Assignment
Learning Activity 1
For businesses to succeed they must maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The key to doing so has changed over the last century as demonstrated in our discussion in week one of the 21st century business environment and its challenges. In theme one, we take a closer look at ways managers create competitive edge in the 21st century organization.
Scenario:
You have been hired by Baltimore Spring Waters, Inc. (BSW) as a management consultant. In the face of worldwide water supply shortages, the growing demand for bottled water has management at BSW concerned about the future of the business. The company wants to remain competitive as far as price but knows that sourcing difficulties will make this challenge harder to do. The question posed to you as the consultant is how can BSW managers help the company maintain their competitive edge? Use this week's course material and the articles from week one on 21st century organizations to answer this question for BSW.
Learning Activity 2
The challenge for the manager in the 21st century is to merge the traditional functions of a manager to include the new demands of workplace life. The change of value regarding human resources to the organization coupled with technology is shifting the design of organizations towards "boundaryless" and flat organizational structures. In this theme, we examine Fayol's five functions of management as well as the 14 lesser functions of management upon which many management models are based today and how they are challenging the constructs of 21st century management to create tension in the workplace.
Read the following articles on big business' break with telecommuting and managing with technology. Examine the role of Fayol's pillars of management and how they may conflict or conversely fit with contemporary organizations and management theories. Explain comprehensively why and how a manager might reconcile happily the two approaches to management.
Working from home: how Yahoo, Best Buy and HP are making moves
The role of informational technology in virtual management theory
Examine the role of Fayol's pillars of management and how they may conflict or conversely fit with contemporary organizations and management theories. Explain comprehensively why or how a manager might reconcile happily the two approaches to management.