EVALUATION OF THE DILEMMA AT BENEVENTO FOODS: THINKING IN SYSTEMS

For this Assignment, you will evaluate a real-world business scenario using a systems thinking approach to evaluate the workings of an organization. You will identify areas within the case where systems thinking is applied and where it is not. You will also evaluate the dilemma in terms of the concepts of a learning organization and moral imagination.

Marco Benevento, the owner of Benevento Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of food products to hotels and restaurants, has received a complaint from one of his customers that several pieces of rubber have been found in one of the baking mixes. The customer is placing all incoming orders on hold until the issue is resolved. Adding to the situation, the annual BRC Food Safety audit is scheduled for the end of the month. Mr. Benevento knows that you are working toward completing your MBA and wonders if there are any techniques you have learned that may help to identify the causes of the quality issue. As you begin to tell him about systems thinking and root cause analysis, he is impressed and asks you to take charge of finding the root cause(s) of the quality issue and to provide him with recommendations for improvements. After reviewing the case, you will compile a business report using the template provided, including specific examples from the case as well as relevant citations from the Learning Resources, the Walden Library, and/or other appropriate academic sources to support your evaluation.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Read and review the case study Benevento Foods: When the Rubber Hits the Dough.
  • Wood, D., Vachon, S., & Singh, M. (2015). Benevento foods: When the rubber hits the dough. Ivey Publishing. http://hbr.org
• Review, as needed, the following resource: How to Analyze a Business Case Study (PDF)Download How to Analyze a Business Case Study (PDF)

Submit your business report, to include the following:

Thinking in SysteM

You are to evaluate the workings of Benevento Foods—including production, quality control, and maintenance processes—through the lens of systems thinking. Through your evaluation, be sure to address the following:

• Identify two to three areas where Benevento Foods applied key principles of systems thinking and where this thinking appears to be lacking. Explain why.
• By applying the concept of a learning organization, evaluate the core issues that you think led to the dilemma.
• Apply the concept of moral imagination to the scenario and explain how it could help bring positive social change within the organization. Be sure to consider who the stakeholders are and explain how the framework would impact them.