Bachelor of Business Sample
October 18, 2023Case Study Analysis Sample
October 20, 2023Introduction:
Tassal is renowned in the Tasmanian Salmon industry and has been holding the reputation for 25 years for providing exquisite varieties of fresh, healthy, and delicious Tasmanian Atlantic salmon. The organization’s employee strength of 800 is dedicated to the shared passion for salmon which has been the primary source of its sustainability since its foundation in 1986.
Tassal is dedicated to the accomplishment of operational excellence alongside ensuring the safeguarding of core values about community, environment, and quality. The company’s organizational structure comprises the apex position held by the Chief Executive Officer, Mark Ryan, who is also included as the managing director on the board of directors. Other prominent job positions that could be observed in the organizational structure refer to the Chairman, Allan McCallum, and company secretary, Monika Maedler (Allen & Varga, 2014).
The departmental divisions are managed by the managing director and CEO, Mark Ryan, which include processing, finance, farming, human resources, risk management, sales and marketing, sustainability, logistics, IT, and planning as well as counseling and secretarial services.
Overseas Expansion Initiatives
As per Awan, Imran & Munir, the overseas expansion initiatives of the organization could prove to be risky even under feasible circumstances. The supposed expansion of the organization into the Asian market would have to be compared from the Australian context. The selection of a particular international market is necessary for the organization and in this case, Hong Kong could be assumed as a potential market (Awan, Imran & Munir, 2014).
According to Benckendorff & Moscardo, the reasons for selecting the population could be validated on the grounds of the higher expatriate population in the foreign market as well as the familiarity of Western cuisine in the location and the economic stability of the market. The market is also characterized by transparency that allows prolific opportunities for obtaining an initial standing in the Asian market and gradually leverages the opportunities for growth and increasing sophistication of the market (Benckendorff & Moscardo, 2015).
The analysis of the environmental factors could also be useful for obtaining major inferences about the feasibility of the market (Casal Campos, 2016). The economic environment is considerably unfavorable for international expansion since global economic uncertainties have led to profound impacts that can be observed in the case of the majority of developing economies. The drastic measures implemented by the governance to cater to the downturn have created prospects for operating international business in the market.
As per Chisadza, the stabilization of inflation rates and the medium-term growth rates can be assumed as promising factors that could influence economic favourability in the external environment (Chisadza, 2015). The free economy of Hong Kong as well as the formidable trade links with Australia could also be assumed as favourable impacts on the international business expansion initiatives of Tassal.
The people of Hong Kong have depicted the socioeconomic strength of the market where substantial disposable income is liable for the acquisition of reasonable prospects for the promotion of specialty foods like salmon. The establishment of Tassal in Hong Kong could be associated with the outcomes of access to the developing Chinese economy as well (Chisadza, 2015). The political and legal obstacles in an international business environment also acquire potential significance and in the case of Hong Kong fair obstacles are noted such as the lack of food self-sufficiency. Political framework operates in a limited democracy with stability as a major characteristic and the volatility of political and legal reforms is completely different from that of China (Deegan, et al., 2014).
The implications for safety concerns are assumed as a formidable pitfall for Tassal in the context of the political and legal environment. The seafood shipments have been rejected by China in recent times which also implies concerns for agricultural products as well. The strict compliance of the organization with safety and quality control standards in the aquaculture model as well as the frozen products accounts for the limited impact of legal and political concerns of safety. The sociocultural environment of Hong Kong is favorable for Tassal for a variety of reasons since it is considered one of the world’s food capitals and the love for food among the nationals is profoundly observed (Enoch, 2016).
According to Gunasekaran, Irani & Papadopoulos, the variations in culinary preferences could be attributed to the expatriate community and the familiarity of the native population with the Western diet suggests viable opportunities for Tassal in the Hong Kong market. Technological factors have been associated with minimal impact on the operations of Tassal in the frozen fish meal industry (Gunasekaran, Irani & Papadopoulos, 2014). However, the concerns for the development of safer and more efficient fish farms could be estimated as major technological issues that could be observed in the case of Tassal. From a critical perspective, the technological factors are perceived as issues in the domestic market while the international market provides favorable prospects in the application of technology for business processes in Tassal.
The level of competition in the Hong Kong seafood and agricultural food product industry can be estimated by an analysis of the perceived growth rate and the population growth rate as well as market shares of prominent competitors (Kelly & Nardi, 2014).
The market comprises of 23.7% share of Chinese firms which are associated with the supply of imported seafood while Japanese, Brazilian, and Australian firms are accountable for 5.1% of the market share while organizations such as Unilever and domestic firms like The Garden Co. represent formidable dominance in the market for frozen ready meal products.
The sustainable management of the organization could be based on the analysis of sustainability practices from the perspective of theories mentioned in the literature (Kurucz, Colbert & Marcus, 2014). The reflection on relevant theory, applied strategies, and the observation of practices implemented by the organization would provide an impression of the distinct stages of planning and strategy formulation, leadership, human resource management, and control over technological and value chain implications.
Addressing these individual aspects of sustainability management would further the development of recommendations to address the strategic development of plans of action that could be implemented by the management. The essential implications of planning, leading, and organization would help validate the precision of the approaches followed by the management of Tassal to obtain a sustainable advantage (Li, 2015). The necessary factor to be considered in this context refers to the consideration of the Australian context.
Planning:
As per Marlowe & Burke, the vision statement of Tassal depicts the creation of a better future. The mission statement of the organization is directed towards the induction of health and environmental safety in the communities where the organization establishes footfall. The organization’s mission is also directed toward providing customers with prospects for sustainability in the health and well-being of the environment (Marlowe & Burke, 2016).
As per McElroy & Thomas, the accomplishment of mission and vision is largely vested in the coordinated operations of employers, customers, stakeholders, and suppliers which shall be aligned along strategic dimensions. The statement of mission in the case of Tassal suggests implications for the development of strategic plans for sustainability (McElroy & Thomas, 2015). The goal-setting approach can be perceived as a major theoretical approach that could be implemented in case of the planning. The goal-setting approach involves a precise estimation of the objectives and the targets established for the individual objectives.
The specificity of the goals, measurable dimensions of the goals, achievability of the objectives, realistic nature of the goals, and the time-bound nature of the goals are indicative of the precision that could be acquired in the planning process by considering these individual dimensions (Olson, et al., 2015). The responsibility of the goal-setting approach is also inclined towards the description of commitments to food safety and accountability, people, community, and environment. The implications of these factors are necessary for an organization and in the case of Tassal, the appropriate moderation of goals and targets for sustainability as depicted in the reports of the organization facilitates a cognizable impression of the efficiency of goal setting approach.
Practical goals established for the sustainability of practices to the environment that reflect on the reduction of water consumption, operation of corporate socially responsible activities for wildlife, ensuring safety concerns for people, and improvement of comprehension of the sustainability and the community implications that improve communication with stakeholders (Prato & Paveglio, 2014). The examination of Tassal’s approach to planning could be reflective of the traditional approach wherein the conventional aspects of goal setting and comparison of deadlines and targets imply the comprehensive practices implemented by the organization in planning.
As per Raine, Gretton & Greenhill, the incorporation of sustainability in the key decisions and practices could be profoundly observed in the cognizable benefits drawn on a shared basis for self as well as the community, especially in terms of fish health and welfare. The example of the practice of optimization in the sector of fish health and welfare which is associated with the incorporation of biosecurity guidelines, ensuring the implementation of freshwater and harvest programs to realize minimal harm to fish could be accounted as the measures for sustainable management (Raine, Gretton & Greenhill, 2017).
Human resource management:
The sustainable practices that are required for an organization have to be estimated from the perspective of human resource management since the HRM aspects of an organization reflect on the workforce of the organization which is responsible for providing competencies and skills in the business operations (Sertyesilisik, 2016). The requirements of proficiency and competence in the domain of human resource management are profoundly observed in the case of Tassal as the organization has relied on its employee strength and competencies to garner a formidable market presence over many years.
The competitive strategies for HR management Tassal would include references to the maintenance of high standards of labor conditions, focusing on gender diversity, and accomplishing zero harm for people (Silvius & Schipper, 2014). These factors could be profoundly observed in the goal-setting approach wherein the individual targets could also be estimated as the key performance indicators of the HRM strategy of Tassal for sustainable management. The selection of appropriate people for the sustainable management practices implemented by the organization could be observed in the comprehensive recruitment procedure followed by the organization.
The employee terms and conditions of the organization are reflective of flexible working arrangements wherein the options for formulating terms and conditions alongside depicting formidable emphasis on location and position (Šomplák, et al., 2014). The development of agreements negotiated by the union, modern awards, and common legal contracts are associated with the selection of employees at Tassal which ensures the compliance of the employees to realize the competitive strategies for sustainable management.
The development and maintenance of the workforce could be attributed to the contributions drawn from employees for the establishment of standards and workplace partnership agreements that indicate negotiations on behalf of the union.
The maintenance of the HR has been aptly facilitated by the cognizable elements of the employee inductions in site-specific and corporate aspects as well as the formidable dimensions of encouraging a culture of respect, reasonable communication options, integrity, and lack of tolerance about harassing or discriminatory behavior (van der Lugt & Coen Steenhuisen, 2013, November). The initiatives of the HRM followed in Tassal are also indicative of the dimension of sustainability since the improvement of flexibility; transparency and integrity of the strategic initiatives in HR management are accountable for the development of long-term commitment among the HR to contribute to the organization’s strategic sustainability objectives.
The organization also depicts promising indications towards prevention and handling of grievances through policies as well as maintaining policies for ethical behavior and a code of conduct reflecting on the application of sustainable practice in the HRM activities of Tassal. For example, the appointment of a female board member would be a formidable indicator of prospects of addressing gender diversity.
Leadership:
The leadership observed at Tassal is indicative of a democratic leader wherein the activities of the managing director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Ryan, are indicative of frequent interactions with the employees and acquiring their involvement in the strategic processes of the organization. The leadership could be observed in the engagement level of employees where the profound example of team discussions and one-on-one meetings are implemented by the management.
The efficiency of the leadership style could be observed in the involvement of a single department of environment and sustainability team. The organization’s leadership has been profoundly observed in the destruction of conventional silos and the expansion of opportunities to improve the acquisition of ideas from employees and thereby boosting the business (Silvius & Schipper, 2014). The company’s employment strength would also be indicative of the requirement of sustainability since its leadership has to motivate the employees to address the external environmental factors that could be primarily observed in international business expansions.
In the transformation of the leadership of Tassal from a reduction in sales to a prominent brand of seafood, Mark Ryan depicted transformational leadership which suggested that the leadership of Tassal has been capable of inspiring and motivating people apart from their normal performance levels.
Control of value chain and technology:
The conduction of operations management is efficiently handled by the competent workforce of Tassal. The management of the supply chain as depicted by Tassal is indicative of the profound routes of improved access to suppliers and the communication aspects introduced for effective moderation of suppliers (Marlowe & Burke, 2016). The non-conformation notifications are provided to suppliers on an ad hoc basis while the supplier audits conducted at a gap of every three years reflect the effectiveness of supply chain management.
The other factors for the moderation of the value chain are observed in the acquisition of information and feedback from suppliers about specifications, quality, and food safety information, and the policies as well as certifications of suppliers. Incorporation of sustainability in the decisions about control of the value chain and technology can be observed in the specific estimation of the long-term frequency of supplier audits that would ensure compliance of organizations to the appropriate standards (Prato & Paveglio, 2014).
Recommendations:
The three recommendations that can be suggested based on the analysis of background information, planning and strategy, human resource management, leadership, and control of value chain and technology would help frame the future strategic direction of Tassal thereby appealing to the interests of sustainability in the organization. First of all, the organization has to implement strategic reforms through approaches involving a focus on sociocultural and economic benefits that can be leveraged from the environment.
The second recommendation for the organization would be directed towards the planning activity that has to be associated with the expansion of objectives and the inclusion of higher shared benefits for the community, people, environment, and the organization. The analysis of the leadership style followed at Tassal indicates transformational leadership which forms the basis of the third recommendation to introduce strategic reforms that are directed towards concerns of the continuation after experiencing transformation.
While transformational leadership must enable the organization to accomplish recovery from falling sales, it would not be feasible to adopt similar leadership styles across varying departments. The implications of the report were drawn primarily in the context of the analysis of sustainable management practices concerning the case of Tassal.
References
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