TOPICS
General Framework
Outline a framework (a map) describing the developments in Western Management Theory over the last hundred years or more.
Individual Components
Shifts in any theory occur when a researcher identifies a question troubling him or her. Subsequent research is then directed at finding answers to the research question(s) and ultimately old theory is discarded and new theory adopted. For example: The Egyptians had a theory that the sun revolved around the earth. Modern theory is that the earth revolves around the sun. At some stage in between a question – a research question - arose which we would now describe as challenging whether observed motion is not absolute but relative to the position of the observer. Such questions trigger research effort to find evidence so that the questions can be resolved and ultimately old theories are discarded and new theories established.
Each member of the team must choose one of these and identify the research questions and the reasons why and the evidence on which the shift in theory (the paradigm shift) occurred.
General Framework
From a framework (a map) describing the developments in Western Management Theory over the last hundred years or more, focus on the period from Taylor to Fayol and Weber explaining the context of their work.
Individual Components
Each member of the team choose one of the management theorists listed below and give specific examples of the portions of their theory still in use in the modern world.
General Framework
The study of management theories has been criticised by some people as a waste of time because old ideas are discarded if they are found to be out of tune with today’s business context. For instance, time-and-motion studies have fallen out of favour these days. On the other hand some writers have argued that the timeline for the development of management theories is not an absolute scale but is, in fact, a relative scale. This means that what we think is an old idea may be a new idea in a different context. In this paper you are to discuss and argue these different points of view citing evidence from your research.
Individual Components
Each individual member can argue for or against the topic. Use examples to illustrate your point. For example:
General Framework
In this topic, you are to research globalisation. The business press bombards us with ideas about ‘the shrinking world’, ‘the flat world’ and ‘the border-less world’ – all catchphrases to describe the impact of globalisation.
But are the (trade) borders really collapsing or are we seeing, post GFC, a resurgence in them? What is behind the extreme demonstrations against globalisation at G7 and WTC conferences?
Individual Components
General Framework
The Hawthorne studies had their origins in the Scientific School of Management and constituted a genuine attempt at discovery through research. By today’s standards there were deficiencies in the research which will be highlighted in the individual components of this topic. In your introduction outline the overall context of the Hawthorne studies and in your conclusion, stress the significant outcomes from the studies notwithstanding the acknowledged defects in the research methodology.
Individual Components
Apart from describing the phase you have chosen, you must identify the specific research methodological weaknesses inherent in that phase.
General Framework
Discuss why corporate culture is such an important determinant of organisational success. Outline the dimensions commonly used in describing a particular organisation’s culture.
Individual Components
Each individual should focus on one (or two) of the dimensions and identify a specific organisation noted for its emphasis of that dimension. Describe how that organisation stresses that particular component of organisation culture and comment on whether they have been successful. [Note: Individual team members must choose different dimensions and thus outline different actual cases.]
General Framework
Discuss why an understanding of national culture is important for multi-national or trans-national corporations seeking to operate in a global business environment. Outline the dimensions commonly used in describing national culture.
Individual Components
Each individual should choose a different country classifying it in terms of the commonly-used dimensions for describing national culture. Choose the countries wisely so that differences can be highlighted. Each member should seek to find specific examples in their country of choice to illustrate the classification they have made.
General Framework
The Automobile Industry was, for a long time, the world’s biggest industry (only overtaken towards the end of the twentieth century by the Information and Communications Technology Industry). It, therefore, should not surprise that the automobile industry has been a rich source of experience. Discuss the numerous advances in the understanding of management and organisation issues which have come out of the motor vehicle industry.
Individual Components
Each individual should select a key insight from the industry such as those attributed to:
General Framework
Decision making pervades everything a manager does from deciding about the details in a plan of action through to making decisions in a control context such as what to do when targets are not met. George Bush liked to be called The Decider. It is daunting to contemplate the impact of decisions a President has to make. In business, the manager also makes decisions that impact upon the success of the business and on people’s careers and lives.
The importance of insights into decision making can be judged by the fact that two Noble Prizes have been awarded to researchers whose work has enlightened our knowledge of decision making processes. In the general framework of this paper, you should outline the general approaches to management decision making.
Individual Components
Each individual should select a key aspect of the decision making process to expound, such as:
General Framework
Decision making pervades everything a manager does from deciding about the details in a plan of action through to making decisions in a control context such as what to do when targets are not met. Managers pride themselves on their ability to make sound, objective judgements. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that bias creeps into decision making.
In this topic you are to present, as a general framework, the overall view outlined in the paper by D Arnott (1978) (see resources attached to the Assignment specification on Blackboard)
Individual Components
Each individual should select one or two of Arnotts’s list of 37 biases and explain using examples. Choose examples of biases NOT discussed in earlier assignment presentations.
General Framework
There is little doubt that social influences have a significant impact on decision-making behaviour. Social pressures and influences may cause managers to make irrational decisions. Outline, in the general framework, a model of social influence on decision making.
Individual Components
The individual components of this topic introduce some classic studies as illustrative of the impact of social influences on decision making.
General Framework
Relationship management is one of the highest level managerial functions. Use an example to illustrate poor relationship management and the outcome that resulted from it. Outline the four step approach to stakeholder relationship management recommended in your textbook.
Individual Components
Construct an example to illustrate good stakeholder relationship management. Using your example:
General Framework
Outline, six key elements commonly used to define the structure of an organisation identifying the management theorist who identified each of these elements.
Then outline four factors (contingencies) that are commonly used to define the situation (the organisational environment).
Individual Components
Each individual should select an example organisation – a real example – and suggest what you believe to be the structure of that organisation in terms of the six key elements that are used to define organisational structure. For your example organisation, you should define their organisational environment in the terms of the four contingency factors and comment on the match (or mis-match) of the organisation to its organisational environment.
General Framework
This is a photo of the workplace taken in a Melbourne bank 100 years ago. If you were to look at a similar bank in Melbourne today, it would look quite different. In the General Framework, you are to discuss the changes that have occurred to the organisational structure of a typical bank over that hundred year period and identify the issues that have driven those changes.
Individual Components
A glance at the NAB Docklands headquarters clearly demonstrates evidence of the fact that organisational structure is still changing.
Each individual in your group is to choose one, from the following list of influencers (drivers) of change to an organisation’s structure and explain how it impacts organisational structure.
General Framework
Outline the importance of goal setting in planning and the characteristics of well defined goals.
Individual Components
General Framework
Discuss the Planning function in the context of the work of the manager. Illustrate with a case study.
Individual Components
Each member of the team is to choose one of these techniques and explain the technique through the use of an example.
General Framework
Discuss Strategic Planning distinguishing it and contrasting it with other planning functions and techniques.
Individual Components
General Framework
Discuss the challenges in recruiting and effectively managing cross cultural teams.
Individual Components
General Framework
Discuss the emergence of teams as a key feature of the modern workplace and trace its origins in the context of the changes in thinking associated with the development of schools of management thought.
Individual Components
General Framework
Discuss Performance Management in the context of the identifying the relevant School of Management Theory. Identify positives and negatives in the approaches to performance management.
Individual Components
General Framework
Outline the meaning of motivation as it applies in the work place.
Individual Components
General Framework
Describe the difference between a content theory and a process theory of motivation citing examples of how some process theories, under criticism, have been reduced to content theories.
Individual Components
General Framework
Provide a map of the various theories of work motivation and explain the map distinguishing the differences between content and process theories of work motivation
Individual Components
General Framework
Outline the “Calm-waters” and the “White-water rapids” metaphors for Change Management.
Individual Components
General Framework
The study of control theory is an academic discipline in itself and is known as cybernetics. Control mechanisms are ubiquitous. Some examples are: the engineering control of the trajectory of a space rocket to the control of the speed of a train. Outline the well-known control mechanisms and explain why control in the management sense may be more difficult than engineering control.
Individual Components…You get a choice of which individual components you will investigate.
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