Oral Exam 1

Front 1

What are the seven challenges for managers in the 21st Century?

Back 1

• Competitive Advantage- “Staying Ahead of Rivals”
• Diversity- “The Future Won’t Resemble the Past”
• Globalization- “The Expanding Management Universe”
• Information Technology (IT)- “Dealing with the ‘New Normal’”
• Ethical Standards
• Sustainability- “The Business of Green”
• Happiness and Meaningfulness
  

Front 2

Which two of the seven challenges seem to be most challenging to your sponsoring organization? How is that evident

Back 2

Competitive advantage and information technology. Competitive advantage is a concern because the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation faces difficulties in innovation. They have had an issue with presenting their services to consumers in a new or better way to attract/make them more aware of the potential issues you can face when diagnosed with breast cancer. The other concern lies in information technology because they do have a website, but the issue is getting people to read the information on the website.

Front 3

Define the four management functions

Back 3

1. Planning – set goals and decide how to achieve them
2. Organizing – arranging tasks, people, and resources to accomplish the work
3. Leading – motivate, direct, and influence people to work hard and achieve goals
4. Controlling – monitor performance, compare with goals, and take corrective action
   

Front 4

Assess Chet Craig’s effectiveness with regard to these four management functions.

Back 4

Craig did not excel in the four management functions. First of all, he did not actually form a proper plan for any of his projects or set daily goals. Chet did not prioritized the work. He as the problems arose he tried to solve them, forgetting about previous tasks. Craig did not lead, instead he wanted to solve everything on his own. And finally he was not able to control because he could not finish the important tasks himself.

Front 5

What specific suggestions do you have for how Craig can improve in the four management functions?

Back 5

Craig urgently needs to set up a long term plan for the project that his boss has asked. Then he needs to create short term smart goals to accomplish his daily tasks. organize the workplace, make the rest of the employee’s create daily smart goals and hold them accountable. That is the only way he will have time to get his own work completed, while being able to manage everyone.

Front 6

What are the three skills that exceptional managers need?

Back 6

1. Technical Skills - Job specific knowledge
2. Conceptual Skills - Ability to think analytically and visualize the organization as a whole
3. Human Skills - Ability to work well and cooperate with others
   

Front 7

Give an example for each of the three skills that managers need. Which is most important and why?

Back 7

• Technical - A manager that needs to use a certain program for a company and be able to teach the program to other employees
• Conceptual -
• Human - Working well with your colleagues to get a big project done
• Conceptual skills are most important for top managers because they have to deal with ambiguous questions

Front 8

Pretend that you are teaching a class and explain MBO (60 seconds), including the name of the person who created it.

Back 8

MBO is Managing By Objective, and it was developed by Peter Drucker in 1954.

Front 9

Explain the four steps in the MBO process

Back 9

1. Managers and employees jointly set objectives for employees
2. Managers develop action plans
3. Managers and employees periodically review employee performance
4. Managers make a performance appraisal and reward the employee according to the results
   

Front 10

What are the three things that have to happen for MBO to be successful?

Back 10

1. Top management must be committed
2. It must be applied organization-wide
3. Objectives must move (“cascade”) through hierarchy
   

Front 11

What is the purpose of MBO?

Back 11

The purpose of MBO is to accomplish a long-term goal. It is used to motivate subordinates rather than controlling them.

Front 12

Relate MBO to the Case of Missing Time. Use specific examples to support your answer.

Back 12

MBO can be seen when he is driving to work and is thinking about the work that needs to be done that day. Specially when he was thinking about a project that was assigned by the vice president. Therefore, the project that his higher ups had, was passed down to Craig. It is now Craig’s goal to complete the project. Craig also has subordinates that can be assigned roles, to help complete the project.

Front 13

List and explain the three benefits of planning.

Back 13

1. Provide direction and momentum
2. Encourage new ideas
3. Develop a sustainable competitive advantage
   

Front 14

What observations do you have about how your sponsoring organization realized these benefits? Or, What were the missed opportunities?

Back 14

The organization as a whole can benefit more if middle management aligned their goals towards the goals of the company. For instance, when the group discussed our project with the organization, middle management and upper management had different goals for the organization. Middle management was geared more towards fundraising, and upper management towards advertising about the programs offered.

Front 15

Discuss how your team used the lesson learned from the article “Performing a Project Premortem” to improve your planning process

Back 15

It helped us realize how the project could go wrong and made us aware of the issues we could potentially face down the road.

Front 16

Explain the different types of planning for the different levels of management. Include the typical time frame for which each plan is created.

Back 16

Strategic Planning - Upper management planning by top management, Long term decisions about overall direction of organization (1-5 yrs)
Tactical Planning - Middle management, Project managers, department managers: supervise and coordinate activities of first-line management Focus on actions to achieve strategic goals (6-24 mths)
Operational planning - first line management, Direct daily tasks of nonmanagerial personnel Short term matters associated with tactical goals (1-52 wks)

Front 17

Define the components of the acronym SMART in goal setting.

Back 17

• Specific → Goals specific instead of vague
• Measurable → be able to measure when goal has been reached
• Attainable → Challenging, but realistic
• Results Oriented → should support the organization's vision
• Target date → specific deadlines

Front 18

Provide a specific example of a SMART goal and demonstrate that it meets all criteria

Back 18

Walmart’s environmental change

Specific Goal → increase renewable energy by 600%

Measurable → when the 600% increase has been obtained

Attainable → adding solar power to buildings, has been done by other people before

Results Oriented → gave themselves two goals of upper management wishes Target Date → End of 2020

Front 19

What is the planning/ control cycle

Back 19

Two planning steps and two control steps

Planning

1.Make the plan

2. Carry out the plan

Control

3.Control the direction by comparing results with the plan

4. Control the direction by taking corrective action -correcting deviations in the plan -improving future plans

Front 20

How does planning/control cycle apply to your service learning project.

Back 20

Our project, we made a plan to hold an event at an ice rink to raise awareness for breast cancer. We are carrying out the plan by making a detailed plan and contacting the ice rink for dates. We can control the direction my making sure the event is running like the detailed plan. If needed, we will take corrective action.

Front 21

Explain the five conflict-handling styles managers use to resolve conflicts in teams.

Back 21

1. Avoiding- “Maybe the Problem Will Go Away”
2. Accommodating— “Let’s Do It Your Way”
3. Forcing— “We Have to Do It My Way”
4. Compromising— “Let’s Split the Difference”
5. Problem Solving— “Let’s Cooperate to Reach a Win-Win Solution that Benefits Both of Us”
   

Front 22

Under what circumstances are each of the five conflict-handling styles appropriate?

Back 22

• Avoiding- for trivial issues
• Accommodating- when it’s possible to get something in return
• Forcing- an unpopular situation must be implemented
• Compromising- both sides have opposite goals or possess equal power
• Problem Solving- complex issues plagued by misunderstanding
  

Front 23

Give examples of three instances when you used any of the five handling conflict styles in your team.

Back 23

1. Our team was off track and someone used problem solving to avoid further discussion and get us back on track
2. For the oral exam we compromised and split all of the questions equally
3. When we found news of a group member on the verge of leaving the group, we were forced to accommodate and compromise the questions for the oral exam
   

Front 24

Which conflict handling style was used by Christine in “The Case of the Forgotten Group Member”?

Back 24

(fill in after teammate responded to this question)

Front 25

• Name the nine major considerations when building a group into an effective team.
  
• Briefly, describe what a manager should do in each area. (First four)
  

Back 25

Cooperation- managers should make sure efforts of each group member are systematically integrated to achieve a collective objective

Trust- managers should have reciprocal faith in other’s intentions and behaviors “empowerment”

Cohesiveness- managers should encourage the group to stick together and have face to face exchanges

Performance- managers should make the team’s purpose clear and give constant feedback

Front 26

• Name the nine major considerations when building a group into an effective team.
• Briefly, describe what a manager should do in each area.
  

(last five)

Back 26

Motivation through mutual accountability- managers should assign individuals pieces of projects so they are equally accountable

Size- managers should ensure the team is small in order to create the optimal experience (5-6 members)

Roles- managers should make sure members are completing their work and relationships remain strong and productiveNorms- managers should make it clear what behavior is acceptable and which are not

Awareness of group think- managers should prevent groupthink by encouraging team members to be open and share ideas

Front 27

How have you used at least two of the nine major considerations to ensure that your service-learning group is developing into a high performing team?

Back 27

[Answer after teammate has responded to question]

Front 28

Describe the stages of group development

Back 28

1. Forming: Getting oriented & getting acquainted
2. Storming: Individual personalities & roles emerge
3. Norming: Conflicts resolved, relationships develop, unity emerges
4. Performing: Solving problems & completing the assigned task
5. Adjourning: Preparing for disbandment
   

Front 29

What should the leader do to facilitate each of the five stages of group development?

Back 29

Forming: Allow time for people to become acquainted and socialize

Storming: Encourage members to suggest ideas, voice disagreements, and work through their conflicts about tasks and goals

Norming: Emphasize unity and help identify team goals and values

Performing: Allow members the empowerment they need to work on tasks

Adjourning: Leaders can emphasize valuable lessons learned in group dynamics to prepare everyone for future group and team efforts

Front 30

How did the five stages of group development work in your team?

Back 30

Our team went through multiple of these stages thus far in the semester. The only thing we have not experienced fully/at all is the adjourning stage. For instance, our group experienced norming at a time I can directly recall. When our group came to mutual agreements and wanted to pursue a fundraising event on Bryant’s campus we were faced with a conflict. We were not allowed to hold an even on campus. So we were faced with our first hurdle and relationships and unity really started to form. Which then turned into the performance stage where we came together to solve the issue and brainstorm other potential effects we could have for the organization.

Front 31

In “The Case of the Forgotten Group Member”, why was Mike considered a better team member than Janet, even though Janet completed more work than Mike?

Back 31

Mike was there for forming stage and built a strong relationship with the group while Janet never showed up and get to build a relationship

Front 32

Explain the three principal kinds of conflict

Back 32

1. Personality Conflicts: interpersonal opposition based on personal dislike or disagreement
   
2. Intergroup Conflicts: clashes between work groups, teams, and departments
3. Multicultural Conflicts: clashes between cultures
   

Front 33

For the three principal kinds of conflict, give two examples of how each one may occur.

Back 33

1. Personality Conflicts: Communication Failures ; Personality Clashes- An overly negative person around a group of generally positive people
   
2. Intergroup Conflicts: Inconsistent goals or reward systems - when people pursue different objectives ; When job boundaries are unclear “That’s not my job and not part of my responsibilities”
   
3. Multicultural Conflicts: Different interactions/gestures across cultures can mean different things ; Different economic status across cultures can create conflict
   

Front 34

What are the five basic behaviors to help you better handle conflict?

Back 34

1. Openness
2. Equality
3. Empathy
4. Supportiveness
5. Positiveness

Front 35

Explain each of the five basic behaviors (First three)

Back 35

Openness- State your views openly and honestly, not trying to disguise the real object of your disagreement. Look at the conflict as a way to better understand the situation and find a solution. Concentrate on identifying the problem and taking a problem-solving approach.

Equality- Treat other’s status and ideas as equal to yours, allowing that person time to completely express his or her opinions. Evaluate all ideas fairly and logically, without regard to ownership

Front 36

Explain each of the five basic behaviors (Last two)

Back 36

Empathy- Try to experience the other person’s feelings and point of view, using expressions as “I appreciate how you feel…”

Supportiveness- Let the other person know you want to find a resolution that will benefit you both. Describe the specifics you have difficulty understanding, without evaluation or judging them. Support the other person’s position when it makes sense to do so.

Positiveness- Be positive about the other person and your relationship. Express your willingness to work toward a resolution that will be feasible for everyone

Front 37

Identify the eight symptoms of Groupthink

Back 37

1. Illusion of invulnerability
2. Rationale
   
3. Morality
4. Stereotypes
5. Pressure
6. Self-Censorship
7. Unanimity
8. Mind guards

Front 38

Explain the first four symptoms of Groupthink

Back 38

Illusion of invulnerability- members ignore obvious dangers, take extreme risk, and are overly optimistic. Causes them to fail to respond to clear warnings of danger.

Rationale- members construct rationalizations in order to discount warnings that might lead them to reconsider assumptions.

Morality- members ignore the ethical/moral consequences of their decisions because they believe it is morally correct

Stereotypes- the group constructs negative stereotypes outside of rivals outside the group

Front 39

Explain the last four symptoms of Groupthink

Back 39

Pressure- the group/someone applies direct pressure to anyone who expresses doubt towards the group’s shared illusions

Self-Censorship- members in disagreement with the path of the group keep quiet to avoid straying from the group's consensus

Unanimity- members believe everyone in the group agrees usually because of silence seen as consent

Mind guards- a member protects the group from adverse information that might break the complacency of the group

Front 40

What symptoms of Groupthink have you observed within your group or sponsoring organization?

Back 40

One symptom of Groupthink I have observed in our group was rationale. When we were speaking with professor Charest about our ice rink idea, we created rationales and forgot about the conflicts we should have been focused on. The conflict between the foundation and who we were dealing with within the organization was blindsided because we thought nothing was going wrong, we had just got approved to pursue a big part of our project.

Front 41

What recommendations would you make as to how Groupthink could be mitigated or avoided?

Back 41

To avoid Groupthink I believe we could have a group member play devil’s advocate more often than not to look at things from many different perspectives. Even if the perspective he/she brings up is not the actual perspective he/she agrees with.

Front 42

According to this article, what are the five myths and realities?

Back 42

Myth ----- Reality

1. Authority ----- Interdependency

2. Formal Authority ----- Everything but

3. Control ----- Commitment

4. Managing one-on-one ----- Leading the team

5. Keeping the operation in working order ----- Making the changes that will make the team perform better

Front 43

For each of the five realities, discuss the strategy to manage effectively and give an example.

To manage effectively... (first two)

Back 43

[Build relationships with people outside your group that your team depends on to do its work ]

Ex: A U.S. media company manager charged with setting up a new venture in Asia initiated regular meetings on regional strategy between executives from both businesses

[Demonstrate character, intending to do the right thing, managerial competence, listening more than talking, and influence, getting others to do the right thing]

EX: an investment bank manager won employees' respect by shifting from showing off his technical competence to asking them about their knowledge and ideas

Front 44

For each of the five realities, discuss the strategy to manage effectively and give an example.

To manage effectively... (last two)

Back 44

[Build commitment by empowering employees to achieve the teams gals - not ordering them]

EX: instead of demanding that people do things her way, a media manager insisted on clarity about team goals and accountability for agreed-upon objectives

[Pay attention to your team's overall performance. Use group-based forums for problem solving and diagnosis. Treat subordinates in an equitable manner]

EX: after granting a special parking spot to a veteran salesman- a move that ruffled other sales-people's feathers- a new sales manager began leading his entire team rather than trying to get along well with each individual

Front 45

According to Buckingham (What Great Managers Do) what are the three things (levers) you need to know about someone to manage them well?

Back 45

1. Make the most of strengths - An employee is very quick and organized so the boss gives him the task of restocking shelves and making it look nice
   
2. Trigger good performance - Give praises and compliments to people who are performing well
3. Tailor to learning styles - If someone is analytical and needs a lot of information to complete the task, give them the resources necessary. Don’t let them wing it
   

Front 46

How do the three things (levers) needed to know about someone to manage them well, relate to “playing chess”?

Back 46

Chess is about recognizing everybody’s strengths and adapting to make them the best employee possible.

Front 47

Explain the five conversations on how to preempt team conflict

Back 47

1. Look: Spotting the Difference
2. Act: Misjudging Behavior
   
3. Speak: Dividing the Language
4. Think: Occupying Different Mindsets
   
5. Feel: Charting Emotional
   

Front 48

Give an example for each of the five conversations on how you might use each in your future career.

Back 48

1. Look: In the beginning of the project, each member explains their personalities so no one is caught off guard
2. Act: Showing up 5 minutes late to a meeting may be disrespectful to one person, but to another it is normal
3. Speak: Giving everybody a cutoff on how long they can speak so everyone can voice opinions
4. Think: Make sure every team member understands the importance of the project
5. Feel: The way team members express themselves may be different and is an adjustment

Front 49

Who's got the Monkey.

- Discuss subordinate imposed time?

Back 49

It is a self-imposed time where managers agree to do something for a subordinate. It happens because employees ask a manager to solve a problem or help a solve a problem and the manager then has the monkey on his back. The manager is now taken away from his boss-imposed time.

Front 50

What are three specific examples of this from the “Case of Missing Time”?

Back 50

• Chet takes on the task of contacting an employee who is not showing up to work and find someone to replace him
• Chet continued to answer the phone while he was in a conference and it took away from what he was trying to accomplish in the meeting
• He took a tour of the plant and confronted an employee about his vacation times
  

Front 51

How can Chet Craig avoid having the monkey?

Back 51

Chet needs to listen to the employees but offer advice on the spot rather than taking the monkey and saying he will give them a response later

Front 52

• Give an example of an instance where you experienced having a monkey?
  
• What was the outcome?
  
• What could have been done differently?
  

Back 52

[Fill in after teammate has responded to question]