Module 1 – Case
INTRODUCTION TO
MANAGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING
Assignment Overview
Management is the art and science of coordinating the
efforts of others toward the accomplishment of an organizational goal or
mission. As such, management encompasses
systems of reporting relationships, authority structures, communication
systems, and decision-making practices. There are many roles that managers
play. The background reading discusses the different levels of management and
the types of contribution each level makes.
The point is made that organizations are hierarchies and that
hierarchies lend themselves to better organization and control.
However, sometimes hierarchies can become too inflexible and
overly bureaucratic. The assigned video
clip from the movie, “Catch 22” demonstrates how upper-level managers can embed
policies into organizations with little considerations of their effects
“downstream.” As you watch this video,
take some notes of examples you see of the following:
Bureaucratic Behavior
Rules, policies, and procedures
Conflict between individual goals and management goals
Means-ends inversion
Case Assignment
View the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yeGMaT3PvI
Read the following article from the Trident University
Library about the limitations of hierarchy:
Cable, J. (2012). For innovation to flourish, “Bureaucracy
must die”. Industry Week/IW, 261(6), 54.
Hint: Just copy and
paste the title of the article into the Library Access search box on the
Trident University Portal page. Do not
include the author’s name or publication; the article title is all you need.
After reading the above article, background material, and
reviewing your notes on the video, consider the following questions:
Are there examples of “bureaupathology” (excessively
bureaucratic behavior) in this scene?
What examples can you give?
Are there conflicts between Yosarian’s personal goals and
those of the hierarchy?
Has the “means” displaced the desired ends (means-ends
inversion)?
What do you predict would be the effect of this situation on
the ability of all parties involved to be flexible and respond to challenges in
an innovative manner?
Now, write a 3- to 4-page paper, not including the cover and
reference list, discussing the film clip and the above questions. A good way to organize your paper would be to
divide it into the following sections:
Introduction that briefly describes the situation depicted
in the clip. (one paragraph)
A description of the rules and policies regarding the
required number of missions and rotations, and why this is an example of
bureaupathology.
How hierarchical decision-making can lead to means-ends
inversion.
Commentary on a situation where you experienced means-ends
inversion or excessive bureaucracy and how it affected your work, and your
ability to be flexible and innovative in your approach to making decisions and
solving problems.
A conclusion summarizing your main argument and suggesting
one way that organizations can avoid the negative effects of hierarchy, and
foster innovation.
Support your arguments with references to the background
readings and use specific examples from the clip to illustrate your main
points.
Turn in your assignment to the case Dropbox in TLC. Be sure to review your TurnItIn Originality
report. If the score is over 20%, you
may be copying too much material from the internet or other sources and you may
need to contact your professor and arrange to revise and resubmit the paper.
Assignment Expectations
Case reports are to be prepared in Microsoft Word and should
be 3-4 pages in length, in addition to a cover page (course name and number,
module number, session name, student name, and date prepared) and reference
list – double-spaced, 12 pt. type, Times New Roman font.
Report content should include a brief introduction to the
assignment, background information about the organization being studied, and
some preliminary discussion of the concepts or theories being applied in
addressing the questions or tasks proposed in the assignment. Use subtitles,
bullets, and tables to improve presentation values. Attention is to be given to
citing sources of information in-text (within the body of the paper) as well as
in the end references section of your paper. In-text citation and end reference
formatting instructions are available at
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/. Submit your report in the
Case Dropbox for this module on or before the date due, as indicated at the TLC
Homepage.
All case papers in this class will be evaluated using the
criteria as stated in the Case rubric. The following is a review of the rubric
criteria:
Assignment-Driven: Does the paper fully address all aspects
of the assignment? Is the assignment
addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet
minimum length requirements?
Critical Thinking: Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level
analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions,
and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the
formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic
with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
Business Writing: Is the essay logical, well organized and
well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate? Are
section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the
primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed
through excessive use of direct quotations?
Effective Use of Information: Does the submission
demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background
materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective
research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do
additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do
they help in shaping the overall paper?
Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding
of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased
text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references
used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research)
been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the
paper been included on the References page?
(Citation and reference style instructions are available at
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/.)
Timeliness: Has the assignment been submitted to TLC
(Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?
