Questions and Answers of Fundamentals Of Management

Describe Ricardo Semler’s leadership style. What do you think the advantages and drawbacks of his style might be?
What challenges might a radically “hands-off” leader face? How could those challenges be addressed?
How could future leaders be identified in this organization?Would leadership training be important to this organization? Discuss.
What could other businesses learn from Semler’s approach to leadership?
What characteristics consistently appeared on students’lists?
Were these characteristics more trait-oriented or behaviour-oriented?
In what situations were these characteristics useful?
Would any of 3M’s six leadership attributes be appropriate for any of the other companies mentioned? Explain.
What role do you think an organization’s culture plays in how its leaders lead? Relate this to the story told above.
Using the behavioural theories as a guideline, what do you think would be more important to a Starbucks store manager: focus on task, focus on people, or both?Explain.
How might a Starbucks store manager use situational leadership theory? Path-goal theory? Transformational leadership?
What is the rationale behind ROWE?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of ROWE?
The company has been approached by a large competitor who wishes to acquire the company. Staff are worried the takeover might result in some employee layoffs within the next three months.
A customer has complained about an employee via e-mail. You have investigated and found the complaint justified. How do you convey this to the employee?
Bonus decisions have been made. Not all individuals will receive a bonus.
An employee has gone above and beyond in meeting a customer’s request. You want to acknowledge the employee’s efforts.
Do you agree that e-mail and voice mail can be unproductive in the workplace? What strategies have you used to manage the volume of e-mail that you receive?
What’s your impression of what took place in these scenarios? Did the managers in each of these scenarios communicate effectively? Why or why not?
For each of the scenarios, discuss what might have been a better way to communicate the message.
What is the “question of ethics” here? Why is it a “question of ethics”?
Who are the other stakeholders in this situation and how might this one, seemingly simple, decision affect them?
How will technology contribute to the operations management process? What are the downsides to using technology in the operations management process?
In the factory of the future, what role does a manager play?
What is operations management, and what strategic role does it play?
Do you think the need for operations management is greater for manufacturing or service organizations?Explain.
Select a company you are familiar with. Describe its value chain. Be as specific as possible in your description.Evaluate how it “uses” the value chain to create value.
How can robotic milking systems help deal with an aging farming population?
What are the challenges presented by robotic milking?
Are robotics suited for all types of farming?
Contrast multinational corporations, multidomestic corporations, global companies, and transnational, or borderless organizations.
How is an organization’s culture formed and sustained?
Is organizational culture an asset or a liability? Explain.
UK-based company Commisceo has several cultural awareness “quizzes” on its website (https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/quizzes/culturalawareness-quizzes?view=qcategory). Go to the
What advice might you give to a supervisor who has little experience working with people from other countries?
What are the 3BL implications for the Internet of Things?
Is management easier or harder with all the available technology? Explain your position.
What benefits does technology provide, and what problems does technology pose for (a) employees and(b) managers?
Who is to judge what is morally correct for companies operating in the global marketplace?
Joe Fresh continues to manufacture clothing in Bangladesh. Do you believe this is ethical behaviour?
Using Exhibit 2-9, what external components might be most important for managers in movie theatre chains to know about? Why?
According to the case, what external trends do managers at the movie theatre chains have to deal with?
How do you think these trends might constrain decisions made by managers at the movie theatre chains?
What other applications are there for cities using Miovision’s smart intersection products?
Discuss the external and internal forces for change.
Why is handling change an integral part of every manager’s job?
Describe two approaches to managing organizational change.
Explain why people resist change and how resistance might be managed.
Describe the types of changes that have occurred at Prairie General in terms of structure, technology, and people. Cite examples.
Why do you think the medical profession resists changing to systems such as CareWeb? Explain.
Assume you were going to make a presentation to a group of hospital staff (doctors and administrators)on why they should invest in technology such as CareWeb. How would you attempt to overcome their
What do you think of UA’s approach to innovation?Would you expect to see this type of innovation in an athletic wear company? Explain.
What do you think UA’s culture might be like in regard to innovation? (HINT: Refer to the list “How Do Structural Variables Affect Innovation?” on page 210.)
What’s your interpretation of the company’s philosophy posted prominently over the door of its design studio? What does it say about innovation?What could other companies learn from the way UA
What other applications are there for this wastewater technology?
What are the biggest challenges with exporting IWT’s products?
What do SMEs like IWT need to know about exporting?
Tell What is motivation? LO2
Define How can needs help one be motivated? LO2
Describe What are the contemporary theories of motivation? LO2
Explain What are some current issues in motivation? LO2
Explain What can managers learn from motivation theories? LO2
How can needs help motivation? LO2
How do needs affect motivation? LO2
Contrast lower-order and higher-order needs in Maslow’s needs hierarchy. LO2
Describe the three needs in McClelland’s theory of needs. LO2
Describe the four drives in Lawrence and Nohria’s four-drive theory of motivation. LO2
What are some possible consequences of employees’perceiving an inequity between their inputs and outcomes and those of others? LO2
What are the advantages of flextime from an employee’s perspective? From management’s perspective? LO2
What can organizations do to create more motivating environments for their employees? LO2
What role would money play in (1) the hierarchy of needs theory, (2) motivation-hygiene theory, (3)equity theory, and (4) expectancy theory? LO2
What difficulties do you think workforce diversity causes for managers who are trying to use equity theory? LO2
Describe a task you have done recently for which you exerted a high level of effort. Explain your behaviour using the following motivation approaches: (1) the hierarchy of needs theory, (2)
Describe several means that you might use to motivate(1) minimum-wage employees working for a small company that makes tortillas or (2) professional and technical employees working for a software
Many job design experts who have studied the changing nature of work say that people do their best work when they are motivated by a sense of purpose rather than by the pursuit of money. Do you
What are the major elements of organizational structure? LO4
What factors affect organizational structure? LO4
Beyond traditional organizational designs, how else can organizations be structured? LO4
Describe what is meant by the term organizational design . LO4
In what ways can management departmentalize? When should one approach be considered over the others? LO4
What is the difference between a mechanistic and an organic organization? LO4
Why is a simple structure inadequate in large organizations? LO4
Describe the characteristics of a boundaryless organizational structure. LO4
Describe the characteristics of a learning organization.What are its advantages? LO4
Which do you think is more efficient: a wide or a narrow span of control? What is an example of a company that would benefit from a narrow span of control? A wide span of control? LO4
“An organization can have no structure.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain. LO4
Show how both the functional and matrix structures might create conflict within an organization. LO4
Do you think the concept of organizational structure, as described in this chapter, is appropriate for charitable organizations? If yes, which organizational design do you believe to be most
What effects do you think the characteristics of the boundaryless organization have on employees in today’s contemporary organizations? LO4
Why should structure follow strategy instead of the reverse? LO4
What functions could your college or university outsource?Why? LO4
Describe and evaluate what Pfizer is doing. LO4
What structural implications—good and bad—does this approach have? (Think in terms of the six organizational design elements.) LO4
Do you think this arrangement would work for other types of organizations? Why or why not? LO4
What role do you think organizational structure plays in an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness?Explain. LO4
Tell What are the stages of team development? LO8
Define How do individuals become team players? LO8
Explain How can groups become effective teams? LO8
Explain What are some of the current challenges in managing teams? LO8
What are the stages of team development? LO8

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