FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT AND ROLES OF
MANAGEMENT
Assignment Overview
For this first Case Assignment
we will be looking at one of the worlds largest and most profitable
corporationsMicrosoft. With more than 100,000 employees and revenues of $80
billion per year, the company must carefully manage its extensive operations
using all four functions of management. Maintaining its position at the top in
a highly competitive industry requires careful strategic planning. Watching its
operations in more than 100 countries also requires a strong control function. Also,
its new CEO has some big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of
Microsofts legendary founder and first CEO, Bill Gates.
Do some research on Microsoft
and find out what you can about its planning, organizing, leading, and
controlling. There are a huge number of articles out there on Microsoft, so be
selective in what you read and focus only on articles directly relevant to
these four functions. Here are some articles to get you started that cover
aspects of these four functions at Microsoft:
Wingfield, N. (2013, Jul 12).
Microsoft overhauls, the apple way. New York Times.
Nakashima, R. (2014, Feb 24).
Microsoft CEO’s collaborative approach contrasts bombast of former top exec. Telegraph-Journal.
Kim, J. (2013). Microsoft
caught in FCPA spotlight. Newton: Questex Media Group LLC.
Menezes, B. (2014, Feb 06).
Nadella to make MS ‘tangible’. DNA : Daily News & Analysis
Case Assignment
Once you have finished doing
your research on Microsoft, write a 3- to 4-page paper addressing the following
issues:
1.
Give at least one specific example each of planning, organizing,
leading, and controlling at Microsoft.
2.
Of these four functions of management, which one do you think is
the most important for Microsofts strong success? Explain your
reasoning.
Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

See our guidelines for more detail on referencing and writing
expectations: .trident.edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf”>Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper
For the Session Long Project
(SLP) this session you will be applying what youve learned to an organization
that you are personally familiar with. Choose an organization that you are
currently working for, have worked for in the past, or are otherwise personally
familiar with. The papers that you will write for each module will require a
fair amount of detail about the four functions of management, so it is
important to choose an organization that you know well.
For this assignment write a 23
page summary explaining how your organization uses the four functions of
managementplanning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Make sure to have at
least one paragraph devoted to each of these four functions and how your organization
uses this function.
As a reminder:
Planning
During this process,
organizations develop visions, goals, and objectives. They select strategies to
reach their vision and meet goals and objectives.
Organizing
During this stage,
organizations select organization design and structures that enable them to
implement strategies.
Leading
This process refers to
leadership, meaning the styles leaders use to fulfill their functions.
Controlling
This process monitors if
strategies are on track and deadlines are met.
SLP Assignment Expectations

Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps
listed in the instructions.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 2 – Case
PLANNING
Assignment
Overview
Tesla Motors is a unique
company that manufacturers automobiles that run 100 percent on electricity. The
company has received a lot of attention in the media. In spite of loans from
the federal government and various tax advantages given to alternative fuel
vehicle manufacturers, the company has had huge ups and downs and has come
close to bankruptcy at least once. However, it has recently had enough success
to repay a large loan from the government.
Initially Tesla only produced
expensive sports cars that only the very rich could afford, but the company is
now expanding into producing more cost-effective vehicles. In spite of recent
successes, Tesla does face many hurdles. It is a relatively small company
compared to the worlds major auto manufacturers. It faces competition from
hybrid vehicles that are much cheaper, such as the Toyota Prius. Nissan has
even come out with a relatively inexpensive fully electric vehiclethe Leaf.
Consumers may also be unwilling
to face the inconvenience of a fully electric vehicle. There are few recharging
stations compared with gas stations in the United States, and it takes far
longer to recharge an electric vehicle than to fill a vehicle up with gas. So
while there is large public support for environmentally friendly vehicles that
will lower our dependence on foreign oil, Tesla faces many obstacles and must
carefully plan its future in order to compete with the large auto companies and
expand its consumer base.
Do some research on Tesla and
the market for electric vehicles and see what you can find regarding Teslas
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Here are a couple of
articles to get you started:
Tilley, P. (2014, Feb 20).
Tesla Motors offers the epitome of automobile innovation. The Dispatch[Available
on ProQuest]
Rechtin, M. (2014). Tesla’s
biggest test. Automotive News, 88(6603). [ProQuest]
Mandel, D. (2013). The great
Tesla bubble. Automotive News, 88(6590) [Available on ProQuest]
Case
Assignment
Once you have completed your
research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following items:
1.
Conduct a SWOT analysis of Tesla Motors with specific discussion
about what you think are the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats facing Tesla.
2.
Based on your SWOT analysis, give some recommendation for some
specific steps Tesla should take in order to grow and remain competitive.
Assignment
Expectations
o Answer
the assignment questions directly.
o Stay
focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote
a lot of space to general background materials.
o List
supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
o Use
appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).
o Review
Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on referencing and writing
expectations. This guide is found under My Resources in the TLC portal.
Module 2 – SLP
PLANNING
For the Module 2 SLP, you will
be continuing to focus on the organization you selected for your Module 1 SLP
and take a close look at strategic planning at this organization. You already
gave a brief overview of planning at your organization for your Module 1 SLP,
but now you will be taking a closer look at planning issues such as the
mission, vision, and goals of your organization and also do some strategic
planning and analysis of your organization.
For this assignment, first
review the background materials carefully, then write a 3-page paper covering
the following issues:
1.
What are the main strategic goals of your organization?
2.
Perform a strategic analysis of your organization using SWOT or
PEST analysis, and make some recommendations for your organization based on
your analysis.
SLP Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 3 – Case
ORGANIZING
Assignment Overview
Zappos Shoes, led by young CEO
Tony Hsieh, is well known for its non-traditional approaches to the workplace.
From the Background materials you should be familiar with traditional
organizational structures such as the hierarchical organization, the flat organization,
or the matrix organization. But CEO Hsieh plans an even more radical approach
to organizing his online shoe retailing company, called “holacracy.”
This is radical new approach involves eliminating hierarchies and even
eliminating job titles.
Many of you are used to working
in a hierarchical organization, so as you can see, this new form of
organization (or perhaps lack of organization) is a huge change over what
most of us are used to. But for purposes of this assignment we must decide
whether or not holacracy is likely to work for Zappos Shoes. This assignment
reflects the radical new ideas of a younger CEO like Tony Hsieh as compared
with more traditional structures found in the older and more established
structures in Fortune 500 companies.
Here are some readings on
Zappos and holacracy to get you started:
Frean, A. (2014, Jan 06). How
holacracy killed the hierarchy in companies going flat-out for success,The
Times[ProQuest]
Cook, D. (2014). Ready for
holacracy? Zappos says it is. Benefits Selling.Breaking News[ProQuest]
Shiers, L. (2010, 03). Touring
Zappos. Footwear Plus,, 52 [ProQuest]
Case Assignment
When you have finished
researching Zappos current business model and holacracy, write a 4- to 5-page
paper that answers the following questions:
1.
What risks and challenges does Zappos face in implementing
holacracy?
2.
Overall, what do you think the chances are of holacracy
succeeding at Zappos?
3.
Do you think holacracy would work with a traditional Fortune 500
company? Why or why not?
Assignment Expectations

Integrate readings on the concept of holacracy, Zappos Shoes
organizational structure, and on traditional forms of organization structure.

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references, and cite sources in proper format.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 3 – SLP
ORGANIZING
For this assignment, write a 2-
to 3-page paper analyzing aspects of Organizing at your selected organization.
Some of the key aspects to focus on in your paper include the following issues:
1.
How would you characterize the design of your organization? Is
it flat, or multilayered? Is it a rigid hierarchy, or does it use alternative
structures like team-based or matrix?
2.
Is decision making mostly centralized at the top, or is there
room for decentralized decision making at lower levels?
3.
What kind of departmentalization does your organization use? Is
it divided into functional divisions, geographical divisions, other divisions?
4.
What is the typical span of control for managers in your
organization? Is it broad or narrow?
5.
Are employees highly specialized, or do employees have a wide
range of tasks and responsibilities?
SLP Assignment Expectations

Discuss all five elements of organizational design listed in the
assignment instructions in the context of your organization.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 4 – Case
LEADING
Assignment Overview
Few CEOs have been subject to
as much criticism and attacks as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Most
famously, he was portrayed as the villain in the movie The Social Network.
Shareholders have complained about his leadership and failure to increase the
stock price of Facebook, and others have claimed he is socially inept and too
young and immature to be a CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation.
However, in spite of this
criticism Zuckerberg is inarguably one of the most successful CEOs and
entrepreneurs in corporate history. The small project that he created while he
was a college student has become world dominant in the social media business
and is still growing and expanding. So in spite of all of the criticism he
clearly has been a successful leader.
For this Case Assignment, do
some research in the online library and find out what you can about
Zuckerbergs leadership style. Take a look at the criticisms as well as what
you think he is doing right or what lead him to his strong success.
Here are a few articles to get
you started:
Facebook’s leadership: Time for
an update? (Jun. 13, 2010). The Washington Post. [Available on
ProQuest]
Bailey, B., & May, P.
(2014, Feb 03). Facebook at 10: Zuckerberg pushing for change. Oakland
Tribune. [ProQuest]
Lesley, C. T. (2012, Jan 27).
Job at Facebook not for sensitive types. Toronto Star. [ProQuest]
Case Assignment
Once you have finished your
research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following questions:

How would you describe Mark Zuckerbergs leadership style? Was
it transformational, transactional? Both, or neither? Explain your reasoning.

Consider both the positive and negative aspects of Zuckerbergs
leadership style. What is good, and what is detrimental to Facebook? Does the
good outweigh the bad?
Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Make sure to use reliable and credible sources as your references.
Articles published in established newspapers or business journals/magazines are
preferred. If you find articles on the Internet, make sure they are from a
credible source.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 4 – SLP
LEADING
In this section of the Session
Long Project, write a 2- to 3-page paper about one of your current or former
leaders.
Do not write about yourself,
even if you are a CEO or leader.
Analyze, using background
materials, leadership styles and the leader’s way of fulfilling functions of
management. Key concepts to be addressed are:

Did the leader empower the employees?

Was the leader authoritarian?

Was the leader transformational or transactional, or both?

What is the vision the leader created for the company or organization
you selected?

How did the leader motivate the workforce?

How did the leader communicate the company’s vision or
directions?
SLP Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.

Module 5 – Case
CONTROLLING
Assignment Overview
Of course having solid control
processes is essential for any successful organization. Some organizations like
to seek formal recognition for their control functions through independent
certifications such as ISO 9000. In order to receive ISO certification, you
need to extensively follow and document a long list of published standards and
then have an outside evaluator certify that you are meeting these standards.
ISO certification has both
proponents and critics. Proponents argue that meeting ISO standards through
certification will improve organizational control functions and also help
signal to the outside world that you are running a solid operation with high
standards. However, critics point to the huge amount of time and money spent on
documentation that may be excessive. Critics also say that ISO focuses on documentation
of processes rather than the actual quality/efficiency of the process.
For this assignment, first read
up on ISO certification and examine the arguments both for and against it. Then
read up on a new start-up company called Clinkle and consider whether or not
ISO 9000 would be appropriate for this new company to seek. Clinkle is new
online payment company that has received a lot of media attention recently but
has also had its ups and downs. It has raised a lot of money from investors but
is still at an early stage with no revenue yet.
Here are some articles on ISO
certification to get you started:
Seddon, J. (1997). Ten
arguments against ISO 9000, Managing Service Quality 7(4), pp.
162-168. [ProQuest]
Wahid, R., & Corner,
J. (2009). Critical success factors and problems in ISO 9000 maintenance.
The International Journal of
Quality & ReliabilityManagement 26 (9), pp. 881-893.
Here are some articles on
Clinkle to get you started:
Smart money follows mobile
payment app Clinkle (July 4, 2013). Irish Times, Dublin [ProQuest]
Clinkle raises $25 million in
seed financing as it prepares to change the way people transact. (June 27,
2013). Business Wire, New York [ProQuest]
Case Assignment
After doing research and
carefully considering whether or not ISO certification is the right option for
Clinkle, write a 4- to 5-page paper answering the following questions:
1.
What aspects of the control function of management do you think
should be the most important to Clinkle?
2.
What would be the main benefits to Clinkle of obtaining ISO
certification?
3.
What would be the main disadvantages to Clinkle of obtaining ISO
certification?
4.
Overall, should Clinkle invest time and money in ISO
certification, or are the resources better spent on other ways to maintain
control systems?
Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

Use reliable and credible sources as your references. Articles
published in established newspapers or business journals/magazines are
preferred. If you find articles on the Internet, make sure they are from a
credible source.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.
Module 5 – SLP
CONTROLLING
For this final SLP you will be
looking closely at the control function of management within your organization.
All organizations have numerous methods of control, but think carefully about
what control mechanisms are most vital for your organizations success. Then
write a 2- to 3-page paper answering the following question:

What control mechanisms at your organization are (or should be)
the most useful or important for the success of your organization?
Focus in particular on the core
technologies of the organization as applied to the control function of
management. You can discuss control efforts and strategies already utilized by
your company, and/or make recommendations that you believe would be useful for
your organization to consider.
Begin your essay with a thesis
statement in the introductory paragraph that identifies what you consider to be
the key organizational control efforts that are (or would be)
important to the success of your organization, and then develop a persuasive
essay to support your thesis.
Remember to use background
readings to support your key arguments and to cite and reference your sources.
Your goal is to convince your professor, who will require some
well-reasoned and well-supported arguments. Actual examples of control and
accountability systems in action and how they work in your organization will
also help to add support to your arguments, but you need to go beyond just
being descriptive and provide some convincing arguments in favor of your
position.
SLP Assignment Expectations

Answer the assignment questions directly and provide clear
arguments in favor of your answer.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background
material.

List supporting references and cite sources in proper format,
including in-text citations.

Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).

Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.For this first Case Assignment
we will be looking at one of the worlds largest and most profitable
corporationsMicrosoft. With more than 100,000 employees and revenues of $80
billion per year, the company must carefully manage its extensive operations
using all four functions of management. Maintaining its position at the top in
a highly competitive industry requires careful strategic planning. Watching its
operations in more than 100 countries also requires a strong control function. Also,
its new CEO has some big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of
Microsofts legendary founder and first CEO, Bill Gates.Do some research on Microsoft
and find out what you can about its planning, organizing, leading, and
controlling. There are a huge number of articles out there on Microsoft, so be
selective in what you read and focus only on articles directly relevant to
these four functions. Here are some articles to get you started that cover
aspects of these four functions at Microsoft:Wingfield, N. (2013, Jul 12).
Microsoft overhauls, the apple way. New York Times.Nakashima, R. (2014, Feb 24).
Microsoft CEO’s collaborative approach contrasts bombast of former top exec. Telegraph-Journal.Kim, J. (2013). Microsoft
caught in FCPA spotlight. Newton: Questex Media Group LLC.Menezes, B. (2014, Feb 06).
Nadella to make MS ‘tangible’. DNA : Daily News & AnalysisOnce you have finished doing
your research on Microsoft, write a 3- to 4-page paper addressing the following
issues:1.
Give at least one specific example each of planning, organizing,
leading, and controlling at Microsoft.2.
Of these four functions of management, which one do you think is
the most important for Microsofts strong success? Explain your
reasoning.
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
See our guidelines for more detail on referencing and writing
expectations: .trident.edu/files/Well-Written-Paper.pdf”>Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic PaperFor the Session Long Project
(SLP) this session you will be applying what youve learned to an organization
that you are personally familiar with. Choose an organization that you are
currently working for, have worked for in the past, or are otherwise personally
familiar with. The papers that you will write for each module will require a
fair amount of detail about the four functions of management, so it is
important to choose an organization that you know well.For this assignment write a 23
page summary explaining how your organization uses the four functions of
managementplanning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Make sure to have at
least one paragraph devoted to each of these four functions and how your organization
uses this function.As a reminder:PlanningDuring this process,
organizations develop visions, goals, and objectives. They select strategies to
reach their vision and meet goals and objectives.OrganizingDuring this stage,
organizations select organization design and structures that enable them to
implement strategies.LeadingThis process refers to
leadership, meaning the styles leaders use to fulfill their functions.ControllingThis process monitors if
strategies are on track and deadlines are met.
Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps
listed in the instructions.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.Tesla Motors is a unique
company that manufacturers automobiles that run 100 percent on electricity. The
company has received a lot of attention in the media. In spite of loans from
the federal government and various tax advantages given to alternative fuel
vehicle manufacturers, the company has had huge ups and downs and has come
close to bankruptcy at least once. However, it has recently had enough success
to repay a large loan from the government.Initially Tesla only produced
expensive sports cars that only the very rich could afford, but the company is
now expanding into producing more cost-effective vehicles. In spite of recent
successes, Tesla does face many hurdles. It is a relatively small company
compared to the worlds major auto manufacturers. It faces competition from
hybrid vehicles that are much cheaper, such as the Toyota Prius. Nissan has
even come out with a relatively inexpensive fully electric vehiclethe Leaf.Consumers may also be unwilling
to face the inconvenience of a fully electric vehicle. There are few recharging
stations compared with gas stations in the United States, and it takes far
longer to recharge an electric vehicle than to fill a vehicle up with gas. So
while there is large public support for environmentally friendly vehicles that
will lower our dependence on foreign oil, Tesla faces many obstacles and must
carefully plan its future in order to compete with the large auto companies and
expand its consumer base.Do some research on Tesla and
the market for electric vehicles and see what you can find regarding Teslas
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Here are a couple of
articles to get you started:Tilley, P. (2014, Feb 20).
Tesla Motors offers the epitome of automobile innovation. The Dispatch[Available
on ProQuest]Rechtin, M. (2014). Tesla’s
biggest test. Automotive News, 88(6603). [ProQuest]Mandel, D. (2013). The great
Tesla bubble. Automotive News, 88(6590) [Available on ProQuest]Once you have completed your
research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following items:1.
Conduct a SWOT analysis of Tesla Motors with specific discussion
about what you think are the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats facing Tesla.2.
Based on your SWOT analysis, give some recommendation for some
specific steps Tesla should take in order to grow and remain competitive.o Answer
the assignment questions directly.o Stay
focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote
a lot of space to general background materials.o List
supporting references and cite sources in proper format.o Use
appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).o Review
Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on referencing and writing
expectations. This guide is found under My Resources in the TLC portal.For the Module 2 SLP, you will
be continuing to focus on the organization you selected for your Module 1 SLP
and take a close look at strategic planning at this organization. You already
gave a brief overview of planning at your organization for your Module 1 SLP,
but now you will be taking a closer look at planning issues such as the
mission, vision, and goals of your organization and also do some strategic
planning and analysis of your organization.For this assignment, first
review the background materials carefully, then write a 3-page paper covering
the following issues:1.
What are the main strategic goals of your organization?2.
Perform a strategic analysis of your organization using SWOT or
PEST analysis, and make some recommendations for your organization based on
your analysis.
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.Zappos Shoes, led by young CEO
Tony Hsieh, is well known for its non-traditional approaches to the workplace.
From the Background materials you should be familiar with traditional
organizational structures such as the hierarchical organization, the flat organization,
or the matrix organization. But CEO Hsieh plans an even more radical approach
to organizing his online shoe retailing company, called “holacracy.”
This is radical new approach involves eliminating hierarchies and even
eliminating job titles.Many of you are used to working
in a hierarchical organization, so as you can see, this new form of
organization (or perhaps lack of organization) is a huge change over what
most of us are used to. But for purposes of this assignment we must decide
whether or not holacracy is likely to work for Zappos Shoes. This assignment
reflects the radical new ideas of a younger CEO like Tony Hsieh as compared
with more traditional structures found in the older and more established
structures in Fortune 500 companies.Here are some readings on
Zappos and holacracy to get you started:Frean, A. (2014, Jan 06). How
holacracy killed the hierarchy in companies going flat-out for success,The
Times[ProQuest]Cook, D. (2014). Ready for
holacracy? Zappos says it is. Benefits Selling.Breaking News[ProQuest]Shiers, L. (2010, 03). Touring
Zappos. Footwear Plus,, 52 [ProQuest]When you have finished
researching Zappos current business model and holacracy, write a 4- to 5-page
paper that answers the following questions:1.
What risks and challenges does Zappos face in implementing
holacracy?2.
Overall, what do you think the chances are of holacracy
succeeding at Zappos?3.
Do you think holacracy would work with a traditional Fortune 500
company? Why or why not?
Integrate readings on the concept of holacracy, Zappos Shoes
organizational structure, and on traditional forms of organization structure.
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references, and cite sources in proper format.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.For this assignment, write a 2-
to 3-page paper analyzing aspects of Organizing at your selected organization.
Some of the key aspects to focus on in your paper include the following issues:1.
How would you characterize the design of your organization? Is
it flat, or multilayered? Is it a rigid hierarchy, or does it use alternative
structures like team-based or matrix?2.
Is decision making mostly centralized at the top, or is there
room for decentralized decision making at lower levels?3.
What kind of departmentalization does your organization use? Is
it divided into functional divisions, geographical divisions, other divisions?4.
What is the typical span of control for managers in your
organization? Is it broad or narrow?5.
Are employees highly specialized, or do employees have a wide
range of tasks and responsibilities?
Discuss all five elements of organizational design listed in the
assignment instructions in the context of your organization.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.Few CEOs have been subject to
as much criticism and attacks as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Most
famously, he was portrayed as the villain in the movie The Social Network.
Shareholders have complained about his leadership and failure to increase the
stock price of Facebook, and others have claimed he is socially inept and too
young and immature to be a CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation.However, in spite of this
criticism Zuckerberg is inarguably one of the most successful CEOs and
entrepreneurs in corporate history. The small project that he created while he
was a college student has become world dominant in the social media business
and is still growing and expanding. So in spite of all of the criticism he
clearly has been a successful leader.For this Case Assignment, do
some research in the online library and find out what you can about
Zuckerbergs leadership style. Take a look at the criticisms as well as what
you think he is doing right or what lead him to his strong success.Here are a few articles to get
you started:Facebook’s leadership: Time for
an update? (Jun. 13, 2010). The Washington Post. [Available on
ProQuest]Bailey, B., & May, P.
(2014, Feb 03). Facebook at 10: Zuckerberg pushing for change. Oakland
Tribune. [ProQuest]Lesley, C. T. (2012, Jan 27).
Job at Facebook not for sensitive types. Toronto Star. [ProQuest]Once you have finished your
research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following questions:
How would you describe Mark Zuckerbergs leadership style? Was
it transformational, transactional? Both, or neither? Explain your reasoning.
Consider both the positive and negative aspects of Zuckerbergs
leadership style. What is good, and what is detrimental to Facebook? Does the
good outweigh the bad?
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Make sure to use reliable and credible sources as your references.
Articles published in established newspapers or business journals/magazines are
preferred. If you find articles on the Internet, make sure they are from a
credible source.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.In this section of the Session
Long Project, write a 2- to 3-page paper about one of your current or former
leaders.Do not write about yourself,
even if you are a CEO or leader.Analyze, using background
materials, leadership styles and the leader’s way of fulfilling functions of
management. Key concepts to be addressed are:
Did the leader empower the employees?
Was the leader authoritarian?
Was the leader transformational or transactional, or both?
What is the vision the leader created for the company or organization
you selected?
How did the leader motivate the workforce?
How did the leader communicate the company’s vision or
directions?
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.Of course having solid control
processes is essential for any successful organization. Some organizations like
to seek formal recognition for their control functions through independent
certifications such as ISO 9000. In order to receive ISO certification, you
need to extensively follow and document a long list of published standards and
then have an outside evaluator certify that you are meeting these standards.ISO certification has both
proponents and critics. Proponents argue that meeting ISO standards through
certification will improve organizational control functions and also help
signal to the outside world that you are running a solid operation with high
standards. However, critics point to the huge amount of time and money spent on
documentation that may be excessive. Critics also say that ISO focuses on documentation
of processes rather than the actual quality/efficiency of the process.For this assignment, first read
up on ISO certification and examine the arguments both for and against it. Then
read up on a new start-up company called Clinkle and consider whether or not
ISO 9000 would be appropriate for this new company to seek. Clinkle is new
online payment company that has received a lot of media attention recently but
has also had its ups and downs. It has raised a lot of money from investors but
is still at an early stage with no revenue yet.Here are some articles on ISO
certification to get you started:Seddon, J. (1997). Ten
arguments against ISO 9000, Managing Service Quality 7(4), pp.
162-168. [ProQuest]Wahid, R., & Corner,
J. (2009). Critical success factors and problems in ISO 9000 maintenance.The International Journal of
Quality & ReliabilityManagement 26 (9), pp. 881-893.Here are some articles on
Clinkle to get you started:Smart money follows mobile
payment app Clinkle (July 4, 2013). Irish Times, Dublin [ProQuest]Clinkle raises $25 million in
seed financing as it prepares to change the way people transact. (June 27,
2013). Business Wire, New York [ProQuest]After doing research and
carefully considering whether or not ISO certification is the right option for
Clinkle, write a 4- to 5-page paper answering the following questions:1.
What aspects of the control function of management do you think
should be the most important to Clinkle?2.
What would be the main benefits to Clinkle of obtaining ISO
certification?3.
What would be the main disadvantages to Clinkle of obtaining ISO
certification?4.
Overall, should Clinkle invest time and money in ISO
certification, or are the resources better spent on other ways to maintain
control systems?
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.
Use reliable and credible sources as your references. Articles
published in established newspapers or business journals/magazines are
preferred. If you find articles on the Internet, make sure they are from a
credible source.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.For this final SLP you will be
looking closely at the control function of management within your organization.
All organizations have numerous methods of control, but think carefully about
what control mechanisms are most vital for your organizations success. Then
write a 2- to 3-page paper answering the following question:
What control mechanisms at your organization are (or should be)
the most useful or important for the success of your organization?Focus in particular on the core
technologies of the organization as applied to the control function of
management. You can discuss control efforts and strategies already utilized by
your company, and/or make recommendations that you believe would be useful for
your organization to consider.Begin your essay with a thesis
statement in the introductory paragraph that identifies what you consider to be
the key organizational control efforts that are (or would be)
important to the success of your organization, and then develop a persuasive
essay to support your thesis.Remember to use background
readings to support your key arguments and to cite and reference your sources.
Your goal is to convince your professor, who will require some
well-reasoned and well-supported arguments. Actual examples of control and
accountability systems in action and how they work in your organization will
also help to add support to your arguments, but you need to go beyond just
being descriptive and provide some convincing arguments in favor of your
position.
Answer the assignment questions directly and provide clear
arguments in favor of your answer.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off
on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background
material.
List supporting references and cite sources in proper format,
including in-text citations.
Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization,
grammar, and spelling).
Review Trident’s Writing Style Guide for more detail on
referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under My Resources
in the TLC portal.