UMGC MGMT630 Discussions Latest 2021 April (Full)

MGMT630 Organizational Theory and Behaviour

Discussion Organizational Theory Session 1-2

The UMGC Library has wonderful resources available to you that show you how to write and cite in APA style.  (APA is one among several academic writing styles; others are MLA, Chicago, and then for journalists the style is AP.)  Your graduate program uses APA, so that is what you need to master.  The good news is that it is easy because there are so many resources to help you. Click on the link and explore all the APA links provided, so that you have an idea of what you need to do and where to find help.  Citing and Writing, UMGC Library

Guidance:

From the library home page enter your search terms in the OneSearch box and put a checkmark at Scholarly Journals only. Find an article of interest that is either written BY the theorist you selected or about that person, or about the theory itself.

From the library home page enter your search terms in the OneSearch box and put a checkmark at Scholarly Journals only. Find an article of interest that is either written BY the theorist you selected or about that person, or about the theory itself.

In the initial post write a 2-3 paragraph summary of the selected article focusing on the way management is unique for the field. Include the summary and findings (paraphrased) along with the year published.

Initially, DO NOT PROVIDE THE TITLE, Cite, Author or link. Merely create a heading that describes the subject area, for example Not for Profit Management.

Choose 3-4 other posts to reply to and using your library skills to find the article and link for the student’s post.

When replying to others, compare their article with your own, share your research, experiences, and expand on the topics. w

Include the full citation/reference list and your explanation in your final discussion post

Participate in Session 1-2 Discussions; initial post due during Session 1 with followup and replies during Session 2.

 

MGMT630 Organizational Theory and Behaviour

Discussion Organizational Structures & Culture Sessions 3-4

Sessions 3-4

The exercise is comprised of analyzing different types of organizational structure and workflow.  Select three different organizations from different industries, the first being an organization you work or have worked for. Contact management (via phone/email, etc.) and explain that you are a graduate student conducting a study on organizational structure and that you would like to find out how the company works and decision-making flows. Ensure that your questions will only be used in class.  You may need to explain some of these items or ask more questions to have the correct category or answer. Be cautious of your safety during a pandemic or other concerns. Complete the table and questions below.

Name of Business & Industry	1 An organization you work or have worked for	2	3
Employee contacted  job title
Org Goals/Mission
Type of technology using
Organization structure
Team vs individual
Interdependence
Tasks: Routine vs non-routine
Specialization of tasks by employee
Standardization of products/services
Decision making Centralized/Decentralized
Does your company culture support the mission? Can you give examples?
Type of market focus
What surprised you about the responses and why? Recommendations?

Next, post your finished table to the discussion area along with;

an evaluation of common areas and findings/conclusions

how organizational structure supports goals/mission

how organizational culture supports goals/mission

Support your work with at least one scholarly source and with information from this session’s readings

Finally, reply to 3-4 other learners showing an understanding of the content, expanding on the topics, and extending the conversation with your research

 

 

 

 

MGMT630 Organizational Theory and Behaviour

Discussion Organizational Forces Sessions 6-7

Over the last several weeks we have researched various organizational structures and cultures.  Business is in constant change with many forces influences these changes such as global, local, legislative, cultural, etc. This week we consider how these forces impact the organization along with what managers can do when confronted with these forces.

In this discussion address the following:

 What factors within the economic environment affect businesses, thus management strategy?

 How do demographics shifts and technological developments create both challenges and new opportunities for business?

Scenario:

Justine Wood is the top salesperson for Morton Paper Company.  She also leads the sales team that supports Morton’s largest client, Allied Office Supplies headquarters is located in Barcelona, Spain. Allied is an international office supply chain that is growing rapidly in the global market.  During the month of May, Justine and her team members, Andy Griffith and Ronnie Howard underwent intense negotiations with Allied’s purchasing agent, Jack Black, and Allied’s CEO, Cary Grant, to restructure the current sales contracts.

The new contract spelled out Allied’s yearly paper requirements (contracted sales amounts) as well as payment and credit terms. The negotiations had been particularly hard for several reasons:

Allied’s sales had increased internationally causing shipping and customs duties to increase the cost to Morton, resulting in an increase in sales price to Allied’s;

Morton’s sales have deceased domestically due to technological advances such as e-records, e-contracts, etc.

The volume of sales for Allied required Morton to offer a volume sales discount to remain competitive with other paper companies, though tariffs and other taxes impact profits for the company.

Morton’s CEO (Jimmy Cricket) was reluctant to tie so much of the company’s future success to Allied.  The concern was raised because in the last six months, Allied was paying down the credit line every 60 days rather than in the 30 days that had been agreed to in the current contract.  Allied did not appear to have credit issues but Morton was not able to give interest-free loans for 60 days.

The world market has been challenging for their products and the executives have been talking about diversifying their products.

This week, in time for the Labor Day holiday vacation, the final agreement was reached between Morton and Allied.  On Friday evening, Justine was packing her belongings readying to leave the office for the holiday, when her cell phone pinged.  The caller was Jack Black, the Purchasing Agent for Allied. It appeared that a recent deal with UMGC tripled its need for copy paper from Morton.  This deal would raise the total contract sales to $2.5 million.  Black also made it clear to Justine that if the new terms were not agreed on by the end of that Friday evening, he would be prepared to look at an offer supplied to him by Morton’s biggest competitor, King Paper.  Black further stated that, while Allied is pleased with Morton’s work, money is always the most important factor in purchasing.  Allied’s president wanted an immediate answer so he could go on vacation with a clear mind.  Justine was aware that most of Jack’s talk was a negotiating technique but did not doubt that there is competition waiting in the background.  Images of last month’s teamwork ran through Justine’s mind as she listened to Black talk.

 

Overall, the month’s negotiation process had been long and difficult.  The thought of going over it all again to make the changes seemed mind-numbing to Justine.  Yet, making the decision on her own would mean obligating the company to an even greater cash flow commitment.  Her boss would not be happy with this obligation because he specifically warned her when they started that there was nothing to prevent Allied’s from continuing to pay its bills every 60 days despite the new contract agreement.  Justine rationalized and thought to herself, “Allied knows we are not likely to cut them off easily.  They are too big a customer to us.  However, the extra sales volume should offset the lost interest due for ten days in late invoices.”

Justine told Black that she could tell the CEO about the proposal.  When Justine hung up the phone, she thought about all the work that went into the external environmental analysis they did prior to the negotiations taking into consideration strengths, opportunities, and some of the concerns that came up in the world market.

 

MGMT630 Organizational Theory and Behaviour

Discussion Diversity, Inclusion and Communication Sessions 9-10

Sometimes when we are in school learning advanced concepts, things can seem a bit abstract until we are able to see or experience concrete examples.  The link below is a short talk by Ricardo Fernandez, a Spaniard, who leads a team of up to 30 people from several different countries, and the communication challenges associated with this international remote working team.  He is not an expert, nor an academic, but he has the kind of practical experience that is useful for a discussion…and for your potential similar encounters.

Ricardo Fernandez on remote international teams (13:14)

After reviewing the video consider the following:

Evaluate the video for the communication skills needed for success in managing a global environment.

Evaluate video for the relationship-building skills needed for success in managing a remote team.

Analyze how cultural diversity and specifically inclusion impact effective management communication. In the context of managing different cultures, ages, and genders what modes of communication seem most effective in managing people?  Provide examples; for instance, would texting the terms of a new contract be the best way to communicate with a 60-year-old Japanese customer?

Create a 2-3 minute video explaining your analysis of the video including the points above and post in the discussion are during Session 9.

You can use one of the helpful links below to capture your video; consider including other visuals such as slides, diagrams, etc. this does not have to be just you talking.

How to use Zoom

https://screencast-o-matic.com/

https://vimeo.com/create/video-maker?vcid=37797&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_4WpzfmT6wIVgpyzCh3L1ArFEAAYASAAEgJ3e_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Finally, reply to 3-4 other learners showing an understanding of the content, expanding on the topics, and extending the conversation.

MGMT630 Organizational Theory and Behaviour

Discussion Efficiency and Effectiveness Session 12

You have just taken on the role of District Manager for a new video conferencing company, UMG Learning Systems Organizations, Inc. (UMGLSO) that has a mission of providing meeting and conferencing services that promote system thinking in learning organizations. You have been asked by your boss to present to the board of a potentially large customer the way in which the company services can help to support Systems Thinking within a Learning Organization of the future.

Taking into consideration what you have learned this term (Organizational Structure, Culture, Behavior, etc.) provide at least three strategies that would help the organization move toward the future.

Construct strategies that impact effectiveness and efficiency.

Discuss change strategies and identify which actions should be focused on first.

Analyze and explain the relationship between structure and culture in decision making.

Consider using visuals from your final presentation to share with others in your post.

Use resources from this session and/or others and research-based articles from the online library to support your strategies and analysis.