Chap#1 Managing the Virus Hunters 1.

Keeping professionals excited about work that can be routine and standardized and chaotic is a major challenge for Vincent Weafer. How could he use technical, human, and conceptual skills to maintain an environment that encourages innovation and professionalism among the virus hunters? Technical skills are job-specific knowledge and techniques needed to proficiently perform specific tasks. Finding employees who have the diverse and highly refined technical skills needed by Symantec challenges Weafer to recruit individuals from around the globe. As he says, If you find them in any part of the world, you just go after them. Using human skills, including strong communication skills and understanding of different cultures, Weafer creates a work environment where employees respect and trust management and one another. This trust facilitates the teamwork needed to solve problems and produce innovative products. The conceptual skills needed by every manager can be used by Weafer to envision the big picture for Symantec and influence and empower his employees to follow the organizations mission. As he leads by example, Weafer fosters both innovation and professionalism among the virus hunters at Symantec. 2. What management roles would Vincent be playing as he (a) had weekly security briefing conference calls with coworkers around the globe, (b) assessed the feasibility of adding a new network security consulting service, (c) kept employees focused on the companys commitments to customers? Mintzbergs ten managerial roles are broadly grouped into three categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. As he conducts weekly conference calls with employees around the globe, Vincent Weafer plays the information role of disseminator, which is essential in coordinating work activities among employees who work in international locations. When Vincent assesses the feasibility of adding a new network security consulting service, he performs the decisional roles of entrepreneur and resource allocator. Keeping employees focused on the companys commitments to customers involves the interpersonal roles of figurehead, leader, and liaison. His effectiveness in playing interpersonal roles is a key determinant of Vincents ability to motivate his employees to achieve company goals in a dynamic industry. 3. Go to Symantecs Web site [www.symantec.com] and look up information about the company. What can you tell about its emphasis on customer service and innovation? In what ways does the organization support its employees in servicing customers and in being innovative? Visiting Symantecs Web site, students can clearly see that Symantec is focused primarily on the customer. The Corporate Responsibility link highlights the companys belief in the importance of customer service and

innovation by first stating: We are customer driven; we earn trust; we innovate; we take action. Named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Business Ethics magazine for five consecutive years, Symantec demonstrates its commitment to customers, employees, and to other stakeholders through responsible business practices. The company presents its annual Visionary Awards to Symantec customers around the world in recognition of their application of technology to minimize IT risk and achieve major organizational goals. Symantecs dedication to its employees is evidenced by the atmosphere of trust and empowerment and the companys inclusion in Fortune magazines Best Companies to Work For. 4. What could other managers learn from Vincent Weafer and Symantecs approach? Both managers of goods-producing companies and managers of services organizations could benefit from emulating Symantecs example of commitment to diversity and an inclusive work environment. The strength gained by the company through the diversity of over 15,500 employees around the globe is reflected in a statement on the corporate Web site: Our diversity is our greatest strength and is a business imperative tied directly to our bottom line. Other managers could learn the value of innovation and a strong emphasis on people as a key to organizational success.

Chap#2 Threads of History 1. How might principles of scientific management be useful to Springs Industries? How about the quantitative approach? Aspects of scientific managementthe use of the scientific method to define the one best way for a job to be doneare used to streamline production processes at Springs Industries. As managers at Springs Industries analyze the work tasks that must be performed, hire the most qualified workers, and establish incentive systems based on output, they are engaging in scientific management to improve production efficiency. Quantitative techniques are used at Springs Industries to help managers make decisions such as scheduling and budgeting. Quantitative techniques are used by production managers as they address quality control in their efforts to eliminate variances in the quality of the companys products. How might knowledge of organizational behavior help the companys frontline supervisors manage their employees? Would the CEO and other top managers need to understand OB: Why or why not? Since front-line managers directly supervise workers, these managers must have knowledge and skills in a variety of aspects of organizational behavior, including organizational communication and an understanding of a variety of personalities and perceptions. The CEO and other top managers must have knowledge and skills related to organizational behavior in order to

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communicate the companys vision and to influence managers on every level to lead employees in following the mission of the organization. 3. Using Exhibit 2-6, describe Springs Industries as a system. Springs Industries is an open system, sensitive to its external environment (for example, the needs and wants of its customers and suppliers). The company also responds to needs in its internal environment as it implements programs to provide comprehensive employee benefits and train and develop its employees in areas such as diversity and workplace safety. (In a recent year, Springs Industries earned 114 safety awards, 55 of which were National Safety Council Awards.) The company employs about 20,000 people worldwide and has formed a joint venture to compete on a global scale. Using information from the companys Web site, what values does this company embrace that might be important for successful organizations in the twenty-first century? The Web site of Springs Industries (www.springs.com) features a link entitled Our Values, where the company presents and explains the following core values: Quality; Service; Education; Personal and Family Well-Being; Respect for History; Planning for the Future; and Creativity. Describing the importance of quality, Industries writes: Our vision of quality calls us to set the standard, whether in the products we make, the level of service we deliver to customers, or the manner in which we live.

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Chap#3 A Perfect Response to an Imperfect Storm 1. Using Exhibit 3-2, describe the culture at Mississippi Power. Why do you think this type of culture might be important to an electric power company? On the other hand, what might be the drawbacks of such a culture? Mississippi Powers culture appears to be high in attention to detail, high in outcome orientation, high in people orientation, high in team orientation, low in aggressiveness, high in stability, and high in innovation and risk taking. These dimensions of organizational culture are important to an electric company, especially because of the potential life-and-death nature of the services it provides. Very few drawbacks exist in this kind of culture for a company of this type. While a strong level of outcome orientation might be detrimental in the culture of some companies, a high degree of outcome orientation enabled Mississippi Power to get the power back on, as illustrated in one crews decision to strip a generator off an ice machine to get a substation working. 2. Describe how you think new employees at Mississippi Power learn the culture. New Mississippi Power employees learn corporate culture by observing the dedication of managers who walk the talk and employees who demonstrate vital elements of the culture not only by their words, but also by their actions. Even before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, managers at Mississippi Power

formulated a large-scale disaster plan so that employees were able to respond quickly and effectively in a terrible disaster. Employees thus saw their leaders epitomize the can-do organizational culture that the company espouses. New employees also learn the culture as they are empowered to find solutions and make decisions in a decentralized decision-making environment. The unquestionable trust of their supervisors that is experienced by employees of Mississippi Power enables them to get the job done, even in the direst of emergencies. Again, experiencing these elements of the cultural climate instead of merely reading about them or hearing them spoken helps employees to learn, value, and support the culture themselves. 3. What stakeholders might be important to Mississippi Power? What concerns might each of these stakeholders have? Would these stakeholders change if there was a disaster to which the company had to respond? Stakeholders include individual and corporate customers, suppliers, competitors, and all groups and community members served in ordinary times. Lost power creates life-and-death situations for many stakeholders, including the very young, senior citizens, and persons with health concerns. In a disaster when crews from other states are called in to assist the affected region, stakeholders could include the above groups in those crews states as well as in the home state. What could other organizations learn from Mississippi Power about the importance of organizational culture? By observing and studying the response of Mississippi Power in Hurricane Katrina, organizations of all types can learn about the importance of a proactive organizational culture that encourages contingency planning, teamwork, enacted values, empowerment of employees in the decisionmaking process, and the value of trust between and among employees and management.

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Chap#5 Youve Got Questions. . . 1. Evaluate this situation from the viewpoint of David Edmondsons ethical leadership. What could Radio Shack have done differently? As students learn in their study of Chapter Five, managers can do a number of things to promote an ethical environment in the workplace. The most effective component of an ethical culture is the example enacted by the manager as he/she leads by example. Edmondsons failure to lead ethically and his violation of Radio Shacks written code of ethics conveys leaderships lack of respect for the ethical standards espoused by the company. Radio Shack could have missed a crucial opportunity to communicate the companys sincerity in upholding ethical standards on the day when Edmondson admitted having lied about his educational background in a conference call with investors. Radio Shack could have announced his dismissal immediately.

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What stakeholders might be impacted by this situation? What concerns might each stakeholder have had? Were any of the stakeholders concerns in conflict with each other? Explain. What impact might this have had on employees? Virtually all stakeholders of Radio Shack were impacted by this situation, including customers, employees, shareholders, and suppliers. Internal stakeholders would certainly be concerned with organizational economic factors such as profits and returns on investments, job security, and corporate image and reputation. The confidence of the companys suppliers in the integrity and dependability of Radio Shack might be diminished and could affect suppliers willingness to conduct business with the corporation. Shareholders concerns about the uncertainty caused by changes in leadership could conflict with their desire for a stability that might improve corporate profits. Ultimately, the impact that this situation had on employees is one of the most destructive elements of the situation, since the trust in leadership that is vital to a strong ethical environment was severely damaged. Do you think the boards decision to fire Edmondson was tough, as Len Roberts suggested? Why or why not? Why do you think Mr. Roberts would have described this decision as such? In announcing that the resignation was mutual and was a tough decision, Roberts may have attempted to ameliorate the negativity of the situation and make Edmondsons actions appear to be a milder breach of ethics than they were. In giving Edmondson the severance package that he received, the companys action could hardly be viewed as tough by most stakeholders. What impact do you think the companys severance package to Mr. Edmondson might have? The components of the severance package that were revealed by Radio Shack, including the cash payout worth at least $1.03 million, payments for accrued and unpaid vacation and salary, four months of insurance coverage, and stock option rights, contradict the actions that an ethical organization should take when ethical standards are breached. Radio Shacks severance package to Edmondson communicates the companys unwillingness to punish ethical offenders, regardless of their position, and weakens the force of their code of ethics for all employees. Could an organization ever prevent a situation like this from happening? Why or why not? What could they do? How could the companys Code of Ethics play a role? (Go to the companys Web site [www.radioshack.com] and take a look at its Code.) To reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of such situations, an organization can follow the guidelines students are learning in their study of this chapter. As pointed out by the text authors, a combination of practices, including leading by example, communicating and reinforcing a written code of ethics, and publicly reprimanding rule breakers on a consistent basis contributes to ethical business conduct. Employees on every level of the company should be encouraged to give input during the composition of the organizations code of

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ethics. When employees are empowered to participate in this process, they may be more likely to follow the standards in the companys ethics code. 6. In the March 2004 issue of Wired magazine, it reported that 44 percent of Americans lie about their work history. Whats your reaction to this statistic? What problems can lying on a resume create for an organization? Encourage your students to voice their reactions to this statistic. You might ask students who have already studied resume writing in their business communication classes to share what they have learned about the importance of truthfulness throughout the job search process, including job interviews. Have your students research articles addressing this issue. (For example, see article written by Carol Kleiman at [http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-05/03-01-05/l02ca950.htm].) During a later class meeting, you may want to ask your students to share their findings and their opinions with classmates.

Chap#6 Fast Company 1. How do you think good decision making has contributed to the success of NASCAR? The decisions made by the management of NASCAR have been carefully considered since the founding of the company in 1948 by Big Bill France Sr. His grandson Brian carries on the legacy today as chairman and CEO of NASCAR. As the companys top manager, Brian France uses the steps in the decision-making process to adapt to a changing environment while preserving strengths that have contributed to the phenomenal growth and success of NASCAR. In identifying problems, for example, Brian gathers information from a variety of sources and secures the resources necessary for taking action. Since NASCAR remains a privately held company, the number of its stockholders is much smaller than would be the case if it were a publicly held firm, but Brian is still clearly mindful of the interests of all of the stakeholders of the company when he contemplates alternatives to use in making corporate decisions. 2. A decision to go after a new market as Brian is doing is a major decision. How could he have used the decision-making process to help make this decision? It is clear that Brian is using the eight-step decision-making process in reaching the decision to expand his target market. He faces a two-fold problem: holding the loyalty of the companys current fans and, at the same time, building a more diverse customer base. After identifying the companys problem, Brian must apply decision criteria that are consistent with the companys philosophy and goals. Once the decision alternative has been selected and implemented, it must be followed through and monitored through customer feedback. Much of NASCARs historical success can be attributed to managements responsiveness to its loyal customers, and one

can expect that the companys leadership will actively seek this customer feedback for its decisions now and in the future. 3. What criteria do you think would be most important to Brian as he makes decisions about the companys future? These criteria would include maintaining the viability of the firm; retaining the brand loyalty of NASCAR devotees; ensuring responsible corporate behavior, including car and driver safety; maintaining high quality products and services; and remaining true to the companys philosophy of origin. Would you characterize the conditions surrounding NASCAR as conditions of certainty, risk, or uncertainty? Explain your choice. Elements of all three conditions can be found. Conditions of certainty exist in the importance of adapting to changing times and changing demographics and being a socially responsible company. The element of risk can be seen as Brian considers changes that threaten to erode his customer base and the support of NASCARs sponsors and advertisers, while attracting new markets. The NASCAR organization must make decisions under the condition of uncertainty when it considers factors in the external environment of the future over which it has little control, including the national economy, government regulations, and competing entertainment industries. What could Brian learn from the concept of highly reliable organizations to help him be a better decision maker? Brian is learning several important concepts associated with HROs. As he prepares the NASCAR organization to adapt to changing times, he is leading proactively and is not being tricked by . . . success. He remains alert to potential problems and acts quickly and early to prevent them. He recognizes and studies the complexity of the changing business environment in which his company operates and is open to consideration of a variety of alternatives. NASCARs leadership anticipates, but also anticipates its limits, as top management thinks by acting and uses decisiveness after careful consideration of the steps in the decision-making process.

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Chap#7 Building for the Future 1. What role do you think goals might play in a companys planning for any potential bird flu outbreak? List some goals that you think might be important. Goals play a substantial role in an organizations planning for emergency situations. The goals of maintaining the viability of a company and making provisions for a safe and healthy workplace require both short-range and long-range planning. As Deutsche Bank has realized, additional goals might include ensuring that employees in infected zones do not carry the disease to their co-workers, communicating medical news updates to company employees in all of the companys locations, and preparing for economic slowdowns.

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What types of plans might companies need for this situation? (For instance, short term, long term, or both?) Explain why you think these plans would be important. Planning involves defining the organizations goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals, and developing a comprehensive set of plans to integrate and coordinate organizational work. Preparing for a possible catastrophic pandemic requires both short-term and long-term planning. First and foremost, managers must be aware of and alert to such possibilities and proactively make the necessary plans, including contingency plans. You may want to direct your students to the article If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail, by Representative Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). This article strikingly communicates the urgency of the need for organizational planning under the threat of avian influenza and is an example of the type of information every manager should know. The article can be found in the July 14, 2006, issue of The Hill at [http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/ 111505/lowy.html].

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How does this scenario reflect planning in a dynamic environment? What would managers need to do to make their planning effective in such an environment? HBSC has already made arrangements for its employees to work from their homes in case of a pandemic and is planning to divide work among the companys different locations. In order to have timely contingency plans, managers must keep abreast of medical developments and adjust their plans accordingly. They will need to remain alert to changes in the environment and establish mechanisms to examine their plans regularly. What could other businesses learn from Deutsche Banks and HSBCs experiences? Other businesses can learn from the proactive approach these two organizations are using in planning for the future. Deutsche Bank and HSBC could serve as a model for other companies in the way they have faced a frightening possibility straightforwardly, rather than simply hoping that it will not occur. Both organizations have used creative thinking and innovation in making plans and have carefully considered the welfare of their employees in the planning process. Pick a company (any size, any kind, or any location) and describe how an influenza pandemic might affect it. Now, develop plans for this company to deal with such an outbreak. You may want to divide your class into several teams and use this activity as a group exercise. Encourage your students to think creatively in developing their companys plans to combat the effects of an influenza outbreak. Remind students that they will want to make both short-term and long-term plans in this situation.

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