Module 1 discussion
Project Planning and
Decision Making
Discussion expectations are for students to post each week:
a response to the questions posed and at least two or three substantive replies
to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor. “Substantive” implies more than simple
agreement or other one-liners: explain your position, offer an example, and at
least some external referencing. The best examples of discussion contributions
provide some depth – compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some
originality, and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts covered in the
module. Proofread what you have written before publishing it.
The Discussion for Module 1 poses two separate, though
related questions.
Week One – Planning
The basics of planning any project require a consideration
of
• activities required to complete the project
• physical, financial, and human resources to be acquired
and/or deployed
• a timeline for resource acquisition and activities
including start and end dates.
Think of when you have had to plan some event – a family
get-together, company picnic, or child’s birthday party. Indicate some specific examples of these
issues, (e.g., “purchase 5 dozen hot
dogs at Kroger’s on Smith Road on July 23”, the day before the picnic is
scheduled) or how and when to issue invitations and to whom.
Week Two – Decision Making
An important question in planning such events is where it
should be held. For example, a company
picnic or family reunion might be held at either (1) a picnic area &
playground at a local park, (2) a shelter house at another park, or (3)
somebody’s lake cottage 30 or more miles away.
What factors would you want to consider in choosing among
these options? Describe or demonstrate
the process you would follow in making that choice.
Module 2 discussion
Strategic Objectives
and Control
The Discussion for Module 2 focuses on the control function;
it poses two related questions to be addressed separately.
Two sources that supplement your background reading
assignment are:
Controlling and its importance in management. (2012). Mexus
Education. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_TqI2PqF8g&nohtml5=False
Controlling organizational performance. (2014). Pearson Learning
Solutions, New York, NY.
Week One – Strategic Management
Continuing with the event you discussed in the Module 1
discussion, let’s raise our perspective to 30,000 feet, drawing on your
personal experience where that seems useful:
An important first step in formulating a strategy is to
identify objectives and concerns (i.e., the criteria to be considered
determining the approach(es) to achieving objectives, the goals that serve to
benchmark progress, and the risks to be recognized and minimized).
What are/were some objectives and concerns to be considered
in planning that event?
Week Two – Control
One of the goals to be considered in this event-planning
effort is to maximize attendance (e.g., family members or company employees).
What do you think would be a reasonable objective to achieve
with respect to that goal?
How would you propose to attract at least that level of
attendance?
What approach to forecasting attendance would you recommend,
say, one week before the picnic is scheduled?
Assume that forecast indicates some shortfall relative to
that original objective. With only a few
days left to bring planned and actual attendance together, what is your next
step?
Discussion expectations are for students to post each week:
a response to the questions posed and at least two or three substantive replies
to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor. “Substantive”
implies more than simple agreement or other one-liners: explain your position,
offer an example, and at least some external referencing is called for in each
module. The best examples of discussion contributions provide some depth –
compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some originality, and demonstrate an
understanding of the concepts covered in the module. Proofread what you have
written before publishing it.
Module 3 discussion
Organizational
Hierarchy
Most of us work in organizations that have some hierarchic
element; for example, a chief executive with broad responsibility and authority
leading some kind of ladder/pyramid structure that includes middle managers
with responsibilities for specific functions, products or services, or
territories or other market categories.
As indicated in the background readings, this hierarchy might be largely
horizontal/flat or vertical/long and some crossover relationships are likely,
for example, a “budget officer“ from the finance department who is responsible
for financial controls in particular territories or product categories.
Week One – Describe organizational hierarchy
• Identify and briefly describe an organization where you
have worked or volunteered.
Week Two – Evaluate organizational hierarchies
Using that organization as a reference, reference that
experience as well as background readings in addressing these questions:
• What are some positive aspects of organizational
hierarchies?
• What are some disadvantages?
Discussion expectations are for students to post each week:
a response to the questions posed and at least two or three substantive replies
to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor. “Substantive” implies more than simple
agreement or other one-liners: explain your position, offer an example, and at
least some external referencing in each module.
The best examples of discussion contributions provide some depth –
compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some originality, and demonstrate an
understanding of the concepts covered in the module. Proofread what you have
written before publishing it.
Module 4 discussion
Organizational
Transformation
We hear and read a lot these days about “disruptive”
leadership, best described as an extreme form of the transformational style we
read about in the background readings. A fairly typical experience is that a
company’s Board of Directors appoints a new CEO with limited experience in its
industry, but an excellent track record in another industry. The vision behind that appointment is that
this “organizational athlete” can bring some lessons from his/her previous
employment experience to the company and, in a relatively short time, mobilize
major changes in culture, processes, and operations that result in significant
improvements in performance and, perhaps, a repositioning of the company in
terms of its customer and public perspectives.
Layoffs and some senior executive departures and replacements are also
often elements of the transformation recipe.
However, pulling off that disruption successfully is never
easy and frequently fails. A
contemporary example of disruption is the 3G group in Brazil that has acquired
Anheuser-Bush, Kraft Foods, and Heinz, replacing senior executives and
dramatically reducing costs by closing less efficient processing plants and
cutting back on travel expense. The jury
is still out on whether and how this effort will pan out.
Perhaps you have been involved in a successful or failed
transformation. Use that experience in
addressing these questions. Otherwise,
some internet research on the concept of “organizational transformation” and
“disruptive leadership” should generate other examples.
• What are some of the barriers to organizational
transformation?
• What does it take to either overcome or minimize the
effects of these barriers?
• Can you think of successes or failures in efforts to
transform a company?
Discussion expectations are for students to post each week:
a response to the questions posed and at least two or three substantive replies
to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor. “Substantive” implies more than simple
agreement or other one-liners: explain your position, offer an example, and
provide at least some external referencing in each module. The best examples of discussion contributions
provide some depth – compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some
originality, and demonstrate an understanding of the concepts covered in the
module. Proofread what you have written before publishing it.
Module 4 reflective
discussion
Reflective Discussion
Before taking the class, which of the four functions of
management were you most familiar with and which one the least? Which function do you think you learned the
most about this session? Which concepts
from this class do you think you will be most likely to apply in your own
career?
Use this space to express any recommendations for improving
the class.
Discussion expectations.
Students are required to post their reflective essay toward the end of
the first week, as this allows for some interactive discussion among students
during the last week of the class (i.e., at least two or three substantive
replies to the contributions of fellow students or the class instructor,
ideally referencing material read earlier).
As with previous discussion boards, the best contributions provide some
depth – compose a coherent paragraph or two, offer some originality, and
demonstrate an understanding of the concepts covered in the class. And again, be sure to proofread what you have
written before publishing it.
