Management and Organisations in a Global Environment
Order Description
1. Choose 4 activities from week 6 to week 12 (only pick 1 activity from the week). Based on the activities, you are required actively to engage with the material by writing a short discussion of how the material that was prescribed relates to the topic(s) of this subject and how it relates to your own personal experience. In the blog, you mention any extra material relevant to the activity that you have researched on the net.
2. Each blog should be in two sections(200 words):
Section 1: lists the key ideas you have extracted from the prescribed activity.
Section 2: you apply those ideas to your own experience, to an organisation you know and to the topic(s) of this subject.
Instruction:
In the blog, you should address the following two sections:
(1) Section 1: list the key ideas you have extracted from the prescribed e-learning activity.
(2) Section 2: apply those ideas to your own experience, to an organisation you know and to the topic(s) of this subject.
Visit the following URLs, and use ‘Questions to consider’ to guide your thinking.
Week 6:
Activity 1: Linear Programming Word Problem
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ACJ9ewUC6U
Questions to consider:
1. What insights into rational decision making approach can you draw from this video?
2. What would be the limitations of linear programming?
3. In what kinds of situation could the linear programming be useful to decision making?
Week 7:
Activity 1: Management by Objectives (Prof. Fredmund Malik)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX7m8J-rGDc
Questions to consider:
1. Do you agree with Prof Malik’s views on objectives and planning? Why or why not?
Activity 2: PERT
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdDzybQ_9vM (Watch only the first 15:40 for Critical Path Method)
Questions to consider:
1. From watching the video clip, can you identify the benefits of using critical path for planning?
Week 8:
Activity 1: Product Life Cycle
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edug_Z2mACc
Questions to consider:
1. Identify at least one product that fits into each stage of the Product Life Cycle.
Activity 2: THE ANSOFF MATRIX
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORoMxgp428 (Watch only the first 4 minutes)
Questions to consider:
1. Can you think of some examples of organisations diversifying the product (service) offerings or diversifying into other markets?
Week 9:
Activity 1: Hawthorne Studies
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7RHjwmVGhs&list=PLOyGniZzYVh-qFD_vAJq96YlLdnp_pznP
Questions to consider:
1. Explain in your own words the main findings of Hawthorne Studies.
2. Based on Hawthorne studies, explain how norms and status exert influence on an individual’s behaviour.
Activity 2: Repatriation Integration Program
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vISO9Hldhv0
Questions to consider:
1. Identify the challenges that repatriated employees and their employers face upon their return to home country.
2. What should the repatriation integration program entail to address the logistical and psychological concerns of the repatriated employees?
Week 10:
Activity 1: Hertzberg’s Theory of Motivation
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ub8R5c6tkE
Questions to consider:
1. Explain the key concepts of Hertzberg theory of motivation.
2. Explain how would use the finding of the Hertzberg theory of motivation to motivate your workers in a fast food industry?
Activity 2: Employee Motivation: Expectancy Theory
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zd5m8V9No0
Questions to consider:
1. After watching the videos, how do you use this theory to motivate yourself?
2. What are the strengths and weakness of this theory?
Week 11:
Activity 1: Igniting creativity to transform corporate culture
URL: Catherine Courage at TEDxKyoto 2012 http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Igniting-creativity-to-transf-2
Questions to consider:
1. Do you agree with Catherine’s view on creative thinking – i.e., it is our birth right and we should learn to be creative drawing on our childhood?
2. How practical are her approaches to bringing creativity to workplace?
Activity 2: Lead and be the change
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv-QiSvuLLM
Questions to consider:
1. Have you experienced an emotional rollercoaster when faced with a radical change, as described by Professor Mueller-Eberstein in the video? Discuss how the Theory of Transition may be applied to your experience.
2. Can you relate Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model to Professor Mueller-Eberstein tips for successful change management
Week 12
Activity 1: Law of Requisite Variety
URL: (First 3 minutes only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu9yMq4z2cA
Question to consider:
1. Discuss the dangers of not applying the Law of Requisite Variety to organisational control systems.
Activity 2: Privacy Rights vs. Employee Tracking
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-mqdz-20Xs
Question to consider:
1. What is your view of this issue with protecting privacy rights of individual employees?