LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Critically analyse management practices in the Australasian context.

2. Understand organisational behaviour and management theory.

3. Critically analyse the underlying values of these theories.

4. Demonstrate knowledge of management theories and evaluate their impact on practical management decision making in the Australasian context

Essay Questions

1 Your textbook suggests that employees might resist change because of self-interest, misunderstanding and distrust, and a general intolerance for change. How can companies manage resistance to change? Outline the five ways to manage resistance to change that are outlined in your textbook.

2 Globalisation and doing business globally are significant issues for contemporary organisations. Define what is meant by Global Business. Identify the stages in the phase model of globalisation and explain the strengths and weaknesses inherent in each.

3 Job Specialisation uses standardised work procedures to have workers perform repetitive; precisely defined and simplified tasks. Explain why companies use this approach to job design. Using the Job Characteristics model, describe how specialised jobs can be modified to eliminate the boredom and low job satisfaction associated with them.

4 Keeping people focussed on their work and willing to make a positive contribution to the company is an important role of management. Define motivation and use a personal example to explain how reinforcement theory works. Include in your essay a discussion of Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Punishment and Extinction.

5 It is said that many companies are over managed and under led. Define leadership and explain what the path-goal theory of leadership is. Identify the four leadership styles of path-goal theory and explain when they are most appropriately used.

6 What are the steps of the Control Process? Describe the elements of the Control Process and explain how assignment assessment works at your university in terms of the Control Process.