Title Group Discussion ✅

Introduction This exercise has been developed to predict your behaviour in the workplace and assess your effectiveness at working within a team. This group exercise will require you to address a number of issues and provide practical solutions as a group. Exercise Scenario You will undertake the role of a management trainee at Imugen PLC, a global biotechnology firm specialising in genetic engineering, applied immunology, and green biotechnology. Imugen has risen to fame over the past decade, enjoying rapid growth and a steadily expanding market share in numerous life science niches. Imugen is renowned for its collaboration with world-leading universities and public research institutes, strategically positioning itself at the forefront of the international biotech R&D scene. The corporation has headquarters in New York, London, Johannesburg, Beijing and New Delhi. With recent economic advances in the developing world, particularly in BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), Imugen is looking to expand and enforce a greater presence in these emerging markets. However Imugen’s emergence as a global player has come at a cost; the company’s reputation has been shook by accusations of various ruthless and illegal tactics, including asset stripping, price fixing and bio piracy. Similarly, as a front runner on the R&D scene, bioethics groups have frequently targeted Imugen’s operations, accusing the organisation and their products of “playing God”. To remedy the situation, a new CEO and senior management team has been brought in and various organisational culture changes are being implemented, with mixed results. As part of a new distributed leadership strategy to make the company seem less hierarchical, your line manager has requested a list of recommendations regarding important strategic issues. These recommendations must be as specific as possible, outlining potential implications, offering an in-depth rationale and identifying any potential side effects that may occur. With your colleagues, these issues must be discussed and you will need to agree on each recommendation and implication via voting. Management Issues 1. Enhancing Corporate Reputation through Environmental Initiatives Since the departure of the previous CEO, the company’s strategy has largely been focused on improving the company’s credibility and reputation within the industry. As part of this change in strategy and culture, the new CEO has decided to undertake various environmental initiatives to decrease the company’s environmental footprint and enhance the company’s perceived environmental friendliness. Imugen has a pending lawsuit from the Brazilian government representing various Indigenous peoples of Brazil claiming Imugen committed “biopiracy” on their land by stealing flora samples and causing serious damage to the local ecosystem.