Date: May 1, 2012

Just a month ago, Troy was fired, and replaced with Jamaal, a three year veteran of the maintenance department. He had a good attitude and was eager to please. He was well known and popular throughout the plant. And, while a few of the maintained workers resented his new position, Jamaal was mostly well respected and provided good leadership.

After replacing Troy, the maintained department made huge strides—productivity was up in every area of the factory, due in large part to better run-times on nearly all of the machines.   While that is exactly what Patrick was looking for, he had been hearing reports of more in-fighting within the group. The same two maintenance workers that got into the physical fight a couple of months ago (refer to Part 6 of the case study) did it again. But, this time they didn’t defend each other. Instead, they blamed each other.

Interestingly, while conflict among the maintenance department was increasing, conflict among the leadership team was decreasing. Dramatically. Even though things were better, they were far from perfect. Quality was still a huge issue, and little improvement had been made in that area. Too, the scrap rate was through the roof—they threw away nearly as much steel as they used, leading to a 50% scrap rate. With the price of steel constantly on the rise, it was worrisome. More worrisome was the fact that much of the scrap was the result of the machines—while they were running, many of the steel cutters and steel benders had divots, pocks, and cracks that led to bad cuts. These bad cuts inevitably meant that nearly half of the pieces of steel being cut were being sent to the scrap heap—no one wanted to spend big money on a grill with a dent or chip.

In the last leadership meeting, Patrick expected that Janet and Jose would discuss the issue of scrap with Jamaal. Yet, when Patrick raised the issue in the meeting, neither spoke up. Patrick wondered why.

Answer the following questions:

1. First, describe your gut reaction to this scenario. What do you think?

2. Describe the conflict within the maintenance group. Why does conflict like that happen? What does the text say about it, and what are its antecedents and consequences?

3. Do you think that there is conflict within the leadership team? Describe it and explain why scenarios like that happen. What does the text say about it, and what are its antecedents and consequences?

4. Based upon what you have learned from the text, what recommendations do you have for Patrick. Be specific.

6+ sentences minimum. I will give you thumb up!

• What is the purpose of a continuous improvement program? What role does HRM play in assisting continuing improvements? In your opinion, how critical is it for an organization to prioritize (or not) these processes? Name two factors that benefit the employer and two factors that may be seen as non-beneficial to employees.

What are some outcomes/consequences of high job satisfaction?

can you identify situations in which your job attitudes directly influenced your behavior?

Research any literature/articles that address globalization and its challenges in the context of management…..Discuss in specific terms the challenges and how they are or can be overcome and their respective applicable solutions. Highlight the strategic approaches that managers develop and implement to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Is globalization a greater challenge or threat to dynamic organizational structures than static organizational structures? Elaborate how you could device a workable method to resolving the challenges or threats. Provide logically-connected organizational management leaders who have made history in this regard.

1. What consumer market segments does Motel 6 serve?
2. What business market segments does Motel 6 try to reach?
3. Do you think the Motel 6 advertising approach is still effective?
4. What specific digital marketing/social media details should Motel 6 use and why?
5. What "alternative" marketing ideas do you have for Motel 6?

TASK

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In the contemporary management environment, mergers and acquisitions are hot topics; particularly as mergers and acquisitions are among the most commonly used strategies for growth. The pitfalls of mergers are well known and well-studied in the management literature.

Yet, there are some fundamental challenges that organisations keep stumbling over. One of them is integration. Preoccupation with due diligence and political factors surrounding merger negotiations too often leaves a crucial piece in the merger puzzle left till it is too late – integration of cultures and structures and people. It is well known today that poor results from mergers can so often be put down to people issues.

In this major assessment you are asked to analyse the following case and answer the questions below using a business report format. Further detail on the format of the business report are provided below.

Questions

Using the knowledge that you have gained from the subject up to and including Topic 9, Managing people, answer the following questions.

1. Identify and explore the potentially conflicting values in the case using relevant management theory and concepts. Contextualise your answer with reference to literature on integration problems in mergers and acquisitions, with specific reference to people issues. (Maximum 400 words)
2. Using theory and concepts from mergers and integration studies and with particular reference to structure and senior management, evaluate the process that is being applied to work out the details of the integration. Ground your answer in evidence regarding people and culture issues. (Maximum 700 words)
3. Make specific recommendations on how these issues of conflicting values can be resolved. (Maximum 500 words)
4. What process should the two senior executives and their HR teams follow to work through the detailed integration of the top management structure? (Maximum 500 words)
5. Critique the usefulness or otherwise of the management and organisational theories and practices from this subject that you have applied in analysing this case. (Maximum 400 words).

Case study: Who goes, Who stays?

HBR CASE STUDY

The merger between two pharmaceutical companies generated headlines first-and then headaches. One reason: CEO Steve Lindell has two executives for every available slot. As the stock price drops and talented people head for the exits, he must quickly decide whom to keep and whom to let go. Pass the aspirin.

The merger announcement between DeWaal Pharmaceuticals and BioHealth Labs was front-page, top-of-the-hour news. Pictures of CEO Steve Lindell and chairman Kaspar van de Velde, beaming at each other like long-lost friends at a college reunion, had appeared in newspapers around the world. DeWaal, based in the Netherlands, was an established European drugmaker, and BioHealth, head-quartered just north of New York City, had in recent years become competitive at the highest tier of the market. Both companies made and sold a wide range of drugs, from over-the counter pain relievers to AIDS medications. The new mega company, DeWaal BioHealth, would reap the benefits of scale: it would consolidate plants and staff while having more products to push through its distribution channels. Global headquarters would be in New York, but European manufacturing and sales would continue to be directed from Rotterdam. The new company's combined revenues were projected to top $8 billion.

Now, two months later, the TV cameras had moved on to a new story, and the hard labor of integration loomed. Ever since the announcement, Steve had worked tirelessly on clearing the regulatory hurdles presented by the FTC and the European Commission. And he noted with a mixture of satisfaction and relief that all signs pointed toward approval in the near future.

Yet Steve knew that the anticipated victory would be just the beginning of the game. The real challenge would lie in bringing together two very different cultures as quickly and efficiently as possible. He had to get the new company moving, and the first hurdle-it looked more like a pole vault to Steve-was selecting the top layers of management. At the moment, there were some 120 people on two continents for about 65 senior-level jobs.

Steve drained his third cup of coffee of the morning and checked his watch. Already 11AM. He'd been at the office since 6:30 and in meetings for the past three hours. Now he had an hour to prepare for his meeting with Kaspar at one of New York's finest restaurants. Steve had suggested the company cafeteria, but Kaspar had cajoled him into making the drive to the city by invoking "the need to maintain a civilized life in this frantic world of ours." The meeting's agenda consisted of one item: deciding who would fill the high-level management posts.

The Exodus

As Steve gathered up the mass of papers he would need and stuffed them into his briefcase, there was a knock on his half-open door. Alison Whitney poked her head in and said, "Hey -- got a minute?"

Alison was BioHealth's director of sales and marketing. She had shot into that position a year ago, at age 33, after establishing herself as the company's best sales rep. She had an easy, bantering relationship with Steve and was known for having her finger on the organization's pulse.

"I'm just out the door. What's up?'

"Yeah, I know, I know. You're meeting with Kaspar - that's what I need to talk with you about. I'll keep it brief."

"Fire away."

"I just have to let you know, before you make any final decisions about people, that everyone, and I mean everyone, here at corporate is terrified. Right or wrong, they think Kaspar is calling the shots. We've already lost, what, five people? And I can tell you, without naming names, that I know of three or four others who are weighing serious offers right now. Like I said, I had to let you know."

This wasn't the first time Steve had heard that people were confused about who was in charge. The question had already been raised by a handful of Wall Street analysts and a Business Week reporter. The confusion puzzled and irritated Steve. He was, after all, the leader of the bigger organization and the new company's CEO -- end of story. True, Kaspar had lost none of the drive and charisma that had made him one of Europe's most respected CEOs, but he was 62 and widely presumed to be on the road to retirement. That's why he had agreed to the position of chairman, Steve figured. But Kaspar, with his ability to charm the media, seemed to be creating the perception that he had more say in key decisions facing the new company than Steve.

The two men had worked well together during the merger negotiations. They had carefully traded off the positions at the very top of the new organization. Kaspar had insisted on having his people lead HR, operations in Europe, and global marketing; Steve, in return, had held out for COO, CFO, and head of R&D. Overall, Steve had been happy with the horse trading. The reports of tension between the two were based only on rumors, but Steve knew rumors could sometimes become facts if they are not quickly dispelled. All this flashed through his mind as he faced Alison.

Steve exhaled a big rush of air. He already knew what Alison didn't: that DeWaal's Albert Schenk, based on his extensive knowledge of global markets, was going to take over as the new company's director of sales and marketing. Steve was planning to offer Alison a job as head of U.S. marketing, but he wasn't sure she'd take it. He hated the thought of losing her.

"Look, Alison, do me a favor. Try to calm people down a little. I can guarantee you that our best people will have jobs - I'll see to it one way or another. And remember: this deal is going to be rewarding financially to the people who stay-that includes you. So a little more patience is in order. Okay?"

After a pause, Alison quietly responded. "Sure. Okay. Well" She looked a little embarrassed. "Have a good lunch, and watch out for that third martini."

Steve, who rarely drank, forced a smile. With a short wave, Alison left, and Steve realized that his heart was pounding. Four more people about to leave? That was news he could have done without. Just this morning, he had learned that a leading brokerage was downgrading BioHealth's stock from buy to hold. Steve had watched nervously in the past two months as BioHealth's stock price dipped 20% once the initial euphoria over the deal wore off. He knew that part of the drop was attributable to a general softening of the market, but stories about difficulty with the integration process had certainly contributed. As the company's stock options became less valuable to his managers, could he really be so surprised that people were heading for the exits?

Steve picked up the phone and dialed Bruce Bollinger, who would accompany him into the city.

"Bruce, you ready to roll? Let's go."

Going Nowhere Fast

Bruce had been BioHealth's head of HR. It was widely known that Bruce wasn't exactly a workaholic, but in Steve's eyes he made up for his 9-to-5 mentality in other ways. Bruce and Steve went way back. They had worked together for years, and the two played golf together every chance they got. Bruce was known for his stand-up comedy routines at company functions and his good humor on the golf course, which he treated like a second office. More important, he wasn't afraid to give his boss tough messages when he thought Steve needed to hear them, and he had a way of cutting through the baloney at staff meetings. When Kaspar had insisted on naming Christian Meyer as the head of HR, Steve had reluctantly agreed to demote Bruce to director of corporate training.

As Steve walked out of his office, he heard Brace booming down the hall at him. "Did you see that Tiger pulled out another one? I watched all 18 holes. Unbelievable."

Steve waited for him to catch up and replied, "No, no, I missed it. These days, I'm not sure I'd recognize my clubs if they fell on my big toe."

"You've got to get out more" Bruce continued to analyze Tiger's round until they ducked their heads into the car.

As they drove along, at first rapidly and then haltingly in the stop-and-go traffic of Manhattan, Steve unburdened himself to Bruce about the tough staffing decisions that lay ahead.

"You know, I don't care what the investment bankers say, I like to go with my gut. I like to look people in the eye and find out what they've really got. And I'm not that impressed with a lot of the people from DeWaal. Somehow our guys just seem to get it, and I can't get a good read on the Dutch. All right, so eight of them have left us already. They don't want to move to New York. They're fearful. Alison tells me that our people are too. I mean, I knew the headhunters would be hovering, but I can't believe they got to Sandy Allen. I always thought she would take my job someday, and what really gets me is that I negotiated hard to get the CFO job for her. Anyway, I'm sympathetic to every someone's fears and I'm trying to be as objective as possible, but ... Brace, help me out here"

Bruce looked up from the interview notes and résumés he'd been flipping through. "I think this meeting today is crucial" he said. "We've got to get resolution on our key people. Don't worry, I'll take on Meyer."

Steve hated to admit it, but Christian Meyer had become a bit of a thorn in his side. He wanted to do a lot of testing of the executives-for IQ, for emotional intelligence, for who knew what else. And he constantly talked about the fairness of the process. Steve's view was that fairness was a noble goal - and one they would strive for - but he had to look at the big picture, And speed, as the market

"We need to get on with this even if we don't make the perfect choices right now, we can fix things later. Meanwhile, we've got to consolidate where we can and get the reps up to speed on all our products."

As they pulled up to the restaurant, Bruce got in a final word. "One more thing: if I see Kaspar working his charms on you and getting the upper hand, I'll signal you by knocking over my beer."

Trouble Abroad

They had reserved a small private room at the restaurant. Steve and Bruce were on time; Kaspar and Christian, staying at nearby hotel, walked in 15 minutes later. After an exchange of pleasantries, the four sat down and ordered.

Steve, remembering what he'd been told about European corporate etiquette, held back form jumping straight to business. He reminded himself that they had the rest of the afternoon. Still, unlike his counterpart, he wasn't much for small talk -- and Kaspar's discourse ran from the fate of the euro to Quentin Tarantino, from Afro-Cuban music to the problems of reaching the world's poorest people with desperately needed medications.

That last topic, in a roundabout way, finally got them to the task at hand as the coffee arrived. Both DeWaal and BioHealth had several foreign plants, and Steve wanted to nail down which ones would remain open and who would run them.

Steve's plan for Asia went like this: they would close the DeWaal plant in Indonesia, which was redundant, and keep the BioHealth plant in Shanghai. Steve believed it was imperative to maintain a presence in China, and he was prepared to offer someone from DeWaal the number two spot there to sweeten the pill.

Meanwhile, the Dutch company had an operation in Bangalore, India, and the U.S. company had one in Bombay. The Bangalore plant was extremely efficient, and Steve was prepared-in the interests of fairness and despite his fear of seeing the headline "Lindell Caves to van de Velde (Again)" -- to close down the Bombay operation, The question was who to put in charge. The Dutch fellow -- what was his name, Peter Krug? -- had headed up the Bangalore operations for three years, and his resume was impressive. But Steve had a candidate too. Vijay Naipaul, who had been in the United States the past ten years since coming to business school from Delhi, was an ambitious and talented executive. If not for the merger, Steve would have put him in charge of operations at the Bombay plant. Being in charge of India would be his dream job, and Steve had been told by his COO that Vijay might walk if he get the job. Steve hoed that Kaspar wasn't too attached to Krug.

He quickly laid out his thoughts on Asia, hoping to move on to the touchy question of R&D management.

Kaspar looked up from his espresso and broke into a broad grin. "Oh dear, Steve, what are you saying. You know they will have my head in Rotterdam if we close the Indonesia plant-ties to the former colonies and all that. And you know, there are outstanding people running that plant. Really and truly! As for India, well, yes, by all means close the plant, but can we decide so quickly who will run the remaining one? Christian tells me we have a ways to go in the process of deciding such matters -- isn't that so, Christian?"

Steve jumped in . "Well, I'm sure we could find another spot for Krug. Perhaps if he and Naipaul were co-leaders of the Bombay plant...."

He was interrupted by the sound of a beer bottle falling to the floor.

legal aspects of engineering

1. What remedies are available to a seller if the buyer refuses to pay for goods the buyer has accepted?

2. Describe the relationships between the parties to a construction contract.

3. What are the inherent advantages of standardized specifications?

4. Why must real estate transactions be recorded?

On June 28, 1997, in Las Vegas, Nevada, heavyweight boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield met for what was to be a night to remember. During the third round of the fight, a desperate Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear. The fight continued until moments later when Tyson bit Holyfield’s other ear.1 Tyson was disqualified, and numerous fans were unhappy with the outcome. Some fans were so outraged they decided to sue Tyson, the fight promoters, and the telecasters, seeking a refund.2 The fans sued on the basis of, among other theories, a claim to being third-party beneficiaries to various contracts into which the defendants had entered.

2. If you were one of the fight promoters, what sorts of contractual duties would you have to the viewers?

Write a hotel blog about a hotel that you visited recently. Remember that you need to write the text in perfect tense. Please write minimum 30, maximum 40 sentences. Also specify which hotel category suits your hotel.

Kowloon Bank (KB) was established by a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong in 1962, with 26 branches across the city today. As a local bank, the management always wants to maintain the status quo. Just like many other local companies, KB has a masculine culture in which productivity is preferred to employees’ quality of life. In other words, assertiveness, achievements and power are valued within KB.

Catherine Chung is the human resources manager, and has been with KB for more than 5 years. Catherine is open-minded and has an emphasis on the importance of work-life balance, and she believes that employee satisfaction is a prerequisite for the attainment of organizational goals. In this regard, she plans to send an email to all staff members to inform them of a revised policy on maternity leave after she successfully persuaded her superior to make the change.

Before the review, only female employees were entitled to maternity leave. In the revised policy, it extends to all male employees with KB, which is a significant step towards a caring workplace. In the email, Catherine needs to highlight the reason for the change and key features of the revised policy, e.g. eligibility.

Imagine that you are Catherine Chung, and then handle the following two parts:

Part A (5%)

With reference to the information provided, decide the message tone required in the email to all the staff members of SB and justify your answer in no more than 100 words.

Part B (45%)

Write the email to all staff members in a full email format. You need to invent further details to

make the email sufficiently informative and logical. Remember that you will gain no marks by merely copying wording from the question into your answer, and that the letter should not exceed 350 words.

1. Rockbottom Sand and Gravel Company has contracts to deliver the following amounts of broken rock to six customers:

Customer                                 A          B          C          D          E          F

Contracted amount (tons)         1          2          6          2          3          4

Rockbottom has five trucks that may be used to make these deliveries. With the use of dividers, a truck can deliver to multiple customers, as long as it does not exceed the truck’s capacity. However, a customer’s order cannot be broken up and delivered by multiple trucks. The available trucks and their capacities are:

Truck #                         1          2          3          4          5

Capacity (tons)              4          8          4          8          6

The costs, in $000s, for each truck to deliver the required load to each customer are:

     Customer

            Truck                A          B          C          D          E          F          

                 1                  17        19        21        20        20        21

                 2                  15        18        20        18        19        23

                 3                  18        19        22        22        21        22

                 4                  15        16        19        18        18        20

                 5                  16        15        20        22        19        20

Develop a linear program to determine the delivery plan that will allow Rockbottom to minimize the cost of fulfilling their contracts.

Your Revolutionary Spirit:

Just like our brothers and sisters who came before us at this university, we too are revolutionaries. We are creating and learning –and struggling - in a new kind of community- an online learning community made for 21st-century living, working, sharing, learning, and at times, even laughing.

We may not be General George Washington’s chief cartographer at age 24, or a multi-talented lawyer, singer, and football player like Paul Robeson, or the first female Judge Advocate General of the US Army like LTG Flora D. Darpino, but we are still revolutionaries in our own right, each and every one of us, and we’re making progress every day in the pursuit of our dreams.

For this final and comprehensive journal reflection, discuss the ways as a student in this class "Organizational Behavior Class", you show your revolutionary spirit. What did you do, say, write, reflect on, and/or study in the text or with your group that helped grow your revolutionary spirit? Link your reflection in a comprehensive assessment of your growth experiences in this class.

- In a post of 500 words. Please use your own words and do not copy from other sources.