http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/ My Thoughts on MGMT 250 en-us Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:39:16 EST Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:39:16 EST ya.wang@case.edu ya.wang@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/10/looking_forward_to_mgmt_251 I really like the fact that during MGMT 250 we can actually practice what we have learned during class... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/10/looking_forward_to_mgmt_251 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:39:16 EST I really like the fact that during MGMT 250 we can actually practice what we have learned during class through the HR Simulation. Even though it is only a program and the decision may vary in the real world, it still helps me to understand more about a company. Since I learn better through actually practicing, I found it extremely helpful for me to understand the duties and works the human recourses department has and what is the proper way to solve a problem.
I do not really know what are we going learn in MGMT 251, but I hope that this class will have something that I can practice just like the HR Simulation. I also hope that the grading system will be a bit better and less confusing in MGMT 251.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/10/hr_simulation_improvement_suggestion As I was writing the peer evaluation for my teammate on Wednesday, I found out that there is a... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/10/hr_simulation_improvement_suggestion MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:49:12 EST As I was writing the peer evaluation for my teammate on Wednesday, I found out that there is a place for us to improve the peer evaluation. Since there were only eight quarters for our HR Simulation, I think that it will be better if the peer evaluation can be done more frequently.
Currently, we only have two peer evaluations one is in the middle and another one is toward the end of the HR Simulation period. I think it will be better if there are actually four times, once every two quarter, for us to do the peer evaluation. The reason is that with the current system, each member will only be infirmed with their performance once through out the semester. Why so? It is because the no one will be able to know their performance after everyone is done for their last peer evaluation. If peer evaluation is being done every once two week, each member will be informed with the places where they need to work on a timely basis. And since the HR Simulation is only a shot time activity, they will still have changes to improve each time when they receive the evaluation.
It is also important to require each team to sit down and talk about their evaluations. This will help each individual to understand the reason why they need to improve in different places. Asides from throwing a problem and let each of individuals to improve by their own, it will be great if the team can provide methods and suggestions for each members to try and improve.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/09/advice_for_working_in_a_team For our HR simulation final report, I was given the job to write about what’s we’ve learn as a team... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/09/advice_for_working_in_a_team MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 09 Dec 2005 13:04:07 EST For our HR simulation final report, I was given the job to write about what’s we’ve learn as a team through out HR simulation group. While I was writing it, I found out that some problems were targeted promptly and efficiently, while others could have been addressed earlier or prevented altogether. Therefore I decided to combine all of the problems that we’ve been through and post it on my blog and hope that this entry will help those who have not gone through such an experience.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/08/last_day_of_class During our last class, we talked about what was the most helpful part about this class and who are the... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/08/last_day_of_class MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 08 Dec 2005 18:13:44 EST During our last class, we talked about what was the most helpful part about this class and who are the people I want to recognize. Even though I only addressed mock interview and HR Simulation, there are a lot more activities that were very helpful. Learning plan and all of the exercise for example helped me a lot in understanding myself and figuring out what I like and want in my life. I found out that maybe being a owner might not be the best job for me due to the face that I dislike risks. I also found out that hotel manager maybe something that I can consider as my future job. Asides from finding out the potential job I can take, I also realize how little time I have to prepare for my career. By writing out learning plan II, I actually planned out what I am going to do and achieve before graduating. These really helps me to forces myself to make my action plan to actions. I hope that by May of 2008, I will actually be fully prepare with the career I want and stand out from other applicants who also desire the same job as I do.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/08/tom_mendolas_case For the Case on Tuesday, we discuss about whether we should fired ¬¬¬¬Tom Mendola. I personally believe that he should... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/12/08/tom_mendolas_case MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 08 Dec 2005 16:10:38 EST For the Case on Tuesday, we discuss about whether we should fired ¬¬¬¬Tom Mendola. I personally believe that he should be fried due to his misbehavior and not welling to improve after several warnings. At the beginning it was really hard for me to come up with reasons to keep this young man besides his family condition and his family really needs help. However, this reason was not able to convince me to keep him in real world. After the group discussion, I was able to see this problem from a different angle. It is very interesting to hear Shawn’s idea of rotating the job and think about this problem deeply from the employee’s shoe. In stead of push all the responsibility to the worker and want them to improve, the company is being more humanize and generous by trying to understand that it is a boring job and trying to make this job less boring through rotating the job. This rotating job may cause a bit more work for the company, but this will be able to show their employee how much the company cares about them. According what we have learned through the HR simulation, this will be able to increase the moral within the company. By making the job less boring, the company will also be able to reduce the accident rate and hopefully improve the productivity. This class not only teaches me what I can do when such a situation happened, but also shows me how important it is to think outside of the box.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/06/learning_planing Few days ago, I received my comment toward Learning Plane from Meredith. Even though I have not received my grading... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/06/learning_planing MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sun, 06 Nov 2005 16:11:26 EST Few days ago, I received my comment toward Learning Plane from Meredith. Even though I have not received my grading distribution so far, I can tell that Meredith has give in a lot toward correcting my learning plane. She went through my Learning Plane very carefully and leaves comment for me in detail along with several examples. I think those comment is going to be very helpful for my second part of the Learning Plane. And I really appreciate Meredith’s effort.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/04/training_methods The group competition we had during class was a really good way to receive different ideas from different people. Each... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/04/training_methods MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 04 Nov 2005 18:15:05 EST The group competition we had during class was a really good way to receive different ideas from different people. Each group was able to pool their ideas, creativity, and knowledge toward training new employees. Through each group’s presentations, I found out some interesting ice breakers such as having a dancing or alcoholic party. I personally thought that having an alcoholic party is not an idea that everyone will like, but the results showed that most of the people thought it was a good idea. After class, I thought about why my perceptions are so different from others’, and I realized that cultural differences may be the reason. I think culture is also something that we should consider in the future because there are chances that we are going to work with a vast spectrum of people. I also noticed that many of the groups had great ideas, but they did not consider how practical the ideas were. For instance, hiring a star to open each day is a good idea, however, the costs of that will be huge. So in the end, I learned that being aware of cultural differences within the company and considering practicality are important elements of a successful businessperson.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/04/plastic_paycheck During class, Professor Powley mentioned a potential problem with using plastic paychecks: Employees may feel like they are forced to... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/04/plastic_paycheck MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:03:12 EST During class, Professor Powley mentioned a potential problem with using plastic paychecks: Employees may feel like they are forced to have a bank account. However, I feel that this is not a big issue. As time passes and technology improves, we have to adapt to the changes which come. Computers and the internet are some great examples of those changes. Several years ago, few people neither owned computers nor knew how to use one. Some time later, people started to realize how useful and convenient computers and the internet are, and gradually those two items became a part of our daily life. Students are asked to check their e-mail everyday whether they like working with a computer or not. Employees are asked to use computers to enter information and check e-mail to find any information sent by the company. Eventually, computers became something that everyone is indirectly forced to use. I believe that plastic paychecks make up a system which is as influential as computers. However, I also think that when a company is trying to implement this system, they need to give time for their employees to adjust to the changes. This adjustment can be having both normal and plastic paychecks for a period of time before changing the entire paycheck system. This will help employees to gradually get used to the new system just like providing computers for the students to check their e-mail before asking them to get computer of their own.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/02/jonah_creighton_case After reading the Jonah Creighton Case, I believe that the main reasons Jonah failed to achieve his goal are that... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/11/02/jonah_creighton_case MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 10:16:14 EST After reading the Jonah Creighton Case, I believe that the main reasons Jonah failed to achieve his goal are that he forgot to use proper communication etiquette when talking to his superiors, and that he failed to show why minorities are an indispensable asset to the company. In the end, Jonah’s goal was to convince Coulding-Henson that it needed to take better care of its minority employees. However, companies are concerned with profits and performance. So if Jonah was able to convince the company that minorities are absolutely necessary for maximizing profits and enhancing performance, then in spite of any previous discrimination, the company will logically proceed to treat its minorities better. Bringing the company’s objectives into consideration would have made Jonah’s arguments much more acceptable, and watching his tone and choice of words would have earned Jonah much more support. If Jonah had remembered these details, his plan would have been tremendously more successful.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/09/responsibilities_within_a_team Being a team leader truly makes me appreciate the responsibilities held by each member of a team. While every member... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/09/responsibilities_within_a_team MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sun, 09 Oct 2005 23:59:13 EST Being a team leader truly makes me appreciate the responsibilities held by each member of a team. While every member is expected to turn in some portion of work and respond to issues and contribute to discussions, the leader must spend more time on preparing himself or herself to facilitate the work of the members. The members in turn try as hard as possible to most efficiently utilize the leader's aid and guidance. Neither the leader nor the members can fully operate without the help and support of the other, and for the sake of the team, it is absolutely important that everyone fulfills their individual responsibilities. If everyone does, the possibilities for the team are endless.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/09/all_the_little_details Talking about being a good leader and actually carrying out all the duties and responsibilities of a good leader are... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/09/all_the_little_details MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sun, 09 Oct 2005 22:43:10 EST Talking about being a good leader and actually carrying out all the duties and responsibilities of a good leader are two totally different things. Saying "let's meet once a week" is easy. Actually finding a time that works for everyone is like trying to fit a square piece into a circular puzzle. I also discovered that it's not so easy working with more people because I can no longer confine all the work to my room. With more people, we need more space, and finding such a space is a chore that I can't always complete. I discovered that the person who manages facility reservations for Wade doesn't work on the weekends. This means that my request for a room on Tuesday may not go through, but I won't know the outcome until Monday afternoon, when it will most likely be too late. All the other little details like making sure everyone's on the same page with reading and creating a friendly atmostphere are like million-dollar diamonds: They are beautiful in concept, yet almost impossibly difficult to make.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/08/differences_between_teams Today, I had a meeting with my MKMR 301 group. This team is very productive because we only spent an... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/08/differences_between_teams MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:05:13 EST Today, I had a meeting with my MKMR 301 group. This team is very productive because we only spent an hour to communicate everyone's thoughts and ideas. Even though this meeting was very brief, I feel like we discussed a lot of issues and achieved the meeting's goals within this short period of time. After observing the difference between my MKMR and MGMT team, I found out reasons why such differences exist. The biggest difference between the two teams lies in the attitudes of each team's members. A team in which everyone is trying their best and hoping to use their full potential encourages much better questions and responses. When each team member cares enough to try their best, there are many more issues to explore and possibilities to consider. The ways each team leader leads his or her team are also significant differences between these two team. My MKMR team leader always starts the conversation and lets each member talk and share their ideas. Instead of the way I try to control the conversation, my MKMR leader initiates the conversation but lets the rest of the team carry it forward. The way he does it engages everyone more and leads to a greater feeling of individual contribution as well as team unity. I feel like I have yet a lot to learn about effectively leading and being a member of a team.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/06/team_work Over the past few classes, we have learned a lot about managing a team and being a team member.... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/10/06/team_work MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 06 Oct 2005 20:07:55 EST Over the past few classes, we have learned a lot about managing a team and being a team member. Most of us know what each person can do in order to make the team a more unified team. However, combining our individual strengths tends to be more difficult when it comes to acitually doing it. After our first meeting, I noticed something about our group that worries me. I am worried that we will not be able to create a good team environment because most team members perfer working individually instead of working as a group. Also, through our conversations, we all realized that there was still discomfort and a lack of motivation within the group. This created an absence of conversation and discussion during the meeting. After discovering this problem, we immediately took action in order to prevent problems in the future. Our group had a discussion and each member had to say something about the problems we each noticed and methods to improve our team. I think by talking out the problem, we brought out and solved the problem immediately. This also gave us a chance to reevaluate ourselves and set goals for personal improvement in order to make a better team.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/09/27/thoughts_about_mbti_strong_interst_tests I did both MBTI and Strong Interest tests when I was a freshman last year. I was lost and confused... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/09/27/thoughts_about_mbti_strong_interst_tests MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:24:02 EST I did both MBTI and Strong Interest tests when I was a freshman last year. I was lost and confused about my own interest and wondering what will be the best direction for me to go during that period of time. I was very surprised when I found out how well the test interpreted me. After that, I took many of advices that the results suggested. I am still trying to find out more about myself right now, but I just feel that somehow I was blindly following the recommendation and the guide of the result without a truly deep thought. Now when I think back, I think it would be better for me if I did think more about the results and kept try some more new things during that time. I just want to say that I think the results for those tests might fit us really well, but it is better for us if we can make some decision though our own mind and thoughts. After all, people in this world cannot only be divided into 16 types. And different experiences that each of us had the influences might also be different and changed us a bit. I think it is better for us to just simply take it as an advice instead of blindly followed all the suggestions it provides us.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/09/08/another_case_of_discrimination One thing that came up in my mind after today's class is a story in the news that also deals... http://blog.case.edu/yyw1/2005/09/08/another_case_of_discrimination MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 08 Sep 2005 14:48:01 EST One thing that came up in my mind after today's class is a story in the news that also deals with discrimination. There was a girl who was badly injured in a fire accident when she was young, and she survived only through the help of her doctor. However, her life came at the cost of her appearance; the right side of her face is permanently covered with scar tissue.

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