As F. Nicholas Jacobs toured the Windber Medical Center facility, he was dismayed by the industrial pink-painted walls, the circa 1970 furniture, and the snow leaking through the windows of the conference room. Employees earned 30 percent less than their counterparts in the area, and turnover was steep. As Windber's newest president, Jacobs knew he was the facility's last hope, if he couldn't successfully turn around the aging facility, it would mean closing the doors forever.

Coming to Windber Medical Center in 1997, Jacobs was keenly aware that the hospital could be the next in a series of small hospitals that had fallen victim to a struggling economy. Determined to see that not happen, he began by making connections with the employees of the hospital and the community at large. Jacobs's first step was to interview the employees to find out firsthand what they wanted for the Windber community and the medical center. He also looked to members of local community groups like the local library, the Agency on Aging, and local politicians and asked these groups what they wanted from their local medical facility. When Jacobs realized that people of over 80 years of age made up a larger percentage of the population in Windber, Pennsylvania, than in all of Dade County, Florida, he made it a priority to provide more options to seniors for improving their health and quality of life. He set forth a vision of a medical center that was more of a community center, a center that would allow members of the community to exercise in a state-of-the-art facility while having access to professionals to answer health related questions. Jacobs realized that keeping people in the community both physically and mentally healthy also meant keeping the hospital financially healthy. He made the center's new preventive care philosophy clear to the public: "Work out at our hospital so you can stay out of our hospital."

Jacobs's efforts have paid off in an era when small hospitals are closing left and right, Windber Medical Center is thriving. Under Jacobs's leadership, Windber has established an affiliation with the Planetree treatment system, which integrates meditation, massage, music, and other holistic methods into traditional healthcare. Windber's wellness center, which offers fitness training, yoga, and acupuncture, among other treatments, opened in January 2000 and now generates over $500,000 annually. Gone are the pink walls and dated furniture, replaced with fountains, plants, and modern artwork. Jacobs recruited a former hotel manager to oversee food service. And despite the dismissal of about 32 employees (those used to a more traditional hospital setting had a tough time in the new environment), the staff has nearly doubled to 450 employees, and pay has improved. Windber has raised more than $50 million in public and private funding and has forged research partnerships with the Walter Reed Army Health System and the University of Pittsburgh, among others. The Windber Research Institute, Windber's heart disease reversal program, has treated about 250 patients.

Please explain in as much detail as possible each of your answers, explain your reasoning.

QUESTIONS:

Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory

1. Given the information that you have, what do you think was the level of follower readiness (willingness and ability) overall of the hospital employees? What behaviors should Jacob engage in, given the followers’ readiness?

2. In you assessment did Jacob’s engage in such behaviors? Explain

Fielder’s Contingency Theory

3. Using Fielder’s Contingency Theory, which octant do you think the situation at the hospital falls into at the beginning of Jacob’s tenure? Which would be the most appropriate leadership style for this situation (Task motivated-Low LPC, or Relationship motivated-high LPC)?

4. Jacob’s scored high LPC-Relationship motivated, is this the appropriate style for your assessment of the situation? What situational factors, if any, could be changed to make the situation more favorable to Jacob’s leadership style?

• Name three technology/automated advances that you appreciate as a customer or a service provider. Explain what business uses each advancement and how it is helpful as a customer or employee.

Using Excel Linear Solver Please answer the following, include all of the constraints.

You are a project manager for a consulting firm. You are going to hire four new employees. The candidates that you are choosing from are named Amy, Bob, Charlie, Debbie, and Elizabeth. You are managing two projects that you will use your new employees to complete. Project 1 will require at least 700 labor hours and Project 2 will require at least 870 labor hours. Elizabeth is the owner’s daughter so you will have to hire her. Amy and Charlie used to work together, but they can’t stand each other. If you hire one, you can’t hire the other. You have contracts that guarantee a set fee for each of the projects. Your profit will be determined by your ability to minimize your labor costs. Each of the employees you hire will require a signing bonus. The respective signing bonuses required for each employee if hired follow: Amy $24,000; Bob $11,000; Charlie $16,000; Debbie $17,000; Elizabeth $15,000. The hourly rate you pay each employee is determined by the type of project to which they are assigned. For Project 1, the required hourly rates for each employee if hired follow: Amy $100; Bob $95; Charlie $85; Debbie $50; Elizabeth $45. For Project 2, the required hourly rates for each employee if hired follow: Amy $60; Bob $40; Charlie $75; Debbie $120; Elizabeth $130. If you hire an employee, they can be used for both projects. Labor should be allocated in one hour increments. During the lifespan of these two projects, the candidates are available to work the following number of hours: Amy 440; Bob 730; Charlie 520; Debbie 680; Elizabeth 590. Which candidates will you hire?

What is Eliyahu M. Goldratt's most important contributions to Project Management?

Describe the evidence of the stages of group development, the role of status within the group and the six properties of a group from the movie 12 Angry Men.

From the film 12 Angry Men explain the stages of group development, the role of status within the group and describe the six properties of a group as related to the jurors in the movie.

When a firm is entering a foreign market, what is the primary benefit of using private brands?

Group of answer choices

a. Market penetration can be faster and at a lower overall cost.

b. Market penetration can be faster although at a higher overall cost.

c. The cost to protect the private brand is lower, and the protection is stronger.

d. The cost to protect the private brand is higher, but the protection is stronger.

One disadvantage of global brands is that ...

Group of answer choices

a. this generally lends itself only to industrial products.

b. acquisition of local brands will become increasingly more difficult as the global brand grows in dominance.

c. the brand can be seen as a metaphor for the policies of the home-country government, attracting protests against the brand.

d. it also means consistent pricing, which can be difficult to implement globally.

As international marketers develop their marketing communications, they must be aware of which international business environmental issues and constraints?

Group of answer choices

a. Primarily agency availability because all foreign marketing communications begin with agency assistance

b. Language differences, governmental controls, and agency availability

c. Primarily language differences and local tastes and attitudes

d. Cultural differences, governmental controls, economic differences, and agency availability

What is the impact of a firm’s marketing mix on its international promotional strategy?

Group of answer choices

a. The marketing mix can have an important impact on the success of the international promotional strategy but the impact of each element in the mix will vary by country. Due to these differences the decisions for each part of the marketing mix could vary from country to country.

b. The most important impact is on pricing because consumer ability to purchase varies tremendously from country to country. Though this still supports a global promotional strategy, the pricing strategy will vary while other elements can remain global.

c. Generally the marketing mix plays a limited role compared to other aspects of the promotional strategy such as advertising and public relations. With its relatively low impact, a firm is generally able to have a global promotional strategy.

d. The marketing mix does have an important impact on the success of the international promotional strategy but due to globalization of consumer demands, the impact generally is the same from country to country, which supports a global promotional strategy.

What is the primary challenge in taking a firm's domestic supply chain management into foreign markets?

Group of answer choices

a. Dealing with the significant differences in the global business environment including cultural, political, legal, and financial.

b. Mostly technology issues. Global supply chain IT solutions are expensive and not available in all countries.

c. Cost containment. International freight costs are considerably higher than domestic.

d. Government regulations because these legal differences have tremendous impact on the supply chain.

In your opinion, to what extent do you think it is possible to transform a risk-averse person into the risk-seeking person? What ideas can you come up with for training risk-seeking people to become more risk-neutral? A one or two paragraph answer is sufficient.

Please explain (not just list) the three typical approaches/strategies to adopting technology.

Explain how Amazon uses or should use lean production to create a competitive advantage. Must be at least 250 or more.

Have you ever engaged in a little social loafing?

Have you ever lost your head and been caught up in a group's destructive action

Have you ever felt peer pressure to act more in accordance with the behavioral norms of a group?