1 As a manager, how would you deal with resistance to change when you suspect employees’ fears of job loss are well founded?
2 Experts say that organizations are becoming increasingly decentralized, with authority, decision-making responsibility, and accountability being pushed farther down into the organization. How will this trend affect what will be asked of you as a new manager?
3 Explain the difference between risk and ambiguity. How might decision making differ for a risky versus an ambiguous situation?
Analyze three decisions you made over the past six months. Which of these were programmed and which were nonprogrammed? Which model—the classical, administrative, or political—best describes the approach you took to making each decision?
4 Imagine yourself in a situation of being encouraged by colleagues to inflate your expense account. What factors do you think would influence your decision? Explain.
Is it socially responsible for organizations to undertake political activity or join with others in a trade association to influence the government? Discuss.
Managers at some banks and mortgage companies have argued that providing subprime mortgages was based on their desire to give poor people a chance to participate in the American dream of home ownership. What is your opinion of this explanation in terms of ethics and social responsibility?
5 Do you think it’s possible for someone to develop a global mindset if they never live outside their native country? How might they do that?
Compare the advantages associated with the market entry strategies of exporting, licensing, and wholly owned subsidiaries. What information would you need to collect and what factors would you consider when selecting a strategy?
Should a multinational organization operate as a tightly integrated, worldwide business system, or would it be more effective to let each national subsidiary operate autonomously?
6 Think of a really good work situation you’ve had (or as member of a student organization) and a really bad one.
Consider the types of organization cultures. Which culture was your best and which was your worst?
List aspects of culture that fit you or did not fit.
Can you learn anything from this about what you need in a workplace, in order for you to operate at your best?
7 Think about some time in your life where you were a leader or had some authority over others. It could have been on a school committee, or as camp counselor, youth coordinator in church/synagogue, yearbook/prom organizer, at work.
Ask yourself the following questions.
Describe some incidents that went really well, where you handled a problem in a satisfying manner.
List some examples when you did not handle problems in a positive manner.
What were the differences between those two types of situations? Was it the type of person you dealt with, the level of your own supervision, the difficulty of the problem, etc?
What can you learn about your own strengths and weaknesses as a manager from these situations?
What is your best strength as a manager? Can you find a theory in chapter one that refers to that strength?
What would you do differently in any of the situations you described, if you had it to do over again?