When qualified applicants are scarce, recruiting becomes extremely competitive, particularly when two companies go after the same candidate, as often happens in the case of searching for professionals.  

After interviewing three shortlisted candidates, a high-tech company, Company X, made an offer to one and advised the other two candidates that they were unsuccessful.  He successful candidate was given one week to consider the offer.  The candidate asked for a week’s extension to consider the offer but was granted only an additional 3 days.  

At the end of the time period, the candidate verbally accepted the offer and was sent a contract to sign. Rather than returning the signed contract, the candidate informed Company X that he had accepted a position at Company Y.  He had received the second offer after verbally accepting the first position at Company X.  The second company knew that the candidate had verbally accepted Company X’s offer.

Before accepting Company’s offer, the candidate had consulted a respected mentor who advised him to ignore his verbal commitment to Company X and to accept Company Y’s offer.  There were no substantial differences in the salaries being offered by each company or in the work that each would expect the candidate to perform.  The candidate simply saw Company Y as the more prestigious of the two employers.

Case Questions:

1. Did the candidate act in an appropriate manner?
2. What should the candidate have done?
3. Did Company Y act ethically, knowing that the candidate had verbally accepted another offer? ( 3 marks)
4. Does a verbal acceptance constitute a legal and binding contract?
5. Should Company X take any action to enforce the verbal commitment? Should it take any legal action against the candidate or Company Y? Why or why not?
6. Describe what Company X should have done to maintain the candidate’s interest in the position.  

The global trade environment and the dynamics of competition among organizations are the most important topics for understanding and practicing management in today’s markets. The focus of this TMA is to select an example of a successful global organization/brand and discuss the factors that had led to its success along with the challenges that it faces in operating globally.

Your answer should be in the form of an essay. The essay should be well organized, that is, it has an introduction (2.5 marks), body and conclusion (2.5 marks). The introduction should introduce the topic.

In the body paragraphs, the following points should be discussed:

1. Name the global brand/organization and briefly describe its products, markets and activities.
2. What does it mean to be a global organization? Why is your chosen organization global?
3. Discuss the main success factors of the global brand. What is the marketing strategy, competitors and competitive advantage?
4. Discuss the concept of globalization vs. customization and the measures taken by the global brand to recognize that offerings and communication should be adapted to local preferences and conditions. Support your answer with solid examples.
5. Discuss the main challenges faced by the global organization in brand building such as positioning, communication, environmental change, product life cycle, brand equity, market share, consumer behavior, etc...(10 marks)
6. Discuss the organization’s future plans, expansions and diversification.

Ms. Saikley, AM at International BusinessServices, is wondering whether to vote to have a holiday office party this December. She has just spoken with the sales manager, who told her about an incident that happened at another company last holiday season. It seems that the other organization decided to have an “employees only” office party on Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. at a local downtown restaurant. Two weeks later, the wife of one of the workers burst into the office area and began shouting accusations at an office worker who she thought was having an affair with her husband. It was embarrassing to everyone in the organization and most agreed it was unnecessary. The tantrum became loud and abusive on both parties parts—the wife making accusations and the office worker denying them. The situation became pretty tense at this point.

Questions:

1. If you were the AM of that organization, how would you have reacted to the situation just described? The office worker would have reported to you, and you were the first manager on the scene.

2. Should a policy be written covering office parties? If so, what would be your input on this policy? Should a policy be written concerning visitors who enter the work-place (even family members) and create a disturbance?

1)In deciding whether to pursue a global strategy (central management of a coherent marketing message) or multi-domestic (each country develops its own message and strategy), what are the considerations which might come to mind in making such a decision?

2)Outsourcing is a strategy extension which can cut costs and provide flexible employment for occasional business activities. What are some situations in which you would not want to outsource?

Locate and review the 12 CFR 170 - Appendix B. Given the current environment of data protection, draft three paragraphs of key controls you feel would help protect customer information.

How should IBM position itself to take advantage of current technology trends? Should it focus on a particular segment?

Read the “IBM at the Crossroads” case. Answer the following question fully.

Will continuing the existing strategy enable IBM to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage? (200 words minimum)

a) Discuss four (4) reasons why training evaluation is important.

Question text

Scenario: Company X recently hired two employees to fill the newly designed role of quality assurance. The new employees implemented a quality monitoring process. Mr. G has been managing the department for four years without issues. Recently, several quality issues have occurred. Mr. G. is certain that the new quality assurance employees are causing the issues because the other three employees had been working at X for four or more years.
The assistant manager tells Mr. G. that he is not sure it is the two new employees causing the issues because they had experience in quality and seem to find all the errors. The tenured employees maintain that they know their jobs and do not have a history of making mistakes.
The director of the department is tired of the excuses and told Mr. G. that he wants the problem solved and wants to see data to support the solution in two weeks.
Is Mr. G. displaying bias? Why or why not?

Select one:

a. Yes. Mr. G. is certain that the new quality assurance employees are causing the issues because the other three employees had been working at X for four or more years.

b. Yes. Mr. G has been managing the department for four years without issues.

c. No. Mr. G. is certain that the new quality assurance employees are causing the issues because the other three employees had been working at X for four or more years.

d. No. Mr. G has been managing the department for four years without issues.

Question text

Use the six steps of critical thinking process to help Andy with the following situation.
Scenario: Marie and Mark both work in marketing. Mark was hired a few months ago and Marie has been with the company for 12 years.
Mark, while he is talented, waits until the last minute to finish assignments. Marie is more consistent and keeps on top of her assignments. Marie complains that she feels anxious and that she has to worry about Mark's deadlines and her own. Mark and Marie rely on each other for many tasks, and Marie is tired of waiting until the final hour to get assignments completed when they have a project together.
The tension between Marie and Mark has escalated, and Mark is missing more work. Andy, the director of marketing, must use his critical thinking skills to resolve the dispute.
Using your critical thinking skills, which solution would you consider the best option?

Select one:

a. Andy reprimanded Mark for unexcused absences and he explained to Marie that she needed to relax, Mark is getting the work to her before deadline.

b. Marie and Mark agree to plan for working on projects together. The plan has cushion around deadlines so that Mark is not getting tasks completed at the last minute, and Marie has some breathing room.

c. Andy suggested that Marie fib to Mark about deadlines so that he will get his assignments to her in a timeframe that she is comfortable with.

d. Andy arranged for Marie to transfer to another department so that she would not have to work with Mark any longer.

In what ways are Novelty and Curiosity motivational? (1 page)