Choose a company which is currently in a turnaround situation or a situation likely to result in a turnaround situation. This might be a company which is in the news or a small company with which you are familiar.

The important issue is access to information about the problem. The aim of the project is to prepare a report which will suggest how the turnaround might be achieved, following the procedure outlined below.

The project should involve the following steps:

1 Analysis of the nature of the problem which has emerged. Is it the result of a poor or non-existent strategy or a failure to realize the strategy already adopted? The focus of this project is on the latter kind of problem.

2 Diagnosis of the causes of the problem with the help of the concepts introduced in this chapter. What are the causes, characteristics and consequences of the crisis?

3 Comparison with a similar turnaround problem or problems in the past.

4 An indication of what is required to turn the company around.

Example: The recent and current problems of Asea Brown Boveri display the difficulties of using a matrix model of organization.