Question: Discussion A:

· Read "Incident: Motivating and Maintaining Morale During Downsizing" on p. 273 of Nkomo, Fottler, and McAfee.

· Select two of the following five possible solutions on which to conduct research:

o Termination

o Coaching and counseling for behavior modification

o Training for new skills

o Demotion

o Transfer

Write a 2- to 3-paragraph (at least 200 words) evaluation of the potential solutions you researched and a recommendation for a policy to handle similar situations.

In your evaluation include the strengths and weaknesses of both solutions. Also include a description of any assumptions you made about the case when evaluating your solutions. Support your evaluation with proper citations from this week's Learning Resources and at least two additional resources from the Internet.

Based on your evaluation, make a recommendation for policies the firm should have in place in the future.

Discussion B: Consider the following scenario:

You have just been promoted to supervise a team of employees. In your previous role, you were responsible for yourself and your individual results. Now you will be in charge of a team of five employees. As a brand new supervisor, you recognize the need to strengthen your skills.

· Review the section on Management Leadership Development in Chapter 9 of the Mathis text.

· Identify two skills you would like to strengthen and explain why these areas would help you supervise your new team.

Write a response of approximately 150 words, which indicates the two skills you would like to develop. In your response, you will need to justify your selection of these skills. Explain why these skills are important in enabling you to supervise your team.