5 assignment | Management homework help
5.2 Assignment: Innovation at IKEA
Getting Started
In this assignment, you will apply the theory and principles learned in Chapter 13 on the subject of the leader’s “situation” to a case study.
The case study is related to the IKEA Corporation, headquartered in Sweden, which sells products around the world. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder, has led the organization through significant growth from its humble beginning over 50 years ago.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
- Identify team dysfunctions and develop appropriate interventions to drive enhanced organizational performance.
- Differentiate and match appropriate interventions to organizational challenges.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
Background Information
The situation in which a leader finds him or herself is dynamic and full of challenges. Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (2019) write:
…we are coming to understand that the situation is one of the most powerful variables in the leadership equation. It is important to understand how the situation influences leaders and followers and, furthermore, that the situation is not just a ‘given’ that leaders and followers must adapt to; sometimes, at least, leaders and followers can change the situation and thereby enhance the likelihood of desired outcomes. (p. 507)
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Read Chapter 13 of our textbook, including all Profiles and Highlights for added perspective on the chapter’s content.
- Read the minicase at the end of Chapter 13, “Innovation at IKEA.”
- Write a paper in response to the questions listed below. Include a minimum of three citations from the assigned reading in the textbook (not the case itself) in which you apply the text concepts to the case. (Note: It is not necessary to do any outside research beyond the information in the minicase and the assigned reading.) Provide a detailed explanation for your evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
- Which type (or types) of organizational culture do you think are dominant at IKEA?
- Consider Schein’s four key organizational culture factors as described in Highlight 13.6. What examples can you identify within the IKEA organization that contributes to the company’s strong culture?
- Do you think IKEA’s distinctive culture will continue to be a competitive advantage in the years to come? If so, what do you think are ways it can be sustained and reinforced? If not, why do you think the culture will not continue to be a competitive advantage?
- Your paper should be 400–500 words in length. Use proper spelling, grammar, and APA style in your case study paper and any sources cited. For questions on APA style, go to OCLS APA Writing Styles Guides.
- When you have completed your case study paper, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor by the end of the workshop.
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5.3 Assignment: Contingency Theories
Getting Started
For this assignment, you will read Chapter 14, “Contingency Theories of Leadership,” in our textbook. The authors offer valuable research and insights into the five most popular contingency theories of leadership:
- Leader-Member Exchange Theory
- Normative Decision Model
- Situational Leadership Model
- Contingency Model
- Path-Goal Theory
We will discuss a leadership example with which you are familiar and apply a contingency theory that best describes that situation.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
- Discuss contingency theories of leadership in an applied setting.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
Background Information
Understanding leadership behavior in the context of a leader’s situation can provide valuable insights on how best to respond to situational challenges that result in organizational success.
In his classic text, Leadership in Organizations, Gary Yukl (2002) comments on the situational impact on a leader’s effectiveness:
People in leadership positions face relentless and conflicting demands on their time. There is a constant stream of requests, problems, inquiries, and reports from the many different people who interact with the leader. The people who interact with a leader frequently communicate role expectations about appropriate behavior. Effective leaders seek to understand demands and constraints, and they adapt their behavior accordingly. They are able to reconcile the role conflicts, and they take advantage of role ambiguity as an opportunity for discretionary action. They seek to exploit opportunities, expand their range of choices, and shape the impressions formed by others about their competence and expertise. (p. 424)
Reference
Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in organizations. Prentice Hall.
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Read Chapter 14, “Contingency Theories of Leadership,” in the textbook, including all Profiles and Highlights for additional perspective.
- Respond to the questions listed below (adapted from authors’ questions at the end of the chapter):
- Describe a leadership situation with which you are familiar.
- From the five contingency theories, select three of the theories to review. Describe how each of the three contingency theories you have selected fits or does not fit the interaction of the leader, followers, and situation in your example.
- When you have completed your assessment of your three selected contingency theories, identify the theory most applicable to this situation and provide your rationale for your selection.
- Your paper should be 400–500 words in length and should include at least two citations from the text applying the text concepts to the leadership challenge. Use proper spelling, grammar, and APA style in your paper and for any sources cited. For questions on APA style, go to OCLS APA Writing Styles Guides.
- When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor by the end of the workshop.
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5.4 Discussion: Groups and Teams Rocket Model
Getting Started
In this discussion, you will learn the tools to both develop a high-performance team and diagnose team dysfunction. You will learn about each stage of Curphy’s Rocket Model, a simplified model of team effectiveness which is both prescriptive and diagnostic. You will learn about each of the eight components of the Rocket Model and their connection to each of the other Rocket Model elements.
The first week of this assignment required a description of a dysfunctional team situation and an analysis using the Rocket Model to identify the area of dysfunction. For this week, your response posts will review and analyze the dysfunctional team situations described by your classmates in the 4.4 Discussion.
Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:
- Integrate the concepts of Curphy’s Rocket Model in the development of high-performance teams.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
Background Information
In describing the Rocket Model in Chapter 12, “Skills for Developing Others,” the authors of the Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience text write, “Building a team can be analogous to building a rocket. Just as rockets operate in different environments…so must teams clearly define the context in which they operate” (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2019, p. 482). Curphy’s Rocket Model identifies in sequential order the components of team building which are necessary to ensure a high performing team.
This assignment incorporates what you learn in Chapter 12 of Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy’s text and applies those lessons to your analysis of your classmates’ posts.
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Review Chapter 12 of our textbook, specifically focusing on the Rocket Model in the section titled “Building High-Performance Teams: The Rocket Model,” including Figures 12.2, 12.3, and 12.4.
- Conduct a critical analysis of at least two other classmates’ posts from the 4.4 Discussion that discussed dysfunctional team situations. Address the following questions in your response to each classmate:
- How appropriate is the analysis of your classmate with regard to the Rocket Model component which was the basis for the team dysfunction?
- Based on the situation described, do you agree with the suggested course of corrective action?
- Each response should be at least 200 words in length and cite one reference from the Rocket Model for each question in Step 3 above. The focus for your critical analysis is not whether or not you agree with your classmate, but how well was the position presented.
- In addition to commenting on the critical thinking displayed in your classmate’s initial post, offer your comments and opinions on their application of the Rocket Model to the situation described. Do you agree with their assessment? Are there alternative conclusions that could reasonably be reached? Your response to each question above should be one paragraph in length and cite one academic source.
- Interactions are expected to:
- Clearly and thoroughly address the prompt(s) with meaningful information that shows critical thinking.
- Introduce your own ideas and questions to add greater depth to the discussion, rather than restating what your classmates have shared. (Include much more than “Great post,” or “I agree.”)
- Refer to relevant course concepts as you discuss your learning together.
- Develop insightful conversation by directly addressing your classmates’ ideas.
- Demonstrate professionalism.
- Your response posts are due by the end of the workshop.
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5.5 Assignment: Virtuous Business
Getting Started
As we stated in the 1.5 Exercise, the Virtuous Business Model provides a framework that uses rigorous market analysis to determine that virtuous leadership contributes to business success. It also makes the case that free enterprise capitalism is wholly consistent with spiritual depth and moral commitment.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
- Apply the concepts of the Virtuous Business Model to ethics and change within organizations.
Resources
- Textbook: Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience
- Video: Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model
- Article: Virtuous Leaders & Organizations
- Article: Making Business Virtuous
- Webpage: “Wells Fargo Fake Account Scandal”
- Webpage: “Wells Fargo Unauthorized Account Openings: A Case Study for Bank Board Directors”
- Webpage: “What Are the Real Lessons of the Wells Fargo Case?”
- Article: “The Wells Fargo Cross-Selling Scandal”
Background Information
Hein and Wilkinson (2015) state that the virtuous business model is the only antidote capable of restoring trust in the free market system. What is recognized is that now, more than ever, there is a need for a clear distinction between values-neutral capitalism and virtuous business.
They continue, stating that the objective of becoming or remaining a virtuous business is the overarching goal for a business. An organization that steadfastly strives to be virtuous gains the greatest opportunity for longevity and provides the greatest benefit to society (Hein & Wilkinson, 2015, p.2). In this assignment, you will review the Wells Fargo banking scandal, applying the concepts of the virtuous business model to that review.
Reference
Hein, J., & Wilkinson, G. (2015, October 26). Making business virtuous. https://www.indwes.edu/academics/caps/devoe-school-of-business/white-papers-pdf/the-virtuous-business-devoe-white-paper.pdf
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Read Chapter 5, “Values, Ethics, and Character.” As you read, reflect on how a leader can effectively influence an organization’s commitment to ethics, values, and moral behavior.
- Read “Virtuous Leaders & Organizations” from the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of The DeVoe Report.
- Watch the video Lewin’s Force Field Analysis Model
- Review the following Wells Fargo articles and reflect on the circumstances and outcomes surrounding the scandal:
- Write a paper incorporating information from Making Business Virtuous and the Wells Fargo scandal references. Using critical thinking, sound business acumen and clear ethical and moral thinking, respond to the following:
- Review the five characteristics of a virtual business as described in Making Business Virtuous and describe how Wells Fargo violated each of these. Your description should be at least one paragraph in length per characteristic. Note: the description of these characteristics can be found in the “Virtuous Business” section, which begins on page 6.
- Analyze the numerous operational shortcomings in the Wells Fargo case. Identify two that you feel contributed significantly to the development and perpetuation of the inappropriate company conduct. In one paragraph for each, describe two action items that could be implemented to incorporate virtuous principles within the organization to address the two behavioral items you selected.
- In one final paragraph, summarize what you believe to be the most significant infraction of all committed by Wells Fargo, what you believe to be the underlying motivation for this non-virtuous corporate behavior.
- Your paper should be 600 words in length. Use proper spelling, grammar, and APA style in your paper and for any sources cited. For questions on APA style, go to OCLS APA Writing Styles Guides.
- When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor by the end of the workshop.
https://sites.law.duke.edu/thefinregblog/2017/04/26/phony-accounts-scandal-a-case-study-for-bank-board-directors/
https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/what-are-the-real-lessons-of-the-wells-fargo-case
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/gsb/files/publication-pdf/cgri-closer-look-62-wells-fargo-cross-selling-scandal.pdf
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5.2 Assignment: Skills Development Case
Getting Started
In this activity, you will be introduced to a case study. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to evaluate the profitability of business segments given various scenarios.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
- Analyze special-order, make-or-buy, and keep-or-drop decisions.
- Appraise the interrelationships of the major components of the master budget.
- Analyze operational budgets in relation to the sales forecast in order to support organizational goals.
- Develop the cash budget in relation to operating budgets and the budgeted balance sheet.
Resources
- Textbook: Managerial Accounting
- Article: Virtuous Leaders & Organizations
Instructions
- Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
- Read Chapters 7 and 8 in Managerial Accounting.
- Read the Skills Development Case S7-1, “Evaluating Netflix’s Decision to Separate Its Lines of Business and Raise Prices,” at the end of Chapter 7 in the textbook.
- Submit a one-page document with your response to Case S7-1. Please incorporate the “Virtuous Leaders & Organizations” article perspective into your response.
