading • Stepbystep topic coverage. This is the heart of each chapter, containing detailed explanatory text supported where appropriate by worked examples and exercises. You should work carefully through this section, ensuring that you understand the material being explained and can tackle the examples and exercises successfully. Remember that in many cases knowledge is cumulative: if you fail to digest earlier material thoroughly, you may struggle to understand later chapters • Activities. Some chapters are illustrated by more practical elements, such as comments and questions designed to stimulate discussion • • Question practice. The text contains three styles of question: – Examstyle objective test questions (OTQs) – ‘Integration’ questions – these test your ability to understand topics within a wider context. This is particularly important with calculations where OTQs may focus on just one element but an integration question tackles the full calculation, just as you would be expected to do in the workplace – ‘Case’ style questions – these test your ability to analyse and discuss issues in greater depth, particularly focusing on scenarios that are less clear cut than in the Objective Test Examination, and thus provide excellent practice for developing the skills needed for success in the Management Level Case Study Examination Solutions. Avoid the temptation merely to ‘audit’ the solutions provided. It is an illusion to think that this provides the same benefits as you would gain from a serious attempt of your own. However, if you are struggling to get started on a question you should read the introductory guidance provided at the beginning of the solution, where provided, and then make your own attempt before referring back to the full solution If you work conscientiously through this Official CIMA Study Text according to the guidelines above you will be giving yourself an excellent chance of success in your Objective Test Examination. Good luck with your studies! Quality and accuracy are of the utmost importance to us so if you spot an error in any of our products, please send an email to mykaplanreporting@kaplan.com with full details, or follow the link to the feedback form in MyKaplan. Our Quality Coordinator will work with our technical team to verify the error and take action to ensure it is corrected in future editions. Icon Explanations Definition – These sections explain important areas of knowledge which must be understood and reproduced in an assessment environment Key point – Identifies topics which are key to success and are often examined. Supplementary reading – These sections will help to provide a deeper understanding of core areas. The supplementary reading is NOT optional reading. It is vital to provide you with the breadth of knowledge you will need to address the wide range of topics within your syllabus that could feature in an assessment question Reference to this text is vital when self studying. Test your understanding – Following key points and definitions are exercises which give the opportunity to assess the understanding of these core areas vii Illustration – To help develop an understanding of particular topics. The illustrative examples are useful in preparing for the Test your understanding exercises. Exclamation mark – This symbol signifies a topic which can be more difficult to understand. When reviewing these areas, care should be taken Study technique Passing exams is partly a matter of intellectual ability, but however accomplished you are in that respect you can improve your chances significantly by the use of appropriate study and revision techniques. In this section we briefly outline some tips for effective study during the earlier stages of your approach to the Objective Test Examination. We also mention some techniques that you will find useful at the revision stage. Planning To begin with, formal planning is essential to get the best return from the time you spend studying. Estimate how much time in total you are going to need for each subject you are studying. Remember that you need to allow time for revision as well as for initial study of the material. With your study material before you, decide which chapters you are going to study in each week, and which weeks you will devote to revision and final question practice. Prepare a written schedule summarising the above and stick to it! It is essential to know your syllabus. As your studies progress you will become more familiar with how long it takes to cover topics in sufficient depth. Your timetable may need to be adapted to allocate enough time for the whole syllabus. Students are advised to refer to the notice of examinable legislation published regularly in CIMA’s magazine (Financial Management), the students enewsletter (Velocity) and on the CIMA website, to ensure they are uptodate. The amount of space allocated to a topic in the Study Text is not a very good guide as to how long it will take you. The syllabus weighting is the better guide as to how long you should spend on a syllabus topic. Tips for effective studying (1) Aim to find a quiet and undisturbed location for your study, and plan as far as possible to use the same period of time each day. Getting into a routine helps to avoid wasting time. Make sure that you have all the materials you need before you begin so as to minimise interruptions viii (2) Store all your materials in one place, so that you do not waste time searching for items every time you want to begin studying. If you have to pack everything away after each study period, keep your study materials in a box, or even a suitcase, which will not be disturbed until the next time (3) Limit distractions. To make the most effective use of your study periods you should be able to apply total concentration, so turn off all entertainment equipment, set your phones to message mode, and put up your ‘do not disturb’ sign (4) Your timetable will tell you which topic to study. However, before diving in and becoming engrossed in the finer points, make sure you have an overall picture of all the areas that need to be covered by the end of that session. After an hour, allow yourself a short break and move away from your Study Text. With experience, you will learn to assess the pace you need to work at. Each study session should focus on component learning outcomes – the basis for all questions (5) Work carefully through a chapter, making notes as you go. When you have covered a suitable amount of material, vary the pattern by attempting a practice question. When you have finished your attempt, make notes of any mistakes you made, or any areas that you failed to cover or covered more briefly. Be aware that all component learning outcomes will be tested in each examination (6) Make notes as you study, and discover the techniques that work best for you. Your notes may be in the form of lists, bullet points, diagrams, summaries, ‘mind maps’, or the written word, but remember that you will need to refer back to them at a later date, so they must be intelligible. If you are on a taught course, make sure you highlight any issues you would like to follow up with your lecturer (7) Organise your notes. Make sure that all your notes, calculations etc. can be effectively filed and easily retrieved later Objective Test Objective Test questions require you to choose or provide a response to a question whose correct answer is predetermined. The most common types of Objective Test question you will see are: • Multiple choice, where you have to choose the correct answer(s) from a list of possible answers. This could either be numbers or text • Multiple choice with more choices and answers, for example, choosing two correct answers from a list of eight possible answers. This could either be numbers or text • Single numeric entry, where you give your numeric answer, for example, profit is $10,000 • Multiple entry, where you give several numeric answers ix • True/false questions, where you state whether a statement is true or false • Matching pairs of text, for example, matching a technical term with the correct definition • Other types could be matching text with graphs and labelling graphs/diagrams In every chapter of this Study Text we have introduced these types of questions, but obviously we have had to label answers A, B, C etc rather than using click boxes. For convenience we have retained quite a few questions where an initial scenario leads to a number of subquestions. There will be questions of this type in the Objective Test Examination but they will rarely have more than three subquestions. Guidance re CIMA onscreen calculator As part of the CIMA Objective Test software, candidates are now provided with a calculator. This calculator is onscreen and is available for the duration of the assessment. The calculator is available in each of the Objective Test Examinations and is accessed by clicking the calculator button in the top left hand corner of the screen at any time during the assessment. All candidates must complete a 15minute tutorial before the assessment begins and will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the calculator and practise using it. Candidates may practise using the calculator by downloading and installing the practice exam at http://www.vue.com/athena/. The calculator can be accessed from the fourth sample question (of 12). Please note that the practice exam and tutorial provided by Pearson VUE at http://www.vue.com/athena/ is not specific to CIMA and includes the full range of question types the Pearson VUE software supports, some of which CIMA does not currently use. Fundamentals of Objective Tests The Objective Tests are 90minute assessments comprising 60 compulsory questions, with one or more parts. There will be no choice and all questions should be attempted. Structure of subjects and learning outcomes Each subject within the syllabus is divided into a number of broad syllabus topics. The topics contain one or more lead learning outcomes, related component learning outcomes and indicative knowledge content. x The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development End of chapter questions Question Which three of the following are part of Mintzberg’s five definitions of strategy? • • • • • Pattern Perspective Performance Purpose Position Question Three managers working for a company have been asked to describe their main planned activity for a particular day: Manager H is having meetings with several companies who operate in a neighbouring country with a view to entering into a joint venture with them. Manager D is planning the staff requirement for the forthcoming week and is assessing how much inventory should be ordered. Manager L is having discussions with a potential outsourcing partner with a view to transferring elements of production to them in order to reduce the product cost. Match each manager to the correct level of strategic planning that they are involved with. Level of strategic planning: • • • 34 Corporate Business Functional chapter Question Which of the following statements regarding mission, goals and objectives are true? Select all that apply. • A mission statement addresses the preferred future of the organisation • Setting the mission is the first step in the rational/formal model of strategy development • A mission statement would consider questions such as, who are competitors, and, how should we compete in our chosen market? • A mission statement describes the basic purpose of the organisation and what it is trying to accomplish • Once the mission for an organisation has been established, the goals and objectives can be set Question Which three of the following are functions performed by objectives? • • • • • • Responsibility Authorisation Coordination Integration Communication Motivation 35 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development Question A Call Centre manager has been set an objective to increase the percentage of call answered within 5 rings to 95%. The current level of calls answered within 5 rings is 89%. Which of the components for objective setting has not been achieved? • • • • • Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely Question Stakeholders can be classified in a number of different ways. H is a manufacturing company, considering opening a large, new factory. It is currently at the consultation stage of the project and as part of this has drawn up a list of the main stakeholder groups who would be interested in the development of the new factory. Place each of the following stakeholder groups under the correct classification. Internal Connected Secondary Employees Shareholders Pressure Groups Customers 36 chapter Question K is a retail organisation with three main shareholders; P and his son F, and daughter N. P is due to retire and has passed the day to day running of the company over to F and N. he spends most of his time abroad and has not had anything to do with any company decision for the last two years. According to Mendelow, what would be the best method for managing P? A Keep informed B Minimal effort C Keep satisfied D Key players Question The strategy suggested by Cyert and March for managing stakeholder conflict which suggests giving stakeholders turns to realise their objectives is known as: A Exercise of power B Side payments C Satisficing D Sequential attention 37 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development Question A company has been undertaking a corporate appraisal and has listed the following findings: • • • • Lack of IT expertise Increasing overseas demand for their products A popular and charismatic CEO A shortage of raw materials Match these findings to the areas they relate to in the corporate appraisal: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Question 10 Complete the diagram for the Ansoff Matrix by inserting the correct word in the correct place on the diagram. Market penetration 38 Market development Diversification Product development chapter Test your understanding answers Case study style question Slide 1: Welcome and introduction Slide 2: Introduce the three levels of strategy • • • Corporate Business Functional/Operational Slide 3: Corporate level At the corporate level, strategy will cover the purpose and scope of V. This will encompass V’s mission statement leading to its goals and objectives that feed down to lower levels of strategy. Decisions will be made about the longer term direction of V. The corporate strategy involves the scope of V’s activities and the matching of these to its environment, its resource capabilities and values and the expectations of different stakeholders, e.g. Should V expand into operating theme parks? Slide 4: Business level At the business level, strategy will cover how each of V’s strategic business units (SBU) attempts to achieve its mission. Within V the fitness centres, casinos, cinemas and sports bars operate as a separate business units. The business level strategy of each SBU will relate to the strategic decisions such as being customer focused, the choice of products, exploring new opportunities and gaining competitive advantage, etc, e.g. Should fitness centres compete on the basis of low cost, value for money or high quality? Which new fitness products/services will be developed and how they will be released to the markets. 39 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development Slide 5: Functional level At the functional level, strategy will cover how the various functions within the organisation contribute to the achievement of V’s overall objectives. This strategy focuses on the issues such as resources, processes and people. The activities of the functions within V such as finance, marketing and human resources need to focus on assisting in the achievement of V’s overall strategies, e.g. How should V seek to recruit, train and retain croupiers for its casinos? Slide 6: conclusion/questions and answers Case study style question (a) A SWOT analysis for E is shown below Strengths: Successful company Steady increase in market share Experience in the market Founder’s entrepreneurial skills Good designs Good quality control Keen to exploit to technology Strong IT Weakness: Management of information is often out of date No inhouse IT expertise No web experience Not sure if the new system will generate new sales Lack of control over store managers Out of date reporting from some stores Over reliance on IT provider 40 chapter Opportunities: Etrading can provide a new sales channel and revenue stream Identification and recording of customer details to enhance customer relationships Extension of customer base Global market potential Cut costs in many areas Create a vision of a modern company Develop product range further Look at employing an IT specialist Threats: Customer resistance to online shopping Loss of unique identity; may become just another website trader Resistance within the company Effects on existing personnel and working conditions Costs of developing the website may outweigh the benefits Security issues Loss of competitive edge The above are suggested answers. (b) Email to J To: J From: Management accountant Date: today Subject: The use of SWOT analysis SWOT analysis, or corporate appraisal, is a key tool for organisations. It provides a framework to summarise the key outputs from the external and internal analysis carried out by the organisation. The undertaking of a corporate appraisal is an important step in strategy formulation and would benefit E at this time as you are considering an investment in website development with a view to reaching global markets. This type of development marks a change for the company and it important that a full analysis is carried out before this strategy is embarked upon. Analysis should be carried out both internally and externally. The SWOT analysis will pull all of the analysis together and will allow you make better, more informed decisions. 41 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development The use of SWOT analysis will focus your management’s attention on current strengths and weaknesses. It will also enable management to monitor trends and developments in the changing business environment. Each trend or development may be classified as an opportunity or a threat that will provide a stimulus for an appropriate management response. You will then be able to make an assessment of the feasibility of required actions in order that the company may capitalise upon opportunities whilst considering how best to negate or minimise the effect of any threats. I hope you have found the above helpful. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information. Case study style question Report to the board of C Theatre charitable trust In this report, the main stakeholders will be identified and suggestions as to how relationships with these stakeholders can be developed will be put forward. Loyal customers One of the main stakeholder groups will be the customers of the theatre. Without the continued support of the loyal customers, the theatre would be unable to survive therefore the building of relationships with the customer is essential for the theatre. The theatre could use a database to profile the interests and wants of customers. Tailored communication could then be sent. Given the need to contain costs, this might be achieved by getting customers to sign up to electronic communications. Uptodate news and information on future performances can be easily made available to customers. The theatre could set up a website with booking facilities which would allow customer to book on line and receive confirmation by email rather than post. This would reduce costs and would provide efficiency for the booking process. In addition, a friend of the theatre group could be established, providing loyal customers with offers and discounts to encourage their continued support. 42 chapter First time customers While loyal customers will always be important to the theatre, it is equally important to attract new customers. The website could be linked to other relevant websites, such as local attractions and tourist boards to attract new customers. In addition, the theatre could produce an information pack to attract new mailing list subscribers. These could be made available in local churches and shops. Local arts groups and performers Another stakeholder group which the theatre will have to develop relationships with are the local arts groups and performers. A partnership agreement could be established with arts groups, to co sponsor events of special interests to given groups of customers. The theatre could allow the local groups use of the theatre to encourage locals to come along to performances. Local organisations Another stakeholder group would be local organisations and businesses. The theatre could build relations with these groups in order to try to obtain commercial sponsorship. Acknowledgement could be given in the monthly programme mailings and preferential facilities offered for corporate hospitality. The above is just a selection of potential relationships with stakeholders. Question • • • Pattern Perspective Position Mintzberg suggested five essential characteristics of strategic planning. As well as pattern, perspective and position, he also suggested: • • Plan Ploy 43 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development Question Level of strategic planning: • • • Corporate – Manager H Business – Manager L Functional – Manager D Corporate strategy is concerned with decisions such as which industry to operate in, or whether to enter new markets. Business strategy is concerned with decisions regarding product development, marketing and how to gain competitive advantage. Functional strategy is concerned with day to day decisions such as staffing levels and inventory control. Question The correct statements are: • Setting the mission is the first step in the rational/formal model of strategy development • A mission statement describes the basic purpose of the organisation and what it is trying to accomplish • Once the mission for an organisation has been established, the goals and objectives can be set A mission statement addresses the preferred future of the organisation. This is incorrect. The preferred future of the organisation is known as the vision. A mission statement would consider questions such as, who are competitors, and, how should we compete in our chosen market? This is incorrect. Mission statements can address many questions, but tend to be more high level and would not normally address specific questions about who are our competitors. 44 chapter Question • • • Responsibility Integration Motivation The functions performed by objectives can be remembered by PRIME: Planning Responsibility Integration Motivation Evaluation Question The component for objective setting which has not been achieved is Timely. Objectives should be SMART: The call centre manager’s target is specific – 95% of calls must be answered within 5 rings. The technology within the call centre should be capable of measuring this. Given that the current operating level is 89%, 95% should be seen as achievable. This is clearly a relevant measurement for a call centre manager. The component of SMART which is not achieved is Timely as the objective does not specify over what period this improvement should be achieved. 45 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development Question Internal Connected Secondary Employees Shareholders Customers Pressure Groups Internal stakeholders are those stakeholders who are within the organisations and would include employees and management. Connected stakeholders either invest or have dealings with the organisation. This group would include shareholders, customers, suppliers and finance providers. Secondary stakeholders may have an interest in the organisation but have no contractual link. The public and pressure groups would fall into this category. Question Answer C The best method for managing P would be to keep him satisfied. He is a main shareholder therefore would have high power, but he has low interest in the running of the company Question D Sequential attention Cyert and March suggested four techniques for resolving stakeholder conflict. The sequential attention technique gives stakeholders turns in realising their objectives. An example of this would be paying larger dividends for two years and paying smaller dividends in the third year while staff bonuses are paid. 46 chapter Question A corporate appraisal analyses internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. The items can be matched to the corporate appraisal as follows: Strengths A popular and charismatic CEO Weaknesses Lack of IT expertise Opportunities Increasing overseas demand for their products Threats A shortage of raw materials Question 10 The completed Ansoff matrix is shown below: 47 The concept of strategy and the rational/formal approach to strategy development 48 ... players in a project Managing key project stakeholders The lifecycle of project teams Leading and motivating project teams • The role and attributes of an effective project their impact on project. .. For example you may be asked to recommend and select an appropriate course of action based on a short scenario. xiii xiv E2 PROJECT AND RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT Syllabus overview E2 emphasises a holistic, integrated... effectiveness of handling relationships between the finance function and external experts and stakeholders (b) discuss the effectiveness of handling relationships between the finance function and other