Assignment 1 The Role of The Manager and The Impact of
Organizational Theories on Managers (Week 3)
Purpose:
In the first assignment, students are given a scenario in
which the shipping manager who has worked for Galaxy Toys, Inc. since
1969. The scenario serves to set the
stage for students to demonstrate how management theories have changed over
time. For example, management 30 years
ago is different than management in the 21st century.
Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment:
integrate management theories and principles into management
practices
Instructions:
In Part One of this case study analysis, students are to use
the facts from the case study to determine two different organization theories
that are demonstrated. For Part Two,
students will compare the 21st century manager to that of the main character in
the case study and the implications of change in being a 21st century manager.
In selecting a school of thought and an organizational
theory that best describes the current shipping manager, students will use the
timeline to select a school of thought and a theory or theories of that time
frame. Students will use the course
material to respond to most of the assignment requirements but will also need
to research the theorist(s) and theories to complete the assignment. Students are expected to be thorough in
responding.
In Part Two, students are going to take what they have
learned and compare the management skills of the 21st century shipping manager
to the skills of the current shipping manager.
Step 1: Review “How
to Analyze a Case Study” under Week 3 Content.
Step 2: Create a Word
or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be between 4-6 pages
in length excluding the title page and reference page.
Step3: Review the
grading rubric for the assignment.
Step 4: In addition
to providing an introduction, students will use headings following this format:
Title page with title, your name, the course, the
instructor’s name;
Background;
Part One;
Part Two.
Step 5: In writing a
case study, the writing is in the third person.
What this means is that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or
us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person
writing). If uncertain how to write in
the third person, view this link:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. Also note that students are not to provide
personal commentary.
Step 6: In writing
this assignment, students are expected to support the reasoning using in-text
citations and a reference list. If any
material is used from a source document, it must be cited and referenced. A reference within a reference list cannot
exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. View the sample APA paper under Week 1
content.
Step 7: In writing
this assignment, students will use resources from the course material and no
more than 4 external source documents.
NOTE: The expectation is that
students provide a robust use of the course material
Step 8: In completing
the assignment, students are expected to use the facts from the case study and
company profile paired with the weekly courses readings to develop the
analysis. View the company profile
here: Galaxy Toys, Inc. Company Profile.
Step 9: In writing this assignment, students are expected to
paraphrase and not use direct quotes.
Students are expected to paraphrase, which can be learned by reviewing
this link:
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html
Step 10: In writing
this assignment, students may use external resources to address the school of
thought and the theorist but the majority of resources (a minimum of 3 course
resources) will come from the course material.
Step 11: Read
critically and analyze the following scenario:
Part One
Scenario:
The shipping manager for Galaxy Toys Toledo, Ohio branch,
Bart Aldrin, has been in his job since 1969.
Prior to coming to Galaxy, Bart worked as shipping clerk for
International Shipping, a large container company. Bart quickly rose to supervisor at
International Shipping because of his ability to plan daily work, provide
detailed instructions to workers that helped optimize the way tasks were
performed and his knack of implementing processes so workers could be trained to
perform their specialized sequence of motion in the most efficient way. He brought this management style to Galaxy,
which helped to improve the methodology of toy assembly as well as the shipping
processes.
Employees often criticized Bart, who was heard to say (on
many occasions), “It’s my way or the highway” or “Just do your
individual task the way you were trained and don’t worry about what others are
doing.” In fact, it was clear that
Bart was focused on efficiency and to that end, he had a keen understanding of
all of the tasks that needed to be completed and was focused on hiring and
training workers that could perform their individual task in the most efficient
way possible. In his early days, one
could find Bart on the shipping floor taking copious notes as to each
individual task completed and figuring out ways to turn the employees into
robots…programming them to perform their one task in the single-most
efficient way possible (at least from his perspective).
A major shift in management occurred in the late 1980’s and
early 90’s that caused Bart (and other managers) to reconsider their management
approach. For example, heightened
competition, advances in technology, the workers threat to unionize, a greater
demand for employee management participation, work-life balance and a general
shift in employee workplace values caused management to change the culture of
Galaxy. A greater focus on employees led
to a new approach to management at Galaxy: people focus within a learning
environment. The owners of Galaxy
embraced diversity and were willing to hear the ideas of employees and this was
change in attitude and culture was evident in Bart, who embraced these changes
wholeheartedly. These internal changes enabled
the company to adapt to uncertainty and to respond to its competitors more
quickly.
Answer the required assignment elements making sure that the
facts of the scenario and the course readings support the reasoning of the
answers provided.
Identify and discuss the school of thought that best
describes Bart’s management style when he first joined Galaxy. Remember to
explain the facts that you have relied upon in your selection.
Discuss the theorist under the identified school of thought
that best depicts Bart’s management style when he joined Galaxy. What
contribution did this theorist make to management and why was his or her
contribution important to the field of management? Remember to explain the facts that you’ve
relied upon in your selection.
Identify and discuss the school of thought that best
describes the management style Bart used once the shift took place? Why is this
school of thought the best choice?
Remember to demonstrate that the facts given in the scenario align with
your choice.
Identify and discuss the theorist who best supports this
school of thought. Address the
principles of the theory and how these principles affected the new approach to
management as exhibited Bart and his fellow managers. How does what the
theorist proposed, support the facts in the case study?
Compare and contrast the two schools of thought that were
identified above
Part Two
Scenario:
Recently, Bart announced his plans to retire. His replacement is Joyce Barnhart. Joyce is confident as a 21st century manager
that she is capable of handling the new position as manager.
As a 21st century manager, how will Joyce’s understanding of
the role of a manager be manifested/demonstrated in how she approaches her job?
Remember that in responding to this question, students are expected to
demonstrate their understanding of the 21st century management concepts
discussed in this course.
How will the new approach to the job likely change the
production and shipping department at Galaxy headquarters?
Step 12: Create the
introductory paragraph. Within this
paragraph, provide a brief overview of the scenario. Then, provide a thesis statement and tell the
reader the main topics covered in the paper.
The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper but is
typically written after writing the body of the paper (Questions students
responded to above). View this website
to learn how to write an introductory paragraph:
http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html
Step 13: Respond to
the questions in Part One and Part Two following the format provided. Be clear and concise in the writing and make
sure the questions are comprehensively answered.
Step 14: Using the
grading rubric as a comparison, read through the paper to ensure all required
elements are presented.
Step 15: Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical
issues, and third person writing.
Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a first measure;
Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the
paper;
Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing
Center (EWC). The EWC will provide 4-6
areas that may need improvement.
Step 16: Submit the
paper in the Assignment Folder.
Assignment 2: Planning the Future at Galaxy (Week 6)
Purpose:
In the second assignment, students will create a SWOT
analysis and provide a detailed explanation of what considerations led to the
determination of the SWOT components.
Students will then make recommendations and explain what factors were
considered in making the recommendations.
Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment:
integrate management theories and principles into management
practices
employ effective planning processes to develop strategies,
goals, and objectives in order to enhance performance and sustainability
identify the essential characteristics of decision making
and indicate the range and types of decisions a manager makes
Instructions:
Step 1: Review “How
to Analyze a Case Study” under Week 3 Content.
Step 2: Create a Word
or Rich Text Format (RTF) document. This
paper should be presented in a professional manner, double-spaced with indented
paragraphs. The final product will be
between 6-8 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.
Step 3: Title page
with your name, the course name, the date, and the instructor’s name.
Step 4: In writing a
case study, the writing is in the third person.
What this means is that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or
us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person
writing). If uncertain how to write in
the third person, view this link:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. Do not include personal commentary.
Step 5: In writing
this assignment, students are expected to support the reasoning using in-text
citations and a reference list. If any
material is used from a source, it must be cited and referenced. A reference within a reference list cannot
exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. View the sample APA paper under Week 1 content. Step 6:
In writing this assignment, students are expected to paraphrase and not
use direct quotes. Learn to paraphrase
by reviewing this link:
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html
Step 6: In writing
this assignment, students will use resources from the course material and no
more than 2 external source documents. NOTE:
The expectation is that students provide a robust use of the course
material. This reference is not about
just using the company profile.
Step 7: In completing
the assignment, students are expected to use the facts from the case study and
company profile paired with the weekly courses readings to develop the
analysis. View the company profile here: Galaxy Toys, Inc. Company Profile.
Step 8: Review the
grading rubric for the assignment.
Step 9: Read
critically and analyze the case study provided under Week 6 content. Notate the key points in the case study.
Step 10: Create the
introductory paragraph.
The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the
paper but is typically written after writing the body of the paper (Questions
students responded to above). View this
website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph:
http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html
Step 11: Respond to
the required elements of the assignment.
Be clear and concise in the writing and make sure the questions are
comprehensively answered.
Review the main case study located under week 6 content.
Part One: Long Term Planning Goals and Decisions
The toy industry is very fickle and innovation is
critical. Sales for January 2016 showed
only a 3% rise over January 2015 leaving the company managers concerned about
meeting projected sales targets for 2016.
In a 30-month plan, George Jepson, Jr., as CEO, together with Edward
Mercury, CFO, set long-term goals for the company to include the following:
increase sales unrelated to NASA toys by 22 percent;
reduce company-wide costs by 5 percent within 15 months and
11.2 percent by the end of the plan;
create new technology based action toys;
use innovative technology in production to increase
efficiency;
reduce carbon footprint by 5 percent.
In November 2015, the long term planning team began to
select the newest Galaxy product line.
The choice of the right product design will hopefully stop the slump in
sales and jump start growth. Tomorrow,
February 4, 2016 is the final meeting of the planning team. The team will choose between three options:
produce 1 million Payload Nine toys or MMTJE1 for Christmas
2016;
produce 1 million Payload Nine toys for Christmas 2016 and 1
million MMTJE1 for Christmas 2017;
produce 1.5 million MMTJE1 toys for Christmas 2017.
The products have different production requirements. Payload Nine is designed to complement the
International NASA Space Station series.
Payload Nine is geared to the 7-10 age group and contains building
blocks to make the space shuttle with emphasis on the cargo hold and its
loading arm.
Focus group results suggest that Payload Nine will sell well
but it is not a “wow” product in the eyes of the group. It is not a trendsetting toy. The introduction of Payload Nine is estimated
to jump NASA sales by 6.8%. Payload Nine
requires little change on the production floor and supplies are easily
obtainable. Production could begin May
1, 2016 and completed in time for the Christmas toy market. No additional personnel would be needed and
existing production would not be delayed.
Production costs would fit within the current year’s budget.
The other project “Moon Mission to Jupiter’s Europa”
(MMTJE1) is a 3D engineered of the Curiosity vehicle used to. explore
Mars. The toy is operated remotely
allowing a child and parent to launch the capsule “Juno 1” craft, 500 ft. in
the air, unload the rover called Galileo and move it along all terrain
surfaces. Galileo takes pictures
remotely and sends them to a cell phone.
The toy is geared for the age 11-15 market but can be used with younger
children as long as there is adult supervision.
The toy is made from a 3D printer and consists of a plastic capsule and
rover base with electronics added separately in production. [Not sure what 3D printing is, view
http://3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/]
Focus group results suggest that it is a “wow” product and
would also encourage sales of related toys and books as Jupiter’s Moon Europa
has been deemed by scientists as the most accessible and likely place to
support habitable life as we know it to be. Children can view pictures and
imagine a Moon currently covered in ice as a new space frontier adventure. An
interactive video game is also envisioned.
It will also be the first intergalactic action toy that Galaxy Toys has
ever produced. MMTJE1 is estimated to
bring a 15% increase in unrelated NASA sales if rolled out in 2016 and 21.6%
increase if rolled out in 2017. However,
MMTJE1 is not production-friendly at this point.
The new production equipment, electronics, computer
programming and trained personnel would not see production beginning before
November of 2016. Anticipated budget
costs of $450,000 necessitating a budget increase of $300,000 over all five
plants would be needed. In order to meet
the October deadline for Christmas 2016 sales additional manpower would be
needed with a cost increase of 20% over the projected $450,000 budget
costs. In addition, the push would
necessitate significant rescheduling of current production and likely require
factory workers to put in overtime. Finally, the rush would be predicated on
the assumption that production problems would not occur.
Part One: Long Term Planning Goals and Decisions
Keith Wisternick, VP of Production, has the job of aligning
all the production teams for Galaxy Toys, and more specifically, he is the
person that ensures that each of the plants are capable of producing toys that
meet the quality standards of Galaxy Toys in an efficient and cost-effective
manner. Also, part of Keith’s job is to
provide valuable input into the long-term planning process of the company.
Every two years, Keith and his counterparts in the other departments meet to
determine the new product line for the upcoming two years. They are presented with new ideas that have
been developed by the Design and Engineering Department.
After soliciting input for recommendations on the toys that
would most likely meet the company’s future objectives, the Board of Directors
narrowed the choices to Payload Nine and Moon Mission to Jupiter’s Europa 1
(MMTJE1).
As VP of Production, Keith is very aware that his
recommendation and vote lends great influence to the outcome. Lucky for Keith, he is not expected to
provide his recommendation without first delegating some researching
responsibilities to others. One person
that he relies upon for research and analysis is Itza Yu who is a Production
Manager. Yu has been tasked with
creating a SWOT analysis for Keith’s review.
However, Yu has not had any prior experience with creating this type of
information. Keith has provided the
following source to help him:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm
Required Elements for Part One:
Using the facts that have been provided, the course content
and your own research on the toy industry, students should assume the role of
Itza Yu and create the SWOT analysis for Keith.
To further assist Keith, Itza Yu must also provide a
detailed explanation as to what considerations led to the determination that
certain facts should be classified as “strengths” while others were classified
as “weaknesses.” In other words, it’s not enough to simply list various
strengths and weakness, but instead, Itza Yu must explain “why” these facts
were included in the analysis.
Lastly, Itza Yu must
select the best long term planning decision for Keith’s approval. In this report, Itza Yu must explain the
analysis and factors used in evaluating the vision, mission, long-term goals
and SWOT analysis of the company that led to the conclusions that formed the
basis of the decision that Keith would recommend to the Long-term Planning
Committee.
Part Two: Short Term Production Goals and Objectives
The Board of Directors has decided to accept the
recommendation to roll out the “Moon Mission to Jupiter’s Europa 1” for the
holiday season of 2017. In a virtual
meeting, led by Itza Yu, the production managers have had a “brainstorming”
session and have created a list of short-term goals and objectives.
In reviewing the list, Itza Yu noted that some of the items
on the list are sound short-term goals and objectives while others are not and
therefore, should be removed. He also
noted that some of the items do not fit well with the company’s vision and
mission and will need to be eliminated.
Assuming the role of Itza Yu, students must determine
whether the items on the list are “goals” or “objectives” and whether they
should be adopted or abandoned. The list
is as follows:
Short Term Goals and Objectives List
Production of quality MMTJE1 toys must start February 20th,
2017.
Production of quality MMTJE1 toys must start by July 1,
2017.
Dates for starting production set.
Completion dates for
new personnel hire set.
MMTJE1 quality toys production.
Additional personnel must be hired by February 20th 2017.
Materials must be state of the art.
Completion dates for material purchase and delivery set.
3D printers must be purchased by February 20th, 2017.
3D printers must be purchased and installed by November 1,
2016
The first MMTJE1 toys should be produced by December 1,
2016.
QC should evaluate first toys by December 31, 2016.
Completion dates for QC standards will be determined by QC.
Safety standards should be determined by QC by May 1, 2016.
Materials must be purchased by and delivered by July 1,
2016.
New packages should be palletized by May 1, 2017.
Personnel for all production functions must be organized by
March 31, 2016.
Shipping should begin immediately upon the nod from Quality
Control.
Shipping should begin July 1, 2017.
Shipping start dates should be determined.
IT must confirm programming for 3D printers is complete by
June 1, 2016.
3D machine operators must be trained by October 31, 2016.
Completion dates for 3D programming, training and
installation set.
Maintenance for 3D printers must be done daily.
Personnel must be cross trained on the 3D printers.
Training on new equipment must be done by October 31, 2016.
Marketing will determine shipping start date.
Dates for personnel hire set.
Required Elements for Part Two:
From the list above, students should generate three lists.
The first list should be a selection of “appropriate” short-term goals. The second list should be a selection of
“appropriate” objectives. The third list
should be those other goals and objectives that have been abandoned.
In completing this task, students are expected to
demonstrate their understanding of the difference between “goals” and
“objectives” and their choices should reflect this understanding.
Moreover, students are required to clearly explain their
reasoning for the selection (of certain goals and objectives) and the
abandonment of others. This analysis will be very helpful to Keith Wisternick
and the Board of Directors of Galaxy Toys, Inc.
Step 13: Using the
grading rubric as a comparison, read through the paper to ensure all required
elements are presented.
Step 14: Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical
issues, and third person writing.
Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a first measure;
Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the
paper;
Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing
Center (EWC). The EWC will provide 4-6
areas that may need improvement.
Step 15: Submit the
paper in the Assignment Folder.
Assignment 3: Implementing and Evaluating the Future at
Galaxy Toys, Inc. (Week 8)
Purpose:
Continuing with the saga of Galaxy Toys, Inc., the third
assignment covers the last three functions of the P-O-L-C, Organizing, Leading
and Controlling. Students will look at
the production floor of Galaxy Toys, Inc. through the lens of the organizing
function, create an organizational chart, and assess the decision making
authority associated with the organizational structure. Students will then assess change, and discuss
motivation from a leadership perspective, and delve into the controlling
function by looking and project specifications, interpreting data, and
assessing corrective measures.
Outcome Met by Completing This Assignment:
integrate management theories and principles into management
practices
organize human,
physical, and financial resources for the effective and efficient attainment of
organization goals
demonstrate
leadership skills by communicating a shared vision, motivating and empowering
others, and creating a culture of ethical decision-making and innovation
develop measures and
assess outcomes against plans and standards to improve organizational
effectiveness
identify the
essential characteristics of decision making and indicate the range and types
of decisions a manager makes
Instructions:
Step 1: Review “How
to Analyze a Case Study” under Week 3 Content.
Step 2: Create a Word
or Rich Text Format (RTF) document. This
paper should be presented in a professional manner, double-spaced with indented
paragraphs. The final product will be
between 8-10 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.
Step 3: Title page
with your name, the course name, the date, and the instructor’s name.
Step 4: In writing a
case study, the writing is in the third person.
What this means is that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or
us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person
writing). If uncertain how to write in
the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person. Do not include personal commentary.
Step 5: In writing this assignment, students are expected to
support the reasoning using in-text citations and a reference list. If any material is used from a source
document, it must be cited and referenced.
A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated
in-text citation and vice versa. View
the sample APA paper under Week 1 content.
NOTE: The expectation is that
students provide a robust use of the course material.
Step 6: In writing this
assignment, students are expected to paraphrase and not use direct quotes. Students are expected to paraphrase, which
can be learned by reviewing this link:
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html
Step 7: In completing
the assignment, students are expected to use the facts from the case study
paired with the weekly courses readings to develop the analysis. View the company profile here: Galaxy Toys, Inc. Company Profile.
Step 8: In writing
this assignment, students will use mostly resources from the course material
and no more than 3 external source documents.
Step 9: Review the
grading rubric for the assignment.
Step 10: Read
critically and analyze the case study provided under Week 6 content. Notate the key points in the case study.
Step 11: Create the
introductory paragraph.
The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the
paper but is typically written after writing the body of the paper (Questions
students responded to above). View this
website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph:
http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html
Step 12: Respond to
the required elements of the assignment.
Be clear and concise in the writing and make sure the questions are
comprehensively answered.
Review the main case study located under week 8 content.
Part One-Organizing
Now, it is time for all production managers to begin the
organizing process. Doing so requires
that managers collect the people, resources, and capital to begin production in
a way that will implement the short-term production goals and objectives set
through planning. The deadline for production to begin is January 31,
2017. Christmas product shipping must
start in July of 2017. The budget for
each branch is $300,000 for the total production budget. Currently, the production staff includes a
total of 124 employees per day shift and 91 at night per plant for a total of
215 employees. Most tasks are covered in both shifts. Current production and shipping
personnel per task include:
Positions
# of Day Shift
Workers
# of Night Shift Workers
Machine Operators
10
5
Machine Maintenance
3
5
Assembly Line Staff
75
60
Electronics Specialists
10
3
Packagers
10
5
Floor Supervisors
1
1
Production IT (computer machine)
1
1
Fork Lift Operators
10
10
Shipping Schedulers
1
0
Plant Maintenance
2
1
Administrative Support
Material Purchase/Secretary
1
0
To complete the Moon Mission to Jupiter’s Europa 1 project,
it is projected that additional personnel are needed: Two 3D printer operators for the day shift
and two for the night shift.
Additionally, instead of having an on-call position for production IT, a
full-time night position is needed.
The design and engineering department has provided the
product specifications including materials, sizes, and 3D printers and one
person per shift to produce the product.
Trained personnel are needed for operating the 3D printers. The cost of one complete Moon Mission to
Jupiter’s Europa 1 product is set at $7.56, which includes packaging. The 3D
printers will produce the completely assembled piece including electronics and
packaging in 7.36 minutes and will cost $6100 per printer. Trained personnel are needed to operate the
printers.
Required Elements for Part One:
Assuming the role of Itza Yu, explain the role of a manager
in the organizing phase of the POLC and identify and discuss five major issues
that Itza Yu must address in organizing the production floor for both existing
production and the new project.
One of the areas of discussion that must be included in the
organizing phase is that of aligning people to the task of production. Create an organizational chart that shows how
Yu would organize the people and jobs on the production floor. Discuss why and how the organizational chart
was created. This organizational chart
will be used as the template for the other branches within the organization, so
be sure the structure of the production floor aligns with the organization of
the company.
Once you have created the chart, identify the decision
making authority for those individuals on the chart. Explain why the structure was chosen and how
it best serves the decision making flow for the production floor and the
company as a whole.
Part Two-Leading Motivation
During the course of production older line staff and machine
workers began to see the speed and accuracy for which the 3D printers made its
product. An obvious concern began to
surface among the workers. The workers
began to ask, “Will I still have a job next year?” Morale of plant workers began to suffer. Itza Yu knows that this concern must be
addressed and morale needs to be improved.
As the manager, Yu know that the business must innovate to keep growing. How can Yu improve morale?
Required Element for Part Two:
Acting as Joyce Barnhart, what advice should she give to
Yu? In discussing the advice, first
identify the reasons for the morale problem and how they affect
motivation. Be sure to address change
and the worker’s reaction to implementing change.
Discuss the actual ideas and the specific ways Yu should
take to motivate his existing employees that will build morale and keep
production levels on track for the current contracts and the new project.
Part Three-Control:
3A)
The following chart displays the results of the first year’s
production of MMTJE1. It was created
from data supplied by all the company production departme
