Question 1 (301 CASE STUDY SEVEN TREES HOTEL Since our last report on the situation at Seven Trees Hotel the owner, Mr Dennis Long, has decided to use a professional change agent to identify and implement the crucial changes at the hotel. Mr Long's efforts to implement the changes that he thought were critical for the Survival of the hotel were met by so much resistance from his staff that the entire hotel came to a standstill. Only the gardener arrived for work; all other staff were absent without informing Mr Long The change agent, Mr Jeremy Ndlovu, did a thorough assessment of the hotel and concluded that transforming its structure and processes should be the initial focus. Although he believed that this would improve the situation at the hotel considerably, he was also very concerned about the skills levels of the managers and workers. Comprehensive training and retraining were needed, coupled with anew reward and compensation system. Although Mr Long did pay his employees the minimum wage, he had no bonus system in place to motivate them to work more diligently. Mr Long felt that he was doing the workers a favour by employing them and not vice versa. Mr Ndlovu identified several processes that impacted on all departments of the hotel. While changes to these processes were vital for the hotel's survival, he expected them to be very unpopular in the short term as some of the managers and employees stood to lose their permanent jobs. However, Mr Ndlovu made it clear to Mr Long that in order for the hotel to survive - and for the managers and workers to keep their jobs - everyone had to adhere to the new systems (new computers and a hotel-wide Wi-fi would be installed) and processes (re-engineering the booking system).Some structural changes were also proposed, for example management reorganisation, decision-making, retrenchments, etc. These changes would require retraining and re-skilling almost everyone working in the hotel. Mr Ndlovu also emphasised that Mr Long would have to communicate clearly to all stakeholders what was required to make the hotel successful again, and explain why these changes were necessary. Mr Long was caught off balance by some of Mr Ndlovu's suggestions that the hotel be painted a more modern colour, that the overgrown garden be simplified; that the reception kiosk be moved to make space for a more open-plan entrance; and that the hotel signage and logos be changed to something more inviting. Sensing that Mr Long was getting irritated by these suggestions, Mr Ndlovu made a final suggestion that the signage outside and inside the hotel be in three of South Africa's 11 official languages and not just in the language that Mr Long spoke. All managers and staff were contacted and asked to attend a meeting in which Mr Long explained what the future at the hotel held for each of them. Most of the managers and employees attended. During the meeting one of the younger employees, Sarah Moot banged her fist on the table and said that all these changes were@#$% then stormed out The predominant feeling after the meeting was still one of complete denial of the importance of the changes. When all managers and workers had left Mr Long reflected on the old hotel and all his childhood memories of the place. He knew that it was now in his hands to get the hotel back on track. He got up from his chair, which had been his father's, and decided that he wanted to Page 6 of Summative Assessment STADIO SBS SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT - 2021 FIRST SEMESTER MAN301 MANAGEMENT !!! implement all of these changes within a month. He also felt that there was no more time for talking and explaining to the managers and staff. From now on it would be work and only work! Adapted from: Smit, P. J., Botha, T. & Vrba, M. J. 2018. Management Principles. A contemporary edition for Africa. 6th edition. Cape Town: Juta 1.1 1.2 Discuss, using examples from the case study, the reasons why managers and workers show great resistance to the proposed changes suggested by Mr Ndlovu. (10) Explain, using examples from the case study, the major change interventions (changes in processes) proposed by Mr Ndlovu. (10) "Mr Long is completely unrealistic about the time required (one month) to implement the change initiative." Identify and discuss information in the case study that supports or negates the above statement (10) 1.3