READ AND REPLY BY AGREEING OR DISAGREEING AND WHY?

REPLY 1

 

The significance of the two is that a team's quality or focus depends on the shared aims of their purpose and by what methods the individuals are related to each other and are interdependent. They have more than one individual designated or elected as the leader of the team. In contrast, a group comes from having many individuals or a consistent willingness to carry out a fixed activity yet are focused on completing individual goals, they are independent and has one person who leads the group.

https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-group-and-team.html

I would say I’m part of a Problem-Solving Teams structure. My position entails problem-solving of teams where effective resolutions are required all the time and come up with recommended solutions when the need arises. We meet twice a month to discuss and solve problems within our department. we look at ways to make procedure changes, and we ensure they are implement. Each member provides individual recommendations for procedural improvements and after enough discussions, we present our recommendations to upper management for implementation approved.

https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Str-Ti/Teams-and-Teamwork.html

When groups of individuals work together, the choices they make result from more than simply the decision-making process of the individuals. Group dynamics play an essential role in the best and creativity of their decisions. I would think that project manager comes to mind as good example. They must adapt to changing the environment and process around them will lead to the success of managing the individuals. They need to create something that everyone can follow, this is how the change happen.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/improving-group-dynamics.htm

I like Lewin’s Change Management Model, not only is it a popular and effective of many of the models, it’s easier for me to understand what organizational and structured changes mean and gives me a guide to use it with my team. Lewin's model has been around for a long time. It's staying power in the field change management is due to its simplicity and application to life at work and outside of it.

https://www.change-management-coach.com/kurt_lewin.html

REPLY 2

 

This class has hit at such a great time in my career. We have experienced a major change at my job, and after 14 years my manager decided it was time for her to find a different career path, so this has helped me out a lot not with just school work, but also help at work. Taking everything in that I am learning has helped me help the other girls how to get through this major change for us as a team. You will see me use what is going on with my job for a lot of examples in our discussion boards, along with me taking in the information I am learning from class and using it in our situation at work. 

1. How do you perceive the similarities and differences, between a group and a team?   The similarities of  the two is the fact they are a group of 2 or more individuals that work independently toward goals. The differences between the two is the fact a team works to complete specific goals, and a group they work individually toward goals of the organization.(Belbin, R. M. (1993).  Team roles at work)  
     So to me I perceive both of them like we have it broke down at my job we have 2 of us right now being stand in managers and we work on all the manager stuff such as inventory, payroll, and closing at night. As a group we all work towards daily goals, along with we each cut and style hair. 

     2. What different types of team structures have you been involved with or witnessed? I have been out of high school for 20 years and I have worked in a few different types of jobs the main one is I have been a hair stylist for 20 years along     with working for a hospital for 10 1/2 years and I was an office manager for a landscape company for a little while. So I have witnessed a few different types of team structures. The main one in all of the jobs I have worked in and               currently using right now is self directed, myself and the other girl that has been with the company are in charge of manager duties for our store. The General Manager and owner are very rarely in our store they have put myself and the other     girl in charge of manager duties because we have more experience in the duties than the other girls that are just starting out.

    3. /What effect will the group/team dynamics have on the organizational change and initiative? The group dynamics can have a big impact on the organizational change, for instance the girl that is helping me with the change in our company, has really let the title go to her head, and this has caused alot of problems with the other girls. The fact that she has let this go to her head like she has it makes the other girls not want to work when she is working, and customers are picking up on that behavior, and it is going to hurt our store with good customer service, along with hurt our business if we have anymore staff quit on us,because that puts us short staffed. This will cost us money along with customers. It makes it hard to grow as a group when the main team member is acting like she is, when we can not keep staff. 

   4. What types of change strategy would you incorporate for an organization that uses work groups? Describe how that strategy would be effected if the organization used work teams.  I feel in my situation at work we would have to use the positive model for our organization. At the point we are at in our shop we need a lot of positive for our work team, this model can help both work groups and work teams positive can help out in any situation. If the team members and work group see the team leaders being positive this will help the group and team stay positive and they will want to reach all goals for the team and the group. 

References:  .(Belbin, R. M. (1993).   Team roles at work)  Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Benne, K. D., & Sheats, P. (1948). Functional roles of group members’.   Journal of Social Issues ,   ( 4 . 41), 9.

REPLY 3

 

Part 1

I am as guilty as the next guy when it comes to making assumptions, both in my everyday life and in my work life. It is difficult to look at a situation and not make assumptions about how it will turn out. Recently, I made the mistake of making an assumption, at work, and I thought about the consequences. However, I did not believe that my assumption was wrong, as is the case most of the time, and my assumption did create a couple of difficult to maneuver around issues. I am responsible for ordering my required items from our vendors and I have a weekly budget to consider when ordering. I wanted a special cut of meat, it is slightly more expensive, but it is well worth the money. The assumption was that if I ordered two cases that would be more than enough meat for the meal and if I didn’t need both cases I would be able to return the unused case. If I ordered these two cases it would put me over budget by $6.00, I assumed this would have no negative effect on my budget as I was already under budget for the month. It turned out that one case was enough to serve for the meal and I attempted to return the other case, this vendor is new to our company, and they have a strict no return policy. The only way to return an item is to claim it before their delivery driver leaves your facility. So, I had to keep the case of meat and on top of that the case was priced per pound and each case varies in weight, so it put me $34.00 over budget. This was an issue because I did not have that kind of extra money in my budget for the remainder of the month. I ended up having to stay a few dollars under budget for the next three weeks, this made it difficult for me to order needed smaller items.

Part 2

Managers are required to make many difficult decisions on a daily basis, having a decision-making model in place will help the manager make the decision without bias and with a certain amount of ease. These models are great for managers to utilize because it takes them step by step through the decision-making process with little to no sidetracking. The use of these models also allows the manager to track the effectiveness of the decision-making process. These decision-making models are set up to cover any company policies, legal regulations, and any relevant data needed to come to a successful decision, (Taylor, n.d.).

On the other hand, if managers were to have no decision-making models available to them, they would have to weigh their options and diagnose the proper decision for the circumstance. The managers would have to remember company policies, legal regulations, and any relevant data needed for making the decision successfully. Without the decision-making model there is quite a bit of information left to be interpreted by the manager making the decision. This allows room for discrimination, bias, and poor judgement.

Part 3

Strategic decision making should be considered a long-term goal, it is not a decision that will affect the company in a month or two but could affect the company for many years to come. The manager(s) making these types of decisions need to be aware of current company performance and possible future company performance if the proper or improper decision is made. Some of the other factors would be things like if the data collected is pertinent to the decision being made. Also, who needs to make the decision, who all is involved with the decision. If the decision is to be made then what are the relevant factors that could impact the decision, or areas the decision could impact, (Rosenzweig, 2013).

References:

Taylor, James, (n.d.). Business Process Management Institute. The Role of Decision Modeling in Business Decision Management. Retrieved from: http://www.bpminstitute.org/resources/articles/role-decision-modeling-business-decision-management

Rosenzweig, Phil, (2013). Harvard Business Review. Decision Making. What Makes Strategic Decisions Different? Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2013/11/what-makes-strategic-decisions-different

REPLY 4

 

1)   When making a decision it is human nature to make assumptions. Understanding the assumptions along with the consequences should those assumptions be incorrect is important.  A best practice when making a decision is to make a list of any assumptions that exist.  Discuss a decision you have made in the past in your professional life that was based on assumptions that proved to be incorrect.  What were the consequences and how did you handle the resulting situation?

a)   Competition can be fierce in the work place.  My standard practice is to learn what my team does and know what can and what cannot be done – ensuring no one can pull the wool over my eyes. In a particular organization, my team was the largest and the top performers.  Senior Leadership decided I needed to dedicate 150 resources to another function.  They would remain reporting to me.  I needed to add support for the process from beginning to end. As such, they would not be part of the other team.

b)   My assumption was the other team leaders would welcome the additional support to move the process forward.  My team shared the work floor with the manager of the other workgroup.  We had years of personal conflict over disparate treatment of the employees in the two different work groups.  For example, regardless of the number of calls on hold and shifts were ending or we were closing for the day – they just left the callers on the lines and got up and left.  In my world, we did not close the lines, we required the people to remain on the lines and assist customers.  The other work area was still operation on a 9-5 operating hours schedule.  Our team had moved onto an overtime mandate and implemented alternate shifts all to better helped our customers.  I assumed they were the ones asking for help and would really want some ideas on improving the options.  When in fact, they did not want us involved and had advised their team they could not help us.  My assumption was we all worked for one company and we both must move forward to solidify our company’s place in the market.  Not so, her personal dislike for me impacted everything.

c)   She actually mandated her team not to assist my team.  We did not know the work and had to work with people at locations in different states to learn processes and begin the work.  The relationship was destroyed beyond repair.  It impacted her reputation and because we were in difficult time, they didn’t let her go for a couple more years, but her world and impact was very specialized and somewhat non-collaborative.

2)   There are many different decision making models available such as: the rational model; the seven step model; and the Carnegie model to name a few.  What are the pros and cons of managers using decision making models? 

a)   The rational model looks at the problem, cause and seeks a solution in a linear method.  This would seem appropriate for easily identified issues and where solutions might be more easily achieved (All Minds, nd).

b)   The seven step model looks at a step by step approach, identify what needs to be decided, define ones own strengths and weaknesses, gifts, values and interests – what do you bring to the table to solve the problem, what options do you have, research for causes, what options are there to solve the problem, make a choice, execute the decision (Roberts, nd).

c)   The Carnegie method realizes there are limited resources and information to solve problems.  There is rarely consensus, this model may require getting supporters, its more political, this may be an opportunity where multiple solutions are shared and the one with the greatest consensus is the one accepted, (Carnegie, 2009).

3)   What factors should be taken into consideration when collecting data for a strategic decision? Usually, who needs to be involved, how fast does the decision need to be made, what are the impacts and who has the power to make the final decision.

Resources:

All Mind Tools. (n.d.). Rational decision making model. Retrieved December 14, 2018, from https://allmindtools.com/rational-decision-making-model/

Carnegie Decision Model. (2009, August 15). Retrieved December 14, 2018, from http://www.decide-guide.com/carnegie-decision-model/

Roberts, R. (n.d.). 7 Step Decision Making Model. Retrieved December 14, 2018, from https://www.decision-making-confidence.com/7-step-decision-making-model.html

    

CLC – Contemporary Business Leaders

Mark Zuckerberg is the person that would like to write on. if not him, anyone other than Bill Gates. Thanks

Details:

Many names are recognized as notable business leaders. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Welch, and Colleen Barrett are all leaders identified for their unique approach to leading people. Please review the "Contemporary Business Leaders" resource for a list of additional business leaders. Select one leader from this list discuss (in 1,250-1,500 words) what you have learned about the selected individual as a leader and the leadership style that leader embodies. Address the following in your discussion:

1. Identify a leader and justify why you selected that      particular leader. With what organizations is the leader affiliated? In      what industry is the leader recognized? How long was the leader in a      leadership position?
2. Discuss which leadership theory best describes the      chosen leader's approach to leading people.  
3. What was the leader's greatest career achievement?
4. Identify a significant career challenge the leader      faced and how the leader handled the challenge. Did the response align      more with a managerial role or a leadership role?
5. What power base did the leader use in handling or      resolving the challenge?
6. Compare the leadership style used by your selected      leader against that of the leader's successor/predecessor (or competitor,      if a successor/predecessor is not applicable). Was there a difference in      the leadership styles? Which leader do you think is more effective and      why?
7. Provide a discussion on two to three attributes a      leader should emulate or avoid based on course materials.  Describe      how these characteristics would be beneficial or detrimental in an      organizational setting.

You are required to use at least two external sources to provide evidence in support of the leadership style displayed by your selected leader. The rationale should be justified; this should not be completed based on an opinion.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Rubric

CLC – Contemporary Business Leaders 

  

1
  Unsatisfactory
  0.00%

2
  Less than Satisfactory
  65.00%

3
  Satisfactory
  75.00%

4
  Good
  85.00%

5
  Excellent
  100.00%

 

70.0 %Content

 

5.0 %Business Leader   Description

Description of   business leader that includes the organization that the leader is affiliated   with, the industry that the leader is associated with, and the length of time   the leader was in the position is absent, inappropriate, or irrelevant.

Description of   business leader that includes the organization that the leader is affiliated   with, the industry that the leader is associated with, and the length of time   the leader was in the position is vague or incomplete. Supporting material is   often confusing or inappropriate.

Description of the   business leader that includes the organization that the leader is affiliated   with, the industry that the leader is associated with, and the length of time   the leader was in the position is provided, but at a cursory level. Supporting   material is of baseline acceptable quality and quantity.

Description of   business leader that includes the organization that the leader is affiliated   with, the industry that the leader is associated with, and the length of time   the leader was in the position is clear and well-developed. Supporting   material of above average quality and quantity is provided.

Description of   business leader that includes the organization that the leader is affiliated   with, the industry that the leader is associated with, and the length of time   the leader was in the position is thorough and detailed. Examples and   personal insight are used to further understanding. Supporting material is of   exceptional quality and quantity.

 

10.0 %Leadership   Theory Approach

A discussion of the   leadership theory that describes the leader's approach to leading people is   absent, inappropriate, or irrelevant.

A discussion of the   leadership theory that best describes the leader's approach to leading people   is vague or incomplete. Supporting material is often confusing or   inappropriate.

A discussion of the   leadership theory that best describes the leader's approach to leading people   is provided, but at a cursory level. Supporting material is of baseline   acceptable quality and quantity.

A discussion of the   leadership theory that best describes the leader's approach to leading people   is clear and well-integrated. Supporting material of above average quality   and quantity is provided.

A discussion of the   leadership theory that best describes the leader's approach to leading people   is thorough and well integrated. Examples and personal insight are used to   further understanding. Supporting material is of exceptional quality and   quantity.

 

10.0 %Leader's   Greatest Achievement

Discussion of the   leader's greatest achievement is absent, inappropriate, or irrelevant.

A discussion of the   leader's greatest achievement is vague or incomplete. Supporting material is   often confusing or inappropriate.

A discussion of the   leader's greatest achievement is provided, but at a cursory level. Supporting   material is of baseline acceptable quality and quantity.

A discussion of the   leader's greatest achievement is clear and well-integrated. Supporting   material of above average quality and quantity is provided.

A discussion of the   leader's greatest achievement is thorough and well-integrated. Examples and   personal insight are used to further understanding. Supporting material is of   exceptional quality and quantity.

 

10.0 %Handling a   Challenge

A discussion of a challenge   the leader faced and how it was handled as well as whether the leader   responded with a managerial or leadership role is absent, inappropriate, or   irrelevant.

A discussion of a   challenge the leader faced and how it was handled is vague or incomplete. A   discussion of whether the leader responded with a managerial or leadership   role is weak or marginal with gaps in presentation. Supporting material is   often confusing or inappropriate.

A discussion of a   challenge the leader faced and how it was handled is provided, but at a   cursory level. A rudimentary discussion of whether the leader responded with   a managerial or leadership role is included. Supporting material is of   baseline acceptable quality and quantity.

A discussion of   challenge the leader faced and how it was handled is clear and   well-integrated. A discussion of whether the leader responded with a   managerial or leadership role is clearly articulated. Supporting material of   above average quality and quantity is provided.

A discussion of   challenge the leader faced and how it was handled is thorough and   well-integrated. A discussion of whether the leader responded with a   managerial or leadership role is clearly developed with examples and personal   insight to further understanding. Supporting material is of exceptional   quality and quantity.

 

10.0 %Power Bases and   Impact of Behavior

An identification of   the power bases used in handling the challenge (including a description of   the impact of the leader's behavior on the situation) is absent, inappropriate,   or irrelevant.

An identification of   the power bases used in handling the challenge is vague or incomplete. A   description of the impact of the leader's behavior on the situation is weak   or marginal with gaps in presentation. Supporting material is often confusing   or inappropriate.

An identification of   the power bases used in handling the challenge is provided, but at a cursory   level. A rudimentary description of the impact of the leader's behavior on   the situation is included. Supporting material is of baseline acceptable   quality and quantity.

An identification of   the power bases used in handling the challenge is clear and well-integrated.   A description of the impact of the leader's behavior on the situation is   clearly articulated. Supporting material of above average quality and   quantity is provided.

An identification of   the power bases used in handling the challenge is thorough and   well-integrated. A description of the impact of the leader's behavior on the   situation is clearly developed with examples and personal insight to further   understanding. Supporting material is of exceptional quality and quantity.

 

10.0 %Leadership Style   Comparison

A comparison of the   leader's leadership style to a successor or predecessor (or competitor) as   well as a description of the difference in leadership styles and which is   more effective is absent, inappropriate, or irrelevant.

A comparison of the   leader's leadership style to a successor or predecessor (or competitor) is   vague or incomplete. A description of the difference in leadership styles and   which is more effective is weak or marginal with gaps in presentation.   Supporting material is often confusing or inappropriate.

A comparison of the   leader's leadership style to a successor or predecessor (or competitor) is   provided, but at a cursory level. A rudimentary description of the difference   in leadership styles and which is more effective is included. Supporting   material is of baseline acceptable quality and quantity.

A comparison of the   leader's leadership style to a successor or predecessor (or competitor) is   clear and well-integrated. A description of the difference in leadership   styles and which is more effective is clearly articulated. Supporting   material of above average quality and quantity is provided.

A comparison of the   leader's leadership style to a successor or predecessor (or competitor) is   thorough and well-integrated. A description of the difference in leadership   styles and which is more effective is clearly developed with examples and   personal insight to further understanding. Supporting material is of   exceptional quality and quantity.

 

10.0 %Attributes a   Successful Leader Should Possess or Avoid

Attributes a leader   should possess or avoid in order to be successful are absent, inappropriate,   or irrelevant.

Attributes a leader   should possess or avoid in order to be successful are vague or incomplete.   Supporting material is often confusing or inappropriate.

Attributes a leader   should possess or avoid in order to be successful are provided, but at a cursory   level. Supporting material is of baseline acceptable quality and quantity.

Attributes a leader   should possess or avoid in order to be successful are clear and well   integrated. Supporting material of above average quality and quantity is   provided.

Attributes a leader   should possess or avoid in order to be successful are thorough and well   integrated. Examples and personal insight are used to further understanding.   Supporting material is of exceptional quality and quantity.

 

5.0 %Research Sources   (relevancy, quantity, and type specifications)

Sources are not used   or cited as required in the assignment instructions. Noncredible sources are   used.

Source relevance is   vague or inconsistent. References from appropriate sources are not included:   at least one academic resource.

Source relevance is   mostly applicable and appropriate. References from appropriate sources are   included: at least two academic resources.

Source relevance is   applicable and appropriate in all instances. References from appropriate   sources are included: at least three academic resources.

Source relevance is   applicable and appropriate in all instances and sparks interest in the reader   to pursue further investigation. References from appropriate sources are   used: more than three academic resources.

 

20.0 %Organization and   Effectiveness

 

7.0 %Thesis   Development and Purpose

Paper lacks any   discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.

Thesis is   insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.

Thesis is apparent   and appropriate to purpose.

Thesis is clear and   forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective   of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.

Thesis is   comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes   the purpose of the paper clear.

 

8.0 %Argument Logic   and Construction

Statement of purpose   is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim   made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.

Sufficient   justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There   are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.

Argument is orderly,   but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification   of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose.   Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.

Argument shows   logical progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a   smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources   are authoritative.

Clear and convincing   argument that presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling   manner. All sources are authoritative.

 

5.0 %Mechanics of   Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

Surface errors are   pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate   word choice or sentence construction is used.

Frequent and   repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language   choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct   but not varied.

Some mechanical   errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the   reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate   language are employed.

Prose is largely   free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a   variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.

Writer is clearly in   command of standard, written, academic English.

 

10.0 %Format

 

5.0 %Paper Format (use   of appropriate style for the major and assignment)

Template is not used   appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.

Appropriate template   is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with   formatting is apparent.

Appropriate template   is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.

Appropriate template   is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.

All format elements   are correct.

 

5.0 %Documentation of   Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate   to assignment and style)

Sources are not   documented.

Documentation of   sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style,   with numerous formatting errors.

Sources are   documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting   errors may be present.

Sources are   documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly   correct.

Sources are   completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style,   and format is free of error.

 

100 %Total Weightage

Read and Reply by agreeing or disagreeing and why?

REPLY 1

 

1. What do you believe the different view points of change are within and organization? 

          I feel that depending on the organization there can be many view points of change within the organization. For instance the company I work for is a hair salon and a change for us is the fact we just lost our manager after 14 years to a new career path, this is a big change for us as well as our customers that went to her for haircuts. When I was in the medical field the change for that organization was all new software so the Drs can put in there own orders, this took a week of training to get us used to the new software. 

2. Who are the changed agents within an organization? 

      The change agents in the organization is broke down to three. There is the change generators they demonstrate the need for the change, change implementer s they actually carry the change out, and the change adopters they practice the change. (American Intercontinental University 2018 M.U.S.E UNIT 1 Organizational change.)

3. What are the pros and cons of change management?

      The pros for change management are they are going through the change as well, so everyone is experiencing the same issues, change managers are there to help you implement the change. 

       The cons of change management is that they are experiencing the same change as the other employees, so if there is an issue that no one knows the answer for, may take everyone different times to accept the change along and if others learn at a different pace or does not handle change well this can be very hard for someone to adapt to. 

4. How do you believe change will affect different levels of employees within the organization.

    Change will affect different levels of employees within the organization, if they have different learning styles along with if they do not handle change well this can affect not only the organization but the employee. If the employee does not catch on to the change it could affect the company by losing out on business along with losing an employee, if they do not adjust to the change. With all the different learning styles can really affect someone with a change, many people stay at an organization because they have been there for so long, and when big changes come they may never get used to the change. 

REPLY 2

 

Organizational change is an inevitability as business grows and/or as time passes. The way a small business conducts day to day operations would not work efficiently at larger organizational levels and the introduction of new technologies and new command will influence the business to change over time. In the telecom industry, there has been a push for home internet options outside of cable that can bundle with wireless.

The agents of change can be either external or internal, pressure from stakeholders or society to push a business to take social responsibility, or regulations on a company product are external factors that would push a company to implement change. Likewise, a top down level of department reorganization as the company grows to better facilitate services is an example of internal change. With the invention of 5G wireless networks, cellular carriers can now offer home internet bundled with one’s cellular plan. And provide internet to those who do not have a cable internet option.

Any type of change comes with benefits as well as setbacks. The need for, or the change itself is seen as the benefit, whether it for financial gain, competitive advantage, or natural evolution of systems and practices. The pain points come as the old is transitioned into the new, this transition can be slow and costly as training will be necessary for employees to adopt the change. In order to facilitate wireless 5G as a home internet option, new departments will have to be created under wireless and accounted for accordingly.

Change typically will have a ripple effect in a company that is performing. System wide changes may have more of a uniform effect on the company, such as the adoption of new systems or technology, whereas the internal restructuring of departments may have minimal effect on upper management, more drastic change can be seen at lower levels. Upon the implementation of 5G internet, whole new metrics will be created around the selling and maintenance of this service, in turn the employee commission structure will change making for the largest impact to entry level employees. But the inclusion of additional services will make these carriers more profitable.      

REPLY 3

 

What do you believe are the top five characteristics of a good leader? 

Strong Communication- As a leader, you have to be able to communicate your vision to your team. You have to be strong and sure about what you are trying to convey to your team. You have to make sure that your team is aligned with your goals and objectives. It also means having weekly meetings with your team or having one on one meetings. 

Passion and Commitment- The enthusiasm and energy that you give off while communicating your vision gets others excited and ready to work towards bringing your vision to life. Also, you have to stay focus on your vision…that's where the commitment comes in. So, as a leader your have to lead by example and set the expectation. Show your team how you are suppose to get it done. 

Being Positive- If your team is lead by a positive leader that's upbeat and happy, they will want to work harder and they will be happy themselves. It can be recognition, providing lunch or snacks, having upbeat huddles with the team to get them motivated.

Innovation- You have to be able to adjust and adapt to your surroundings, if an issue changes the original plan or focus..you have to be able to come up with another strategy and be able to communicate it to your team quickly. 

Collaboration-it is very important for a leader to have a collaborative approach to their leadership style. Your team want to be able to give their input and they want to know that your as a leader value their opinion. 

What are the top five for a good manager? In my opinion, they are pretty much the same characteristics because the person sets the tone if they are a leader or a manager.

Discuss the similarities and differences between a manager and a leader. 

The main difference is…When you are a leader, people believe in your vision and they follow you. They genuinely believe in your vision and they want your vision to be successful. When you are a manager, people just work for you being you are the manager.

In what ways would transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles be ineffective in encouraging organizational commitment?

Transactional leadership is a very strict and structured form of leadership…similar to the military. This would be very ineffective in an organization. They way they world is changing, you have to stay innovative in order to be successful. 

Laissez- faire leadership produces the lowest productivity because leaders manage with a hands off style. It allows the employees to make their own decisions. This is a horrible style of leadership because the employees to make decisions and not give them a guidelines.  

How might leadership style need to change with an organization's environment?

To be a great leader, you have to be able to be adaptable. You cant manage everyone the same, times have changed. You have to take time and get to know your employees and handle each one differently. You have to identify how to get the best results out of each employee.

REPLY 4

 

The top five characteristics of a good leader is “focus on the future, create change, create a culture based on shared values, establish and emotional link with followers and use personal power” American InterContinental University (2018a). The five characteristics of a good manager is “focus on the present, maintain status quo and stability, implement policies and procedures, remain aloof to maintain objectivity and use position power” American InterContinental University (2018a). “Leadership and management are often used interchangeably, but they have distinctive meanings” (Bârgău, 2015). Managers promote stability, whereas leaders help the organization adapt to change. According to Intellipath (Leader vs Manager) “Managers are placed in their role by the organization and leaders are those who have the ability to get others to follow them even if they don’t occupy the manager role.” A leader and manger play different roles, but there are times some of their roles are similar. According to M.U.SE. (Manager as Leader, American InterContinental University, 2018b), “the commonly accepted four functions of management is leading.” People in leadership positions are also involved in some aspects of managing.

A person who is a transactional leader watches for mistakes to happen to take corrective action and only intervenes when standards are not being met. They also possess a laissez-faire leadership which is described as avoiding decision and responsibilities. A person with those characteristics cannot encourage or motivate people to commit. One of the traits of a good leader is “a forward-looking viewpoint. They will look at lack of past performance as a learning exercise and work on how employees can learn from their mistakes. They are not looking for someone to blame.

I believe the leadership styles do change depending on the organizational culture. I believe a person can possess difference leadership traits and those traits will manifest depending on what the organization’s vision is.

References

American InterContinental University. (2018a). Leader vs Manager [intellipath]. Retrieved from American InterContinental University Virtual Campus, MGMT499-1805B-03:  https://mycampus.aiu-online.com

American InterContinental University. (2018b). Assessing a Situation: The Manager as Leader [Multimedia presentation]. Retrieved from American InterContinental University Virtual Campus, MGMT499-1805B-03:   https://mycampus.aiu-online.com

Bârgău, M. (2015). Leadership Versus Management. Romanian economic and business review, 10 (2): 197-204. Retrieved, December 9, 2018, from: http://www.rebe.rau.ro/RePEc/rau/journl/SU15/REBE-SU15-A16.pdf.

Case Study:

Ralph Lorean International (RLI) owner of several house décor and furniture manufacturers recently purchased a controlling interest in a medium size firm, House of Cloth (HOC), which employs 6,644 people worldwide. HOC has been considered a premier manufacturer of cloth since 1964. Revenues over the last four years have been flat and costs are rising steadily. RLI purchases the interest in the company despite the flat sales because of its reputation and loyal customer base. RLI has a history of turning troubled companies around and they think they can do the same with HOC. 

RLI has to date allowed HOC to operate independently while they examine closely the causes of the recent poor performance of the company. Areama Cantros, was recently promoted to senior management analyst because of her superb work with Izzy’s Bed Emporium. RLI has decided to send Areama to HOC on a fact finding mission. She is to discover the challenges facing the management at HOC and make recommendations that will improve and grow significantly HOC’s financial performance. 

Areama’s, first meeting with HOC’s management team after arriving at their headquarters seemed to go well. The first thing Areama noticed about the team was that while they seemed to be personally different in obvious ways, beneath the surface they were quite alike. Of the seven members who compose the team, three have been with the company since its inception. The remaining four are much younger and came to the company after its international expansion in 2010. Two of the team members have worked with HOC in India and came to headquarters as part of a promotion plan. The other two team members come from Guatemala and Romania where they were employed in local branches of HOC. The team membership is predominately male with only two women. Despite the differences in age, gender, company tenure, and their functional and industry background, the members seem they are cut from the same cloth in that each is very businesslike, analytical, competitive, and results driven.

In your discussion regarding the company’s expansion five years ago, Henry Smythe, one of the founders, remarked, “The expansion was tough for us because of all the pressure and uncertainty, and to be honest, we really didn’t jell together at first-I though it was a big mistake to bring new people on board to manage the ship-but now we’re past all that, we’re very cohesive, and we share the same vision of how we do business. This is a good thing because when I retire in a few years, I’ll know the company is in good hands.” Everyone in the room seemed to be nod in agreement. Another founder, Russell “Rusty” Gee, then looked squarely into Areama’s eyes and added, “I’m not exactly sure what you ae doing here, but we have weathered storms together and while I admit the last years haven’t been stellar, I know we can handle things ourselves-this was part of the deal, wasn’t it? We know this place better than anyone, so I can’t imagine we’ll seriously consider any recommendations that will upset the apple cart.” Rusty made the statement in a friendly way with a smile on his face, yet Areama knew he was serious.

Although the meeting told Areama many things two things stood out to her as real problems. First turnover among the creative team associates is high: thirty-five percent each year for the last two years, and thirty percent the year before that. The industry average is twenty percent. HOC’s creative team is integral to its competitive edge in the industry. New patterns, cloth fabrics and uses are essential to the firm’s livelihood. Although the top management team is aware of the problem they seem to rationalize it. As “Jamie Wagner, VP of human resources noted, “We hire the best and the brightest, so it’s only natural that they occasionally get poached by other firms. We try our best to keep them, but we haven’t been able to match salaries with our competitors in recent years. Once things turn around the numbers will go down.”

Beside the turnover issue Areama also learned that the company had been sued three times recently. The cases all involved associates who were passed over for promotion and who claimed the work environment was so filled with stress that it made them ill and unable to work. Areama was aware of the first case because it was highly publicized and HOC was forced to settle the case to get out of the public eye. Afraid of the similar problems with the first case HOC settled both suits out of court quickly and managed to keep them out of the eye of the press.  Senior management seemed to be proud of this fact.  Before you had a chance to ask Jamie if she thought the suits and turnover may be related, Jamie volunteers the following. “We were really unlucky during this period. We hired three associates who didn’t possess the right capabilities for the job and each had trouble coping in their own way. Most everyone that comes to our design team at HOC is drawn to our reputation for quality and success. We just have to find a better way of finding people who fit.”

Areama’s conversation with the design team members revealed nothing too far out of the industry norm. Workload and time pressure are high, but not atypical. The design teams are put together by fabric use and usually their members are led by a senior client manager, who has the final design approval. Jamie told Areama that the teams were self-managed but that appeared not to be the case. The senior lead assigned tasks to each associate member during the projects. Because the support staff is reduced team members had to assume a lot of administrative duties. 

Creative teams have autonomy to work wherever and whenever they need to. This arrangement gives employees a lot of flexibility and working odd hours in strange locations is not unusual. Areama heard one story that a creative dinner was held in the private room of a local restaurant. The team paid the owner $1,000 to keep the room available to them for as long as they needed. The team stayed overnight and left just before lunch the next day. While all the members were on board with the idea one member had to leave because of a family obligation. The team produced a successful

revealed the story remarked,” fantastic team building experience for those that chose to tough it out” and it perfect reflect the company’s ‘work-hard, play-hard’ mentality’.”

Areama’s inquiry as to how the design team’s job performance is managed, she learned that towards the end of the calendar year, senior client managers get together and spend an entire day on the evaluation process. The evaluations focus on the extent to which the member contributed to the designs of the team they worked on the previous year. All members are given scores and listed. Using the member’s job performance score, their names are placed in one of three categories. The top ten percent will receive a bonus up to fifty percent of their base pay and are fast tracked for senior client managers. The next thirty percent will receive a twenty-five percent bonus and are consider on track for promotion. The last group gets 2-3 percent of their salary as a bonus. The bonus checks are mailed to the members home before the winter holidays to “avoid bad feelings and conflict, that can naturally come about among teams” Jamie remarks.

Lunch with the senior client managers told Areama that the subject of turnover and the law suits is touchy. One manager said “Around here, you’re rewarded for paying your dues, for doing whatever is thrown your way. Yes, it is demanding, and requires sacrifice, but how else can we find out if people have what it takes? Those of us sitting at this table have been through it and we know it works-look how successful we have been. Hires who claim they can’t take it or that it’s abusive just can’t be tolerated.” 

After lunch Areama met with a group of associates who seem to shed yet another perspective about life in the design department. As an example, on associate member said, “I learned a lot from dealing with the pressure at the beginning, but the work is non-stop. They say it’s ‘work-hard, play-hard’, but even the play feels like work. The projects are great, but I never really feel like I’m fully involved. I’m always trying to get a chance to be heard.” Another member agreed and added “It’s okay I guess if you get plugged into the right manager from the outset, but I’ve never seemed to gain favor no matter how many hours I work. To top it off, the crazy hours are creating a lot of conflict at home and the strains are adding up.”

ASSIGNMENT: CANDIDATE QUESTIONS

Areama has decided that she wants another person’s perspective on the issues that she faces. She has asked you, a respected colleague, to answer the following questions to help her get that needed input:

1. Does the diversity present in HOC’s top management team likely to impact its functioning and effectiveness? Answer and explain why or why not?
2. Does HOC’s top management suffer from group think? Explain in detail. Be sure to give examples from the fact pattern to support your ideas.
3. Identify the primary sources of stress that the associate members of the design team are experiencing.
4. Explain how some of these stresses have led to the turnover and law suits.
5. Are there differences between the perception of senior client managers and associate managers as to management policies and practices? If so yes if not, why not?
6. Areama would like you to give her three recommendations that are likely to resolve HOC’s turnover and legal commitment issues. Explain the justification for each one.

Source: Adapted from a Case entitled “Managing Commitment in Demanding Jobs” found in “Organizing Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace” by Jason A. Colquitt, Jeffery A. Lepine, Michael J. Wesson McGraw-Hill/Irwin New York NY 10020, 2013. Page 551 

Assignment Instructions

In a memo format detail the answers to the candidates questions.

Step 1: How to Set Up the Paper

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced.  Use 12-point font.  The final product will be between 4 and 6 pages in length excluding the title page and reference list. Write clearly and concisely.

Use the following Memo Format Memo Template 

• Add the Title Page
• Add the Reference Page

DUE IN 14 HRS!!!!!!!!

Case Study – Hal’s Woodworking

Hal Donovan started an ordinary hardware store, named Hal’s Hardware in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1988. He had been working during his summer vacations from college for a long-established hardware store and decided he liked the business. Hal’s Hardware developed an excellent reputation as a friendly neighborhood store. The store managers are all active in the community and the store regularly sponsors youth sports teams and supports local charities. When hired, salespeople go through a comprehensive training program that includes skill training in the areas of the store in which they will work (plumbing, electrical, power tools, flooring, garden, and so on), and they are trained in customer service skills. As a result of this focus on service, Hal’s Hardware became a community gathering place.

Hal offers classes and workshops for the homeowner and hobbyist three evenings each month and regularly schedules seminars for professional customers on weekday mornings. Many of these workshops and seminars are underwritten and taught by manufacturers to promote their products, but an increasing number are being created by Hal’s Hardware staff members.

In recent years, Hal has become concerned that the business is no longer growing. The store is facing increasing competition from hardware chains such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. These national chains have opened many new stores, and they are larger, carry more items, and offer lower prices on some items. The competition is fierce; for example, Hal’s Hardware closed its lumber department because of this competition. The national chains buy lumber in such large quantities that they can offer far lower prices. Hal matched his larger competitors’ prices, but found he was unable to earn a profit on lumber sales and that department consumed a large amount of floor space in the store.

Hal was worried that this sort of problem could develop in other departments, so he began looking for ways to add value to the customer experience, especially in ways that the national chains were not willing or able to do. For example, Hal has found that many people want to try out a new power tool in person before they spend hundreds of dollars on a purchase. Thus, Hal’s Hardware created a tool demonstration area staffed with salespeople who are experts in power tool operation. For each major type of power tool (drills, power saws, joiners, grinding tools, and so on), Hal created a small booklet of hints for using that type of tool. Hal’s salespeople give these booklets to customers as free handouts. They also sell Hal’s own low-cost instructional DVDs.

Hal’s Hardware currently has a Web site that includes general information about the company, directions to the store, and hours of operation. Hal is thinking about expanding the Web site to include online shopping. He is hoping that customers might find the Web site to be a useful way to order items, see whether items are in stock at the store, and comparison shop among different brands of a particular item. Hal also hopes that the Web site might reach customers who are not located near the store, but he realizes that some of his products do not have ideal shipping profiles.

Hal has been talking with Sarah Johnson, his most senior store manager, about his idea for adding online sales to the Web site. Sarah has been with the company for 20 years and has organized a number of the classes held on Saturday afternoons in the tool demonstration area. After hearing Hal’s ideas, she expressed some concerns. Sarah explained that going online with their entire product line might not make any sense because the competition for common tools is likely to be just as fierce online as it is in the store now. She has noticed that there seems to be a solid core of customers who are interested in serious woodworking and who show up for a lot of the classes. These customers buy some of the best, and most expensive, tools that the store sells. Many times, she finds that she has to specially order tools for these customers when they are working on a specific project.

Sarah suggests to Hal that they might want to take the business in a different direction online and sell only the high-end specialty tools to dedicated woodworkers and cabinetmakers. These items yield much higher margins than the regular tools and the salespeople who Hal has hired are eager to develop videos and instruction sheets that would appeal to this more skilled and specialized audience. Sarah suggests that they call the new online business Hal’s Woodworking to distinguish it from the general hardware store business. She suggested that Hal take a look at Web sites such as Highland Woodworking and Woodworker’s Supply to get a better idea of the online store she has in mind. This week’s assignment is to;

Conduct a SWOT analysis for the existing Hal’s Hardware store. You can use the information in the case narrative, your personal knowledge of the retail hardware and tool industry, and information you obtain by following the Web Links or doing independent searches of the Web as you conduct your analysis. Create a diagram similar to Figure 1-12 to summarize your SWOT analysis results.

Conduct a SWOT analysis for Sarah’s proposed Hal’s Woodworking online business. You can use the information in the case narrative, your personal knowledge of the retail hardware and tool industry, and information you obtain by following the Web Links or doing independent searches of the Web as you conduct your analysis. Create a diagram similar to Figure 1-12 to summarize your SWOT analysis results.

Based on your SWOT analysis of the proposed online business, write a report that includes a summary of your assumptions and a list of specific recommendations for Hal’s Woodworking. These recommendations should specify the types of content that should appear on the Website, the features that Hal should make available on the site, and how the site might overcome any of the weaknesses or threats you identified in the SWOT analysis. Be sure to include an outline any costs or benefits that the company might experience by operating both businesses at the same time. Online businesses can find it difficult to establish trust with its customers; so how will Hal’s Woodworking Website attempt to overcome this challenge? How might Hal leverage its reputation as a friendly neighborhood store and its community involvement in an online environment? What factors of the “Second and Third Wave of Electronic Commerce” will you incorporate into Hal’s new website?

 

The following requirements must be met:

Write a paper using Microsoft Word in APA 6th edition style.

Use an appropriate number of references to support your position, and defend your arguments. The following are examples of primary and secondary sources that may be used, and non-credible and opinion based sources that may not be used.

Primary sources such as government websites (United States Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Census Bureau, The World Bank), peer reviewed and scholarly journals in EBSCOhost (Grantham University Online Library) and Google Scholar.

Secondary and credible sources such as CNN Money, The Wall Street Journal, trade journals, and publications in EBSCOhost (Grantham University Online Library).

Non-credible and opinion based sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. should not be used.

Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased statements, information, etc.) in the paper and list each source on a reference page using APA style. An overview of APA 6th edition in-text citations, formatting, reference list, and style is provided here.