From PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry.Answers 0Bids 0Other questions 10

snjoroge99  ASSIGNMENTSUnit Two Case Study:Read the case on page 89 entitled From PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry.Write a 5-page paper (1500 or more words) in APA format in response to the five questions listed on page 92.  Below is a recommended outline.1.     Cover page (See APA Samplepaper)2.     Introductiona.     A thesisstatementb.     Purpose ofpaperc.     Overview ofpaper3.     Body Conclusion – Summary of mainpointsa.     Lessons Learned andRecommendations4.     References – List the references you cited in the text of your paper according to APA format. (Note: Do not include references that are not cited in the text of yourpaper)    “From PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry.”“From PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry.”Timing of EntryFrom PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry In the BeginningIn 1966, Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” introduced what some have called the first personal digital assistant (PDA) design mock-up. There were to be no paper or pencils on the Enterprise. Crew members wrote on electronic tablets and used a handheld tricorder to access, process, and display information.1 Such portable processing power sparked the imagination of millions and may well have beenthe inspiration for today’s smart phones.However, it was not until the early 1990s that technology began to deliver on this inspiration. At that time, most speculators believed that pen-based computing would be the next wave of the future. In 1993, Forrester Research Inc. predicted that 298,000 handheld computers would be shipped that year, a number that would increase to 4 million by 1996. BIS Strategic Decisions estimated that 96,000 PDAs would be shipped in 1993 and 2.6 million units by 1997. In early 1994, industry observers were predicting that 1994 would be the “year of the pen,”2 and that the two leading operating systems, Microsoft’s Pen for Windows and GO’s PenPoint, were poised to battle for the spoils.From 1990 to 1993, a small flurry of companies entered PDA development. The players included well-known computer makers such as Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola, as well as start-ups like GO Corporation, EO Inc. (which was bought by AT&T), and Momenta. Because they used pen-based input and because of their size, PDAs and their success rested upon the evolution of several enabling technologies, including handwriting recognition software, modems, and the miniaturization of power and memory.Enabling TechnologiesSeveral of these enabling technologies were not ready for use in PDA manufacture by 1993. Handwriting recognition software was a particular problem. Though accuracy rates had approached 95 percent, users still found the 5 percent inaccuracy to be very unsettling. Modems also posed problems. Many felt that the key feature of a PDA would be wireless connectivity. But in the early 1990s, modems were nicknamed “bricks” because they were large and heavy; achieving wireless connectivity in a PDA would have doubled the weight and size of most devices.3Constraints on processing power and battery life also compromised the performance and/or size of the PDA. Even to replicate streamlined versions of office software products required significantly more memory and storage than was found on a typical electronic organizer. Additional memory and storage added to both the size and cost of the device. Greater processing power also required greater battery power, which affected the size of the end product.Market Confusion about PDAsCompounding the technological problems was a lack of market awareness about the functionality and potential functionality of pen-based PDAs. For PDAs to become viable in the market, companies had to sell large volumes to achieve the necessary economies of scale and recoup development costs. But the market was still very immature in the early 1990s. PDAs were expensive compared with desktop systems, and potential users were not sure about their performance, their compatibility with their current computer systems, or the availability of software.Not only were user needs poorly addressed, but there also was a question about who the major market users would be. Some companies clearly envisioned the PDA as a mass-market consumer electronics device, while others saw it primarily as a tool for mobile executives. Still another group of companies envisioned the PDA for particular industries (“vertical markets”) as a more specialized device that could allow inventory scanning or in-field sales estimates.The ShakeoutIn 1993, only a small market of early adopters were placing orders for the new PDAs. Then, Microsoft announced it would be entering the pen-based arena with its product, WinPad. Upon the announcement, many of the early customers withdrew their orders to see what Microsoft was going to do. Microsoft’s previous experience in the computer industry was a strong indicator that if Microsoft entered PDAs, it would likely control the dominant standard and its products would have the greatest software compatibility. Furthermore, if a PDA had a Microsoft interface and software, it would capitalize on consumers’ current training and experience with Microsoft products. As it turned out, however, Microsoft did not become serious about pen-based computing for several years, so its announcement stalled the market acceptance of PDA technology.Many of the pen-based PDA companies began to falter by 1994. While several of them had made great technological progress and had working products, they did not yet have a revenue base coming in for the products, so many of the companies began to run out of capital. Momenta had been a front-runner in the pen-based computing market and had attracted several big-name executives (e.g., Delbert Yocam of Apple Computer), but it ran out of money and was dissolved by the fall of 1992. The breaking point for GO came in 1994, when after months of negotiations, Compaq chose to work with Microsoft instead of GO for its pen-based computers. Having lost $75 million, the company was bought by AT&T and absorbed into AT&T’s EO Personal Communicator division. AT&T shut down the project shortly thereafter, noting that the handheld market had not turned out as well as it had expected, and projected that the industry was leaning more toward the smart cellular phones concept.4As of 1996, price and features had still not reached an appropriate convergence for most vendors or users. AT&T, Compaq, IBM, Motorola, NCR, and Toshiba had all invested millions of dollars in developing pen computing hardware and software, but by 1996 they had all either scaled back dramatically or abandoned the market.5Surviving Companies, Forging a PDA StandardSome companies and/or products survived the shakeout. Many of the vendors who focused on specialized devices for vertical markets weathered the storm quite well. Telxon, Psion, Fujitsu, Casio, and Sharp all continued to thrive. The big winner, however, was a relatively late entrant called Palm Computing. The founder of PalmPilot, Jeff Hawkins, set out to design a product that was fast andsimple, and would sell for less than $300. The product did not debut until January 1996, but 350,000 units were sold by the end of 1996, and a million units were sold within 18 months of its release. The PalmPilot had attracted the support of some 12,000 developers by January 1999,6 and by the end of 1999, it controlled 77 percent of the worldwide market share for PDAs, and Microsoft’s Windows CEoperating system had a worldwide share of only 13 percent. It appeared that a dominant design in PDAs had finally emerged.Palm’s advantage was not to be long-lived, however. The collapse of the tech-sector bubble at the end of the decade sent the company reeling, financially devastated by inventory it could not move. To make matters worse, corporate users were being steadily wooed away from the Palm platform by Research In Motion’s [email protected] Pager (a two-way pager that enabled users to send messages over the Internet via a wireless data network) and BlackBerry. Though the original BlackBerry lacked many of the functions possessed by the PalmPilot, its primary function—rapid and wireless Internet messaging—proved very addictive. Unlike the pen-based PalmPilot, the BlackBerry used a QWERTY keyboard that was optimized for using the thumbs to type. It gained such an enthusiastic following that the device earned the nickname “Crackberry” (referring to the addictiveness of sending and receiving messages).The Arrival of Smart PhonesBy 2002, an industry-wide transition to smart phones was on the horizon. Smart phones integrated PDA functionality in a wireless telephone. Whereas some PDA models had wireless phone capabilities in the form of a clumsy phone module, smart phones emphasized the styling characteristics of a mobile phone, and thus were more comfortable for use as a telecommunications device. However, unlike regular cell phones that have some organizer capabilities, smart phones had larger, sharper screens that could display regular Web pages rather than the small subset of Web pages designed to be readable on cell-phone displays.7 They also typically enabled users to take pictures and download music or other data. Smart phones had higher margins than PDAs (at least initially); however, the convergence of PDAs and mobile phones also meant that companies that produced PDAs (such as Palm and Compaq) were now to be pitted against very large and established mobile phone rivals such as Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung. Over the next five years, Palm, Research In Motion, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and HTC battled each other for the rapidly growing smart phone market, with each generation packing in more features and memory while simultaneously trying to whittle down the price to capture the consumer market. By 2006, analysts were estimating that just over 13 million smart phones had been shipped in 2005,while PDA sales had virtually ground to a halt.Nearly all of the smart phones relied on tiny keyboards akin to those on the original BlackBerry, suggesting that the pen-based interface was on its way out. A game-changing event occurred in June 2007, however, when Apple made a splashy entrance to the mobile phone market with its iPhone. The iPhone had a sleek form factor, and an elegant and intuitive interface that relied on a touch screen. Thedevice also capitalized on the enormous success of the iPod by being able to down- load and play both music and videos. The iPhone was considered a huge commercial and critical success, selling more than 1 million units in its first 74 days.8 The iPhone was also locked into an exclusive arrangement with AT&T, so other carriers scram- bled to find touch screen–based phones with which to compete against the iPhone.The growing sophistication of smart phones dramatically increased the role of software and applications, heating up the battle to control the dominant operating system for smart phones. By 2008, the three biggest proprietary operating systems were Apple’s iPhone, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. Handset makers could also, however, choose from three open-sourceplatforms: Android (a Linux-based platform developed by Google), LiMo (“Linux Mobile,” backed by a consortium of 50 handset makers), and Symbian (which had previously been a proprietary consortium-backed platform, but was bought out by Nokia in 2008 and transferred to open-source).9 The only clear winner was the consumer—so long as the industry did not consolidate around a single platform,all of the companies would compete through vigorous innovation, bringing more to users for less. By the end of 2007, sales of smart phones had reached $39 billion and were expected to grow to $95 billion in 2013, thus making up nearly half of the mobile phone market by value (and 34 percent by number of units).10 For the most part, these companies failed because they did not have the capital required to wait for customers to learn about and value the functionality offered by a PDA. In addition to waiting for customers to learn about the PDA’s functionality these firms also had to wait for developments in several component technologiesincluding, handwriting recognition software, modems, and batter and memory power. Microsoft delivered a final blow to these early PDA companies when it announced it would be entering the industry with WinPad.  This caused most buyers (the few that there were) to wait for WinPad and stop ordering from these early entrants. This is a great example of a company leveraging its reputation to thwart the establishment of a dominant design before the firm has a chance to enter.Is there anything early PDA companies could have done differently in order to survive? This is a complex question but there are some things we can learn from the PDA companies’ experience. First, early entrants need much more capital than they think they do because the revenue base will be very small for a long period of time. This suggests that early PDA companies might have benefited by seeking joint ventures (or even being acquired as Palm was) by larger firms with deeper pockets. The formation of a consortium among early PDA companies, developers of complements, and developments of enabling technologies might also have helped create convergence in the form PDAs would take, and help time PDA development to more closely mirror the development of crucial complements and enabling technologies. This consortium could have helped to combat the effect of Microsoft’s announcement (by delivering a unified message to the distributors and retailers that were affected by the announcement), and could have pooled the companies’ resources to provide a means for educating potential customers.  It might have also benefited PDA companies to focus on more specialized with more clearly defined needs and higher willingness to pay before attempting to enter the mainstream consumer markets (the likely benefits of this course of action is underscored by the fact that it was the firms that marketed specialized devices for vertical markets that survived the shakeout).Why was Palm able to be successful where so many others had failed?  Palm was probably successful because they entered late (1996) when a greater understanding of consumer preferences was beginning to emerge (i.e. Palm learned from other’s missteps), and by producing a simpler, less expensive device that presented a less complex and risky buying decision to consumers. These two factors enabled Palm to start earning revenues more quickly after bearing its development expense. Palm also extended its capital resources through being acquired first by US Robotics and then 3Com.   Was being late to the smart phone market a disadvantage for Apple? What factors enabled Apple to successfully enter when it did? Being late does not appear to have been a disadvantage for Apple. Apple capitalized on the fact that many enabling technologies (such as batteries and memory) and complementary technologies (such as GPS, wireless internet, etc.) were becoming well-developed, permitting the company to offer a smartphone that had a streamlined and stylish form factor, as well as an exceptional range of features. One of Apple’s key competencies is the ability to develop a very intuitive and attractive interface (like it did with the Mac), and this interface was significantly more valuable with a complex full-featured smartphone than it would have been with a simpler device like the Palm.Are there increasing returns in the smart phone market? Is it likely to eventually pick a single operating system as the dominant design?This is a good topic to have the students to debate. On the one hand, there are clearly increasing returns in that complements are very important (students may point, for example, to the popularity of Apple’s App Store, and how the size of the installed base of iPhones attracts developers of applications). On the other hand, many of the other important complements are compatible with a range of operating systems (e.g., WiFi, GPS). Furthermore, the phone service providers are large and powerful, and are likely to actively oppose the rise of a single dominant standard as this dominance would give a single vendor great bargaining power.   What are some of the advantages of entering a market early? Are there any advantages to entering a market late? Early entry can afford the first mover the opportunity to establish brand loyalty and technological leadership, both of which can increase its installed base. And if the market is characterized by increasing returns to adoption the first mover can garner two additional benefits from 1) moving up the learning curve before their competitors and 2) building an installed base that keeps increasing due to the self-reinforcing nature of network externality processes. Entering a market late, however, can be cheaper, easier, and more certain. The late mover can avoid much of the development expense and risk borne by the early movers, and can fine-tune the product to fit customer needs (which are now more certain) better.Can you think of an example of a successful a) first mover, b) early follower, and c) late entrant? Can you think of unsuccessful examples of each?Students should come up with a variety of examples from their previous experience. Identifying successful first movers are tricky because for each example, it is usually possible to identify an earlier technological precursor that someone else might consider to be the first mover (this is related to the discussion in chapter 2 about most inventions really being recombinations of existing ideas. This can inspire some interesting discussion among students. The list of failed first movers and successful early followers is long easier to identify, for example (from Lasalle Systems Leasing White Paper Series, http://www.elasalle.com/IDC/importent.html).Visicalc led in the creation of spreadsheet software, only to lose to Lotus 1-2-3 and later to Microsoft Excel.The Xerox Star computer was the first PC with a graphical user interface. Has anyone heard of them?The first Jet Airliner in passenger service was the DeHavilland Comet. Boeing and Airbus are now the leading firms.An example of an initially successful (but ultimately unsuccessful) first mover and successful early follower can be found in the market for arterial stents (a tube that opens arteries during angioplasty). Johnson and Johnson was the first to market in 1994 and initially captured 90% of the market. This success was short-lived. Three years later, Guidant introduced an improved stent and within 45 days had 70% of the market (http://www.fastcycle.com/htm/First%20Mover%20or%20Loser.htm).   Many Japanese and Korean firms have been successful by entering into industries such as semiconductors, steel, and focusing on making them far more efficient. For example, several Korean firms (e.g., Samsung, Hyundai and Goldstar), became major players in the production of integrated circuits in little more than a decade (Mathews & Cho, Journal of World Business, Vol. 33, No. 4, Dec 1998). Other examples of late entry success would be IBM’s entry into the personal computing industry in 1982 and Target’s entry into retailing.What factors might make some industries harder to pioneer than others? Are there industries in which there is no penalty for late entry? Industries that are characterized by a new-to-the-world technology or functionality (the Segway provides an example here) are likely to be harder to pioneer than others. A firm that invests in new-to-the-world technology will incur not just the costs of the successful technology but also the costs of all the technologies that did not become marketable products. The introduction of new-to-the-world functionality requires the first mover to educate potential users and will require enormous patience and deep pockets before significant returns can be achieved. In addition, the necessary suppliers, distributors, and complementary goods may be non-existent making the industry even more difficult and costly to pioneer. Industries that require major changes in other industries in order to succeed (as with the example of hydrogen cars) are also difficult to pioneer as they require the cooperation of many different stakeholders. Industries that have very high minimum efficient scale are probably very costly and risky to pioneer (think, for example of the difficulty in pioneering the production of jet engines, submarines, energy production, etc.).  Students may come up with others.

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Need help with those questions. Please help! 1. True or False. The aim of tariffs is to protect foreign industries and jobs from domestic competition. 2. True or False. The Bureau of Labor Statistics frequently provides data that OSHA uses to create new workplace standards and regulations. 3. True or False. The EEOC investigates complaints involving misclassification of exempt/nonexempt workers. 5. True or False. The message-receiving process requires us to use active listening skills.44. True or False. Managers, executives, and lower level employees should all go through the same type of termination process.46. True or False. The Hot Stove Rule draws an analogy between touching a hot stove and discipline.49. True or False. If an organization offers leave benefits beyond those required by law, it should never make a declarative statement about this in its handbook8. True or False. Wage compression generally occurs all at once in an organization.It develops gradually and unnoticed, catching organizations unaware  9. True or False. Employers offer the voluntary benefit of vacation/annual leave because it refreshes the employee so that they can come back to work and be more productive.Paid vacation time is a voluntary benefit that organizations offer to employees 10. True or False. Pay secrecy clauses almost immediately create motivation and job satisfaction problems because of perceptions of inequity. 11. True or False. The orientation period never runs longer than 90 days. 12. True or False. All employers pay the same workers’ compensation insurance premiums, regardless of the type of industry. 13. True or False. In most situations, there is a right or wrong decision. 14. True or False. During Kelly’s expatriate assignment, she was paid half in US dollars and half in Yen. This is an example of a balance sheet approach 15. True or False. Medicare is completely free to the retiree. 16. True or False. As part of your new position, your manager has required you to take responsibility for the money spent by the HR department. Despite this, he doesn’t give you authority to veto any purchases. This is an example of a lack of balance between authority and accountability. 17. True or False. Properly implemented preventative programs—including drug and alcohol testing—protect the business from liability. 18. True or False. Less productive employees who see others getting valued rewards for performance may be convinced to increase their own performance levels in order to get similar rewards. 19. True or False. Employers are required to pay for all of employee’s Social Security benefits. 20. True or False. According to equity theory, people compare their inputs and financial rewards to those earned the prior year for the same work22. True or False. Lying and dishonesty are more commonplace in the American workplace today in comparison to the past. 23. True or False. Incentive plans work when they involve money, but generally don’t work if they involve non-monetary rewards. 25. True or False. Organizations can have a performance or a longevity philosophy to compensation. 27. True or False. Union shops cannot be set up in states where “right to work” laws exist. 28. True or False. Under U.S. law, any person who pays taxes can contribute to an IRA, and the contributions are tax-free. 30. True or False. Most country cultures mesh well with individual incentive programs. 31. True or False. Federal notice posting requirements ensure that employers post notices in a convenient location frequented by employees during normal working hours.  32. True or False. Quality problems are a major issue of piece-rate systems. 34. True or False. Some U.S. workers do not like having to work in teams due to the individualistic nature of American culture. 35. True or False. Dysfunctional conflict, competition, and sabotage might be fostered in employees on individual incentive plans.37. True or False. EAP services are not confidential because the employer pays in advance for the services provided to the employee. 38. True or False. People tend to use the terms manager and leader interchangeably because the terms actually mean the same thing. 42. True or False. Entitlement-style pay philosophies motivate employees to perform better over time.51. Which of the following assessments does not always need to be considered depending on the international assignment?A. Person-organization fitB. Personality-job fitC. Language abilityD. Suitability of immediate family 52. The ERISA Act requires all of the following except:A. All employees who have worked for more than one year and are over 21 years of age must be offered participation in any company-sponsored retirement plans. B. Federal vesting rules must be followed, with a maximum vesting period of 100% at five years, or 20% per year from years 3 through 7.C. Employee retirement accounts must be portable. When the employee changes jobs, their retirement funds can be transferred to their new employer or another qualified investment. D. Fiduciaries who manage company retirement programs must act under the prudent man concept that says they should use care and diligence when investing retirement funds. E. All employers must provide some form of employee retirement system for employees who are over the age of 21 and who request retirement accounts.  53. Maria is conducting a job evaluation in her organization by breaking each job down into component skills or abilities. After she completes that task, she will assign points to each skill or ability based on its difficulty. Maria is using the ________ method of job evaluation.a. job rankingb. point-factorc. factor comparisond. job hierarchy 54. Giorgio intentionally inserted an Internet worm into his company’s computer systems because he received low evaluation scores this period. Giorgio is guilty of:A. Gross negligenceB. Just causeC. A mistakeD. Employee resistance to changeE. Serious misconduct 55. Variable pay is:A. compensation based on the reduction of the company’s variable costs.B. compensation that varies based on the number of hours an employee works.C. a payment made to a supplier in multiple installments.D. compensation awarded on the basis of individual results or performance.E. a payment made to employees based on willingness to work overtime. 56. John is always working to improve his cultural competence because his organization competes on a global scale with facilities in many different countries and no real “headquarters” in any country. John’s organization is in the ________ stage of corporate globalization.a. domesticb. internationalc. multinationald. transnational 57. Signs of potential violence include all but:A. verbal threatsB. stalking and harassmentC. alcohol and/or drug abuseD. employee cohesionE. intentional property damage 58. Carl was dealing with a difficult employee problem. Doubting that he can remain objective in the situation, Carl asks Andrei to help him resolve the situation. It appears Carl is using the _________ ethical approach.a. Golden Ruleb. four-way testc. stakeholders’ approachd. discernment and advice 59. Katrina’s organization is hiring for low-skilled jobs in an industry where unemployment is high and it is easy to find replacement workers. Adopting a(n) ________ organizational philosophy on compensation could allow her to hire plenty of workers.a. wage compressionb. below-the-marketc. pay for longevityd. competency-based pay 60. Management suspects it was Ramon who tipped off a safety inspector that one of the managers had hidden chemicals from the lab in the trunk of his car until the inspection was completed. After the inspection, managers began changing Ramon’s schedule and job duties daily. Ramon found that he could not plan for his children to be cared for while he was at work because his work schedule kept changing. Eventually, Ramon quit. It is likely Ramon experienced __________ discharge.a. wrongfulb. constructivec. economicd. express 61. Wynona met an old friend for lunch. During the meal, Wynona mentioned that her company needed some help on their tax reporting. Wynona’s friend said that she was now an accounting consultant and had worked with many local organizations to streamline their tax reports. Wynona gave her a copy of the tax information for the company the next day and showed her friend what the issues were. A week later, Wynona’s friend brought completed copies of the tax forms necessary for Wynona’s company to her office. It would appear that Wynona created a(n) ________ contract when she gave her friend the tax forms.a. expressb. impliedc. quasid. collective 62. ESOPs motivate employees because _______________.a. employees will get something for nothingb. employees will act more like ownersc. employees can reduce their work scheduled. employees can expect higher base pay 63._____ organizations tend to believe that their values and culture are superior to others and they will therefore frequently choose to staff international facilities with home-country managers.a. Ethocentricb. Polycentricc. Regiocentricd. Geocentric 64. What mechanism is used to ensure that a company investigates any disciplinary action taken fully and fairly and makes sure that the disciplinary action fits the level of the offense?A. The coaching modelB. The seven tests for Just CauseC. Employee assistance programsD. The discipline modelE. The code of conduct 65. Macy’s organization provides group health insurance to its employees. According to the ________, the organization must issue a “Summary Plan Description” that describes the plan and how it works in plain language.a. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985b. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996c. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974d. Social Security 66. Jacob’s manager asks him to organize a blood drive for the organization. The manager tells Jacob that if he accepts the assignment, he will be awarded Employee of the Month. Jacob has organized blood drives in the past and knows how much work is involved. He does not doubt that his manager can deliver on the promise of the award. However, Jacob has always thought that the award was silly. According to expectancy theory, Jacob is unmotivated to accept the assignment because _________ is lacking.a. valence b. instrumentalityc. expectancyd. significance 67. Executive compensation in the form of a deferred contribution to the executive’s retirement accounts is one of the most common forms of _________ retirement funds.A. governedB. qualifiedC. nonqualifiedD. challenged 68. When a person does something because they like it, it is interesting and personally satisfying, and they want to do it, they are receiving _______________.A. Intrinsic rewardsB. External rewardsC. Altruistic rewardsD. Autonomous rewardsE. Extrinsic rewards 69. Alexander did not make many sales this quarter. He considered adding a few fake entries to his quarterly report. However, he decided not to do so when the boss mentioned that the new computer software is designed to catch any inconsistencies. It appears Alexander is at the _________ of moral development.a. preconventional levelb. conventional levelc. postconventional leveld. neoconventional level 70. OSHA cited a manufacturing company for a __________ violation for exposing workers to unguarded hazardous machinery. An inspection found that the company removed the machine guarding to increase the speed of product output and knowingly permitted workers to operate the machines in this unsafe manner.a. willfulb. seriousc. other than seriousd. de minimis 71. Melissa’s boss told her to change the numbers on a balance sheet to make things look better for an upcoming board meeting. Melissa does not want to do it, but she really needs the job. She decides to go ahead and make the change. It appears Melissa’s justification for her unethical behavior is ________. a. Disregard or distortion of consequencesb. I did it for the good of others or the companyc. I was only following ordersd. I’m not as bad as the others 72. Kyle is exhausted from working overtime to get his projects done. His manager asked another employee to help Kyle with his work so that Kyle can work regular hours with no overtime. According to learning theory, this is __________.a. positive reinforcementb. negative reinforcementc. punishmentd. avoidance reinforcement. 73. Type A personalities experience ________________________.A. the same amount of stress as Type B personalitiesB. less stress than Type B personalitiesC. more stress than Type B personalitiesD. immeasurable stress 74. Acme Global is closing one of its plants immediately and laying off all 200 workers. As part of the closure, Acme Global will give each employee at the plant 60 days of pay and benefits. This will help Acme Global to be in compliance with the _________.a. Railway Labor Act of 1926b. National Labor Relations Act of 1935c. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988d. Labor Management Reporting Disclosure Act of 1959 75. Alfred has requested unpaid leave to care for his wife. She was injured while serving in the Army in Afghanistan. Alfred may be able to take this leave and return to his original job (or an equivalent one) under ________.a. Social Securityb. the Affordable Care Actc. the Family Medical Leave Actd. Medicare 76. Under the idea of corporate social responsibility, companies must do the following:A. provide employees with safe working conditionsB. provide consumers with safe products and servicesC. compete fairly with competitorsD. all of the choices are correct 77. What percentage of international assignments fail mainly due to the inability to adapt to cultural differences?A. 75%B. 50%C. 33%D. 10% 78. Shannon is one of the best appliance repair people in her department. She can quickly disassemble appliances to diagnose and fix problems. However, her manager has noted that when other repair people ask her for help, she hesitates and seems unsure of herself. According to situational management, her manager should use a(n)________ management style to manage Maria’s performance problem.a. autocraticb. consultativec. participatived. empowerment 79. A mediator is a neutral third party who helps resolve a conflict ______________ to impose a solution to the conflictA. and has jurisdictionB. but has no authorityC. and will use consensusD. and has some authority 80. Which of the following types of PTO is mandatory for U.S. employers?A. Paid federal holidaysB. Paid annual leaveC. Paid sick leave D. Paid personal leaveE. There are no mandatory PTO requirements for companies in the U.S. 81. Acme Global matches its employees’ contributions to charities. In other words, if an employee gives $100 to a non-profit agency, Acme Global gives $100 as well. It appears Acme Global is reaching the ________ level of corporate social responsibility.a. legalb. ethical c. benevolentd. social 82. Samantha’s organization keeps a large amount of raw materials in stock to guard against market fluctuations. It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Samantha’s organization.a. assertivenessb. power distancec. in-group collectivismd. uncertainty avoidance 83. One of the most common problems in incentive systems design is:A. creating a set of goals instead of focusing on just one goal at a time.B. picking an expedient goal that is easy to measure, but doesn’t aim at the company’s strategic goals.C. designing incentive goals that are capable of being affected by the targeted employee or group of employees.D. completely separating the incentives from base pay.E. making the incentive goals difficult to achieve. 84. _______ contain information about the physical and chemical properties of hazardous products.A. SDSB. IEDIC. PCPID. FMCSE. AFUS  85. The first major provision of the FLSA concerns ____________________.A. underage employeesB. the unskilled workforceC. new hiresD. the federal minimum wage 86. _____ offer health, education, training, and fitness, weight and lifestyle management, and health risk assessment services to employees.A. Employee assistance programsB. Triple option programsC. Employee caretaker programsD. Health hybrid programsE. Employee wellness programs 87. Angeline manages a group of employees who she knows have the ability to perform, but who also feel like their performance doesn’t matter much to the success of the company, and are therefore not concerned with doing a great job. Angeline may want to approach this group using a ______management style to improve their collective performance.A. ParticipativeB. Results drivenC. ConsultativeD. EmpoweringE. Autocratic 88. What percent of employees in a bargaining unit must sign authorization cards for the NLRB to hold a union representation election?A. 10%B. 25%C. 30%D. 50%E. 51% 89. At the beginning of the quarter, Marcus sat down with his manager and set three goals for the next three months. The achievement of each goal will depend on Marcus. No one else in his work group can affect the work toward the goal. Which advantage of individual incentives does this illustrate?a. easy to evaluate employee’s affect on teamb. ability to match rewards to employee desiresc. promotes the link between performance and resultsd. may motivate less productive employees to work harder 90. __________ is the right to give orders, enforce obedience, make decisions, and commit resources, toward completing organizational goals.A. AuthorityB. ResponsibilityC. AccountabilityD. Ethics 91. _____________ is part of expectancy theory.A. Goal-settingB. Decision-makingC. NegotiationD. Grievance 92. Since the Acme Global Corporation closed six of its plants last year, employees at the other plants have been feeling a great deal of stress. This type of stress falls into the _______ category of stress causes.a. personality typeb. organizational culture and changec. interpersonal relationsd. type of work 93. Executives at Acme Global are concerned that airline workers will go on strike and prevent shipments of products from reaching customers. However, the National Mediation Board is keeping airline management and labor in mediation to avoid a strike. The executives at Acme Global are relieved that the ________ limits the potential for strikes of airline workers.a. Railway Labor Act of 1926b. National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act)c. Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (Taft-Hartley Act)d. Labor Management Reporting Disclosure Act of 1959 94. Employee rights under OSHA include all of the following except:A. refusing to be interviewed by an inspector.B. having a company representative present during any interview.C. have working conditions free from unnecessary hazards.D. file a complaint about hazardous working conditions.E. reporting hazardous conditions to their supervisor. 95. Harold is paid based on a percentage of the value of the products and services he sells. He is being paid by:A. bonusB. base payC. value payD. commissionE. merit  96. Macy is English and works for a U.S.-based company in England. It appears the company has made a(n) ________ staffing choice.a. ethnocentricb. polycentricc. geocentricd. domestic 97. Which of the following is NOT a progressive discipline action?A. oral warningB. TerminationC. Informal coaching talkD. Disciplinary suspensionE. Informal written warning 98. When Acme Global asked Tamera to relocate to the company’s newest foreign plant, it paid her a salary equal to what she was making in the United States and gave her an allowance for extra expenses. It appears Acme Global is using the _________ approach to expatriate compensation.a. balance sheetb. split-payc. negotiationd. localization 99. A routine component of executive compensation, common “perks” include all of the following except:A. stock options.B. use of company cars and aircraft.C. home security systems.D. club memberships.E. tax planning assistance. 100. Erin knows exactly what benefits she will receive when she retires. She has worked for the organization for 20 years and will receive 65 percent of the average of her two highest years of pay. Erin’s retirement plan is a ________ plan.a. defined benefitb. defined contributionc. vestingd. experience

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Assignment Week 3.4Answers 2Bids 1Other questions 10

I need a 3 to 4 page paper apa format on the following topic.  Please follow the rubic. This is a two part assignment.  The second part is at the bottom the second part requires a 1 to 2 page Memorandum to the CEO.  The second part is built from part 1.     Assignment 1: Identifying the Organizational Learning Issues  Suppose that your organization, or an organization with which you are familiar, is dealing with a major issue in transitioning individual learning (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) into organizational learning. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has asked you, as the Vice President of Human Resources, to assist with the issue and to help the organization transition its culture to this new way of learning. Before you provide any recommendations to address the issue, you must first research the root of the problem and the resistance to this transition. Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. In your original work, you may use aspects of existing processes from either your current or a former place of employment. However, you must remove any and all identifying information that would enable someone to discern the organization[s] that you have used. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you: Assess the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then specify the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Determine the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Support your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.Give your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Support your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.Determine which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Justify your selection.Evaluate the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Provide at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.Use at least five (5) quality academic references in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource.Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Examine the processes of how organizations learn and organizational barriers that impact the process.Use technology and information resources to research issues in developing a learning organization.Write clearly and concisely about developing a learning organization using proper writing mechanic.  Points: 250Assignment 1: Identifying the Organizational Learning IssuesCriteriaUnacceptableBelow 70% FFair70-79% CProficient80-89% BExemplary90-100% A1. Assess the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then specify the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Determine the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Support your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.Weight: 20%Did not submit or incompletely assessed the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then did not submit or incompletely specified the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Did not submit or incompletely determined the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Did not submit or incompletely supported your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.Partially assessed the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then partially specified the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Partially determined the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Partially supported your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.Satisfactorily assessed the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then satisfactorily specified the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Satisfactorily determined the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Satisfactorily supported your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.Thoroughly assessed the organization’s culture as it relates to shared knowledge, then thoroughly specified the significant issue(s) that you discovered with the culture. Thoroughly determined the disconnect you observed between the culture and organizational learning using three (3) of the five (5) mystifications. Thoroughly supported your response with at least one (1) example of each selected mystification within the organization.2. Give your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Support your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.Weight: 20%Did not submit or incompletely gave your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Did not submit or incompletely supported your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.Partially gave your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Partially supported your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.Satisfactorily gave your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Satisfactorily supported your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.Thoroughly gave your opinion on the current Organizational Learning Mechanism(s) (OLMs) that hinder organizational learning. Thoroughly supported your response with one (1) example of a training or learning initiative (e.g., sharing knowledge, training programs, working as a team, experiences, procedures, processes, etc.) and the outcome when it was applied to the organization.3. Determine which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Justify your selection.Weight: 15%Did not submit or incompletely determined which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Did not submit or incompletely justified your selection.Partially determined which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Partially justified your selection.Satisfactorily determined which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Satisfactorily justified your selection.Thoroughly determined which one (1) of the following OLMs is suitable for replacing the identified OLM(s) that hinder organizational learning as a corrective action to facilitate the transition from individual to organizational learning: Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External. Thoroughly justified your selection.4. Evaluate the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Provide at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.Weight: 20%Did not submit or incompletely evaluated the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Did not submit or incompletely provided at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.Partially evaluated the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Partially provided at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.Satisfactorily evaluated the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Satisfactorily provided at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.Thoroughly evaluated the norms of the organization’s learning culture to determine the source(s) that currently prevent productive learning by applying two (2) of the following norms: inquiry, issue orientation, transparency, integrity or accountability. Thoroughly provided at least one (1) example of each of the selected norms’ manifestation within the organization in your evaluation.5. 5 referencesWeight: 5%No references provided.Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.6. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and FormattingWeight: 5%Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.7. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and  referenceWeight: 5%Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.In-text citations and references are error free or almost error free and consistently formatted correctly in APA style.8. Information Literacy / Integration of SourcesWeight: 5%Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.9. Clarity and Coherence of WritingWeight: 5%Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.   Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.     Supporting Document 1: Memorandum to the CEO Due Week 4 and worth 100 points Using the same scenario from Assignment 1, as the Vice President of Human Resources, you must create a memorandum to the CEO on the issues you discovered from the research. This memorandum serves as your communication to share the discovered problems and request permission to continue researching future solutions. Write a one to two (1-2) page memorandum in which you: Identify the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.Elaborate on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Provide a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Justify the selection.Suggest two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Justify your suggestions.Use Microsoft Word or other equivalent software to select a memorandum template for this supporting document, or use the template located here. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Examine the processes of how organizations learn and organizational barriers that impact the process.Examine the concepts of personal mastery and mental models and their related importance in a learning organization.Use technology and information resources to research issues in developing a learning organization.Write clearly and concisely about developing a learning organization using proper writing mechanic. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.     Points: 100Supporting Document 1: Memorandum to the CEOCriteriaUnacceptableBelow 70% FFair70-79% CProficient80-89% BExemplary90-100% A1. Identify the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.Weight: 25%Did not submit or incompletely identified the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.Partially identified the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.Satisfactorily identified the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.Thoroughly identified the issue(s) you discovered in the organization’s mystification from individual learning to the organizational learning using the examples that you provided in Assignment 1.2. Elaborate on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Provide a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Justify the selection. Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely elaborated on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Did not submit or incompletely provided a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Did not submit or incompletely justified the selection.Partially elaborated on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Partially provided a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Partially justified the selection.Satisfactorily elaborated on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Satisfactorily provided a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Satisfactorily justified the selection.Thoroughly elaborated on the significant barriers that you discovered impact the process of learning within the organization’s culture. Thoroughly provided a brief description of the selected OLM (e.g., Off-line/Internal, On-line/Internal, Off-line/External or On-line/External) that will be most suitable for this transition. Thoroughly justified the selection.3. Suggest two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Justify your suggestions.Weight: 30%Did not submit or incompletely suggested two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Did not submit or incompletely justified your suggestions.Partially suggested two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Partially justified your suggestions.Satisfactorily suggested two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Satisfactorily justified your suggestions.Thoroughly suggested two (2) actions that management can take in order to raise the level of trust as part of their strategy to create psychological safety. Thoroughly justified your suggestions.4. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Memo FormattingWeight: 10%Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or memo formatting.Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or memo formatting.Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or memo formatting.Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or memo formatting.5. Clarity and Coherence of WritingWeight: 5%Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required assignment page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Examine the processes of how organizations learn and organizational barriers that impact the process.Examine the concepts of personal mastery and mental models and their related importance in a learning organization.Use technology and information resources to research issues in developing a learning organization.Write clearly and concisely about developing a learning organization using proper writing mechanic. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

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moreh_the_com…Answers 1Bids 1Other questions 10

Module 4 – SLPPRESENTATIONS AND THE CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESSReview the Problem Solving skills you have learned in SLP assignments 1-4.  Using your creativity, develop a Powerpoint presentation that illustrates what you have learned from each Problem Solving approach.  On your final slide, include your reaction to your results from the Decision Making Style Quiz results from Page 5 of the Case Study Packet.SLP Assignment ExpectationsYour Powerpoint presentation should include a minimum of 5 slides and a reference slide.  Insert text summarizing each slide into the Notes section.  This is the text that you will record for your Discussion post.  Be sure to edit the text in your Notes sections so that you say it in 30 seconds or less.  You do not need to include text in the notes section of your reference slide.CASE STUDY APPROACH Purposes of Cases – Reading and WritingCases are narratives, situations, select data samplings, or statements that present unresolved and provocative issues, situations, or questions. Cases are important for bringing real world problems into a classroom. Cases allow you to experience a different kind of learning – learning by doing. They are intended to give you an opportunity to actively experience the reality and complexity of the issues facing practicing managers regardless of career field. Case analysis will help you develop/practice your analytical and problem-solving skills including analyzing organizational problems and up to generating solutions.As a ‘decision-maker’ your primary goal is to sort out information given and to propose a viable solution to the problem(s) identified.Student Preparation of Written CasesThere are any number of possible approaches to analyzing a case. The most important point to remember is that case analysis involves problem solving and decision making. There is no absolutely right or wrong solution to a case problem. Your major task as a decision maker is to present a coherent and defensible analysis of the situation. Just as managers in the ‘real world’ must persuade their colleagues and superiors that their proposals are sound, so must you persuade your instructor that your analysis of the case and proposed solution are the best. You should follow a few preliminary steps before preparing your written analysis. First, give the case a general reading to get an overall sense of the situation. Put it aside for a while, then read it a second time and make notes on the critical facts. Case facts provide information and data as well as other pertinent facts about the organization. Keep two key questions in mind as you review the facts of the case: First, are there discernible patterns in the facts? Second, what can be inferred about management practices in this organization from the facts presented? You should attempt to classify, sort, and evaluate the information you have identified in this preliminary step. Once you have a clear understanding of the critical facts in the case, you can prepare your written analysis using the six-step model that follows. Written Case Analysis ModelStep 1.  Define the Problem. The first step in your written analysis is to explicitly identify the major problem(s) in the case in one or two clear and precise sentences. For example, ‘The major problem in this case is a 15 percent increase in employee turnover compared to last year’s rate.’ Herbert Simon, who received a Nobel Prize for his work on management decision making, has defined a problem as ‘a deviation from a standard.’ In other words, one way to identify a problem is to compare some desired state or objective with the actual situation. A problem or series of problems may prevent the organization from reaching its objectives or goals. A key point here is that in order to define a problem, there must be some type of standard for comparison. For example, a possible standard may include the organization’s stated objectives or goals.Step 2. Identify the Root Cause(s) of the Problem. Before proposing alternative solutions, the decision maker must have a clear understanding of the underlying causes of the problem, not just the symptoms. This means the decision maker must examine internal and external environmental factors over time to isolate causal factors. Causes of problems tend to be historical in nature. To formulate a solid understanding of the specific causes, you should search for root causes and use relevant course concepts and theories to better define them. The ‘question syndrome’ approach may be beneficial here: Why did the problem occur? When did it begin? Where does it occur? Where doesn’t it occur? What has the organization failed to do? What are the antecedents of the problem? Posing these questions will help you to probe beyond the symptoms to the root causes of the problem.The process of identifying the root causes of a problem is very much like hypothesis testing. You should set forth possible causes and then test them against the facts in the case. When writing the problem statement, you will clearly state the root causes. In writing this section, it is important to present a plausible discussion of the causes so as to convince the reader that your analysis is correct.Step 3.  Select Criteria.  Your decision criteria serve to allow you the opportunity to evaluate each of your alternatives using the same measures.  Criteria that you will utilize in making decisions may be quantitative or qualitative in nature. There is a short list of criteria presented in this packet.  In reality, some or all of these may come into play. But importance to any problem will be different, which will require you to prioritize these for each different case. You will prioritize this list and use the most important three criteria for each alternative.Step 4. Develop Alternative Solutions. This step involves developing alternative solutions and evaluating their contributions to resolving the problem(s) identified. Proposed alternatives should be consistent with the problem(s) and cause(s) identified. You should attempt to develop at least three possible alternatives. List each of your alternatives and the advantages and disadvantages associated with each. Keep the prioritized criteria in mind as you evaluate your alternatives. Developing a list of good alternatives involves creativity and avoiding preconceived attitudes (knee-jerk solutions) and assumptions. It may be useful to brainstorm possible solutions before weighing their advantages and disadvantages. Step 5. Select the Best Alternative. Indicate the alternative you have chosen to solve the problem. A decision should be selected by comparing each alternative identified in Step 3. This will allow you to justify why you chose a particular solution and why it will best resolve the problem(s). An effective solution will truly resolve the problem.Step 6. Implementation Steps. Now that you have a solution, you must develop appropriate action plans to implement it. In this section of your written analysis, you want to specify, as much as possible, what should be done, by whom, when, where, and in what sequence. For example: Who should implement the decision? To whom should it be communicated? What actions need to be taken now? What actions need to be taken later? The Implementation needs to be as specific as possible.  Step 7 Evaluate the Outcome. Finally, you should also indicate follow-up procedures to monitor the implementation of your solution to ensure that the intended actions are taken and that the problem is corrected. Continue to gather feedback and reflect on the effectiveness.   While these steps have been presented in linear fashion, case analysis does not involve linear thinking. You will probably find yourself thinking about all of the parts of the analysis simultaneously. This is perfectly normal and underscores the complexity of decision making. To present a clear written analysis, however, it is important to write up your report in the analytical form just described. As you gain experience with the case method, you will develop a better understanding of your problem solving ability.Pitfalls in Problem Solving and Decision MakingAmateurs at case analysis often encounter the pitfall of jumping to a conclusion, which in effect bypasses analysis. For example, a student may readily observe some overt behavior, quickly identify it as objectionable and, therefore, assume it is a basic problem. Later, with some dismay, the student may discover that the prescribed action had no effect on the ‘problem’ and that the objectionable behavior was only a symptom and not the actual problem.  It might be helpful at this point to assess your decision making style.  Complete the following assessment. Decision-Making Styles There are various decision-making styles, including reflexive, consistent, and reflective. To determine your decision-making style, answer the questions in the following SelfAssessment. .Select the answer (1 to 3) that best describes how you make decisions. A. Overall I’m ____________ to act.1. quick2. moderate3. slow B.I spend __________ amount of time making important decisions as/than I do making lessimportant decisions.1. about the same2. a greater3, a much greater  C.When making decisions, I ________ go with my first thought.1. usually2. occasionally3. rarely D.When making decisions, I’m ________ concerned about making errors. 1. rarely2. occasionally3. often E.When making decisions, I ________ recheck my work.1. rarely2. occasionally3. usually F.When making decisions, I gather ________ information.1. little2. some3. lots of G.When making decisions, I consider ________ alternative actions.1. few2. some3. lots of H.When making a decision, I usually make it ________ before the deadline.1. long2. somewhat3. Just I.After making a decision, I ________ look for other alternatives, wishing I had waited.1. rarely2. occasionally3. usually J.I ________ regret having made a decision.1. rarely2. occasionally3. often To determine your style, add the numbers that represent your answers to the 10 questions. The total will be between 10 and 30. Place an X on the continuum at the point that represents your score. ReflexiveReflectiveI0_______________16________________23________________30 A score of 10 to 16 indicates a reflexive style; 17 to 23 indicates a consistent style; and 24 to 30 indicates a reflective style. You have determined your preferred personal decision-making style. Reflexive StyleA reflexive decision maker likes to make quick decisions (‘to shoot from the hip’), without taking the time to get all the information that may be needed and without considering all alternatives. On the positive side, reflexive decision makers are decisive; they do not procrastinate. On the negative side, making quick decisions can lead to waste and duplication when a decision is not the best possible alternative.   The reflexive decision maker may be viewed by employees as a poor manager if he or she is consistently making bad decisions. If you use a reflexive style, you may want to slow down and spend more time gathering information and analyzing alternatives. Following the steps in the decision-making model can help you develop your skills. Reflective StyleA reflective decision maker likes to take plenty of time to make decisions, taking into account considerable information and an analysis of several alternatives. On the positive side, the reflective type does not make decisions that are rushed. On the negative side, he or she may procrastinate and waste valuable time and other resources. The reflective decision maker may be viewed as wishy-washy and indecisive. If you use a reflective style, you may want to speed up your decision making. As Andrew Jackson once said, ‘Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go on.’ Another common mistake is for students think there is insufficient information. All desirable or useful information is seldom available for analyzing and resolving actual problems in real organizations. Consequently, managers must do the best they can with the information available to them. Furthermore, the main issue in solving the problems of many organizations is to determine what additional and relevant information is available or can be obtained before adequate analysis can be made and appropriate action taken. If additional information is available, the manager must decide whether it is worth getting, whether it is meaningful and relevant, and whether it can be secured in time to be useful. Thus, an apparent lack of information in cases is actually a reflection of reality that students must learn to accept and overcome. Students occasionally search for the ‘right’ answer or solutions to cases and sometimes they ask what actually happened in a case. Although some answers or solutions are better than others, there are no ‘right’ answers or solutions. What actually happened in a case is usually irrelevant because the focus of case study should be on the process of analysis, the diagnosis of problems, and the prescription of remedial action rather than on the discovery of answers or results. No case is intended to illustrate either right or wrong.  CASE WRITING TIP Suggested form for Case Studies: Define the Problem Problem Statement with Root Cause Select Prioritized Criteria Develop Alternative Solutions Alt 1Alt 2Alt 3 Selecting the Best Alternative (Analysis) Pros and Cons of Alt 1Pros and Cons of Alt 2Pros and Cons of Alt 3 Implement Evaluate  The Problem “There is nothing worse than the right answer to the wrong question” – Winston Churchill And the same can be said of problem identification.  Misidentify the problem and when the smoke clears……. You still have the same pesky problem to deal with again.  All you have done is expend valuable and finite resources.  And what do you have to show? The Dictionary definition of a problem is “a question proposed for solution; a matter that is perplexing or difficult.” The definition of a cause is“a person or thing that brings about an effect or result.”  These are clearly different.  What happens if we solve a cause?  Have we solved our problem?  What happens if we identify a cause as our problem?  Will we be able to arrive at the most efficient response? Common Quantitative CriteriaReturn on Investment (ROI)CostTechnically Feasible Implementation TimeReliableCommon Qualitative CriteriaAcceptance of Affected PartiesSafetyEffective Use of Staff and EquipmentRisksEmployee MoraleMotivationCompetitive AdvantageEthicsLegalCorporate ImageCustomer SatisfactionWhen considering the results of your actions, you need to select suitable criteria to measure possible outcomes of your decision. The above is a list of quantitative and qualitative criteria.  It is not totally complete, though the most important for most decisions are in evidence.  Add your own to the list. Be sure to define what each of these criterion means in relation to the others. In essence, all of these can be considered for every decision that you will make.  But this is unwieldy and takes more time and resources than we are usually willing to put into play in making a decision.  For efficiency of resource use, prioritize and select the most important ones to aid you in your decision making. It will be up to you to decide which the key criteria in each decision are. The more targeted and focused in your criteria selection, the better your decision will be. Analysis You have now defined the problem and prioritized the appropriate decision criteria.  The next step is to develop alternatives.  For each case, you will need three or four.  This is essentially a brainstorming process.  What can you do to solve your problem?  This is an alternative. Guidelines for alternative development are: DON’T SETTLE FOR YOUR FIRST IDEA!Good designers try to generate as many possible solutions as they can before choosing one that they feel is the best. This creative process of developing ideas is called ideation.Methods of ideation include: Examining existing solutionsConducting brainstorming sessions. Remember the first rule of brainstorming – every idea is a viable one.  Develop as many alternatives as possible.  When you are done, try to categorize your alternatives.  Then develop three alternatives.Creative1 Trying Sketching and doodling Now you have three alternatives and three criteria.  Choose an alternative. Select the most important criteria and develop possible positive and negative consequences of that alternative.  What will most likely happen if we adopt this plan of action?  Both plusses AND minuses. Repeat with the other two criteria for this alternative. Then repeat this process for the other two alternatives.  When you have completed this process, select the alternative that best provides resolution to your stated problem.  Implement by describing how, who, when, where, what.  Be specific about what will happen. Graphically, this process looks like this:  CriteriaAlternativesCriteria ACriteria BCriteria CCriteria DCriteria ECriteria FCriteria G Alternative 1  +  /  –  +  /  –  +  /  –     Alternative 2  +  /  –  +  /  –  +  /  –     Alternative 3  +  /  –  +  /  –  +  /  –

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