1. Describe an organizational change that you've witnessed or experienced. Evaluate management's 'change implementation process'. Were they successful in introducing the change? What steps did they succeed in Which steps did they fail, and why? What would you have done differently?
2. Are you a fan of 'business diversity'? Why and why not? What conditions will have to exist in business before diversity is truly embraced in many/most companies?
3. Pick one or more of the motivational theories (chpt 15) and incorporate it (them) into a description of a personal/professional situation in which "motivation" became real to you (not just a theory in a college classroom). How well does that theory match-up with reality, and in what ways does reality identify shortcomings in that theory?
4. "Money doesn't motivate behavior" - Agree and Disagree, and support your answer.
5. Describe a messy situation that could have been prevented (or at least minimized) through the use of effective communication. Who was at fault and how was the situation resolved?
6. What is the most critical step in the communication process? Who is most responsible for effective communication, and why??
7. Describe the current situation between shop floor supervision and the HR Department in your company. What is good and bad about the current relationship, and what could be done (by the supervisors, or by HR) to make the necessary improvements?
8. Do you have any experience in a real-life 'work team'? Was it good or bad, and what parts of that team made your experience positive or negative. In your negative experience, which of the four critical stages (forming, norming, storming and performing) were missing from that team's experience?
9. When you are promoted to supervisor, how will the information (chapter 14) on Individual Behavior affect your job performance? If you use that information, what part of the chapter is likely to be of most value to you? If you choose not to use that information (and default to 'treating most everyone about the same'), what are some possible pitfalls of your strategy?