Brendan Walsh's Blog http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/ My Blog en-us Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:24:26 EST Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:24:26 EST brendan.walsh@case.edu brendan.walsh@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 HR Simulation Final Reflection http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/12/hr_simulation_final_reflection I noticed that my previous blog concerning the HR Simulation, though worthy, did not evaluate the simulation as a whole.... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/12/hr_simulation_final_reflection MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:24:26 EST I noticed that my previous blog concerning the HR Simulation, though worthy, did not evaluate the simulation as a whole. I thought that the incident reports were an important and knowledgeable part of the simulation; nonetheless, I did not evaluate my entire outlook on the simulation. The fact that the activity was “hands on” benefited my learning style greatly. As mentioned before, I have an accommodating learning style and as a result, I learn better in active participation rather than lectures.

My primary dislike about the HR Simulation dealt with the allotted budget. Our group found that it was almost a task to allocate the entire budget because we were given too much. It felt as if we would budget the parts of the simulation that were most important and then we would just add the leftover budget randomly without a strategy. It seemed absurd to just be able to throw around an extra $100,000 that we did not even need. I felt that this was one of the biggest flaws of the simulation along with the incident reports which I spoke about in a previous blog.

Overall, I feel that the HR Simulation was the best management 250 activity, and I look forward to more “hands on” activities in future management courses.

]]> Learning Plan II http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/12/learning_plan_ii After finishing the second part of my learning plan, I have some thoughts that I would like to reflect upon.... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/12/learning_plan_ii MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:19:53 EST After finishing the second part of my learning plan, I have some thoughts that I would like to reflect upon. Overall, the learning plan writing assignment was an excellent tool for self-evaluation and movement towards goal achievement. At times I find it hard to evaluate myself, yet this paper put everything into prospective for me. Activities such as Catch Your Dreams are great for identifying your goals; however, after the activity, a lot is forgotten. The paper helped to cement the ideas that we went over during that class activity and pushed me towards the first and hardest part of goal achievement. The learning plan part 2 allowed me to identify my most important goals and set a pathway towards them. Due to problems with procrastination, this part is always the hardest for me to achieve, yet this paper pushed me to complete this stage of goal achievement. I now feel more confident about completing the goals I have set forth, and I look forward to the ways that I will change as a person.

]]> Mock Interview http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/mock_interview An activity that I gained a lot of knowledge from was the mock interview. This activity was specifically helpful to... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/mock_interview MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:41:22 EST An activity that I gained a lot of knowledge from was the mock interview. This activity was specifically helpful to me because I have never experienced a true interview. I had no idea what to expect and there is no better way than to experience this activity than in a mock setting.

In the future, I plan to improve my skills with behavioral based questions because I feel that they are one of the most important parts of an interview. If one can answer these questions with ease and confidence, a company will be extremely impressed.

Nonetheless, I feel that I will be able to go into an interview with more confidence and preparation due to the management mock interview activity.

]]> HR Simulation Incidents Reflection http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/hr_simulation_incidents_reflection Now that the HR Simulation has come to a close, I would like to reflect upon my experiences. I found... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/hr_simulation_incidents_reflection MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:06:17 EST Now that the HR Simulation has come to a close, I would like to reflect upon my experiences. I found that one of the most interesting sections for the HR Simulation was the individual incidents. This part of the simulation allowed for an even more realistic outlook on management. HR managers need to address similar incidents on a daily basis and it allowed me to put myself in their shoes. This part of the simulation also increased our group interaction. Group members expressed different opinions, and we had to compromise weekly, which is another aspect of management.

On a side note, it felt as if the computer program did not always read the incidents correctly. This became a problem because our team’s enthusiasm to complete the incidents began to fall. After speaking with other groups that were participating in the HR Simulation, I found that they could relate to this problem as well. It felt as if our opinions did not matter and it was just busy work.

Overall, the HR Simulation was a great hands on activity that allowed students to gain a more realistic approach to management.

]]> Goal Identification http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/goal_identification Now that the end of the semester is coming to a close, I have begun to think on some of... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/12/11/goal_identification MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:59:05 EST Now that the end of the semester is coming to a close, I have begun to think on some of my upcoming goals. One of my specific goals focuses on an achievement in the relative future, whereas the other will be in future years. Due to the organizational skills that I have developed through the management 251 course, I am already reshaping my current identity in order to fully attain my career and life visions. More specifically, after participating in the class topic titled Catch your Dreams, I have begun to realize what is important to me and what steps I need to take in order to achieve these goals. The goals that I have decided to specifically focus on from the class activity were determined by self evaluation and life values.

I feel that the activity has made a big impact on my life because it has already pushed me closer to my goals, identification. I look forward to recognizing my progress and ultimately accomplishing my goals.

]]> Management Class http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/10/management_class On the first day of classes I was very enthusiastic about having the opportunity of taking a management course. I... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/10/management_class MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:20:31 EST On the first day of classes I was very enthusiastic about having the opportunity of taking a management course. I was not sure what to expect or what type of projects we would do, but I figured that it would be a very interactive course. Unlike other courses that I have taken at Case, management class has been very “hands on”, yet lectures are still present.

I enjoy the fact that we do not have exams in management class; however, this can also be a disadvantage.

One aspect that I did not enjoy about management class thus far was choosing random assignments without knowing what they entitled. I think it would have been less stressful if we would have had descriptions of each assignment and knew more specific details about each. I felt as if I was choosing the fate of my grade blindly by picking these assignments and then signing a contract to promise that I would complete them.

Overall, I have had a decent experience in management class, and I look forward to future sessions.

]]> Training Programs http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/10/training_programs A good training program is the leading foundation for any company. The effectiveness of the training not only plays an... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/10/training_programs MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:38:52 EST A good training program is the leading foundation for any company. The effectiveness of the training not only plays an important role on the company, but also on the trainee. A well trained employee will benefit a company and push it to further limits.

The type of training program that a company decides to institute is crucial. Most training is boring for the trainee, some methods are ineffective, and others are too time and money consuming. Companies must go to great lengths in order to pick the correct program.

]]> Jonah Creighton and Discrimination http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/09/jonah_creighton_and_discrimination The Jonah Creighton Case was a very unique case because it was more realistic than some of the other cases... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/09/jonah_creighton_and_discrimination MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 09 Nov 2006 23:40:02 EST The Jonah Creighton Case was a very unique case because it was more realistic than some of the other cases we have read thus far. It involved racial discrimination in the workplace against a recruit of the company. However, the grey area of this case was due to the fact that the discrimination began overseas. Even though it began there, it also spread to the U.S. because no one wanted to due anything about it, except for Jonah.

]]> Feedback http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/09/feedback During the last class session we spoke about feedback. There are two properties of feedback, giving and receiving. I think... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/09/feedback MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:41:02 EST During the last class session we spoke about feedback. There are two properties of feedback, giving and receiving. I think that it is much harder to give feedback than to receive it. For instance, during a job one does not want to create bad tension with another coworker. Sometimes it is hard to approach one of these situations without appearing to be rude and pretentious.

]]> Goals and Dreams http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/07/goals_and_dreams Yesterday in class, there was an activity which required students to write down their goals and dreams. I found that... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/11/07/goals_and_dreams MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:50:55 EST Yesterday in class, there was an activity which required students to write down their goals and dreams. I found that the best way to perform this activity correctly was to write and think fast. This was not an activity designed for people to sit and ponder their ideas. I enjoyed this activity because it reminded me of the goals that I have unknowingly set aside. Many of these goals are small personal goals which were lost in the clutter of college life. Nonetheless, I have now been refreshed of these aspirations and will work to achieve them.

I have actually set a new goal for myself since this class session. I plan to perform this activity again in the future. I think it would be interesting to see if I have new goals and dreams after I graduate from college. I would also like to go as far as revisiting the activity once I have been working for about five years.

Nevertheless, I think that this activity will be very beneficial for completing the second part of my Individual Learning Plan.

]]> MBTI http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/mbti The MBTI results indicated that my personality was ENFP. This means that I focus my attention towards extraversion, record information... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/mbti case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:40:30 EST The MBTI results indicated that my personality was ENFP. This means that I focus my attention towards extraversion, record information through intuition, make decisions by means of feeling, and deal with the outer world through perceiving. Many students did not like this activity because they felt it was inaccurate, and I partially agree. There were definitely too many questions that were repetitive, but I think my results agreed very well with my LSI. The fact that both of these tests had similar results, I feel that they were somewhat accurate.

Nonetheless, the test results helped me realize my personality strengths and weaknesses, and helped me form a basis on how I could improve them. The quality of this test is not fully appreciated by most young undergrads, but it will be very useful in the years to come.

]]> Interviews http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/interviews Due to the fact that my dad is in the field that I am currently interested in, I already knew... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/interviews MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:10:01 EST Due to the fact that my dad is in the field that I am currently interested in, I already knew a lot of information about the field, and thought that the interview for the individual learning plan would be uninformative. However, I had a different experience than what I expected. I was able to find answers to questions I had in the field, which I thought my dad answered with an opinion. I was also able to ask them questions that I would not feel right asking my dad such as; how do you manage conflicts between home and work life? I was able to find out more about the field internally and more personably through the interviews. I was actually lucky enough to interview someone who has been in the business for a long time, and also someone who is new to the field. It was interesting to find out what each liked and disliked in the field, and how the results compared to each other. I felt that I could relate better with the younger interviewee, although I was also happy to interview the older one as well because I learned more wisdom through this interviewee.

Overall, I was glad that we were pushed to interview other people than our family and relatives. If this wouldn’t have been in effect, I probably would have ended up interviewing my dad and another relative, which would not have been such a great experience for me. Nonetheless, the interviews turned out to be a great experience, and I was able to learn much more about the field than I expected.

]]> Motivation in the workplace http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/motivation_in_the_workplace The other day in class we discussed Herzberg’s motivating approach and the different outcomes. This topic was very interesting and... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/12/motivation_in_the_workplace MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:53:15 EST The other day in class we discussed Herzberg’s motivating approach and the different outcomes. This topic was very interesting and informative to me because Herzberg presents many valid points. For example, he calls attention to hygiene factors such as pay raises. I never thought of a pay raise as a hygiene factor before, but after further thought on the issue I can relate to this personally. Many people who do not like their job are usually not dissatisfied due to pay but other aspects of the workplace. Most likely, people will not take a job if they feel that the pay is not adequate for the work they will be performing. When an employee receives a pay increase they will be happy at first, yet sooner or later they will become distressed again because the problem has not been eliminated; just masked for the time being. As Tucker mentions, “Offering them more money does not replace the satisfaction gained from doing fulfilling work.” If an employee hates their job, a pay increase will most likely not make them like it more. Another drawback from rewarding pay raises is the fact that employees will begin to expect it, and will feel that they deserve a pay raise rather than try to earn it.


Herzberg points out that self-actualization is what results with a happy employee rather than hygiene factors. I did not realize this aspect of management before, but I definitely see how it ties in with the rest of HR. It is not an easy task to satisfy an employee; managers are required to think long and hard on such a topic that appears to be simple, yet very crucial to success.

]]> Groupthink http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/05/groupthink The other day our HR Simulation team met to discuss the project more in depth. Througout our meeting it was... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/05/groupthink MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:40:57 EST The other day our HR Simulation team met to discuss the project more in depth. Througout our meeting it was obvious that our team possesses a good amount of cohesiveness. This can definitely be seen by evaluating our goals and outcomes, which we all readily agreed upon. Today I was reflected on that last meeting, and some thoughts began to fill my head. I remembered about the one class discussion in which we spoke about groupthink. As Tucker states, “This idea of a member not expressing his/her ideas because they do not want to go against the rest of the group has me concerned. I never really thought of this idea before because I have always spoke what is on my mind, and at times have been known as a nonconformist. I am not saying that I think someone in our group had something to say because it seems that we are all speaking our own opinions, but I will definitely need to keep this thought of “groupthink” in the back of my head. I think being aware of this aspect during my career in the real business world will be very advantageous to not only myself but the company as a whole.

]]> Career Fair http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/05/career_fair Today I attended the Career Fair and it was quite an experience. I have never participated in one of these... http://blog.case.edu/brendan.walsh/2006/10/05/career_fair MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:20:50 EST Today I attended the Career Fair and it was quite an experience. I have never participated in one of these activities; therefore, I was looking forward to learn a lot from this experience. The main reason that I wanted to attend the fair was because I had a hard time finding an internship last summer. I intend to find one this year, and vowed to take advantage of my resources.

It was interesting to see how many students actually attended the fair; this reminded me that there is a lot of competition throughout the business world. I felt that the networking activity in class was pointless at the time; however, I am beginning to see how this activity ties back into my life. Although we only networked with classmates, it allowed some experience in a more comfortable situation. At the fair I did not know any of the representatives, but since I already perfected my networking skills it was much easier for me to interact with them.

Overall, I think the fair was definitely worth my time, and I look forward to attending similar events in the future.

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