In Chapter 7 we discussed the white-water rapids view of change, which refers to situations in which unpredictable change is normal and expected and managing it is a continual process. Do you think it’s possible to establish and maintain effective standards and controls in this type of environment? Discuss.
> What does the term external environment mean? Which external environmental factors are more important for a manager to pay attention to?
> Is there a real difference between an omnipotent manager and a “good” manager? Explain.
> What do you understand by personalization technologies? How does big data fit into decision-making processes?
> What should a good manager do if it becomes apparent that a decision that has already been made is clearly not working or solving the situation?
> Change usually involves some kind of modification of the way in which a business does things. Invariably, it means alterations in products or services, and processes. Research seems to suggest that organizations undergo some form of change every three ye
> Most managers adopt particular styles to simplify their decision making. This helps them make sense of information. Why do you think these styles are unreliable?
> Is satisficing a desirable way of making managerial decisions?
> What role does intuition play in decision making?
> Where in the eight-step decision-making process are the likely problem areas for managers?
> Explain how good decision making is a skill that can be learned and improved
> How do systems theory and the contingency approach make managers better at what they do?
> How has technology impacted how managers use the quantitative approach in today’s workplace?
> Describe total quality management.
> Explain what the quantitative approach has contributed to the field of management.
> Why were the Hawthorne Studies so critical to management history?
> Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, the automotive manufacturer Renault was established 120 years ago in 1899, and Japanese automotive manufacturer, Nissan, was founded in 1933, headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. In 1999, these two automotive g
> What did the early advocates of OB contribute to our understanding of management?
> What is a bureaucracy? Do bureaucracies still exist today?
> What is the significance of the industrial revolution?
> How do societal trends influence the practice of management? What are the implications for someone studying management
> Explain why studying management history is important.
> Researchers at Harvard Business School found that the most important managerial behaviors involve two fundamental things: enabling people to move forward in their work and treating them decently as human beings. What do you think of these two managerial
> Is there one best “style” of management? Why or why not?
> Henri Fayol suggested that all managers perform the five functions of planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. Was he correct?
> Discuss how managers define organizational purpose. How would the managerial functions help in achieving that purpose?
> Is the task of seeking innovative processes really a manager’s job?
> The 1,000-year-old Latin saying mens sana in corpore sano stands for a healthy mind in a healthy body in English language represents the core idea of The Wellness Foundation, launched by Nerio Alessandri, the founder of Italian wellness company Technogym
> How might operations management apply to other managerial functions besides control?
> Describe lean management and explain why it’s important
> What is ISO 9001 and Six Sigma?
> How does technology play a role in manufacturing?
> How could you use value chain management in your everyday life?
> What is required for successful value chain management? What obstacles exist to successful value chain management?
> What is a value chain, and what is value chain management? What is the goal of value chain management? What are the benefits of value chain management?
> Do you think that manufacturing or service organizations have the greater need for operations management? Explain.
> What is operations management?
> In what ways is managing a project different from managing a department or other structured work area? In what ways are they the same?
> A coworker takes credit for the excellent job you’ve performed. Frustrating! It’s probably happened to you or someone you know. How did it happen? Perhaps you shared an idea with a coworker and then hear her present it as her own in a meeting. Or perhaps
> The Wall Street Journal and other business periodicals often carry reports of companies that have not met their sales or profit forecasts. What are some reasons a company might not meet its forecast? What suggestions could you make for improving the effe
> Do intuition and creativity have any relevance in quantitative planning tools and techniques? Explain.
> It’s a waste of time and other resources to develop a set of sophisticated scenarios for situations that may never occur.” Do you agree or disagree? Support your position.
> What is project management, and what are the steps managers use in planning projects?
> Why is flexibility so important to today’s planning techniques?
> How does PERT network analysis work?
> Describe the four techniques for allocating resources.
> What might be some early warning signs of (a) a new competitor coming into your market, (b) an employee work stoppage, or (c) a new technology that could change demand for your product?
> Describe the different approaches to assessing the environment.
> Every individual employee in an organization plays a role in controlling work activities.” Do you agree with this statement, or do you think control is something that only managers are responsible for? Explain.
> The 2019 Women’s FIFA World Cup saw viewer ratings soar with over 750 million viewers across the world; a 20 percent increase on the men’s World Cup in 2018. The coverage of the games have inspired a new generation of girls to get involved in football, a
> Why is control important to customer interactions?
> Explain the balanced scorecard approach to evaluating organizational performance.
> What do the two liquidity ratios, current and acid, measure and reveal?
> Discuss the four main workplace discipline problems related to controlling employee performance.
> State the information sources for measuring performance.
> Why is control an essential managerial function in all types of organizations?
> Do the followers make a difference in whether a leader is effective? Discuss.
> Do you think most managers in real life use a contingency approach to increase their leadership effectiveness? Explain.
> Discuss whether a leader can get power from multiple sources.
> One company that appears to be getting it right on the diversity front is L’Oréal, a popular French cosmetics organization founded in 1909, with over 86,000 employees operating across 130 countries. In 2018, the Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion In
> You are a team leader. What are your daily priorities for your team?
> What is the purpose of a charismatic leader’s enthusiasm and self-confidence?
> Explain Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership styles and the two key behaviors associated with it.
> Briefly explain what a managerial grid is.
> What are the ten traits of effective leaders?
> Can an individual be too motivated? Discuss.
> Identify examples of pay-for-performance programs used by some organizations.
> What do you understand by the term open-book management? Is it effective?
> Briefly explain equity theory and what happens if there are iniquities at work.
> What are the different job design approaches to motivation?
> An unexpected ethical issue arose when Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria joined the European Union (EU). The start of the free movement of workers across the EU meant that workers from these countries could effectively undercut the domestic workforce. Wages
> How do goal-setting, reinforcement, and equity theories explain employee motivation?
> Describe each of the four early theories of motivation.
> What is motivation? Explain the three key elements of motivation.
> Explain the relevance of managers using shaping behavior
> On what basis does the attribution theory attempt to explain how we judge people differently?
> Discuss the impact of self-esteem on employee performance and job satisfaction.
> How does the cognitive dissonance theory seek to explain the relationships between attitudes and behavior?
> Satisfied and happy employees make for better productivity, lower absenteeism and turnover rate. Discuss.
> What are the goals of organizational behavior?
> Which employee behaviors are more critical to organizational success?
> How do you successfully manage a growing international company? Co-founder and chairperson of the Singaporean BreadTalk group, George Quek believes in a hands-on approach and believes that being physically present is key in navigating the often-complex p
> Everyone has a different personality. How would an organization make a diverse group of individuals work together harmoniously and effectively?
> Ethical communication includes all information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way.” Discuss
> Discuss the role of communication in customer service.
> How can changes in the physical work environment have a direct impact on communication systems?
> Define active listening.
> What are barriers to communication? What can managers do to reduce the chances of barriers to communication from occurring?
> Thanks a lot.” Can this phrase mean more than one thing? Explain why.
> Discuss whether men and women communicate differently.
> What is communication and how can a manager ensure proper communication exists in the organization?
> Describe the key benefits of teams.
> Although 44 countries have signed up for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention to outlaw bribery and corruption, the problem is still present. Let us consider Greece, which the OECD censored for failing
> Discuss how having clear goals can make a team more effective.
> Why are virtual teams not suitable for all situations?
> What are group norms?
> Discuss how group structure, group processes, and group tasks influence group performance and satisfaction.
> What is an informal group and can informal groups form within an organization?
> How does knowing the five stages of group development help you as the manager?
> What do you understand by the term family-friendly benefits? Give some examples of such benefits in action.
> List the factors that influence employee compensation and benefits.
