Nutrition

Background: Your Group has been assigned to be part of the Succession Plan Committee at Life Science Nutraceuticals, Inc. (LSN).

This Committee has been hard at work for months, planning the successor for Alexandra Marvel and the rest of the executive team (largely occupied by the Marvel). They have assigned your group to complete the Succession Plan for five key leadership positions at LSN. These positions will need to be filled over the next 12-24 months. There is not an immediate need for any of them currently, but vacancies will be imminent. The preference is to fill these internally, but Ms. Marvel, the CEO, has stressed that if the right leader for a position does not exist already within the company, she would rather search for someone external to the company.

Instructions:

Step 1: Course Material

For this project, you are required to use the case scenario facts and the course material. External sources are not permitted. You are not researching on the Internet or using resources from outside the course. You are expected to answer the requirements identified below, showing the connection between the case scenario facts and the course material. Using course material goes beyond defining terms and explains the ‘why and how’ of a situation. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop of the discussion by explaining how something happens or why something happens, which focuses on importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think clearly and rationally, showing an understanding of the logical connections between the ideas presented in a case scenario, the course material, and the question(s) being asked. Using one or two in-text citations from the course material throughout the entire paper will not earn many points on an assignment. The use of a variety of course material is expected to support what is presented consistently. The support must be relevant and applicable to the topic being discussed. Points are not earned for mentioning a term or concept but by clearly and thoroughly explaining or discussing the question at hand.

Step 2: Preparation

Review the Leadership Competencies Table completed in Week Two to accompany the Job Announcement. (You may also wish to review any feedback received by your Instructor about your Table.)

Step 3: Upcoming Open Positions at Life Science Nutraceuticals, Inc. (LSN)

Read the five different upcoming positions for which your group has been tasked with filling.

As part of the Succession Plan Committee, your team has been tasked with identifying future leaders for the following five positions that will be open over the next 12-24 months:

Position 1: Sales Director, Middle East

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Reports to: Executive Director, Asia Division

LSN’s Asia Division will be opening its first Middle East location in Saudi Arabia in the next 12 months. An Operations Director will be needed to head up this new division. A team of local salespeople will need to be recruited, hired, and trained by this leader. It is expected that this sales team may be largely men.

Two sources that are recommended for more information about doing business in Saudi Arabia are:

Guide to Saudi Arabia Etiquette, Customs, Culture, and Business

Saudi Arabia Management Guide

Position 2: Director of Research and Development (R&D)

Location: Headquarters Miami, Florida

Reports to: President & CEO Alexandria Marvel (Headquarters)

Research and Development (R&D) is at the heart of its success and, indeed, its future. The R&D leader will lead a group of scientists and innovators. R&D is located at Headquarters because R&D coordinates with all other departments and divisions throughout the various worldwide LSN locations. This is a high-profile position.

Position 3: VP Headquarters Operations

Location: Headquarters Miami, Florida

Reports to: President & CEO Alexandria Marvel (Headquarters)

Headquarters houses R&D, HR, IT, Purchasing, and Finance. Each department has its own “subculture,” and each department is fairly distinct from the other. The young, youthful subculture of IT often clashes with the conservative subculture of the Finance department, for example. Many of the members of the Finance and HR teams are baby boomers and are near retirement. This leader oversees the smooth operation of all of these departments and ensures the coordination of these departments with each other and with each of the four geographic divisions across the world.

Position 4: Executive Director, North American Division

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Reports to: President and CEO

This leader will head up the largest and most profitable division of LSN. This division is seen as the “flagship” by the other divisions since the company’s roots are in the United States. This Executive Director has the “ear” of the CEO and spends a lot of time with the family. This leader is faced with spearheading the future direction of LSN in North America and is challenged with filling openings throughout the United States and Canada caused by fast growth and a retiring Baby Boomer population.

Position 5: Director of Finance

Location: Headquarters, Miami, Florida

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

This leader oversees the day-to-day operations of the finance department. This leader is expected to aid in strategic planning with the executive team of LSN. Although a finance background is not required, this person is expected to bring a conservative approach to the strategic planning table to balance out the high-risk tolerance of the rest of the leadership at LSN. A “big picture” perspective is definitely needed here.

Step 4: Complete Succession Planning Table

Complete the Succession Planning Table-Part One to help guide your decision-making approach.

Step 5: Complete Succession Planning Report

Complete the Succession Planning Report-Part One. This is the report that President and CEO Alexandria Marvel will review.

Your Group’s Succession Planning Report – Part One will be addressed to Alexandria Marvel, President, and CEO. The report should address all of the following elements, with each section supported by course materials.

Follow the following report format:

Introduction:

· An overview of succession planning and why it is important to the future of LSN.

· A brief review of the leadership competencies important for LSN.

Succession Planning as part of Mission, Vision, and Strategy:

· A description of how the Succession Plan for LSN should be aligned with its mission and vision.

· A description of how the Succession Plan should be aligned with LSN’s strategy

· A description of how strategic thinking should be used as part of the succession planning process.

Recommendations:

· For each of the five positions, identify the leadership competencies most important for those positions. Support your recommendations with course materials.

Summary:

· Describe briefly to Alexandria Marvel why your group’s recommendations are important for LSN’s future.

Reference Page: (in APA format)

Step 6: Submit the completed Report in the Assignment Folder.

Submitting the project to the Assignment Folder is considered the student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor. It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission. The instructor will consider no exceptions. Only one student from the group will submit in the Assignment Folder. However, every student is responsible for ensuring the project is submitted timely.

Other Required Elements:

Read the grading rubric for the project. Use the grading rubric while completing the project to ensure all requirements are met to lead to the highest possible grade.

Third-person writing is required. Third-person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first-person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second-person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: First, Second, and Third Person .

Contractions are not used in business reports, so do not use them.

Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks. This means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document but put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document, using in-text citations in APA format.

In-text citations should be included in ALL SECTIONS of the report and should demonstrate the application of the course material. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.

Provide the page or paragraph number, where applicable.

You may only use the course material from the classroom. You may not use books or any resource from the Internet.