Assignment
Resources
Kinicki, A., & Williams, B. K. (2016). Management: A practical introduction (7 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.Chapter 1
Instructions
Develop a response, then post the response as a reply to this discussion starter. Limit your response to 150 to 300 words, demonstrate understanding of and cite the required readings or other credible sources that you apply, and look for opportunities to engage with and learn from others.
I. Scenario 1: Functions of Management
Whether you are an active or aspiring manager of others or just trying to manage your own career and life, being aware of and actively practicing the four functions of management is a foundation for your success (Kinicki& Williams, 2016).
Questions
• List and define the four principal functions of a manager (Hint: POLC).
• How are these functions applied at your organization (or an organization with which you are familiar)?
II. Scenario 2: Management Levels
As an MBA student in the School of Business, you are developing or honing your skills to lead for business excellence. An important point about leadership is that we influence others even if we are not in a leadership position (Kinicki& Williams, 2016). For example, at work, Sarah is not in a management position, but she often finds that she needs to manage her relationship with her boss and colleagues. Managing her boss requires a degree of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling to effectively establish her goals and complete her activities.
Questions
• What are the four management levels?
• In your current position at work, where are you in the four management levels?
• At that level, what are your basic management activities?
• What do you need to do to move to a higher management level?
III. Scenario 3: Managerial Skills
To be good managers, Kinicki and Williams (2016) say that we need to develop strong technical, conceptual, and human skills.
Questions
• Explain each of the managerial skills.
• Considering your current job or a job to which you aspire, do you have the necessary technical, conceptual, and human skills to be successful?
• How can you apply management concepts from this course to develop or hone your managerial skills?
IV. The article lists the seven challenges to being an exceptional manager. Which one do you feel is the most challenging to you and how do you plan on overcoming those challenges?
Article: 11 THE EXCEPTIONAL MANAGER: WHAT YOU DO, HOW YOU DO IT.
For example, for me I find the first challenge to be the most challenging. Managing for competitive advantage-staying ahead of rivals. Not so much the staying ahead of rivals, since I work for a Federal Agency. However, I need to find ways to operate more competitively. Especially since I have no real control over my budget from one year to the next. I must deal with congressional budget cuts, politics and reduced work load. So, one of the things I have done is to apply more technology to find ways to do things more automated and efficiently.
V. The four functions of management model have been criticized as being irrelevant to today's managers. Do you agree or disagree with the critics who question the relevance of this model? Explain your answer and support your position.
As new students in a challenging MBA program, you each bring to the classroom different levels of preparation and expectations formed by your experience. These form your mindsets, which can either enable or inhibit your progress in the personal, professional, and academic aspects of your life (Kinicki& Williams, 2016). The University Learning Goals (University of Phoenix, 2006) are specifically designed to help you define and refine your mindsets for success at school and work and are incorporated throughout this course and program.
Chapter 2-Instructions
Referring to the "Mind-sets: How do you go about learning?" section at the start of Ch. 2, select one of the following scenarios. Answer one or answer all, and look for opportunities to develop a growth mindset through conversations with you classmates and faculty. Limit your response to 150 to 300 words.
Scenarios
VI. Scenario 1: What is your mindset?
• Consider a time when you had a fixed mindset in a challenging situation in which others had fixed mindsets. How did this impact your performance and others' and the outcome of the challenge?
• What do you need to do to shift to or foster a mindset that will enable growth as a student and effectiveness as a manager?
• As a manager, how can you foster a growth mindset in others?
VII. Scenario 2: What are your goals?
• What role does goal setting play in helping us succeed at school and work?
• As a student, how can you foster a growth mindset in yourself and other students so you can work together to accomplish shared goals?
VIII. Mindset is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck in decades of research on achievement and success.
Experts have stated that mindsets guide our actions. They are tied to our core identity, shaping the lives we lead and the actions we take. Mindsets act like a puppet master, pulling the strings of our future possibilities.
What do you think your mindset is and how does it guide you in your daily life and careers?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.