Textbook: Management, 13th Edition by S. Robbins and M. Coulter, published by Pearson Education.
This is the book we are using
Chapter 3
A. The discussion board question this week is a three-part question:
1. What are the factors that are external to the organization that impacts a manager’s ability to manage?2. How do these external factors impact managers?3. Why is organizational culture important in relation to the way managers manage?
B. You work for a company that sells shoes through retail outlets and online. In light of significant competition from online shoe vendors such as Zappos, the Board of Directors has instructed the company’s president to close 30% of the retail outlets over the next 12 months. The president has come to you, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing, and has given you the following instructions Role-play questions that you must post a response to: a. How would you identify the external factors that must be taken into consideration when selecting the outlets to be closed?
b. Who are the external stakeholders and what would you tell them about the outlet closings and why?
Chapters 4 and 5
C.
How can organizations and managers thrive in a global world?What can be the same, yet different, in the workplace? What is this phenomenon called?How can organizations use a diverse workforce to its advantage?How can managers overcome or avoid diversity challenges?
D. You are the Vice President of Human Resources for a global beer company based in the U.S.A. You have operations in the U.S.A., Ireland, South Africa, Brazil, Germany and Japan.
The Board of Directors (BOD) of your company has concluded that in order to remain competitive on the global market your company must introduce a new Annual Performance Evaluation Process globally.
You now must make a presentation to the BOD explaining to it some of the challenges the company will face in implementing such a program.
In this role-play exercise, you are at the point in your presentation where you must explain the following two challenges:
Explain to the BOD how Hofstede’s Five Dimensions of National Culture will impact your ability to roll out the new Performance Evaluation Process globally based on your locations.Explain how one or more diversity elements such as Age, Race, Disability, Religion or Gender will impact the company’s ability to roll out the new Performance Evaluation Process.
