A reflection on the need to accommodate complexity in management decisions

Introduction

The report shall be written as a reflective account of the experiences gained while preparing the individual report and group presentation. Here, the process of conducting the research on Leon restaurant shall be summarized. The impact of the process and its outcomes shall be written in a reflective manner. Following that, the stages of the process shall be critically assessed. A new strategy prepared for the restaurant shall be considered, and a similar business case shall be outlined. Lastly, the impact of the proposed strategy shall be underlined and ways in which the strategy affects the stakeholders will be examined as well.

Summary of the different types of analysis and information sources

In order to complete the individual reports, I have considered secondary sources of information. The business report on Leon restaurant has been prepared by using a range of peer-reviewed articles, journals, company websites, online news and reports. It was necessary to gather information from these sources and incorporate them into the report. The business report was objective-oriented, and therefore, secondary research helped me in gaining multiple solutions. The purpose of conducting research has been fulfilled by this method. However, narrowing down my choices to particular sources has been challenging and time-consuming. The process of identifying relevant sources was easy; however, restricting myself to analyze only the collected data has been difficult. A brief summary of the information sources have been outlined below –

• Scholarly journals- The chosen journals have been published by scholars and academic experts of management field (Tenopir et al., 2016). Hence, scholarly journals have been chosen to acquire information about the relevant topic.
• Company websites- The purpose of choosing company websites was to gather only relevant information regarding the strategic and operational issues at Leon. Moreover, industry and company based accurate information were available only on the websites (Aithal, 2017). Hence, 6-8 websites have been consulted. Websites of competitors have been considered as well to compare the position of each business in the market.
• Search engines – Most of the information has been collected by conducting internet research and therefore, Google was used consistently.
• Online news- Digital news served as a great source of information because the given information has been constantly updated and published. Consequently, it was easier to gather company based updated news.

In the case of the group presentation, my group members and I realized the need to understand the audience and share responsibility. Hence, we have divided the presentation slides between the four of us. Each member has been allocated to prepare 3 slides, and our approach helped us to complete the task within the allocated time. We have used the Google scholar, Proquest and company websites to find accurate and abundant sources. The presentation consists of different segments and it was necessary to conduct research together so that we can discuss the findings and incorporate in the slides. Apart from the text, we have also used relevant images to enhance the appearance of the presentation. The purpose was to finish the presentation well and make it engaging for the audiences as well. Attempts were made to make the group presentation interactive and interesting.

Assessing the need of the sources

Scholarly journals have been used because these are related to specific academic disciplines. After conducting research and scrutiny, the scholarly journals are developed. Therefore, it is needed in order to get transparent information on strategic and operational management. Moreover, the journals are scientific in nature. It implies that qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted before incorporating information and publishing it. Similarly, articles taken from Google Scholar rank high in the academic community, and the quality is excellent. Hence, both the journals and materials were needed to complete the individual report and presentation.

Similarly, the company websites allowed us to gain valuable insights into the present state of business affairs. It also helped us to identify the strategic issues and to predict future possibilities. By conducting a simple keyword search, it was possible to gather information. Again, competitor’s websites have been consulted so that we can compare the present state of the rivals of the Leon chain of restaurants and identify solutions. The purpose of creating the report was to list the objective findings and company websites helped us in finding relevant and objectives data only. Market research has been conducted as well, and internet browsing has been conducted after selecting useful terms. Again, the descriptive approach of research was chosen and explanations have been given regarding present condition of the market in which the business operates (Ivey, 2016). Only real data has been found from the sources, and therefore, it can be concluded that articles, books and scholarly papers are vital for gathering information. In the case of a group presentation, it was understood that working in groups and gathering information is a task that involves less pressure on one individual. Rather than working solo, group work is preferred because it provides a cohesive working environment (Anwar and Asari, 2018). Each group member has been tasked with finding a particular type of information and therefore, the process of gathering information has been a learning experience.

Identification of the Business case for the new strategy

Leon Restaurant operates in the fast-food industry. However, its mission and vision are to deliver healthy food. There lies the contradiction because fast-food chains operating in the market is focussed on delivering food items that are in demand. Most of the customers prefer meat-based menus, and therefore, they want the same dishes at Leon. If customers are less health-conscious and more taste conscious, then Leon should now focus on incorporating meat-based items on the menu. Customer complaints are rising due to slow services and wrong delivery processes. Hence, it can be stated that communication strategies and management at Leon is poor and inefficient. It is on the verge of losing customer’s loyalty that it has built over the years. Apart from that, fast food giants such as Mc Donald’s and KFC are giving stiff competition to Leon. They have adopted strategies and proposals that can help in gaining customer loyalty. In order to survive in this competitive market, Leon should also focus on communicating directly with customers (Shcherbak, 2016). At first, the restaurant is supposed to re-invent its menu and make modifications based on customer needs. Sustainability can be ensured only when the operations are aligned with the vision and mission (Brito, 2019).

The strategic solutions for the issues at Leon have mainly involved the ways of attracting customers and regain its lost brand image.  E-mail marketing works best to attract customers. Most of the target customers are mobile-friendly, and they will be attracted to food offers and range of options delivered in their phones (Grizane and Jurgelane, 2017). EMS or email marketing software can be used if Leon wishes to win at this game. When e-mails are sent in bulk to the inboxes of customers, it is giving them a kind of invitation to see and experience food in their restaurants. Customers are likely to get attracted with this approach. Rather than referring the newsletter as “newsletter”, it will be interesting to give an interesting name to the email marketing campaign (Jauhari, 2017). These newly named campaigns would suggest the exclusive nature of Leon’s campaigns.

Figure 1: E-mail marketing can attract customers

(Source: researchgate.net, 2020)

Additionally, building partnerships can be beneficial for Leon. Strong partnerships are likely to build more than a decade-long relationship. For instance, Leon restaurant should focus on building franchises and keep the channels of communication open. It can share ideas and gain insights about profitable approaches (Sun and Lee, 2018). Both the partners would be benefitted from consistent communication. A constructive and symbiotic relationship can be formed. The professional possibilities would enhance as well. Each partner involved can excel in their respective fields. For instance, one partner can be responsible for enhancing relationships with employees, suppliers and customers while the other partner can focus on promotion and marketing endeavours.

Most importantly, the partnership would be possible only if both the partners mutually decide to make decisions together. Both the partners should agree mutually and respect each other’s judgements (Rosado-Serrano et al., 2018). Timing is everything in the restaurant business. Again, marketing should be incorporated into the strategic planning process, and this digital era, Leon can regain customer trust by forming partnerships with digital apps. The loyalty programs can be started, and customers should be given discounts after visiting the online apps 2-3 times.

Ways in which proposed strategy would impact stakeholder groups

The stakeholders are a group of individuals towards whom a business owes responsibility. Leon restaurant also has obligations towards the stakeholder groups. The newly developed strategy would have an impact on the employees, customers, investors and suppliers. For instance, employees should feel empowered while working for a firm. Similarly, customers should be satisfied with the services and products offered to them. Suppliers of the business would remain loyal only if they can gain significant profit from supplying raw materials to the business. Lastly, investors would continue to invest if they feel as if they are a substantial partner of the business.

Figure 2: Stakeholder groups in a business

(Source: researchgate.net, 2020)

Employees- Employees at Leon expects an empowering work environment. Job satisfaction is vital for employees as they are more likely to stay and work in a motivated manner. The new strategy that involves online marketing campaigns and loyalty programs would allow employees to feel empowered. They can directly engage with customers on online sites and interact with them. Positive reviews of customers highlighting the efforts and services at Leon would boost employee morale. They will be satisfied with their performances and would gain rewards and recognitions from supervisors. In other words, the profitability of the restaurant will increase.

Customers- Online marketing campaigns of Leon would help build relationships with customers. The digital age has allowed everyone to share information and marketing executives at Leon can take advantage of this opportunity to influence their customers. Customers are at the centre of the restaurant business. Their opinions and views matter. Hence, they play a fundamental role in the strategic success of Leon restaurants. Building a lifetime value and becoming a customer-centric business should be the goal (Alonso et al., 2016). It would secure the position of the firm among competitors. Apart from enhancing customer service policies, it is vital to create a customer-centric culture.

Suppliers- Suppliers play a vital role in any business because based on their delivered raw materials and goods; a business starts the production and manufacturing process. Similarly, a restaurant business should focus on enhancing long-term relationships with the existing suppliers rather than increasing their number. Leon’s new strategy involves building partnerships and opening new franchises. It would directly affect the suppliers because they now have to supply goods and raw materials to the newly opened venues. Hence, the need of the hour is to build strong relationships with suppliers by paying them on time and updating them about any new changes or modifications that can impact them in the long run.

Investors- The restaurant’s investors are another group of stakeholders who invests their money and expertise to the business. They can also build connections and businesses, in turn, return their favour by offering them a stake of ownership in the business (Schaltegger et al., 2019). Leon’s new strategy would enhance financial returns. E-mail marketing would attract customers, and the business is likely to see profitable results. Consequently, investors would be benefitted from business performance. Enhancing the quality of food items would also help in gaining customer loyalty. This, in turn, would strengthen relationships with investors.

Conclusion

The report has been prepared considering the previous experiences of making individual report and presentation. A reflective account of the entire experience has been given. The importance or need for using a variety of sources has been considered. Scholarly articles and journals have been chosen because these incorporate vital and objective information about the industry and business. Following that, Leon’s current strategic issues have been analysed and a new strategy was developed to resolve the issues. Lastly, the impact of the proposed strategy on various groups of stakeholders such as employees, investors, customers and suppliers has been examined as well.

References