Over the past 20 years, entrepreneurship has been the fastest-growing course of study on campuses throughout the United States. Do you think it is possible to teach someone to be an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
> How is divisional income like income computed for the firm? How is it different?
> What are the advantages of divisional income as a business unit performance measure? What are the disadvantages?
> The following exchange occurred just after the finance staff at Diversified Electronics rejected a capital investment proposal. David Parker (Product Development): I just don’t understand why you rejected my proposal. We can expect to m
> Refer to Problem 9-51. Jean Sharpe decides to gather additional data to identify the cause of overhead costs and figure out which products are most profitable. She notices that $30,000 of the overhead originated from the equipment used. She decides to in
> Chocolate Bars, Inc. (CBI), manufactures creamy deluxe chocolate candy bars. The firm has developed three distinct products: Almond Dream, Krispy Krackle, and Creamy Crunch. CBI is profitable, but management is quite concerned about the profitability of
> We have discussed two methods for process costing, weighted average and FIFO. Your colleague recommends last-in, first-out (LIFO) process costing to the controller as a new system. The controller is concerned about the recommendation because the cost rec
> Brighton, Inc., manufactures kitchen tiles. The company recently expanded, and the controller believes that it will need to borrow cash to continue operations. It began negotiating for a one-month bank loan of $500,000 starting May 1. The bank would char
> The MBO technique has been criticized for putting too much emphasis on achieving goals (ends) and not enough on the methods that people use to achieve them (means). Do you think this is a flaw in the technique, or in the way managers apply it? How would
> Why is self-awareness important for being a good manager? Can you think of some negative consequences that might result from a manager with low self-awareness?
> Both China and India are rising economic powers. How might your approach to doing business with China, a communist country, be different from your approach to doing business with India, the world’s most populous democracy? In which country would you expe
> Use Herzberg’s two-factor theory to explain why motivation seems to be high and turnover low at Mars, based on the information provided in the chapter opening example.
> What specifically would the experience of living and working in another country contribute to your skills and effectiveness as a manager in your own country?
> Do you think it is wise for a top executive to fire a manager who is bringing in big sales and profits for the company but not living up to a cultural value of “showing respect for employees”? Explain.
> How might the social value of low versus high power distance influence how you would lead and motivate employees? What about the value of low versus high performance orientation?
> Why do you think empowerment increases motivation? Do you see any ways in which a manager’s empowerment efforts might contribute to demotivation among employees? Discuss.
> Describe the primary differences between manufacturing and service technology. How do these differences influence the type of structure that will be most effective?
> Do you think it’s possible for someone to develop a global mindset if they never live outside their native country? How might they do that?
> 1. What evidence do you see of a global mindset in these managers? List at least three examples of global thinking provided in the video. 2. Referencing the common traits of an MNC described in the text, explain why you think Black Diamond is or is not
> Walt Disney Company has four major strategic business units: movies (including Pixar and Touchstone), theme parks (Walt Disney World and Disneyland), consumer products (the Disney Store), and television (the ABC/Disney Television Group and ESPN). Place e
> What is the virtual network approach to structure? Is the use of authority and responsibility different compared with other forms of departmentalization? Explain.
> Why do you think research has shown that idea champions are so essential to the initiation of change? Could they be equally important for implementation?
> A new business venture must develop a comprehensive business plan to borrow money to get started. Companies such as FedEx and Nike say they did not follow the original plan closely. Does that mean that developing the plan was a waste of time for these ev
> A manager of an international chemical company said that few new products in her company were successful. What would you advise the manager to do to help increase the company’s success rate?
> As a manager, how might you deal with an employee who is always displaying negative emotions that affect the rest of the team? How might you use an understanding of attributions and emotional contagion to help you decide what to do?
> Somnio, a start-up running shoe company in California, decided to start selling its products around the world from the very beginning. In general terms, name some of the challenges a start-up company such as Somnio might face internationally.
> Do you think it is realistic that BOP business practices can have a positive effect on poverty and other social problems in developing countries? Discuss.
> Why do you think many people are so frightened by globalization? Based on what is occurring in the world today, do you expect the globalization backlash to grow stronger or weaker over the next decade?
> Do you think it makes sense for a company such as Sears Holdings Corp., which has numerous shabby Sears and Kmart stores in need of makeovers, to focus resources on building the online business at the expense of its bricks-and-mortar business? Discuss.
> The openness of wikis is both their strength and their weakness. As a business owner, why might you want to take advantage of this new technology? How might you guard against its potential problems, such as vulnerability to mistakes, pranks, self-serving
> Which of the four components of emotional intelligence do you consider most important to an effective manager in today’s world? Why?
> Should a multinational corporation operate as a tightly integrated, worldwide business system, or would it be more effective to let each national subsidiary operate autonomously? Why?
> Aaron Alexis, the former Navy reservist who went on a shooting rampage in September 2013 and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington D.C., had a history of mental instability, but he was carrying a valid security clearance. How would y
> Big data analytics programs (analyzing massive data sets to make decisions) use gigantic computing power to quantify trends that would be beyond the grasp of human observers. As this use of this quantitative analysis increases, do you think it may decrea
> What is ISO certification? Why would a global company like General Electric want ISO certification?
> Why do some organizations seem to have a new CEO every year or two, whereas others have top leaders who stay with the company for many years (e.g., John Chambers at Cisco)? What factors about the manager or about the company might account for this differ
> Why do you think Mary Parker Follett’s ideas tended to be popular with business people of her day, but were ignored by management scholars? Why are her ideas appreciated more today?
> How might the teaching of a management course be designed to help people make the transition from individual performer to manager in order to prepare them for the challenges they will face as new managers?
> What do you think is your dominant decision style? Is your style compatible with group techniques such as brainstorming and engaging in rigorous debate? Discuss.
> How would you apply systems thinking to a problem such as poor performance in your current academic studies? To a problem with a romantic partner or family member? Try to identify all the elements and their interdependencies.
> Some people say an organization could never be “prepared” for a disaster such as the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the Japan nuclear disaster, or the huge BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Discuss the potential value of crisis planning in s
> Why would small business ownership have great appeal to immigrants, women, and minorities?
> What are the major differences between manufacturing and service organizations? Give examples of how each type might benefit from using Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and social networks.
> LivingSocial started with one “daily deal,” a $25 voucher for $50 worth of food at a Washington D.C., area restaurant. Since then, the company has grown at breakneck speed, has 46 million members in 25 countries, and has acquired a dozen companies that o
> Fortune magazine and the Hay Group found that a clear, stable strategy is one of the defining characteristics of companies on the list of “The World’s Most Admired Companies.” Why might this be the case?
> 1. List the three broad management skill categories and explain which skills are needed most for each of the Camp Bow Wow leaders highlighted in the video. 2. Which activities at Camp Bow Wow require high efficiency? Which activities require high effecti
> How do you feel about having a manager’s responsibility in today’s world characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity, and sudden changes or threats from the environment? Describe some skills and qualities that are important to managers under these conditions
> In September 2013, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) reported highly contaminated water leaking from a storage tank at the Fukushima nuclear power plant crippled in a March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. From what you know of the ongoing Fukushima disas
> Suggest some personal traits that you believe would be useful to a business leader today. Are these traits more valuable in some situations than in others? How do you think traits differ from strengths?
> Describe the benefits of using social media to help a start-up gain traction during the early stages of its life cycle. What are some possible disadvantages of using social media?
> Consider the six characteristics of entrepreneurs described in the chapter. Which two traits do you think are most like those of managers in large companies? Which two are least like those of managers in large companies?
> 1. What are some of the entrepreneurial traits found in the two Bissell brothers that help make them successful? Are there any skills or traits you think they could improve upon? 2. How would you summarize the steps the brothers took to launch their busi
> The chapter described studies that show that people work harder and better for managers who put the interests of others above their own. Why might this happen? Do you believe being more of a “giver” than a “taker” will translate into greater career succe
> As an administrator for a medium sized hospital, you and the board of directors have decided to change to a drug dependency hospital from a short term, acute care facility. How would you go about executing this strategy?
> The technique of stakeholder mapping lets managers classify which stakeholders they will consider more important and will invest more time to satisfy. Is it appropriate for management to define some stakeholders as more important than others? Should all
> The chapter suggests that optimism is an important characteristic for a manager, yet some employees complain that optimistic managers cause them significant stress because they expect their subordinates to meet unreasonable goals or expectations. How mig
> How might understanding whether an employee has an internal or an external locus of control help a manager better communicate with, motivate, and lead the employee?
> Lana Lowery, a regional manager for a 100-person inside sales staff, notices that the team’s best performer is struggling. Her sales are down 20 percent from a year ago, and she frequently arrives late for work, looking upset. Lowery needs to find out wh
> Experts say that organizations are becoming increasingly decentralized, with authority, decision-making responsibility, and accountability being pushed farther down into the organization. How will this trend affect what will be asked of you as a new mana
> Why can an event such as the Hawthorne studies be a major turning point in the history of management even if the idea is later shown to be in error? Discuss.
> Which do you think would be more effective for shaping long-term ethical behavior in an organization: a written code of ethics combined with ethics training or strong ethical leadership? Which would have more impact on you? Why?
> Do you believe it is ethical for organizational managers to try to get access and scrutinize the Facebook pages of employees or job applicants? Discuss.
> A survey found that 69 percent of MBA students view maximizing shareholder value as the primary responsibility of a company. Do you agree? What do you think this finding suggests about the ethical and socially responsible stance of corporate managers ove
> 1. Does Mike Boyle appear to be self-aware? How does his level of self-awareness affect the way he runs his business? 2. As you watch the video, focus on Marco’s comments about himself and Mike’s comments on Marco. Then use the four components of emotion
> Assume that Southern University decides to: (1) raise its admission standards, and (2) initiate a business fair to which local towns people will be invited. What types of plans might it use to carry out these two activities?
> 1. Alex Patterson notes that our educational system is often focused on individual achievement, but when we go out into the work world as adults, almost all of us are required to work in teams. In what ways does this early focus on individual work make i
> How do you think a system for self-management such as the five-step system described in this chapter could benefit you as a student? What parts of the system seem particularly useful to you? Explain.
> Managers at some banks and mortgage companies have argued that providing subprime mortgages was based on their desire to give poor people a chance to participate in the American dream of home ownership. What is your opinion of this explanation in terms
> Is it reasonable to expect that managers can measure their social and environmental performance on the same level as they measure their financial performance with a triple bottom line? Discuss
> Some people argue that the matrix structure should be adopted only as a last resort because the dual chains of command can create more problems than they solve. Discuss. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
> 1. In what ways is Barcelona’s management approach consistent with modern developments in management thinking? 2. In what ways does Barcelona’s management approach run counter to contemporary developments in management thinking? 3. What aspects of rest
> Discuss how the dilemmas of teamwork might be intensified in a virtual team. What dilemmas do you feel when you have to do class assignments as part of a team? Discuss.
> What are some specific tips that you would give a new manager for building trust with subordinates? With other managers?
> How might a corporate management team go about determining whether the company should diversify? What factors should they consider? What kinds of information should they collect?
> Suppose that you are the leader of a team that has just been created to develop a new registration process at your college or university. How can you use an understanding of the stages of team development to improve your team’s effectiveness?
> Is it ethical and socially responsible for large corporations to lobby against an SEC rule requiring that they report the ratio of their CEOs’ pay compared to that of their average employee, as described in the chapter? Discuss.
> Explain the basic idea underlying the contingency view. How would you go about identifying the key contingencies facing an organization?
> As a manager, how would you deal with resistance to change when you suspect employees’ fears of job loss are well founded?
> Imagine yourself in a situation of being encouraged by colleagues to inflate your expense account. What factors do you think would influence your decision? Explain.
> How do you think planning in today’s organizations compares to planning 25 years ago? Do you think planning becomes more important or less important in a world where everything is changing fast and crises are a regular part of organizational life? Why?
> Which style of communicating do you think would be most beneficial to the long-term success of a U.S. company operating internationally—high-context or low-context communications? Why?
> Two U.S. companies are competing to take over a large factory in the Czech Republic. One delegation tours the facility and asks questions about how the plant might be run more efficiently. The other delegation focuses on ways to improve working condition
> One company had 40 percent of its workers and 20 percent of its manager’s resign during the first year after reorganizing into teams. What might account for this dramatic turnover? How might managers ensure a smooth transition to teams?
> As a manager, how would you use symbols to build an adaptability culture that encourages teamwork and risk taking? What kinds of symbols could you use to promote the values of an involvement culture?
> Distribution center managers for Anheuser-Busch InBev frequently start the day with a sort of pep rally, reviewing the day’s sales targets and motivating people to get out and sell more beer. What does this suggest about the type of culture the company’s
> If you were the leader of a newly formed team, what might you do to make sure that the team developed norms of high performance?
> Assume you are a project manager at a biotechnology company, working with managers from research, production, and marketing on a major product modification. You notice that every memo you receive from the marketing manager has been copied to senior manag
> Netflix has successfully adapted to a number of challenges in its industry. What do you see as some emerging opportunities and threats for the company?
> Consider the factors that influence the environmental uncertainty (rate of change in factors and number of factors in the environment) that are presented in Exhibit 3.4. Classify each of the following organizations as operating in either (a) a low-uncer
> Contemporary best-selling management books often argue that customers are the most important element in the external environment. Do you agree? In what company situations might this statement be untrue?
> Think about the highly publicized safety problems at General Motors (GM). One observer said that a goal of efficiency had taken precedence over a goal of quality within this company. Do you think managers can improve both efficiency and effectiveness sim
> Why do you think workplace stress is skyrocketing? Do you think it is a trend that will continue? Explain the reasons for your answer. Do you think it is the responsibility of managers and organizations to help employees manage stress? Why or why not?
> You are a bright, hard-working entry-level manager who fully intends to rise up through the ranks. Your performance evaluation gives you high marks for your technical skills but low marks when it comes to people skills. Do you think people skills can be
> You are a manager, and you believe the expense reimbursement system for salespeople is far too slow, taking weeks instead of days. How would you go about convincing other managers that this problem needs to be addressed?
> Why are inter organizational partnerships so important for today’s companies? What elements in the current environment might contribute to either an increase or decrease in inter organizational collaboration? Discuss
> What do you see as the primary advantage of using big data analytics—understanding the environment or influencing the environment? Why?
> Microsoft and Intel are giants of the computer industry. Why do you think that these large companies have had such a hard time competing against disruptive innovations such as mobile computing?
> List some possible advantages and disadvantages to using computer technology for managerial decision making.
> Critics argue that RFID can potentially jeopardize consumer privacy by making it possible to link purchases to individuals or even to track the movements of individuals. Should this concern prevent companies from adopting RFIDs? Explain.
> Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner was seriously delayed because of slow deliveries from suppliers who were responsible for large chunks of the jet. Outsourcing has become an important aspect of supply chain management as companies strive to cut costs, yet the pra
> Some companies are using both lean manufacturing and Six Sigma (discussed in Chapter 19) methods simultaneously to improve their operations. How do you think the two approaches might complement or conflict with each other? Explain.
