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My name is Nathan Zunich. I am twenty two years old and originally from California. One of my interests/hobbies is technology. I love staying updated on the newest tech. I use my computer and phone to do all of my assignments. I use my keyboard to type everything up and submit it on time. I love to display my technology in my room and on my social media accounts.

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When reading the information from Module 1 about management I learned a lot of new things. One of the things I liked learning about the most was all of the skills that go into managing. As well as all the things managers are supposed to do. I included this picture because I am a visual learner. I think this picture does a good job of highlighting some of the basic words for the skills of managers that we talked about. Like the technical, conceptual, and human skills managers need to learn and work on. It shows how many different “hats” a manager must wear. I think this picture will be an easy way to jog my memory about what I learned regarding these important skills.

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This visual is a representation of the four key functions of management as defined by Henry Fayol. They are: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. These key functions were created by Fayol to help create a management system in which people are the focus. In our reading we see a quote from him that says, “ Management is fundamentally a process involving people.” He recognized that if people were not happy, appreciated, given the proper tool, and had leadership, then they would not succeed. In contrast, if managers use these key functions properly they can help a business to thrive and grow.

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Module 2- Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility 

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Module 2- Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility 

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Business ethics is an important topic that we learned about in Module 2. More and more people today are starting to be more aware of ethics as well as sustainability. This is great because it is ensuring that we are taking care of our world and each other. I attached this article from Stanford University regarding business ethics. I like this article for several reasons. First, it gives a brief and easy to understand explanation on business ethics. Next, it also has a lot of other attached article and paragraphs for if you want to dive deeper. It delves into all different questions regarding ethics and sustainability. I wanted to attach this for anyone who may be wanting to learn more about this topic as well as for myself as a resource for in the future.

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Business Ethics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

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Many people engaged in business activity, including accountants and
lawyers, are professionals. As such, they are bound by codes of
conduct promulgated by professional societies. Many firms also have
detailed codes of conduct, developed and enforced by teams of ethics
and compliance personnel. Business ethics can thus be understood as
the study of professional practices, i.e., as the study of the
content, development, enforcement, and effectiveness of the codes of
conduct designed to guide the actions of people engaged in business
activity. This entry will not consider this form of business ethics.
Instead, it considers business ethics as an academic discipline.

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Module 2- Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility #2

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Module 2- Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility #2

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This short article is helpful if you want an overview on what company culture is, some of its advantages, and some of the challenges. I liked this article because it only took me a few minutes to read it, but it helped me better understand this concept. It also has a nice visual, which is helpful to me as a visual learned. I think it is interesting to learn about how to make the work place better, I believe in continuously striving to better myself, and I think businesses should do the same. This article, and the course reading, helped me to do a self evaluation of any biases I have as well as how my current work place is handling diversity.

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Organizational Culture, as conceptualized by Schein, can be understood as a layered phenomenon with the surface level artefacts visible in an organization as the topmost layer, the espoused values that fuel those just underneath and most importantly the assumptions and beliefs that underlie the above two layers. Culture is the invisible yet powerful force that drives morale, engagement and performance. Needless to say that the culture of an organization comes from its people and is both top-down as well as bottom-up, resulting from the numerous interactions (or the lack thereof) among its people. The diversity in the workforce is therefore, a strong influence sculpting the culture of organizations of today.

Experts are of the opinion that in the glocal world that we live in today, diversity is the key to maximize organizational effectiveness. But what does this diversity really refer to? Is it the variety or multiplicity of demographic features that characterize a company's workforce, in terms of race, gender, culture, religion, national origin, handicap, sexual orientation and age? Or are we referring to the more intrinsic differences that exist between individuals that surpass the group level differences? Whatever the definition may be, it is true that in any workplace today, we are surrounded by people who often think and work differently. It begins with how people perceive themselves and others and the variations therein, which directly influence people's interactions and communication within the organization.

The challenge for organizations really is to manage this workforce diversity to benefit from it, to make it advantageous. It is 'Easier said than done!'
What exactly are these advantages that researches keep talking about?
There are several benefits for an organization that embraces diversity in its culture:

Increased adaptability - Organizations employing a diverse workforce can supply a greater variety of solutions to problems that arise on a day-to-day basis. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands.

Broader service range - A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g. languages, cultural understanding) allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis. IBM is one organization that created several minority task forces focusing on groups such as women and Native Americans. In the ensuing years these task forces expanded IBM's multicultural markets growing from $10 million to $300 million in revenue in just 3 years.

Greater Creativity - A diverse workforce that feels comfortable communicating varying points of view provides a larger pool of ideas and experiences. The organization can draw from that pool to meet business strategy needs and the needs of customers more effectively.

All of these benefits have a clear impact on the bottom-line of a company.
Challenges of Diversity in the workplace
While the benefits of diversity are evident, this path is not devoid of challenges for the organization.

Unconscious bias is one of the most significant barriers for an organization on the path to embracing diversity. Simply because it is unconscious makes it all the more challenging to overcome. While each individual comes with their own set of unconscious biases, there are some that are common such as those stemming from stereotypes related to women and people from certain cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Communication is another important challenge in organizations often resulting from basic differences in the style of communication as well as different meanings associated with non-verbal signals. For example, high-context cultures such as India, Japan and China, rely on implicit communication whereas low context cultures such as USA rely largely on explicit verbal communication. Such differences, when not understood, often lead to miscommunication among teams/employees.

Resistance to change - Any change is often met with resistance, it is a human tendency. There are employees who refuse to accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is changing. The "we've always done it this way" mentality sometimes silences new ideas and inhibits progress.

Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies -This can be an overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Policy level change marks the beginning which then needs to be implemented across the organization. It is important to recognize and accommodate at the policy level cultural and religious holidays, differing modes of dressing, dietary restrictions and needs of individuals with disabilities.

All the above challenges, while real, can be overcome by building awareness and skills through sensitization training programmes and coaching sessions across all levels. Most importantly the top management, the leaders need to be good role models, displaying their support for diversity, respecting people from all backgrounds equally.

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Workforce Diversity and Organizational Culture - The IILM Blog

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Organizational Culture, as conceptualized by Schein, can be understood as a layered phenomenon with the surface level artefacts visible in an organization as the topmost layer, the espoused values that fuel those just underneath and most importantly the assumptions and beliefs that underlie the above two layers.

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Module 3- Management Within a Global Organization 

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Module 3- Management Within a Global Organization 

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One thing that stuck with me from Module three is the global supply chain. In the reading is gives the example of ordering a t-shirt from Amazon. When we order and buy things, on a daily basis, we rarely stop and think where it came from. Not only where it came from but also all the individual parts that make it up. For instance, just the other day I bought a new TV stand. Where did the wood come from? Where was it manufactured? Where did the screws and paint come from? These are things we don’t really think about, but it has a huge impact on the economy and businesses.
I like this article because it talks about local and global supply chains. It also describes advantages and disadvantages of the global supply chain. It is something that I will keep in mind when picking out products and supporting small businesses.

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The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply

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What Is a Global Supply Chain?

Global supply chains are networks that can span across multiple continents and countries for the purpose of sourcing and supplying goods and services. Global supply chains involve the flow of information, processes and resources across the globe.

What Is the Difference Between Global Supply Chain vs Local Supply Chain?

A global supply chain utilises low-cost country sourcing and refers to the procurement of products and services from countries with lower labour rates and reduced production costs than that of the home country.

A global supply chain will usually flow from your own organisation in your home country as a buyer across your supplier tiers; it is these suppliers who will be located in other areas of the globe.

A local supply chain will look to optimise suppliers who are regional to your own organisation, in some instances organisations will look to leverage "home grown" supply routes, so all suppliers feeding into your supply chain will be located within the country in which your organisation is based, or the supply chain can be even closer in to your organisation and may even be within the same state/city/district, which often gives a clearer visibility of the whole supply chain from raw material through to consumer.

However there are both positives and negatives with global supply chains and the total landed cost or total cost of ownership should always be factored into the true costs.

What Are the Advantages of Globally Sourced Goods?

Reduced cost price - due to lower labour and operating costs linked to the manufacturer of the products.

Supplier development - it is often possible to support specialist product offerings leading to:

Opportunity to increase innovation

Sharing expertise and upskilling a new market/workforce

Increasing competition - Developing new suppliers will open up your access to suitably skilled supply routes.

What Are the Disadvantages of Globally Sourced Goods?

Longer lead times - Whilst the production time can be quite quick the lead time can often be much longer as the goods will require shipping which can add to the lad time, this means that forward planning can be a challenge.

Reputational risks - Risk exposure to modern slavery, brand and financial risk exposure can all be increased.

Fluctuations in Exchange rates - Global markets are more susceptible to regional influences that can impact trading markets.

Challenges in communication - There needs to be careful consideration of terminology and the type of communication methods used to interface with a global supplier to ensure information is interpreted correctly.

Increased risk exposure based on STEEPLED factors - As the supply chain spans over multiple countries there are increased risks of unrest in other countries having a direct impact on your supply chain activities.

Loss of control - Due to the distance in the working relationship it can be difficult to manage communications and oversee technical aspects of the production process. Quality issues can also be complex to manage.

Is a Global Supply Chain Right for Our Organisation?

Each organisation will need to take a calculated view and weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of operating with a global or local supply chain.

To find out more about this subject read the full knowledge papers:
Global Supply Chain:
DOWNLOAD THE FULL GUIDE

For addition reading on this topic visit Supply Chain Management

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Global supply chains are networks that can span across multiple continents and countries for the purpose of sourcing and supplying goods and services. Global supply chains involve the flow of information, processes and resources across the globe.

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Module 3- Management Within a Global Organization #2

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Module 3- Management Within a Global Organization #2

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This video is a crash-course video by the YouTuber John Green. When I was in high school we watched many of these videos to explain science and history concepts. These videos are easy to understand, incorporate visuals and humor, which make them perfect for people who don’t like to read. This video and concept relate not only to my buying habits but also my job. There are so many things at my work that come in and that we use on a daily basis. These things come from all over the world. By learning about globalization I will be better equipped to enter into the business world wether a bank or corporation, after graduating.

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Globalization I - The Upside: Crash Course World History #41

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I included this visual about the PESTLE Analysis method. In this method there are six environmental factors to consider when analyzing your business. These factors are: political, economical, social, technological, environmental, and legal. I chose to include this image because it was not one of the planning analysis I chose to use for the case studies. So, I wanted to learn a little bit more about it and dive deeper. I also want to learn about these different types of analysis for if I ever own my own business which is a dream of mine.

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Group decision making is something I experience everyday at work. We are a collaborate setting in which we brainstorm and make decision together. I included this article to help better myself and my co-workers when making group decision. It was interesting to learn during the reading about group think and group decision making. This was a concept I had little background on, and I saw many similarities between the reading and my work place. Sometimes things go well, and other times not so much. We have fallen prey to the disadvantages of group think before. For instance, we had one situation in which our team leader had a certain idea and opinion about an upcoming event, we all agreed with her, even though many of us secretly had doubts. After the event happened and some things went wrong, people started voicing this saying things like “ I new this would happen.” However, instead of voicing this, they agreed with the group and had hindsight bias.

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Executive Summary

There are upsides and downsides to making decisions in a group. The main risks include falling into groupthink or other biases that will distort the process and the ultimate outcome. But bringing more minds together to solve a problem has its advantages. To make use of those upsides and increase the chances your team will land on a successful solution, the authors recommend using seven strategies, which have been backed by behavioral science research: Keep the group small, especially when you need to make an important decision. Bring a diverse group together. Appoint a devil's advocate. Collect opinions independently. Provide a safe space to speak up. Don't over-rely on experts. And share collective responsibility for the outcome.

HBR Staff/Charles Deluvio/Unsplash

When you have a tough business problem to solve, you likely bring it to a group. After all, more minds are better than one, right? Not necessarily. Larger pools of knowledge are by no means a guarantee of better outcomes. Because of an over-reliance on hierarchy, an instinct to prevent dissent, and a desire to preserve harmony, many groups fall into groupthink.

Misconceived expert opinions can quickly distort a group decision. Individual biases can easily spread across the group and lead to outcomes far outside individual preferences. And most of these processes occur subconsciously.

This doesn't mean that groups shouldn't make decisions together, but you do need to create the right process for doing so. Based on behavioral and decision science research and years of application experience, we have identified seven simple strategies for more effective group decision making:

Keep the group small when you need to make an important decision. Large groups are much more likely to make biased decisions. For example, research shows that groups with seven or more members are more susceptible to confirmation bias. The larger the group, the greater the tendency for its members to research and evaluate information in a way that is consistent with pre-existing information and beliefs. By keeping the group to between three and five people, a size that people naturally gravitate toward when interacting, you can reduce these negative effects while still benefitting from multiple perspectives.

Choose a heterogenous group over a homogenous one (most of the time). Various studies have found that groups consisting of individuals with homogeneous opinions and beliefs have a greater tendency toward biased decision making. Teams that have potentially opposing points of view can more effectively counter biases. However, context matters. When trying to complete complex tasks that require diverse skills and perspectives, such as conducting research and designing processes, heterogeneous groups may substantially outperform homogeneous ones. But in repetitive tasks, requiring convergent thinking in structured environments, such as adhering to safety procedures in flying or healthcare, homogenous groups often do better. As a leader, you need first to understand the nature of the decision you're asking the group to make before you assemble a suitable team.

Appoint a strategic dissenter (or even two). One way to counter undesirable groupthink tendencies in teams is to appoint a " devil's advocate." This person is tasked with acting as a counterforce to the group's consensus. Research shows that empowering at least one person with the right to challenge the team's decision making process can lead to significant improvements in decision quality and outcomes. For larger groups with seven or more members, appoint at least two devil's advocates to be sure that a sole strategic dissenter isn't isolated by the rest of the group as a disruptive troublemaker.

Collect opinions independently. The collective knowledge of a group is only an advantage if it's used properly. To get the most out of your team's diverse capabilities, we recommend gathering opinions individually before people share their thoughts within the wider group. You can ask team members to record their ideas independently and anonymously in a shared document, for example. Then ask the group to assess the proposed ideas, again independently and anonymously, without assigning any of the suggestions to particular team members. By following such an iterative process teams can counter biases and resist groupthink. This process also makes sure that perceived seniority, alleged expertise, or hidden agendas don't play a role in what the group decides to do.

Provide a safe space to speak up. If you want people to share opinions and engage in constructive dissent, they need to feel they can speak up without fear of retribution. Actively encourage reflection on and discussion of divergent opinions, doubts, and experiences in a respectful manner. There are three basic elements required to create a safe space and harness a group's diversity most effectively. First, focus feedback on the decision or discussed strategy, not on the individual. Second, express comments as a suggestion, not as a mandate. Third, express feedback in a way that shows you empathize with and appreciate the individuals working toward your joint goal.

Don't over-rely on experts. Experts can help groups make more informed decisions. However, blind trust in expert opinions can make a group susceptible to biases and distort the outcome. Research demonstrates that making them part of the decision-making can sway the team to adapt their opinions to those of the expert or make overconfident judgments. Therefore, invite experts to provide their opinion on a clearly defined topic, and position them as informed outsiders in relation to the group.

Share collective responsibility. Finally, the outcome of a decision may be influenced by elements as simple as the choice of the group's messenger. We often observe one single individual being responsible for selecting suitable group members, organizing the agenda, and communicating the results. When this is the case, individual biases can easily influence the decision of an entire team. Research shows that such negative tendencies can be effectively counteracted if different roles are assigned to different group members, based on their expertise. Moreover, all members should feel accountable for the group's decision making process and its final outcome. One way to do that is to ask the team to sign a joint responsibility statement at the outset, leading to a more balanced distribution of power and a more open exchange of ideas.

Of course, following these steps doesn't guarantee a great decision. However, the better the quality of the decision-making process and the interaction between the group members, the greater your chances of reaching a successful outcome.

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7 Strategies for Better Group Decision-Making

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Executive Summary There are upsides and downsides to making decisions in a group. The main risks include falling into groupthink or other biases that will distort the process and the ultimate outcome. But bringing more minds together to solve a problem has its advantages.

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Module 5- Organizational Structure and Processes

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Module 5- Organizational Structure and Processes

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After reading about employee empowerment I became very interested in this topic. I like the ides of employees having some decision making power. Especially the flexible work arrangement. At my current job they are polling employees to see if people would be interested in different types of work hours. For instance, working ten hour shifts four days a week so that people can have three days off. In addition they are considering offering certain employees the option to work from home. I think working from home and having FWAs is the way of the future. In our modern society people can be just as productive at home and do the same tasks. Also, I think that many people have obligations such as kids, school, work, etc. IT would be beneficial to offer people different ways to work. I hope to one day work from home for a financial institution or corporation.

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Think Shift Academy "Employee Empowerment"

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Module 5- Organizational Structure and Processes #2 

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Module 5- Organizational Structure and Processes #2 

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Company culture is an interesting topic, that is becoming more important to consumers and employees. When looking for a job, people want a company that has a good culture. They want a place that is welcoming and feels like a family. No one wants to work in a place they don’t like or with co-workers who are not nice. In addition, consumers are now starting to look at a company’s culture when buying products. Many people want companies who are sustainable, ethically sourced, etc. In my personal life I have been trying to make the switch to more natural products that are good for me and the environment. So, I have been doing research into many different companies who have the values and culture I want represented in my products.

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Employee discrimination is unfortunately a common problem in the work environment. I have seen lots of racial and discriminatory behaviors in the different jobs I have worked. This is an important topic to me because I have had several friends who have been discriminated against at their workplace and in their personal life. This is unacceptable to me. As well as a large portion of society as shown by the different movements going on right now. I think this topic is extremely relevant and should be a part of every company’s training processes. For example, my job requires everyone to take a diversity training which is very helpful and informative. I believe that if this was required everywhere we would have less cases of discrimination.

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You may be familiar with the word "discrimination." But do you know what it really means? And do you understand how it applies in the context of your job?

To "discriminate" against someone means to treat that person differently, or less favorably, for some reason. Discrimination can occur while you are at school, at work, or in a public place, such as a mall or subway station. You can be discriminated against by school friends, teachers, coaches, co-workers, managers, or business owners.

The EEOC is responsible for protecting you from one type of discrimination - employment discrimination because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information. Other laws may protect you from other types of discrimination, such as discrimination at school.

The laws enforced by EEOC protect you from employment discrimination when it involves:

Unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information.

Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace, because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information.

Denial of a reasonable workplace change that you need because of your religious beliefs or disability.

Improper questions about or disclosure of your genetic information or medical information.

Retaliation because you complained about job discrimination or assisted with a job discrimination proceeding, such as an investigation or lawsuit.

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You may be familiar with the word "discrimination." But do you know what it really means? And do you understand how it applies in the context of your job?

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Business communications are extremely important.  In my work experience, I have been the victim of poor communication on several occasions. This has been due to management not communicating effectively. They did not communicate often enough and not to everyone. This resulted in many people being confused and often asking each other “Do you know what is going on?” This does not create a good work environment. Communication is so important, and thats why it is listed as one of the important qualities for leaders to have. This video, and the course readings, taught me more about different types of communication and when they are effective.

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How to improve your BUSINESS COMMUNICATION?

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Quality leaders are important to a good work environment. Without good leaders the work place cannot flow and function properly. It is my goal to become a leader and attain some kind of leadership/management role. So, I was very excited to do this weeks course reading. I want to learn how to be a good leader and what kinds of qualities people look for. In the past, I have done research about this on my own, and tried to read different articles and books about leadership. I think that this picture does a good job summarizing some important qualities for a leader. I like that is is easy and quick to read it and is something I could easily hang up or save for reference.

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Human psychology is a topic that I find fascinating. So, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is not a new topic to me. However, I have liked diving deeper into it and learning more. I find this theory to be very accurate. I have seen this play out numerous times. I have had frineds in school or co-workers who are going through hard times. Maybe they lost a loved one and haven;t been sleeping or eating right. When this happens their school and work performance goes down. They cannot focus on this when their basic needs are not being met. As well as suffering from emotional trauma. I think management and leaders need to be aware of this hierarchy of needs in order to help employees. They should identify that maybe someone’s work ethic is slipping because of extenuating circumstances. If so, how can they help? What can they do to support this employee to get them back up to pace? I want to take this concept and practice it in my future life. With friends, family, children, co-workers, etc. I want to be able to better understand people and their motivations in order to be a good leader.

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Module 8- Controlling Performance and Operations

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Module 8- Controlling Performance and Operations

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Total Quality Management is a new topic for me. I wanted to learn more about this approach, and found this video helpful when doing research. It does a good job about explaining what TQM is and why its important. I think this philosophy is what will make or break a business. There are sO many companies today that don’t care about quality, they just want to scam consumers into buying their product. As a consumer I try to always read reviews and look into a product before purchasing. I want to know I am getting a quality product from an organization I can trust. This is why I rarely buy “no name” products, and instead drift towards established and well known companies. I think TQM is what helps these companies stay in business and succeed.

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Module 8- Controlling Performance and Operations 

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Module 8- Controlling Performance and Operations 

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I chose to include this topic because for some reason I struggled throughout the reading and quiz to retain the information. I kept getting the Gantt and PERT charts mixed up. When I have issues like this I try and look them up later on my own so I can understand and trying and memorize the information. Not only this but the Gantt chart is also extremely helpful. I like that you can see who is in charge of what and when. I am a very over organized person so this kind of chart appeals to me. I would like to be able to practice using this kind of chart and suggest it at work.

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11 Gantt Chart Examples For Project Management - Venngage

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Plan, monitor and adjust your projects visually using one of our Gantt chart examples and keep the entire team in the loop.