https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6 MAN2021 en-us 2020-02-12 22:55:34 UTC 2025-04-10 13:07:49 UTC hello@padlet.com raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448244887 In this module, one of my first misconceptions was that management was more focused on LEADING people rather than making systems and processes that would let people work towards the goals of the organization. Previous to this course, I had some negative attitudes towards the idea of management and managers, illustrated below by Dilbert, with credit to Scott Adams. The idea that managers were lazy and manipulative plagued me throughout my teenage and early twenties. Though that has changed with experience and education. Though some indeed do embody the negative and cynical spirit of this comic, pictured below. 

]]> 2020-02-20 18:56:02 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448244887 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245023 To start with, my view towards corporate life was marred by negativity brought on by such pop culture as Dilbert and Office Space. Office Space followed a group of disgruntled workers unhappy with office work and their shenanigans. They end up burning down their workplace, which is shown as a positive thing for leaving a "soul-sucking" atmosphere. Pictured below is a popular quote from Office Space. Instead, I have newfound respect for the job. As it seems ridiculously hard to plan, organize, lead, and control resources to meet the goals of that organization. The key takeaway for me in learning about this module and the basics of management enlightened me in how I was wrong about the cynical view of management and office work. It's difficult, complex, and nuanced. People are unpredictable and it can be hard to make the right decision. This module showed me that Dilbert and Office Space, while hilarious and may speak some truth to the experience, are exceedingly cynical and negative and often paint their managers as incompetent, which is the main narrative thrust behind Dilbert and Office Space. In addition to my negative and cynical view of management that is now less cynical and negative, I was also under the false impression of middle managers being unimportant. Now, I realize just how important they are to the effectiveness of a business. They are in charge of "interpreting, planning, and setting actions", so without these people to interpret the overarching and highly general goals coming down from the CEO, there wouldn't really be an effective business to run. ]]> 2020-02-20 18:56:15 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245023 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245132 What do the terms on the axes mean?
Global integration-the degree to which the company is able to use the same products and methods in other countries
Local responsiveness-degree to which the company must customize their products and methods to meet conditions in other countries]]> 2020-02-20 18:56:24 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245132 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245360 Starbucks is one of the most profitable and visible companies that practices corporate social responsibility (CSR). As discussed in the article linked below, "Starbucks became one of the first companies to offer comprehensive health benefits to both full and part-time employees, including coverage for domestic partners." 
Interestingly, the article goes on to say that discussion surrounding ethical business behavior "dates to the early 1600s in Amsterdam. The Dutch East India Company, the world's first publicly listed company, profited by 'war, rape, pillage, and colonization', said Stephen Davis, associate director and senior fellow of the Harvard Law School Program on Corporate Governance". The Dutch, the article goes on to say, protested through the "world's first shareholder boycott of company stock on social grounds. The effort failed and the company carried on, but it laid the groundwork for addressing corporate behavior.
As an ex Starbucks employee I can say that while they do absolutely offer health insurance, paid tuition, and they can absolutely say that they intend to act in a socially responsible and ethical way, I don't think they thought through what they want to offer their workers. I recently left because I couldn't afford any of my living expenses due to the low wage they offer their employees. While it is appreciated that they offer these benefits, Starbucks does not offer a high enough wage to actually benefit from these offers. 
They may be socially responsible and ethical on paper, but for a company to actually be as such, I argue that they actually have to pay their workers an actual living for it to count.



]]> 2020-02-20 18:56:41 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448245360 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448246994 Decision-making often goes hand-in-hand with one of the four basic management functions called planning. In the business environment, planning is defined as "process of setting goals and defining the actions required to achieve the goals." ]]> 2020-02-20 18:58:57 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448246994 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247074 To be effective, everyone needs to know what their job is within an organization. This is visually represented by a flowchart and can describe multiple ways an organization can be structured, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and overall goals. ]]> 2020-02-20 18:59:04 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247074 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247179 It's easy for businesses to just want their employees to do their jobs well without complaints or problems, but that just isn't the reality. Businesses that succeed rely on their employees to communicate well and for any problems that arise to be dealt with professionally and satisfyingly. A disgruntled employee can cause a bevy of problems and good communication and a competent HR department is crucial towards achieving those goals. ]]> 2020-02-20 18:59:11 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247179 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247274 Motivation comes from leadership and leadership comes from motivation. A self-actualized person is motivated because their basic needs are met (see Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) and that same person can be seen as motivating by their subordinates. Leadership and motivation often go hand in hand to achieve the same result, keeping employees happy and able to work towards organizational goals. ]]> 2020-02-20 18:59:17 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/448247274 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449180961 Before taking this course, I had some misconceptions about management and what it entailed. This course journal will chart exactly what the principles of management really are and I will be going into more detail in each module where I may have previously had misconceptions. In other cases, my intuition was proved correct, which I will also illustrate in the modules proper. Much of my misconceptions come from pop culture such as Office Space as well as from the popular comic strip Dilbert, written by Scott Adams. A few of his strips will be included. The comic strip in question is a rather cynical take on corporate culture and management. Office Space is a satire on office work and how boring and unfulfilling it can be for some people as well as the sometimes unintuitive way management can be. ]]> 2020-02-23 19:26:23 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449180961 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449188067 This module discusses how organizations self-evaluate, measure performance, and perform quality control. While I was under a more simplistic notion that control just meant defining and allocating resources, through the reading and research, it is actually much more complex and nuanced than just "telling people what to do." ]]> 2020-02-23 20:08:56 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449188067 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449192889  Chick-fil-A has been in the news for giving money to organizations that participate in the abusive practice of "conversion therapy." It is difficult to say that this company abides by the rule of corporate social responsibility because it was reported that "they just said [Chick-fil-A] was changing its philanthropic giving model". Chick-fil-A "never explicitly said it would permanently stop donating to anti-gay groups or organizations that discriminate against LGBTQ people and that "it wouldn't rule out giving to religious groups in the future." This is shocking since the concept of conversion therapy directly comes from religious anti-gay groups. Chick-fil-A's continued indifference or apathy runs antithetical to the idea that corporations need to be ethical and socially responsible to thrive.]]> 2020-02-23 20:36:54 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449192889 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449229761 2020-02-24 00:04:16 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449229761 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449231032 Standardization, Illustrated
An Apple in the US would be the exact same iPhone in the UK, barring different cell services. ]]> 2020-02-24 00:09:30 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449231032 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449231519 "A multidomestic strategy customizes products or processes to the specific conditions in each country." 
In Japan, 7-11 lets customers pay their utility bills at the store. But here in the United States, that's not an option requested, so 7-11 customizes their operation per each locale.


]]> 2020-02-24 00:12:18 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449231519 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449234090 SWOT analyses is one of the most powerful tools regarding planning for a business. It is scalable, it doesn't matter the size of the company, and it can suss out whether or not a business is performing up to par with regards to goals and benchmarks. SWOT analysis are also incredibly versatile. They can be used to evaluate the business itself, or it can be used to evaluate an upcoming project (ad campaign, for example). ]]> 2020-02-24 00:26:04 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449234090 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449236072 Decision making as it relates to business can get very detailed. But this is a very basic overview of the steps needed to effective in making a decision. ]]> 2020-02-24 00:36:33 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449236072 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449236881 The thumbnail to the link going into more detail regarding cognitive bias illustrates quite succinctly just how much a cognitive bias can negatively affect analysis when in the process of making a decision. ]]> 2020-02-24 00:39:32 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449236881 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449237687 2020-02-24 00:42:45 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449237687 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449239722 One process crucial to an effective organizational structure is the concept of specialization and division of labor. Mass production of cars on an assembly line is a perfect real world example of this. Before Ford pioneered the assembly line process, a machine was built by one person. Now, one person specializes in one part of the manufacturing process, thus dividing up the labor and heavily specializing that worker. This allows a very efficient way of mass producing goods. ]]> 2020-02-24 00:51:06 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449239722 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449240906 This is one of the more common types of organizational structures. "This type organizes people by function, for example, sales people are grouped together with each other. Functional structures allow for specialization and deep expertise in the employee's respective field. However, these structures can lead to job dissatisfaction due to that very same specialization benefit." ]]> 2020-02-24 00:55:45 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449240906 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449241822 "These types of structures lend themselves well to organizations that require focus on two domains. For example, product and geography. This type combines the benefits of localization benefits of the geography structure and the benefits of the functional structure (responsiveness and decentralized focus). ]]> 2020-02-24 00:59:22 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449241822 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449242796 There are absolutely more types of organizational structures, each trying to address different organizational aims. Each with their strengths and weaknesses. It is important to choose one that best suits the organization's goals and to acknowledge any weaknesses inherent in the organizational structure. No organizational structure is perfect, but an organization can choose the one that best fits their needs. ]]> 2020-02-24 01:03:26 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449242796 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449244433 While Office Space is a work of fiction, many people have these same thoughts leading to a disgruntled worker. In fact, at the end of the movie, the main character's place of work burns down. But before that, he just did not care. He hated his boss, thought his work was boring, and with his coworkers, got up to a whole movie's worth of shenanigans. Not all of them strictly speaking, legal. HR's job is to help manage and prevent these types of things from happening. ]]> 2020-02-24 01:09:08 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449244433 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449245460 2020-02-24 01:13:13 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449245460 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449246144 These different methods have different rules. For example, to have a richer experience, have a face-to-face meeting. For quick and to the point information to just communicate facts, use e-mail or social media. Each channel has a level of richness and ability to convey facts effectively. The question that must be answered is "which one is appropriate for this situation?"]]> 2020-02-24 01:15:54 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449246144 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449246816 Effective communication keeps the team together and focused. Businesses fail or aren't effective without proper communication! ]]> 2020-02-24 01:18:42 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449246816 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449247929 I wasn't quite aware of how leadership and management differed. I am glad to say that with this course, that's been cleared up and explained satisfactorily. In a nutshell, leadership is more about inspiration and "pushing people to take risks", "the sky's the limit" while management is more focused on process and "what could go wrong and how do we avoid that?" ]]> 2020-02-24 01:22:43 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449247929 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449249458 Every leader has their own style of leadership. Sometimes, leaders use different styles depending on the circumstance. I have seen some leaders who use a style where the situation may not have called for a more authoritative style where a more coaching or democratic style could have been more appropriate. ]]> 2020-02-24 01:28:27 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449249458 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449250655 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs directly relates to how much motivation an employee may have to do their job. The factors at the bottom must be achieved before moving higher up the pyramid. While there are other models of motivation, the essential things discussed by Maslow are restated and paraphrased. Employees generally speaking are motivated by needs. Though some models of motivation are designated as process-based. Which tries to describe motivation as a more "rational approach" through equity and expectancy theory respectively. These theories rely on defining needs as "inputs and outputs" and describe the concept of fairness. I'd argue that these process theories achieve the same goal of describing motivation through needs as well. 
People need fairness in their lives. Which is why Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is one of the most illustrative ways to articulate motivation as it is very descriptive and encompassing. ]]> 2020-02-24 01:32:44 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449250655 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449274953 One of the most effective ways to achieve the control aspect of management is through a performance review. This is an effective way to assess where an employee is at, what they can improve upon, clarify things, and where their strength lies. ]]> 2020-02-24 02:57:24 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449274953 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449276025 This is a management method to "control and continuously improve products and processes." ]]> 2020-02-24 03:01:12 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449276025 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449276877 Six Sigma "focuses on improving the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects while minimizing the variability in manufacturing and business processes. ]]> 2020-02-24 03:04:35 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449276877 raymond_kravitz https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449278484 While this is in no way a comprehensive look at what I've learned in Principles of Management, this is a succinct look at what principles of management are. I definitely feel like I can apply what I've learned to my life and that many of the perhaps unfair depictions of management and office work didn't quite depict what management and office work in general is really like. Pop culture can be very influential on how an individual views the world and I am happy to report that my views have become more moderate as a result. 
That's not to misrepresent that management and office work are perfect, just that it underlines how important it is to avoid making employees disgruntled. I tried to choose the best visuals and topics to convey a wealth of information efficiently. ]]> 2020-02-24 03:10:43 UTC https://padlet.com/raymond_kravitz/wa2zmmbdkzd6/wish/449278484