William Moses Online Journal http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/ MGMT 250 en-us Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:54:22 EST Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:54:22 EST williamg.moses@case.edu williamg.moses@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 HR Reflections http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/hr_reflections I have learned a lot from being a team leader for the HR simulation. However I feel that it was... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/hr_reflections MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:54:22 EST I have learned a lot from being a team leader for the HR simulation. However I feel that it was the members that made this an amazing experience. If I can make one recommendation is that at the first meeting have the group set what their expectations for both themselves and other team members. I feel that it is only through having a strong foundation allows for the establishment of a common team goal. In the end our high expectations caused us to be #1 in Quality & Safety. Although the thing that makes the biggest difference is the knowledge that your group worked well together and you reached your results because of a team effort and not one person alone. I feel that we could have done better, but we will never know. Personally I am happy with the outcome and the overall quality of our group.

The simulation on the other hand I feel should be overhauled. It needs to be more challenging and in depth. I feel that the current simulator is to simple and not challenging. Also I would like to see more of the class work involved with our weekly outputs. However the general idea for the HR simulator gives us a decent simulated environment to learn in.

]]> Mgmt 250 reflections http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/mgmt_250_reflections MGMT 250 has been a very interesting class. I feel that is does a great job of uniting the undergraduate... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/mgmt_250_reflections MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:53:44 EST MGMT 250 has been a very interesting class. I feel that is does a great job of uniting the undergraduate business school and giving students an advantage in the work environment. However at the same time I feel that the class could have more student interaction within a real world environment. Why do we have to wait until we get internships to use what we learn? Yes it can be argued that the HR simulation fulfills this role, but I feel that the HR simulation is too simple. However I have learned a lot of new and useful managerial skills that I hope to use in the near future. I feel that MGMT 250 has given me a new incite on what a business needs from its managers and how I will eventually fit in with it.

]]> MGMT 250 reflections http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/mgmt_250_reflections MGMT 250 has been a very interesting class. I feel that is does a great job of uniting the undergraduate... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/mgmt_250_reflections MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:11:59 EST MGMT 250 has been a very interesting class. I feel that is does a great job of uniting the undergraduate business school and giving students an advantage in the work environment. However at the same time I feel that the class could have more student interaction within a real world environment. Why do we have to wait until we get internships to use what we learn? Yes it can be argued that the HR simulation fulfills this role, but I feel that the HR simulation is too simple. However I have learned a lot of new and useful managerial skills that I hope to use in the near future. I feel that MGMT 250 has given me a new incite on what a business needs from its managers and how I will eventually fit in with it.

]]> Learning Plan http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/learning_plan The last two weeks were the hardest weeks I have ever had here at Case. It seemed like a... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/learning_plan MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:11:59 EST The last two weeks were the hardest weeks I have ever had here at Case. It seemed like a never-ending flow of papers, research, group meetings and presentations. Yet, of all of the papers the learning plan was my favorite one to work on. I really put my best effort in to it yet, I still feel it could be a lot better then it currently is. Although when I turned it in I could confidently say that this is one of my best papers I have ever written. I think that the learning plan is a great assignment to do sophomore year of college. It has given me a chance to reflect upon who I am and where I want to be. This is not something a lot of college students do and for that I am thankful.

]]> HR Simulation and Layoffs http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/hr_simulation_and_layoffs When our team was presented with the problem of having potential layoffs we did wonder if the there would be... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/hr_simulation_and_layoffs MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:50:06 EST When our team was presented with the problem of having potential layoffs we did wonder if the there would be negative comes and debated having layoffs at all. However we did decide to fire about 10 level one employees this was about 2% of the total employees in this categories. We figured that such a small layoff would not be seen as a big deal and that we were simply adjusting for shifts in the job market. Furthermore we have an appraisal system in place and there by the employees who were the lowest performers would be fired. This is what sold it for us.

However evidently firing such a small percentage of your employees, even if they are the lowest performers in the company was not a good idea. We had a drastic decrease in morale and additional employees left too. Maybe this is a flaw in the program, but I feel that the programs should account for this and if anything by firing our low performers our moral, safety and quality would improve. While I like this current simulation I feel that it should take this in to account.

]]> Interning http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/interning My parents are expecting me not to come home this summer, but rather that I will be interning in another... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/12/12/interning MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:36:10 EST My parents are expecting me not to come home this summer, but rather that I will be interning in another city. Thereby I was really pleased when Amy came into our class to discuss internship opportunities for this coming summer. Right now I am still worried about getting one, because of my current GPA. And with some companies requiring a minimum of a 3.7 GPA just to apply why shouldn’t I be worried. While I do plan on increasing it to an acceptable level by the end of this school year, this will not help me in time for this summer. I have tried to find an internship through networking, but have had little luck with this. As a result I will be going to the Career Center to see if there are any routes I have not tried. I want to have the real world experience, but I am worried that my current academics will prevent this.

]]> Goals and Dreams http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/goals_and_dreams The exercise we did in MGMT250 the other day where we discussed our dreams and goals, was very insightful. This... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/goals_and_dreams MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:51:57 EST The exercise we did in MGMT250 the other day where we discussed our dreams and goals, was very insightful. This is not the first time that I have done this activity, but the idea of creating a list is still new to me. I made my first list in August and at the time it seemed silly to me. However, as this semester has gone by I have realized that this is something not to put aside. There are times where we feel like we are only working towards one goal. While in life we do have the big goals: get a job, get a house, have a family. Yet we get to focus on these things and we forget what are dreams were. We end up losing touch with who we really wanted to be. Life is more then just a bunch of papers, memos and meetings. Life should be about making you happy and doing what you want to do. There will be things that are unavoidable, bad bosses, horrible jobs, and family issues. Yet as long as you try to accomplish other little goals the good will help balance out the bad.

]]> Simulation Training http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/simulation_training The other day in MGMT 250 we discussed how to train employees. While I have always been trained for my... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/simulation_training MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:21:45 EST The other day in MGMT 250 we discussed how to train employees. While I have always been trained for my jobs I never have put much thought in to it. Training is the most important part of any job, because this allows you to learn how to effectively do your job. Yet, each training program is custom tailored to the job it is training you for. In class my group went over the simulation training. Simulation training is interesting to me, because the alternative to not doing a simulation can lead to negative affects. Some training programs if you try an alternative form it may not be as effective, but it still will train the employees. However, with simulation training if an alternative form of training is done, people, property and the company can get hurt. Simulation training is the only type of training that is essential for certain jobs: police, pilots, and military. While there are numerous forms of training I think that it is interesting that simulation training is the only one that cannot be substituted by another training program.

]]> HR Simulation So Far http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/hr_simulation_so_far So far our HR simulation has gone very well. Our group had to change some of our goals in our... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/hr_simulation_so_far MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:52:29 EST So far our HR simulation has gone very well. Our group had to change some of our goals in our annual report, but we feel that these changes will only benefit us. Now that we have done this we feel that we have the swing of thing, it is easier for us to get each quarter done. In away it is just like our employees. In the beginning we were not properly trained with the HR simulation. As a result, we were very inefficient and ineffective. However after doing it for 5 weeks now we have become much more efficient and effective. This is similar to our employees, once we started training them they were also much more efficient and effective. I feel that it is interesting how we have not only noticed increased results from expanding our knowledge of the simulation, but by training the employees they have also had a positive change.

]]> Harrah's Case http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/harrahs_case It is amazing how discussing a Case in a class can change your opinion. Originally I viewed the gain sharing... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/harrahs_case MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:32:05 EST It is amazing how discussing a Case in a class can change your opinion. Originally I viewed the gain sharing plan in the Harrah's Case as a good thing. While it needed a little alteration, I felt that it would played a vital roll in the future success of the company. However when we discussed the case in class a good portion of the class had a much different opinion. While I still feel that the gain sharing plan was the best strategy to improve Harrah's, I no longer feel that it is the best plan to continue with. This is proof that as a manager, you must discuss your decisions with other people. If I were a manager and continued with my modified gain-sharing program, it would have been received very poorly. However since we discussed I realized that my thinking was flawed and I should reassess my views a present a new plan.

]]> Annual Report Frustrations http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/annual_report_frustrations The annual report for the HR simulation has really been frustrating to me. First my group works very hard to... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/11/10/annual_report_frustrations MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:11:56 EST The annual report for the HR simulation has really been frustrating to me. First my group works very hard to find a time to meet together each week. There by when we meet, we get as much work done as possible. However when we tried to meet on Friday to work on our annual report, the 4Q results were not available to our class. We needed these results to write our annual report. In addition we could not find a time to again meet until Monday. I email Poonamalle, explaining our situation that we cannot get any work done and that we request would like an extension. However I get an email back saying that we would get the results on Saturday and that would give us time to get the project done. I am very confused about this, we have been told to find meeting times, but when we don't get proper notification to change our meeting times it is hard to adapt in such short notice. If we must do it in one night that is how it will be, but I would like to know if we need to figure out another time priory to our actual meeting.

]]> Rewards http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/rewards Incentives are a good way to get spectacular results out of employees. I had been in jobs where if we... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/rewards MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:38:40 EST Incentives are a good way to get spectacular results out of employees. I had been in jobs where if we had perfect attendance for a certain period of time we got a bonus. As a result we were never late, because we wanted the bonuses. However my boss was handing out to many bonuses and there was no penalty for tardiness. So she decided to switch from the bonus to a punishment: 3 late arrivals was a loss of a ½ days pay. While there was a high turnover rate at the job and no one noticed the change I did. As a manager you have to be careful how you do rewards, if they are to good then you can run into problems. However losing a half days pay is incentive, but it dose not promote the same type of eagerness that a reward does. Make sure that the incentive is well balanced otherwise it will backfire and you will have more problems then you started with

]]> Learning Plan http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/learning_plan I am the first person to admit that I am not a spectacular writer. Even though the learning plan was... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/learning_plan MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 19:11:05 EST I am the first person to admit that I am not a spectacular writer. Even though the learning plan was no acceptation to this I did find it interesting to write down how I learn. Since I know that writing is one of my biggest weaknesses I think that it is fitting to be writing down how I need to learn. However the learning plan itself is going to make me learn, because when we turn in part 2 we have to edit part 1. There by I am no only furthering my learning plan, I am learning how to improve myself by editing the paper. All of the information in the paper I have said verbally, but now I get to actually learn from my own learning plan.

]]> Interview http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/interview Since my dad has an MBA I knew that interviewing was no small task. He would always give me advise... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/13/interview MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 13 Oct 2006 18:31:00 EST Since my dad has an MBA I knew that interviewing was no small task. He would always give me advise for when I went to look for a part time job. However I did not realize how much work is actually put into an interview for a real job. It is the combination of numerous little things that manage seem to make the process so complicated. For example the resume, this one page document can take hours to finish. Another is researching the company so that you can ask questions about them. Finally there is your appearance, while it is easier for men since all that is needed is a suit, your shirt needs to be ironed, shoes shined, face shaved and hair cut. After all is said and done you have spent 5 hours preparing for a 15-30 minute interview. Is it worth it? I think so, because what is 5 hours compared to a job.

]]> HR SIMULATION http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/12/hr_simulation At first glance this project seemed like it would not be to much work. However after my teams first few... http://blog.case.edu/williamg.moses/2006/10/12/hr_simulation MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:12:52 EST At first glance this project seemed like it would not be to much work. However after my teams first few meetings I have mixed feelings about it. The first issue we had as a team is that the HR packet does a horrible job at giving instructions. We didn't realize that there was a $400 limit per a quarter per a level for raises; until we read the FAQ section. I would think that this would be mentioned somewhere in the section discussing wage increases.

However I am still enjoying this project as a learning experience. It is interesting to see what other groups value more and the decisions they make because of these values. I think that it is still to early to say how my team is doing. Right now we are just testing the waters and slowing implementing some strategies. I look forward to seeing the end results for this simulation and how they correspond to the team strategy.

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