Ask Statistics and Probability Expert

Problem: Southwest Engineering Services

Donna Burke was a systems engineer at Southwest Engineering Services for five years when she was invited to participate in a project to develop a new type of software for the company. The project director was Ron Morrison, who had a reputation as a software whiz and rising star in the company. Donna was not sure why she was invited to work on this project, but she was very excited about it. She understood that the work would be important, and she knew that a successful project would also provide a big boost for her career in the company. Ron called a meeting the first day for the 12 people invited to be part of the project team. After introducing himself, Ron gave a short welcoming speech to the group. "All of you are here today because you have special skills that are essential for the success of this project. Each of you was recommended by your boss, and only the most qualified people in the company were invited to participate. As you know, the volume of business handled by Southwest Engineering has been growing steadily. The company needs a better type of decision support system for managing engineering projects in a way that will guarantee quality while keeping costs low. Southwest Engineering faces an increasingly competitive market, and this decision support system is essential for the company to remain profitable. Our objective is to develop a new and innovative system that is better than anything else currently available.

It is an extremely challenging assignment, but I believe we can pull it off if we have total commitment by every member of the team. If you are going to be part of this team, the project must take priority over everything else in your life for the next nine months. We will be working long days and even many weekends. If anyone has reservations about making a total commitment, there is still time to withdraw from the team. Please let me know your decision by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow." The next day, Donna and 10 other employees joined the team. The one person who declined to join had family health problems that would prevent him from working extra hours on the project. As the team plunged into the project, the work was even more intense than Donna had expected. On weekdays it was common to order in food and work late into the evening. Working Saturday mornings was taken for granted, and the team would often go to lunch together after finishing work on Saturdays. Ron had an attitude of enthusiasm and optimism that was contagious, and before long even the most cynical and unemotional member of the team was caught up in the excitement. Despite the long hours, the work was exhilarating because everyone knew that they were part of something that would change the way things are done in the company. Ron provided a clear picture of the specifications necessary for the new system, and this picture was important for guiding the work of team members and keeping them focused on the same objective. However, Ron did not dictate how the work should be done.

Team members were expected to use their expertise to determine how to do the work. Ron was available to provide guidance if asked, but he was careful not to impose himself when not needed. When someone was experiencing difficulties in doing a task, Ron was supportive and helpful. Nevertheless, it was clear that he would not tolerate less than a maximum effort. Ron pushed relentlessly for continued progress in the work. The team met regularly to evaluate progress and determine how to deal with obstacles and problems. Every member of the team had an opportunity to influence important decisions about the design of the software system, and the actual influence for a particular issue depended on one's expertise and quality of ideas rather than on status in the company or years of experience. An important part of Ron's job as project director was to make sure the team got the resources and assistance it needed from the company. Ron spent considerable time traveling to various company facilities to meet with key people whose support and cooperation were needed to design and implement the new system. Before leaving on these trips, Ron would ask a member of the team to carry out his internal leadership responsibilities. When it was her turn, Donna was at first apprehensive, but she found it to be an interesting and satisfying experience. As Ron debriefed her afterward, he encouraged her to consider a managerial position at Southwest Engineering in her career plans. At one point during the fourth month, the team became discouraged over a series of setbacks involving some persistent technical problems. Ron called a meeting to give them a pep talk.

He said to them, "I know you are discouraged about these setbacks, but it happens in any project that is breaking new ground. We have made tremendous progress, and I am really proud of what you have accomplished so far. I am confident we can overcome this latest obstacle and make the project a success. Let's take the rest of the day off to give ourselves a little rest and meet again tomorrow to discuss some new ideas for integrating the system components." The following week the team figured out an innovative way to deal with the obstacle. They celebrated this breakthrough with a party at Ron's house. The project was completed three months later, which was several weeks earlier than the original deadline. The project was a great success, and they felt tremendous pride in what they accomplished. A final celebration party was held before people dispersed back to their regular units or to new projects. Afterward, Donna and another team member reminisced about their experiences. Donna gave Ron much credit for being a fantastic coach and facilitator, and she hoped to have the opportunity to work with him again on another project. However, she also realized that their success was a team effort that could not have been accomplished without the significant contributions of all the team members and their willingness to cooperate and put the needs of the project above individual self-interests.

Questions: 1. Describe the leadership behaviors Ron used and their influence on the attitudes and behavior of the team members.

2. Compare this cross-functional project team to a self-managed operations team by identifying similarities and differences in the leadership roles.

Statistics and Probability, Statistics

  • Category:- Statistics and Probability
  • Reference No.:- M92495536
  • Price:- $15

Priced at Now at $15, Verified Solution

Have any Question?


Related Questions in Statistics and Probability

Introduction to epidemiology assignment -assignment should

Introduction to Epidemiology Assignment - Assignment should be typed, with adequate space left between questions. Read the following paper, and answer the questions below: Sundquist K., Qvist J. Johansson SE., Sundquist ...

Question 1 many high school students take the ap tests in

Question 1. Many high school students take the AP tests in different subject areas. In 2007, of the 144,796 students who took the biology exam 84,199 of them were female. In that same year,of the 211,693 students who too ...

Basic statisticsactivity 1define the following terms1

BASIC STATISTICS Activity 1 Define the following terms: 1. Statistics 2. Descriptive Statistics 3. Inferential Statistics 4. Population 5. Sample 6. Quantitative Data 7. Discrete Variable 8. Continuous Variable 9. Qualit ...

Question 1below you are given the examination scores of 20

Question 1 Below you are given the examination scores of 20 students (data set also provided in accompanying MS Excel file). 52 99 92 86 84 63 72 76 95 88 92 58 65 79 80 90 75 74 56 99 a. Construct a frequency distributi ...

Question 1 assume you have noted the following prices for

Question: 1. Assume you have noted the following prices for paperback books and the number of pages that each book contains. Develop a least-squares estimated regression line. i. Compute the coefficient of determination ...

Question 1 a sample of 81 account balances of a credit

Question 1: A sample of 81 account balances of a credit company showed an average balance of $1,200 with a standard deviation of $126. 1. Formulate the hypotheses that can be used to determine whether the mean of all acc ...

5 of females smoke cigarettes what is the probability that

5% of females smoke cigarettes. What is the probability that the proportion of smokers in a sample of 865 females would be greater than 3%

Armstrong faber produces a standard number-two pencil

Armstrong Faber produces a standard number-two pencil called Ultra-Lite. The demand for Ultra-Lite has been fairly stable over the past ten years. On average, Armstrong Faber has sold 457,000 pencils each year. Furthermo ...

Sppose a and b are collectively exhaustive in addition pa

Suppose A and B are collectively exhaustive. In addition, P(A) = 0.2 and P(B) = 0.8. Suppose C and D are both mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. Further, P(C|A) = 0.7 and P(D|B) = 0.5. What are P(C) and P(D) ...

The time to complete 1 construction project for company a

The time to complete 1 construction project for company A is exponentially distributed with a mean of 1 year. Therefore: (a) What is the probability that a project will be finished in one and half years? (b) What is the ...

  • 4,153,160 Questions Asked
  • 13,132 Experts
  • 2,558,936 Questions Answered

Ask Experts for help!!

Looking for Assignment Help?

Start excelling in your Courses, Get help with Assignment

Write us your full requirement for evaluation and you will receive response within 20 minutes turnaround time.

Ask Now Help with Problems, Get a Best Answer

Why might a bank avoid the use of interest rate swaps even

Why might a bank avoid the use of interest rate swaps, even when the institution is exposed to significant interest rate

Describe the difference between zero coupon bonds and

Describe the difference between zero coupon bonds and coupon bonds. Under what conditions will a coupon bond sell at a p

Compute the present value of an annuity of 880 per year

Compute the present value of an annuity of $ 880 per year for 16 years, given a discount rate of 6 percent per annum. As

Compute the present value of an 1150 payment made in ten

Compute the present value of an $1,150 payment made in ten years when the discount rate is 12 percent. (Do not round int

Compute the present value of an annuity of 699 per year

Compute the present value of an annuity of $ 699 per year for 19 years, given a discount rate of 6 percent per annum. As