ASSIGNMENT QUESTION
Case-Study
Southern Railway Ltd (Branded as ‘Southern’, www.southernrailway.com) is a
private company in the UK, responsible for railway travel to South London, Surrey
and Sussex, from London Bridge and Victoria Stations. In the last twelve months it
has been the focus of much negative publicity due to its poor levels of service
(delayed or cancelled trains), industrial disputes over modernisation plans, and
scathing comments and reports from Members of Parliament.
The company is in need of significant change in order to remain profitable and
maintain both its public reputation and its relationship with its employees. This is a
fraught time for the company. The company has recently experienced a series of
strikes by staff in protest at the plans to remove guards/conductors from trains, and
the dispute continues, with accusations of unprofessional behaviour from both sides
against the other.
Using appropriate leadership and organisational change theory, you are required to
research and answer the following questions in report format:
Tasks
Write a report considering the recent dispute between staff/unions and management
regarding the removal of guards/conductors from trains, which should cover:
1. Analyse and evaluate the change management process at Southern Railway
Ltd in regards to the guards/conductors dispute, using Kotter’s 8 step
methodology. (30 marks)
2. Using Lewin’s model of leadership styles, evaluate the current relationship
between the company and its workers/unions and recommend which style is
the most suitable option for overcoming the human barriers to change in the
guards/conductors dispute. (30 marks)
3. Given what you already know about the dynamics at Southern Railway Ltd,
analyse and then evaluate whether transformational or transactional
leadership would be most likely to deliver effective and lasting change in
regard to the guards/conductors dispute. (30 marks)
4. The essay should include an introduction, main body of research and
analysis, conclusion, references and appendices. It should be academically
rigorous and properly referenced. (10 marks)