Problem 1: Mass customization of products has become a common approach in manufacturing organizations. Discuss ways in which mass customization can be applied to service firms as well.
Problem 2: A top executive claimed that top-level management is a craft technology because the work contains intangibles, such as handling personnel, interpreting the environment, and coping with unusual situations that have to be learned through experience. If this is true, is it appropriate to teach management in a business school? Does teaching management from a textbook assume that the manager's job is analyzable, and hence that formal training rather than experience is most important?
Problem 3: Do you think technology will eventually enable top managers to do their job with little face-to-face communication? Discuss.
Problem 4: Look through several recent issues of a business magazine such as Fortune, BusinessWeek, or Fast Company and find examples of two companies that are using approaches to busting bureaucracy. Discuss the techniques these companies are applying.
Problem 5: Do you think a "no growth" philosophy of management should be taught?