Fit Me is a chain of health stores that sells healthy pre-cooked meals and supplements around the Gauteng area. The company has been experiencing a drop in its profits in recent years. The supplement section of the stores has shown a constant decline in profits in the last few years. The healthy pre-cooked meals section, however, is performing very well. The owner, Stuart Dlamini, is considering implementing a strategy to help turn things around in the company.

Fit Me’s vision is to be the leading retailer in the healthy pre-cooked meals industry and to expand into the rest of Africa. Stuart is very specific about what he wants in the company and believes that all final decision-making should rest with him. This has demotivated the employees as they feel that
Stuart is unapproachable. Stuart uses rewards, like additional vacation days and performance bonuses to get employees to comply with his demands. Fit Me has three directors; One oversees the supplements sections of the business, one oversees all the marketing and the last one oversees the healthy pre-cooked meals section. Each director has their department which results in the duplication of many jobs in each department. The director overseeing the supplements section of the business has a very wide span of control.

Source:
IIE, 2023.

Q.6.1 Explain to Stuart why a vision is important for Healthy Me.

Q.6.2 Fit Me requires a corporate decline strategy.
Q.6.2.1 Recommend two corporate decline strategies for Fit Me.
Q.6.2.2 Explain how these two decline strategies will help turn Fit Me around.

Q.6.3 Departmentalisation involves grouping specialist tasks together.
Q.6.3.1 Determine the type of departmentalization used at Fit Me. Justify your answer with evidence from the case study.

Q.6.3.2 Is the type of departmentalization provided in question 6.3.1? best suited for Fit Me? Provide reasons for your answer.

Q.6.4 Q.6.4.1 Identify whether Stuart is utilizing a transactional or transformational leadership style.

Q.6.4.2 Do you think the style identified in question 6.4.1 is appropriate for Fit Me? Provide reasons for your answer.

Q.6.5 Determine whether Stuart is using a centralized or decentralized decision-making strategy. Justify your answer.