Assignment -1:
Question 1:
Define and explain the difference between Mission, Goals, Objectives and the ways in which each fits into and forms a part of the Strategy Equation.
Question 2:
"Know your enemy and yourself, and you shall win a hundred battles without loss." Extract from Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
Explain how the above statement reflects concepts and tools in strategic management.
Question 3:
Mintzberg's four modes of decision making are entrepreneurial mode, adaptive mode, planning mode and logical incrementalist mode.
Illustrate these four modes of decision making in actual business scenarios.
Question 4:
You are the chief strategist for a clothing company. You notice that there is a batch of good quality but old fashion slow-moving teenagers' clothings in the warehouse.
(a) Explain "strategy" and "policy" in the context of strategic management.
(b) What is the strategy you can advise your company? Justify your advice.
(c) State TWO (2) policies governing the strategy you proposed in part (b) of this question.
Assignment -2:
Part A: Case Study
Work Breakdown Structure or Breakdown of Work Structure
VP-ELOP: I keep looking at this work breakdown structure (WBS) of the AT&T project and I simply cannot believe my eyes, nor do I comprehend it.
PM-AT&T: What or which project are you looking at? The AT&T project?
VP-ELOP: Yes, that's the one. I am looking at the WBS for the tasks for the Electro-Optometric (ELOP) department in the AT&T project. Some parts of the WBS are really detailed; reaching down to six levels of sub-division. Four levels is the norm for most projects that I have done.
PM-AT&T: Yes, you are right.
This tense opening conversation between the VP-ELOP and the PM-AT&T do not promise much in the way of warm cooperation. Rather, the atmosphere in which this conversation takes place in the PM-AT&T's rather spartan office hints of cold tension between the two colleagues at Halliburton.
VP-ELOP: Look here, on the second page, the WBS, levels four to six show the involvement of my ELOP department. These are in terms of the technical competencies required, the man-hours, suggested equipment and specifications, and calendar-day for each of my engineers involve in AT&T project. The WBS covers from the coming launch of the AT&T project until the end of the involvement of the ELOP department.
PM-AT&T: Yes. That's the WBS plan that I am proposing for the AT&T project in the coming meeting with the CEO. Are you okay with it?
VP-ELOP: Do I sound like I am okay with it? Most of it is wrong - from resourcing my engineers to the policy or philosophy of it.
PM-AT&T: (Sigh) Please give me the gist of it.
VP-ELOP: Your AT&T project WBS planning indicates on what days of the calendar and for how many hours for each of those days you need for each of my engineers and their equipment from my Electro-Optometric department. Now you appear to base this WBS planning on your convenient assumption that the engineers and their equipment are idle. You seem to think that they are all available only for your AT&T project. That's wrong.
The reality is that the resources of ELOP are already being shared among six projects which are now running concurrently. In your WBS planning for the AT&T project, you schedule the ELOP resources for certain time periods for which they are already booked by the six projects. Some of these six projects are high priority status, and those with higher priority than the AT&T project automatically deserves my people.
Look, even if you had planned properly, there is a policy issue for which I could not agree with your WBS for AT&T. It's the company's policy on the ownership issue. The project management team owns the top three levels of a project WBS as per policy. Then the functional departments or the external contractors own all the lower WBS levels, i.e. we are talking of the fourth level and below.
Now it is understood that "we own them" means that ELOP plans, executes and controls the tasks, from the fourth level down, to achieve the deliverables. You should not interfere in or try to control activities on ELOP's deliverables. The only exception is if we request your involvement.
You need to take a look and refresh your memory on the company's project management charter. Among the policies, it shows the default division of ownership approved by the CEO, and accepted by all the functional engineering departments and the project management heads.
PM-AT&T: (with his hands up in mock surrender) Okay, okay. I see your point. AT&T is a very demanding client and our CEO wants a quick WBS plan. So this is all I can do.
Questions 1:
1. Explain what is the project team structure discussed in the case study?
2. Discuss one (1) advantage and one (1) disadvantage of a WBS with many levels. Your answers are not limited to the scenario illustrated in the case study.
3. Assume that you are the CEO of the organisation and that you need to:-
(a) Evaluate the problem between the PM-AT&T and the VP-ELOP;
(b) Describe one (1) project management concept that could solve or mitigate the problem; and
(c) Apply the project management concept, that you have selected in part (b) of this question, to solve or mitigate the problem.
Part B: Essay Questions
4. The philosophy of quality in project management incorporates three (3) main areas. Explain these areas in the context of how each contributes to meeting the quality requirements of a project. For each of the three areas, please provide a suitable example.
5. One of the main objectives of project costs management is to keep the costs within the budget allotted.
(a) Explain why a project manager should not consider sunk costs when considering future project investment decisions.
(b) Explain the phrase "the cost of quality".
Assignment -3:
EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Assessment: An Individual Report Paper.
1) Analyse the trends within the marketing environment for Airlines in Malaysia. Give your comments on the
(a) The type of competitive environment
(b) The consumers
(c) The segmentation reflected in the pricing practices followed by any major player.
2) Based on your fmdings in Question 1 for company like Malaysia Airlines or for airline companies operating in Malaysia, recommend promotional as well as pricing strategies to improve Malaysia. Airlines current financial standing.