MNG3702 Assignment 1 (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 2 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

MNG3702 Assignment 1 (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 2 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED Answers, guidelines, workings and references.. Question 1 (6 marks) Make a judgement with regard to the absorptive capacity of The Coca-Cola Company. In your answer, define the concept of absorptive capacity (2 marks) and then make a judgement with regard to the absorptive capacity of the Coca-Cola Company based on the four dimensions that determine the absorptive capacity of an organisation. (4 marks, of which 1 mark will be allocated for each one of the four dimensions of absorptive capacity and the application thereof to Coca-Cola.) Question 2 (6 marks) Resource allocation, for a company as complex and successful as The Coca-Cola Company, can be seen to consist of three key elements that should be considered as an integrated whole. Discuss these three elements and apply your answer to Coca-Cola. (6 marks, of which 1 mark will be allocated to each element and 1 mark to the correct application to Coca-Cola.) Question 3 (22 marks) The Coca-Cola case contains several strategic risks, including regulation, water stress, packaging pressure and execution complexity. Identify the three steps in the strategic risk-management process. To assist you in answering this question, please use the table below: 3.1 Step:1 Name the identified step Theoretical Explanation of step 1: Application to the case study 3.2 Step:2 Name the identified step Theoretical Explanation of step 2: Application to the case study 3.3 Step:3 Name the identified step MNG3702_Sem_02_2026 9 | P a g e 3.3.2 Risk response components in relation to step 3 Identified responses Theoretical explanation of each risk response Discuss the control and mitigation measures that Coca-Cola could implement to address the identified risks, applying your discussion to the context of Coca-Cola. a. b. c. d. e. (This question carries 22 marks. Three (3) marks will be awarded for correctly identifying and naming the three steps in the strategic risk management process (1 mark per step). For Steps 1 and 2, 2 marks will be given for the theoretical explanation (1 mark per step) and 2 marks for the application of the case study (1 mark per step). For Step 3, 1 mark will be given for accurately identifying and naming the step. The remaining 15 marks will be allocated to the risk response component. Of these, 5 marks will be awarded for correctly identifying and naming the appropriate risk responses, 5 marks for providing a clear theoretical explanation of the risk responses, and 5 marks for applying the risk responses to the case study by explaining how the organisation could implement appropriate measures to address the identified risks.) Note: ensure your response to question 3 does not exceed 1 and a half pages. Question 4 (16 marks) Change is an essential and inevitable feature of organisational life. In the Coca-Cola case, the company has had to adapt to stronger sustainability expectations, the Health Promotion Levy, packaging reform and transformation pressures in South Africa. Balogun and Hope Hailey developed the change kaleidoscope, which is founded on the principle that organisational change needs to be context-specific and that the approach to change should be based on a thorough analysis of the context and the way in which change is to be managed. Discuss the eight core segments of the context within which change is taking place and apply your answer to the Coca-Cola case. (16 marks, of which 1 mark will be allocated to each core segment and 1 mark to the application of each segment to the case.) MNG3702_Sem_02_2026 10 | P a g e Question 5 (20 marks) Stakeholders influence both the strategic direction and the implementation success of organisations. Identify five key stakeholders relevant to The Coca-Cola Company in South Africa and evaluate how each one can influence the company’s long-term performance. Your answer must show how stakeholder interests can create both opportunities and constraints for the business. To assist you in answering this question, please use the table below: No. Name of the Stakeholder Explanation of Impact and influence of the identified stakeholder. Opportunities associated with the identified stakeholder. Constraints associated with the identified stakeholder.