1-43. Go to Symantec’s 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 serving customers and in being innovative?

Answer: Symantec was founded in 1982 by visionary computer scientists. The company has evolved to
become one of the world’s largest software companies. They provide security, storage and systems
managing.

Management solutions to help their customers – from consumers and small businesses to the largest
global organizations – to secure and manage their information-driven world against more risks at more
points, more completely and efficiently than any other company.

THEIR EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND INNOVATION

Their main perspective is to focus on Customer satisfaction and Innovation. They remain committed to
provide better solutions and secure information management more completely and in much efficient
and effective way.

Organization supports there employs in number of ways. They have an entrepreneurial corporate
culture that encourages innovation and empowers employees to respond quickly to strategic
opportunities. They strive to support their employees in the use of their time, energy and financial
resources to make their communities better places in which to live

Customer service

Customer driven strategies are there main focusing points at any level of the organization from top to
frontline. Both management and co-workers prioritize the fact that they have to provide best solutions
for their customers. There vital work is governed and guided by a set of core values.

Innovation

Symantec’s strategy of open innovation focuses on delivering the best solutions to its customers –
whether those solutions come as a result of building them internally, developing them with technology
partners or acquiring them outright.

1-42. What management roles would operation managers Patrick Fitzgerald is playing as he (a) had
weekly security briefing conference calls with co-workers around the globe. (b) Assessed the
feasibility of adding a new network security consulting service, and (c) Kept employees focused on the
company’s commitments to customers?

Answer: According to the conditions Patrick Fitzgerald has played following roles respectively.

(a) Patrick fitzgerald has played Interpersonal role as he worked as a figurehead, leader, liaison as he
was obliged to perform number of duties he motivates and gathered many students and develop
relations with them and also informational role as he act as a monitor, spokesman and a disseminator as
he maintains personal contacts with others and by sharing stuff with them.

(b) Patrick Fitzgerald has approached towards Decisional role as he worked as a disturbance handler
while gathering solutions for the problem and resource allocator while dividing the work in specialized
groups and giving them tasks according to their nature of job.

(c) Patrick Fitzgerald played interpersonal role here as he worked as a figurehead while gathering
everyone on same platform and then as a leader as he provoked his employees to focus on company’s
commitments to provide better security updates to the customers.

1-44. What could other managers learn from the Patrick Fitzgerald and Symantec’s approach?

Answer: Following points can be learnt from Patrick Fitzgerald and Symantec’s approach

1) Enhances teamwork, promoting honesty, a forthright approach, respect for the individual and reward
for innovation and creativity.

2) Disturbance handling and problem solving with the best allocation of resources.

3) Creating Customer focusing strategies.

4) Time Management.

5) Monitoring and improving services.

6) Create Lasting Customer and Partner Loyalty.

7) How to work with diverse people.

8) Maintains efficiency.

1-40. Keeping professionals excited about work that is routine and standardized and chaotic is a major
challenge for Symantec managers. How could they use technical, human, and conceptual skills to
maintain an environment that encourages innovation and professionalism among the virus hunters?
What managerial competencies might be important for these managers and why?

Answer: Symantec Managers applies following techniques that encourage innovation and
professionalism among the virus hunters.

1- Firstly, they divided work into smaller and specialized groups to perform in much better way.
2- To attain professionalism they then focuses on efficient working. As the work keeps on moving and
never stopped.

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 and for Symantec managers to recruit individuals from around the globe. As Patrick
Fitzgerald 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,
Symantec managers 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 to envision the “big picture” for Symantec
and influence and empower his employees to follow the organization’s mission. As they lead by
example, Symantec managers foster both innovation and professionalism among the virus hunters at
Symantec.

Competencies importance of Symantec managers:

1. Supervising Others

Managing others can be a challenge for the new supervisor who has not had management experience.
Training new managers on what to do, as well as what not to do, can help to minimize issues related to
supervising others.

4. Communication Skills

Managers need to have good written and verbal communication skills to effectively manage employees.
Additionally, there needs to be a structured communication processes to filter information throughout
the organization.

5. Manage Performance

To effectively manage employees, managers need to understand the basics of managing performance to
do this successfully, managers need to do the following:

 Set clear expectations for job assignments.

 Write and monitor employee goals

 Hold employees accountable for job responsibilities and achieving goals.

 Reward employees for doing a good job.

 Mentor, coach and discipline employees when necessary.

6. Interviewing Skills

Having the ability to identify the right person for open positions helps to ensure the organization secures
the best talent for the job.

Leaders and managers need to have basics interviewing skills. This includes:

 Being prepared for interviews.

 Becoming familiar with the job that the candidate is interviewing for.

 Reviewing job candidate resumes and job applications.

 Identifying the best questions to ask in the interview

7. Team Building

Leaders need to be able to build strong teams that rally around the mission and vision of the
organization.

This necessitates managers to have basic team leader skills that help them develop teams,
minimize team conflict and manage team dynamics.