MGT 492 - Case Study Assignment 2

 
	MGT 492 - Case Study Assignment 2
Answer the questions below 
1. Using your current or previous organization, determine the steps needed to develop a successful
sustainability strategy and what basic behavioral changes may be required.
 	Strategy development entails the creation of the best way forward with a long-term perspective. Therefore, strategic decision-making has to account for all factors while accommodating the potential changes in the environment that may render the strategy obsolete or inoperable. Consequently, strategic decision-making has to start with a broad perspective of the organization with the limited time being five years. After the determination of the period needed for the strategic planning, the strategic decision makers have to include the perspectives of every individual in the organization. Therefore, the strategy formulation stage has to be inclusive of all the people in the organization since these individuals are the very ones that will be responsible for rolling out of the strategy. The insights from all members of the organization ought to be included in the decision-making process to increase the acceptability of the strategy and ownership. In some cases, the inclusion of each perspective in an organization could be difficult or even impossible in these cases; the management has the responsibility of developing the overall strategy based on insights from each department head.  The third step is rolling out of the actual strategy. When implementing a strategy, the management has the responsibility of ensuring that the vision is still in sight. In this case, the reminder of the strategic direction ought to be emphasized to condition the employees such that they will be willing to work towards the attainment of the overall success in the organization setting. The strategic direction can also be sustained through the adoption of the roles of the informal organization. While the formal organization has a bearing on the overall activities manifested in the organization, the informal organization has a lot of influence over the employees since it transcends the formal structures. The leaders in the informal organization have a lot of influence over the members. Therefore, accepting the role of the informal organization may reduce the detrimental effects of the grapevine where the employees are pushed into reacting negatively to the decisions made by the management. Behavior change can be attained through constant reinforcement of the expected change. Constant reinforcement can result in the reduction of the resistance to change while increasing the potential of the organization succeeding tin the sustainable rolling out and amending of the strategic plans. Finally, a strategic direction is subject to changes. Each department ought to be given the chance to amend the deliverables depending on the prevailing conditions specific to the department’s specialization.
2. Why do you believe that Sodexo chose energy, water, and locally- and sustainably-sourced?
produce and seafood as its areas of focus for its sustainability strategy? What are the effects of these items on the company's profits and productivity? 
	Sustainability is a major requirement for the modern organization that is need of a strategic direction, which will be more received, by the organization. In the current working environment, the companies have been pushed to reconsider their utilization of energy as well as the type of energy that each company uses. Green energy has been more received in the market as opposed to the conventional fossil-based energy sources that have detrimental effects on the environment. Therefore, the company has been able to identify the aforementioned market trend and reacted to it in the more expected manner. Another issue that has gained the support in the sustainability debate is the water use and conservation. People are more worried about the affordability of the drinking water that they take as well as the sustainable use of the water resources. The company has caught up with the above trend and reacted to it in an expected manner hence the strategic alignment to the sustainable water use. Finally, the focus on the sustainably sourced and locally produced food meets two corporate social responsibility goals. On one hand, the organization is expected to conserve the resources. Therefore, the foods have to be sourced in the most sustainable manner such that the company does not end up depleting the resources. Sourcing the produce locally meets the corporate social responsibility goal of contributing to the development of the community.

3. What external sources are available to assist in developing sustainability measures of
performance and certifications in the food industry?
	External resources that are in place to develop sustainability include the various food boards. The boards and other certification organizations ensure that the production process is capable of meeti