Discussion Questions
Chapter 7
Question 2: A relationship is a variant element; it can develop or it can decline with time. Colleges have to constantly be looking in the future, assess varied methods to appeal to new and more students. Prominent colleges and universities like Yale and Harvard have no need for concern in terms of appealing to new students as they are quite selective. Though, for a good number of colleges and universities, the competition for students in the marketplace is of great concern. Students have the ability to acquire top education at any college or university they attend, what need to be done is to compete for students is to focus on the special attributes that is not there in other colleges (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). For instance, focusing on the elements of student to teacher ratio, the environment that makes it good for reading and beauty of the campus are just but ways that other centers of learning are using. Like the Temple University of Japan are creating English summer programs for local and foreign students hence attracting to US and local students, focusing on military base schools and forming consensus with schools, making use of on-line marketing tools like search engines and SNS. Most of these practices rely little on school goals.
Question 6: Planning and organizing could be termed to as the process of getting to know what one wants to do and how they want to do it. Planning and organizing is all about management which the application is resources and staff so as to acquire the best outcome. A manager has to make use of resources and people so as to acquire valuable outcome. The planning process is to some extent similar though the process used have probably gone up from the last twenty-five years ago. Issues that take place in the present companies are to some extent complicated and need much more complicated solutions and risk analysis (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). This is noted in the high numbers of departments required in a company to manage the wide range of work like marketing, procurement, legal and electronic business departments. Planning is to a great level of utmost significance in a setting that is always transforming and crisis are a common phenomenon. It is vital that companies choose managers that are skilled in varied areas in the company. In a setting that is fast changing, transforming the world there are varied levels of doubt and planning is a major element in the effectiveness of the business.
Chapter 9
Question 4: Decisions made were; solving customer complaints that arose from time to time, creating new ways on how solve office facilities that were spoilt and getting ways to appeal to customers. Programmed decisions are those that are made constantly, and well-modelled cases using a predetermined decision standard, they may be based on tendencies or set policies and processes and arise from experiences in the past or knowledge that may work in a given case (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). The example of solving customer complaints is well structured and are always repetitive from one person to another. It is a classical e model that called for leadership skills. Additionally, the getting ways to correct spoilt office facilities is a programmed decision that makes use of similar methods to solve them.
On the other hand, there are non-programmed decisions. These are those that are quite different and need ‘custom made’ solutions. This arises when one is faced with a new problem and does not involve the day to day ways of answering. This calls for new strategy to be applied and may call into focus all of the knowledge and skills. For instance the use of new strategy to appeal to customers calls for new strategy that varies from what has been applied, it is an integration of political and administrative model.
Question 8: The application of computer technology in making decision has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is that the application of computer technology is the ability of computer to maintain varied information and processing them to significant information for decision making which is bigger in size when compared to the human brain. The complicated equations could be solved much easy and saved. Additionally, computer technology can process the data accurately with utmost speed when compared to the human brain. Another advantage of computer technology in decision making is that is saves time and money, hence efficiency is acquired by the company that can be useful in a fast-paced environment.
On the negative side, the computer technology has high maintenance cost as well as in upgrading considering the constant advancement of technology. Another disadvantage is it can reduce the morale of the employees in using the computer technology in making decisions, manager may feel as though they are not wanted (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). Moreover, decisions that require rational thinking and subjectivity and not objective thinking may not be acquired from computer technology as it relies on actual data and not important elements. Another disadvantage is that computer technology is prone to destruction and malfunction which make companies reliant on them for a long time suffering in such cases.
Chapter 10
Question 4: Most experts would agree that the matrix structure ought to be adopted only after other structures have been applied. If the company in a functional structure and it is malfunctioning, and then the reorganized to a divisional structure needs diverse training to assist people be aware the dual hierarchies, and it may be biannual to undertake the implementation. In most cases, after the matrix structure has been applied, it rotates back into functional or divisional structure if a side of the matrix gets powerful when compared to the other. Dual chains of command produces added issues than they are able to handle if the matrix structure is not modelled to the case in point (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). The case has to call for equality in the region of authority, the sharing of functional resources in the divisions, a fast response to a fast-paced setting. Today’s thinking on company’s structure states that the matrix is relevant in only a few cases. Most companies can connect with other forms like functional structure with lateral relationships, to connect to the needs for synchronization. Generally, matrix structure should be applied in only certain cases and not in all circumstances that one or a company faces as adverse issues may arise that the company may find it hard to manage.
Question 8: Centralization is the concentration of decisional authority and power in an organization at one area or leaving all the responsibility for these decisions to top levels of management or leadership. In a typical organization that functions with a centralized style of leadership, the chief executive officers, the chief financial officers, Human resource managers and other individuals in positions of power and influence in the organization are responsible for most if not all of the decisions regarding the operations of the company. Decentralization therefore is the reversal of this model (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). It is the spreading out of decision making power to other people within the company or the delegation of duties and responsibilities that were previously only meant for high level management. This not only makes the process of decision making more efficient and quicker but also gives the employees and those with new found devolved power a greater sense of ownership of the decisions made by the company or organization.
As a new manager in an Organisation that seeks to establish a decentralized management structure, I will need to have a more active approach to leadership. Some of the decisions that were previously made by higher level management will now be my responsibility and I will have to apply critical thinking to make choices that contribute to improving the productivity of the company. Accountability also shifts since with a decentralized model of management I will be primarily held accountable by colleagues of the same level (horizontal accountability) as opposed to higher level management.
Chapter 11
Question 3: There are many reasons as to why employees might resist change such as a perceived conflict of interest between them and the change being implemented, not understanding the reasoning or logic behind the change, lack of trust and uncertainty. In the case where employees suspect that a change being implemented will lead to the loss of their jobs, the main reason for the resistance is lack of trust and the conflict of interest. Accepting the change: although meant to be a measure to improve the efficiency and productivity of the organization, will lead to the loss of their jobs: a negative result.
As a manager, the primary objective should be to communicate the reasoning behind the change and ensuring that all employees understand the expected results and how the change will affect them. If the change is due to poor performance or lack of productivity, this should be communicated to the relevant employees (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). If the employees understand that their jobs or positions are at risk as a result of low productivity, they will be motivated to work harder and be more productive so as to retain their jobs. The whole communication process should be open and encourage dialogue so as to ensure that even though the job loss is inevitable, the employee or employees are not affected psychologically or emotionally any more than is necessary.
Question 6: An example of a change that I would like to implement in my life is improving my average school grades to a minimum of an A-. The main restraining forces to this change is lack of personal motivation and ineffective time management. Other restraining forces are negative peer influence and bad studying habits. The driving forces behind the implementation of this change are a sense of personal achievement, the chance to improve my job prospects after college and the improvement of my thinking and cognitive skills.
Understanding force field analysis is helpful in making informed decisions as it helps in the analysis of the change and establishing whether it is viable or not even before the choice to implement the change has been made (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). This saves resources and removes the risk of trying to implement a change that has very strong resisting forces: making it harder to implement the change. Another benefit of understanding force field analysis and using it in change implementation is that it allows for better budgeting of resources since the severity of the forces is also reviewed. This means that resources can be diverted from areas that do not need them and put into others that are stronger or more important in the implementation of the change.
Chapter 14
Question 7: The most important component of emotional intelligence to an effective manager is social skills or interpersonal skills. This is how an individual relates and interacts with other who are around them. It is the ability to communicate ideas and influence others views towards certain ideas or policies that a leader might want to implement. A leader with good interpersonal skills needs not resort to threats or force in order to get the employees to perform and rather uses logic, persuasion and respect. When employees feel like they are doing something or working under their own volition they are more likely to accomplish their given tasks better and with more job satisfaction than if they feel that the ideals and wishes of the manager or leader are being forced on them (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). Another positive effect of good people skills is that it allows the manger to better understand the people that are working with them and their strengths and weaknesses, this is important in the forming of teams or the delegation of duties since the manager can configure this to achieve the maximum results and efficiency of the team. Understanding the team dynamics also comes into play when conflicts need to be resolved, the manager can take into account the personalities and use dialogue and persuasion to resolve the disagreement without either of the conflicting parties feeling that the other was favored.
Question 9: Self-management steps are of great importance to individual students to elevate their behavioral skills like staying on task and being keen on issues. Though, group behavioral management programs can integrate self-management elements. The point and level of system can be applied as a self-management system through having students self-monitor their performance on their target skills with the help of pointcard and application of turn around bonus points to impress on accuracy and honesty.
One prominent elements of the students is the absence of a poorly advanced set of self-management skills. This comprises complexity in directing, management, inhibiting or sustaining and generalizing tendencies needed for changing without outside backing and structure from others. Learning to involve others in a positive tendency in an area of an undesirable one can have adverse impact on advancement of academic performance and social change (Draft, and Marcic, 2012). Self-management has the benefit of teaching students to be extensively autonomous, self-dependent on external control and adult command. Most children with ASD do not react in a positive way to typical ‘top down’ methods that comprise the external control of antecedents and implications. Self-management offers students with a chance to be involved in the advancement and application of their behaviour management programs, a major element for most students with ASD. Additionally, self-management interventions can help limit the probability for the power struggles and conflicts that in most cases take place with the use of externally-based methods.
Reference
Draft, R. and Marcic, D. (2012). Understanding Management. New York: Cengage Learning.
