Tweets. Twittering. Prior to 2006, the only definition we would have known for these words would have involved birds and the sounds they make. Now, practically everyone knows that Twitter is also an online platform—with 336 million monthly active users, 500 million tweets daily, and 1.6 billion daily search queries—used to trade short messages of 280 characters or less via the Web, cell phones, and other mobile devices. According to its founders (Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams), Twitter is many things: a messaging service, a customer-service tool to reach customers, a real-time search tool, and microblogging. And as the numbers show, it’s become quite popular! One place where Twitter has caught on is the sports world, especially in college sports. For instance, when Mike Riley was the head football coach at the University of Nebraska, he used Twitter to keep fans informed. Now at Oregon State, he continues to appreciate the power of instant communication. Hugh Freeze, former head football coach at the University of Mississippi, was an early adopter of social media to communicate recruitment news. He recognized that tweeting was an easy and fun way to communicate quick tidbits of information to fans, alumni boosters, and other interested people who subscribe to Twitter. And it’s a convenient way for the football staff and football recruiting prospects to communicate with each other. There are pretty strict rules the NCAA has about contact allowed between potential recruits and coaches, but NCAA rules do allow unlimited direct messaging. However, coaches still are cautious about committing recruiting violations. So, using Twitter to announce their destinations on the recruiting trail, coaches can indirectly share their recruitment news without naming names. However, many universities and college coaches are monitoring and, in some cases, banning athletes’ use of social media. A potentially precarious issue can arise if an athlete tweets some comment that could put the university in a negative light, offend boosters, or possibly violate an NCAA regulation. Here are a couple of tweeting slip-ups: A Western Kentucky running back was suspended after he tweeted critical comments about the team’s fans, the NCAA pulled 15 football scholarships after an investigation based on a player’s tweet, and a Lehigh University wide receiver was suspended for retweeting a racial slur. We even saw how tweeting backfired at the London Olympics. The first “casualty”—a Greek triple jumper—was banned from the Games over some racially charged tweets. That seems to be good reason for the managers (i.e., coaches and administrators) of these programs to attempt to control the information flow. But is banning the answer? Some analysts say no. They argue that those setting up rules and regulations don’t understand what social media is all about and the value it provides as a marketing and recruiting tool, and they argue that it’s necessary to understand First Amendment rights (part of which includes freedom of speech). Rather than banning the use of social media, many universities are hiring companies to monitor athletes’ posts. This, however, requires athletes to give access to their accounts, which some call an invasion of privacy. But as time goes on, social media conversations are becoming more common and more expected. Yet, caution is still needed. Harassment, sexism, and abuse continue to be common occurrences, despite Twitter’s efforts to better police it. Question#1 What are the advantages and drawbacks of universities using social media to communicate with various stakeholders— students, potential students, alumni, donors, etc.? Question#2 Do you think there are more or fewer communication barriers when using social media? Discuss. Question#3 What should managers do to be sure they communicate effectively when using social media? Question#4 What have been your experiences—both positive and negative —with social media? From your experiences, what guidelines could you suggest for managers and organizations? Question#5 How do you balance an individual’s “right” to use social media as he or she pleases, with the ethical challenges of being on social media? How does ethical communication come into play here? Think about your personal response to these questions and then discuss each person’s answers in your assigned group.
> What challenges do managers face in managing global teams? How should those challenges be handled?
> Think of a group to which you belong (or have belonged). Trace its development through the stages of group development as shown in Exhibit 10–2 . How closely did its development parallel the group development model? How might the group development model
> What, in your view, constitutes sexual harassment? Describe how companies can minimize sexual harassment in the workplace.
> List the factors that influence employee compensation and benefits.
> As the number-one company on Fortune’s Best Company to Work For list for six straight years, Google must be doing something right! Actually, it does many things right! One thing that you might be surprised at is a self improvement course (one of many) th
> What are the benefits and drawbacks of realistic job previews? (Consider this question from both the perspective of the organization and the perspective of a potential employee.)
> Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the various selection devices.
> Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the various recruiting sources.
> Do you think it’s ethical for a prospective employer to delve into an applicant’s life by means of interviews, tests, and background investigations? What if those investigations involved looking at your Face book page or personal blogs? Explain your posi
> Some critics claim that corporate HR departments have outlived their usefulness and are not there to help employees but to shield the organization from legal problems. What do you think? What benefits are there to having a formal HRM process? What are th
> Discuss the external environmental factors that most directly affect the HRM process.
> Describe the six types of diversity found in organizations and how organizations should approach HR activities with a diverse workforce.
> How does HRM affect all managers?
> The boundary less organization has the potential to create a major shift in the way we work.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
> Researchers are now saying that efforts to simplify work tasks actually have negative results for both companies and their employees. Do you agree? Why or why not?
> Non-GMO, organic, locally sourced … these terms are now a common part of our food vocabulary, although not typically associated with fast food. Chipotle entered the fast-food scene in the early 1990s with a seemingly impossible goal of creating a healthy
> With the availability of information technology that allows employees to work anywhere, anytime, is organizing still an important managerial function? Why or why not?
> Explain the contingency factors that affect organizational design.
> Contrast mechanistic and organic organizations.
> “An organization can have no structure.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
> Can an organization’s structure be changed quickly? Why or why not? Should it be changed quickly? Why or why not?
> Describe the traditional and contemporary views of each of the six key elements of organizational design.
> Draw an organization chart of an organization with which you’re familiar (where you work, a student organization to which you belong, your college or university, etc.). Be very careful in showing the departments (or groups) and especially be careful to g
> Discuss what is meant by the term organization design.
> How can entrepreneurs be successful and balance the demands of their work and personal lives?
> What controlling issues does an entrepreneur need to be aware of?
> We said in the chapter that trust is the essence of leadership. Trust is an important aspect of an organization’s culture, and we already know the role that leaders/managers play in exemplifying and manifesting the culture. However, what happens when an
> In what ways does an entrepreneur need to be a leader?
> Describe some of the personality characteristics that researchers have identified about entrepreneurs.
> Why do you think many entrepreneurs find it hard to step aside and let others manage their business?
> How can environmental opportunities be identified?
> Explain what happens in the entrepreneurial process.
> Why is entrepreneurship important to society?
> Do you think a person can be taught to be an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
> How are entrepreneurial ventures, small businesses, and selfemployed persons similar? Different?
> How does an innovative culture make an organization more effective? Could an innovative culture ever make an organization less effective? Why or why not?
> Research information on how to be a more creative person. Write down suggestions in a bulleted list format and be prepared to present your information in class.
> Does money buy happiness? Several of the 120 employees at Gravity Payments, a credit card processing company based in Seattle, are about to find out. The company’s founder, Dan Price, made the news in the spring of 2015 when he decided to bump up the sal
> Classical Approaches
> How do creativity and innovation differ?
> Why is organization development planned change? Explain how planned change is important for organizations in today’s dynamic environment.
> Organizations typically have limits to how much change they can absorb. As a manager, what signs would you look for that might suggest your organization has exceeded its capacity to change?
> How are opportunities, constraints, and demands related to stress? Give an example of each.
> Describe Lewin’s three-step change process. How is it different from the change process needed in the white-water rapids metaphor of change?
> Contrast the calm waters and white-water rapids metaphors of change. Which of these would you use to describe your current life? Why is that one your choice?
> How can organizations and individuals benefit from disruptive innovation? How can they not become victims of disruptive innovation?
> Why is managing change an integral part of every manager’s job?
> Do a personal SWOT analysis. Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses (skills, talents). What are you good at? What are you not so good at? What do you enjoy doing? Not enjoy doing? Then, identify career opportunities and threats by researching job
> What types of planning do you do in your personal life? Describe these plans in terms of being (a) strategic or operational, (b) short term or long term, (c) specific or directional, and (d) single-use or standing.
> Describe how managers can plan in today’s dynamic environment.
> Under what circumstances do you believe MBO would be most useful? Discuss.
> “Organizations that fail to plan are planning to fail.” Agree or disagree? Explain your position.
> What is a SWOT analysis, and why is it important to managers?
> Describe in detail the six-step strategic management process.
> Discuss why planning is beneficial.
> What role does, and should, technology play in planning?
> Contrast formal with informal planning.
> Why does a decision maker need to be creative? In which steps of the decision-making process is creativity likely to be most important?
> Why do you think organizations have increased the use of groups for making decisions and when would you recommend using groups to make decisions?
> What Is Value Chain Management and Why Is It Important?
> Explain how a manager might deal with making decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
> Describe a decision you’ve made that closely aligns with the assumptions of perfect rationality. Compare this decision with the process you used to select your college. Did you depart from the rational model in your college decisions? Explain.
> Is there a difference between wrong decisions and bad decisions? Why do good managers sometimes make wrong decisions? Bad decisions? How might managers improve their decision making skills?
> Because managers have so many powerful decision-making tools to use, they should be able to make more rational decisions.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
> All of us bring biases to the decisions we make. What would be the drawbacks of having biases? Could there be any advantages to having biases? Explain. What are the implications for managerial decision making?
> Describe the eight steps in the decision-making process.
> What is big data? How can managers effectively use big data to improve their decision making? Should managers be cautious in using big data?
> Why is decision making often described as the essence of a manager’s job?
> Discuss specific ways managers can encourage ethical behavior.
> Describe how a manager would approach ethical decisions according to each of the three views on ethics.
> What Do I Need to Know About Operations Management?
> Should organizations be socially involved?
> How are social responsibility, social obligation, and social responsiveness different? Similar?
> How might the cultural differences in the GLOBE dimensions affect how managers (a) use work groups, (b) develop goals/plans, (c) reward outstanding employee performance, and (d) deal with employee conflict?
> What are the managerial implications of Hofstede’s research on cultural environments? The GLOBE study?
> Should managers be parochialistic? Why or why not?
> Describe the different types of global organizations and the ways that organizations can go global.
> How can organizational leaders be good role models when it comes to ethical behavior?
> How does the concept of a global village affect organizations and managers?
> Discuss the impact of a strong culture on organizations and managers.
> How is an organization’s culture formed and maintained?
> What Contemporary Issues Do Managers Face in Managing Operations?
> Is organizational culture an asset to an organization? Explain. Can it ever be a liability? Explain.
> Businesses are built on relationships.” What do you think this statement means? What are the implications for managing the external environment?
> What is environmental uncertainty? What impact does it have on managers and organizations? Find two examples in current business periodicals that illustrate how environmental uncertainty affects organizations.
> Why is it important for managers to pay attention to demographic trends and shifts?
> How has the changed economy affected what managers do? Find two or three examples in current business periodicals of activities and practices that organizations are using. Discuss them in light of the changed environment.
> What are the six external environment components and why is it important for managers to understand these components?
> How much impact do managers actually have on an organization’s success or failure?
> Pick one of the five current issues in organizational culture and tell in which dimension(s) of organizational culture (Exhibit 2- 4 ) you think it would most likely be found. Explain your thinking. Also, explain your opinion as to why that particular is
> In what ways can managers at each of the four levels of management contribute to efficiency and effectiveness?
> Is there one best “style” of management? Why or why not?
> How Is Value Chain Management Done?
> Can business management be called a profession? Why or why not? Do some external research in answering this question.
> What are some work activities in which the acceptable range of variation might be higher than average? What about lower than average? (Hint: Think in terms of the output from the work activities, whom it might affect, and how it might affect them.)
> Every individual employee in an organization plays a role in controlling work activities.” Do you agree with this statement, or do you think control is something that only managers are responsible for? Explain.
> Why is it that what is measured is more critical to the control process than how it is measured?
> In Chapter 6 we discussed the “white-water rapids” view of change. Do you think it’s possible to establish and maintain effective standards and controls in this type of environment? Discuss.
> Why do you think feedback control is the most popular type of control? Justify your response.
> Contrast feed forward, concurrent, and feedback controls.
