1. If you compare Microsoft and Apple side-by-side, by any measure of business success (market capitalization, stock price, dividends, market ownership), Microsoft is much more successful. Nonetheless, Steve Jobs has been characterized as a great leader, but Bill Gates has not been so defined. In your opinion, why?
2. You are a hiring manager for an IT company. You have one position to fill and two candidates. Candidate one is a white male and candidate two is an Asian female. Candidate one is slightly more qualified than two-in fact you have some doubts whether candidate two is fully qualified. However, your company is under-represented by Asians and by women, based on the local labor pool. Your company has no complaints filed against it with the Equal Employment Opportunity Council. Which candidate do you hire? Why? What are the possible consequences?
3. Several months ago, Walgreen's announced a plan to move its corporate headquarters overseas to avoid corporate taxes. The estimated savings was estimated at $2 billion a year. Walgreen's stated that the move was in the best interest of its stockholders despite that fact that the move would result in the loss of a few jobs in the United States.
After the announcement, its stock price increased 12%. However, Walgreen's suffered a lot of abuse in traditional and social media. One week later, Walgreen's acquiesced and announced the cancellation of these plans. Its stock price fell.
While the debate over corporations moving offshore is political, there were clear business advantages. Do you believe that Walgreen's first decision was ethical? Why do you think Walgreen's management reverse course?
4. In May 2015, a business owner by the name of Dan Price changed his firm's pay policy. Here decided to pay every employee the same salary, $70,000. He even reduced his million dollar salary to that amount. His firm has experienced consequences that he did not foresee.
a. What theories that we have addressed in this course might have given him insight into the consequences of his action?
b. What would these theories have predicted?
5. Go to this URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg and review the comedy sketch, The Expert. What did you learn from this sketch?
6. What is the purpose of continuous process improvement?
7. What is the best continuous process improvement methodology? Defend your response.
8. List the four human hormones that affect human performance, attitudes, and outlook from a business perspective.
9. Describe your understanding of "autonomy, mastery, and purpose."
10. Do you consider yourself a "Type I" or a "Type X" person? Why?
11. Describe a policy or practice at your work or in school that has decreased your motivation to perform well.
12. What organizational structure do you consider the best? Why?
13. Are the leaders of the Mexican cartels good or bad examples of leadership? Why?