Entries in the Category "MGMT250"
Last Management 250 Entry
Well, this completes my blog entries for Management 250. It has been a thought provoking and interesting experience. I'm not especially tech savvy, so it was challenging at first to set up my blog account. Since then, it has been smooth sailing. The most difficult part is finding topics to discuss. Unlike most of my classmates, I have tried to avoid rehashing things we discussed in class. Unfortunately, I've had to do that on a few occasions. Other than that, I'm very proud of my work and stand by it.
The Teaching Team
I really appreciated the teaching team this semester. I enjoyed Prof. Powley's lectures. He was not overly demanding or moody and I appreciate that. I also was helped a great deal by Prof. Piderit. Whenever the HR simulation was confusing or I had a comment about the class in general, she was there to give me advice or listen to mine. Tracy was also pivotal to the success of the course because I'm sure she did most of the grading and kept track of attendance, etc. All in all, I would say that without any member of the teaching team, I would have been lost.
I Despise the Learning Plan
The blogging assignment gives us all an excellent opportunity to vent our frustrations. I've seen it on many of my peer's blogs and now it's my turn.
I absolutely hate the learning plan. I don't even believe in the self testing methods like the LSI or MBTI anyway, and now I'm expected to make plans for the rest of my life based on these crackerjack tests that I have absolutely no faith in? I already have a roadmap for my life, and if you've reached this point in your college career without setting out some sort of plan, you are only hurting yourself. I guess some people need college courses to hold them by the hand and guide them through every step of life, but I most definitely do not. I don't want to be coddled, I want to be respected. So, I wrote the stupid thing to the exact specifications as set out in the rubric and it got torn to pieces when it was graded. Ridiculous. I can plan my life just fine without this overly structured and boring paper, don't you worry. Nonetheless, I play the game. And don't fool yourselves professors, the learning plan is just a game to me. I promise I will play by your rules, but I would much rather spend my effort on something useful. As I said, I already have a plan for my life. Let's stop babying the students and focus.
Self Inventory
It never ceases to amaze me how much stock is put into categorizing humanity. We have a battery of tests to tell you what kind of a person you are: there is the LSI, the MBTI, and now we've been introduced to the Strong Interest Inventory. I do not buy into any of them. A human being is far too complex to categorize. While I do think that these tests can point a person in the right direction, I do not believe that they could be taken as anything definitive. I'm afraid of how these results may be pointing students away from what could be their potential dream job. Just because you have a strong artistic score on the SII does not mean that you couldn't be an accountant. That's ridiculous. I think if a person searches deep enough inside, they can find what they are supposed to do for the rest of their lives. There is no need to rely on generic personality tests.
Chinese Productivity
Today I read an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Chinese Boom May Boost Industrial Accidents". Basically, the article described the current situation in the Chinese energy sector, where safety takes a back seat to profitability. Large scale industrial accidents are not uncommon in China, especially in mines all across the country. It was even reported that many of the companies had not been inspected in over three years. When I hear reports of how successful China's growth has been over these past few years, these are the stories that come to mind. Of course we can improve profitability and efficiency and overall economic growth, but at what cost? What good is economic dominance if it is built with the blood of innocent lives? Although sometimes it may seem that our laws in this country cause a lot of red tape, I'm grateful that they are there. The alternative is much worse.
Outsourcing
From a management perspective, outsourcing seems like a terrible idea. The first reason for not outsourcing is that it has a very negative effect on company morale. From all of our learning this semester, it seems as though morale is quite important to the success of a business. The second reason is that it must be a logistical nightmare. We strive to make everything efficient and productive, yet we do so to cut costs. It seems to me that the cost savings in outsourcing would be lost in all the inefficiencies of long distance communication and decision making. The last reason is that it seems short term. At what point do the cost savings cease to outweigh the extra effort put forth? When I picture the long term effects of outsourcing, I see nothing but difficulties.
Varying Management
I am beginning to wonder how applicable the forms of management we are learning will be in industry. It seems obvious to me that very few things are applicable across the board. Managing a retail firm would be very different from managing a restaurant or hotel. Is management something that can even be learned? There are many successful managers in the world, but how much of their success can actually be traced back to formal education? I tend to believe that good managers are simply people who were born with the ability to adapt and solve problems.
Thoughts on J. Creighton
Jonah Creighton faced a daunting dilemma: stand up for what he believes in and possibly lose his job, or do nothing and keep his position. I hope that I would have the courage to stand up for what I believe in, just like Jonah. However, I can see justifying taking no action at all. I could justify it by saying, "If I move further up the ranks, I'll be more able to make a difference." I wonder how many business professionals feel the same way. I'm sure that if everyone expressed exactly how they feel about business decisions, the American workplace would be a very different place.
Creativity
In my learning plan, I received zero points in the creativity section and I must admit that I am pretty bitter about it. So, in order to prove that I am creative I will now write a nonsensical story about management.
"In the days of yore, managers were a sort of nobility. None were greater than Bjork Van Derschnitzel. It was said that he could crunch numbers, eat a power lunch, and check his PDA in one fell swoop. I'll never forget the day I met him. I was at the Starbucks in Sri Lanka picking up my usual frappe-mocha-spress-chino with extra cinnamon when I heard a commotion outside. The natives were whispering amongst themselves, 'Can it be him?' and 'I heard he once found net present value using nothing but dental floss and four duck feathers.' At that point the infamous young business professional stepped out of the cab and onto the street wearing a power suit with a power tie. It was like seeing a business god comparable with Thor, the mythical Odinson. He wielded his Blackberry like it was his Mjolner, slaying emails left and right. It was truly a sight to behold, not unlike the time I saw a 400 pound man try to fit into a normal sized chair at the local cinema. As he approached me, our eyes met and instantly there was a connection. I could tell that this was going to be an historical meeting. Each step brought him closer to destiny and I just knew this was going to be my defining moment. He stood before me, eyes ablaze and said, 'Are you going to stand in front of the door all day? I would like to get my coffee before my 10am workout at the company gym.' Shocked by his unprofessional tone, and saddened by his lack of sensitivity, I stepped aside and let him through. Once he got inside I began to weep softly knowing that I could never be like him. I could never become so much more than a mere mortal, and so much less than a human being. That was the day I decided that management was not for me."
Unethical Hiring Practices
Last week in the Wall Street Journal, I read an article about Wal-Mart that made me think about management class. Apparently, someone in the higher ranks of the Wal-Mart empire created a memo regarding hiring policy. It said that the company should begin to hire people in better health to cut health care costs. What's more, the memo suggested the company add some form of physical activity to all jobs available at the retail giant. For example, cashiers could be required to wrangle shopping carts in the parking lot for a half an hour a day.
Now, in my opinion, this seems logical. If it makes the cost of goods cheaper then I'm all for it. However, my opinion does not amount to a hill of beans. I know from class that we have laws against such practices, but Wal-Mart is a very big and powerful corporation that has ways of getting around such pesky things. I suppose that I'm wondering if the business world would consider not hiring someone on the basis of their health an ethical problem. I'm not certain if Wal-Mart will carry through on this memo, but wouldn't there be someone in authority who would stand up and say that this is unethical? It certainly seems unethical to me.
Class Participation
Class participation is overrated. To force students to have a discussion for a grade is not a good plan and here is why:
1. Some students do not think quickly enough to form an opinion about an issue on the spot. I, for example, need time to go over things in my mind before I can even begin to think about sharing my thoughts with others. I am a converger and an ISTP. The proof is in the personality tests required for this very course. Both of them say that my learning type does not really mesh well with this form of learning. Nonetheless it remains a major portion of the overall class grade. We discussed equal opportunity employment; where is the equal opportunity grading? Am I "handicapped" because my learning style does not produce comments during class?
2. The pressure of grading based on commentary during class produces mostly asinine comments. Most answers repeat the very question asked by the professor. To get their own voice heard, some students even repackage a peer's answer in their own style. Almost every comment at its core contains no original thought.
3. Participation (in a non-management 250 context) is so much more than comments. Participation is preparation, attitude, and actions. I come to class prepared everyday. I read the book and perform any necessary tasks for the class. I come ready to learn. Are these part of my participation grade? Well, only if I want to give myself a 1 for the day (maybe a 2 if I feel daring). I can guarantee that in reality I participate much more than most talking heads in the class. Very few people read what is assigned, but are still able to "participate" (and I use the term in a management 250 context) at some laughable level.
And here is where I find myself: do I join the masses and talk for the sake of my grade or do I keep my integrity by requiring myself to actually think things through before I say them?
What is management, really?
What is the essence of management? Is it the use of people and objects to further accomplish the organization's goals as a whole? Is it making decisions? Is it largely financial, or something else? Is it about you or the group?
By a grand margin, these and other questions remain unanswered in my mind. This is my first "management" class and I have yet to see very much instruction in the ways of actually managing anything. This is not necessarily a criticism, just a commentary.
I believe that this class would be more accurately named "basics for the business major" rather than management. So far, we have learned about interpersonal communication and how it affects the workplace. This has taken on many forms; for example, we learned the details of interviews and networking. These will undoubtedly be invaluable skills for my coming career, but it is not what I was expecting to learn in management 250. For some reason I imagined more training on how to make the tough decisions, because after all, making those calls is what managers get paid to do.
This is where I think the HR simulation is supposed to fit in. However, this seems like it is going to be more of a trial and error basis of learning. It seems like we are diving head first into management with little training on how to do it.
Bottom line: I think this class is having an identity crisis. Is it basics for the business major or is it management? As for my perspective, it seems to me that it is trying to be both and overwhelming every student with too much work for a 3 credit hour course. I believe the semester agenda is simply too aggressive.
Theories are just that..........theories
There are apparently only five basic dysfunctions of a team:
1. Absence of Trust
2. Fear of Conflict
3. Lack of Commitment
4. Avoidance of Accountability
5. Inattention to Results
The text goes on to identify the opposites of these, or what an effective group does:
1. They trust one another
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas
3. They commit to decisions and plans of action
4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.
"If this sounds simple, it's because it is simple, at least in theory. In practice, however, it is extremely difficult because it requires levels of discipline and persistence that few teams can muster."
And there it is...the catch. Everything is always simple IN THEORY but very difficult in practice. I would guess that when a caveat like that is included in a "theory", on average, such a "theory" is only applicable 50% of the time or less in the real world. With this particular theory I'm sure it's less than that. Imagine it: there are more than 6 billion people in the world who could form an almost limitless combination of different "groups", and if the group wasn't effective they would all have the same five problems?
Get real. No theory can explain any aspect of the world we live in. Now I know what you're thinking: theories aren't meant to explain every single situation, but to try to explain and examine major trends in any given situation. I would agree, but here is the problem that I see with that: once we know a theory, we apply it like it is the absolute truth. In college we are bombarded with these assinine theories to explain everything from the way we act in a group, to how we communicate with one another, to how we choose to believe. You can call me a skeptic, but I just don't buy into any of it. I don't think something as complex as a human being can be put into a box that expeerts like to call a "theory". We can identify trends and I think that is what the experts are trying to do with their theories. The real problem here may be semantics. I believe that the educated population is trained to apply theories whenever they can to try to find the absolute truth in a situation. However, the only absolute truth in any theory is that there is no absolute truth. Every situation is unique.
Could we teach this to students? In theory.....
The Group vs. The Team
As we discussed in class today, there is a difference between a group and a team. As far as I could tell, the difference is that in a group tasks are divided and performed on an individual basis whereas in a team all members are working on the same task or group of tasks, each adding his or her own point of view. While this explanation is accurate, I have my own way of differentiating the two. And, since this is my blog, I will of course share my point of view.
A group is organizational. It is formed to facilitate administrative or organizational duties. It eases burdens for all involved, but all members do not necessarily have the exact same goal in mind. Often times in a group success is measured based on some middle ground that all the members with their individual tasks have compromised upon.
A team is competitive. It is formed with the intent to perform the task ahead with excellence and purpose. It sets goals and either attains them or fails. All members of a team share the exact same goal; it is not ambiguous or vague. There is rarely a middle ground concerning success with a team.
Having defined the two in my own terms, I would have to say that there is more pressure in a team environment. However, if one truly considers oneself to be on a team and is committed to its goal, then one thrives on the pressure and produces successful results.
Career Fair? Yes. Internship Fair? No.
Today we were mercifully granted a day off from Management 250 to attend the Career Fair, but I question how helpful it truly was. I say this because of all the rejections I received because I am "only a sophomore". Do opportunities exist for such inexperienced youths as me? Of course, but apparently very few were represented at the Case Career Fair. Now, to be honest, I don't consider the day a complete loss. Even though many companies were not seeking summer interns, I still gave many of them my resume. I heard things like "well, we will keep this on file" which I took to mean "we're just going to file this away in the trash can". Nonetheless, I considered such activities as opening what I hope will someday be my "network". Although I do not think that today was the beginning of my career, I appreciate the opportunity to get out there and at least practice networking.
Equal Opportunity Employment?
Equal Opportunity Employment sounds like a wonderful concept. Protect the minority workers; place all candidates at an equal level no matter what age, gender, or race they happen to be. Well, I'm of the opinion that it dosen't work.