MGT/526 Week 1 Introduction to Business Management

Week 1 Kit includes:

1. Apply: Selecting a Company
2. Discussion Question and Answer

MGT/526 Week 1: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 1 and 6

MGT/526 Week 1: Practice: Introduction to Business Management

Apply: Selecting a Company

Working in business management means taking on responsibility to lead your organization in a variety of situations. Part of that responsibility is understanding where an organization has been and where it’s going. In this course, you put yourself in the shoes of a manager and use resources to make decisions on where an organization is heading in respect to business needs, organizational structure, leadership strategies, and change management. Some of the information needed may be easy to locate, but other information may take time and effort to find. Some may even need assumptions based on research. These research and strategizing skills will be useful in your business management career
Select a company and learn about its history. This will prepare you for your Wk 2 Analysis.

Review at least 3 companies from Business Source Complete SWOT Analyses.

Note: Some reports are more recent than others. It’s in your best interest to find a company with a recent (within 2 years) report.

Select 1 global company from Business Source Complete: SWOT Analyses to use for the next 5 weeks (this will sometimes be referred to as “your company”).

Create a chart or outline that conveys the following information:
• Name of company
• Industry

• Brief history of company
• At least 3 milestones from the company’s history
• 3 resources (in addition to Business Source Complete) where you can locate company information in future weeks. This may include company websites, current employees, journals, etc.
• Define 1 new unique business opportunity the company can do to increase their competitive advantage.
• Identify a function of management that is needed for this opportunity.

Discussion Question:

Consider the 4 functions of management (e.g., planning, organizing, leading, and controlling).
How would you characterize your current or past supervisor’s approach to management? For example, which particular management tasks and roles does this person perform most often? What management skills does the manager have? How does this approach affect a global environment?

MGT/526 Week 2

Week 2 Kit includes:

1. Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 8 - 10
2. Practice: Managerial Planning and Strategy
3. Apply: Signature Assignment: Organizational Analysis

MGT/526 Week 2: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 8 - 10

MGT/526 Week 2:Practice: Managerial Planning and Strategy

Apply: Signature Assignment: Organizational Analysis

Managers at each level of the organization use a type of SWOT analysis to identify strategies that will best position the company to achieve its mission and goals. The first step in a SWOT analysis is to identify an organization’s strengths and weaknesses that characterize the present state of the company. The next step requires managers to identify potential opportunities and threats in the environment that affect the organization in the present or possibly in the future. When the SWOT analysis is complete, managers begin developing strategies. These strategies should allow the company to attain its goals by taking advantage of opportunities, countering threats, building strengths, and correcting organizational weaknesses.

Use the company and SWOT analysis you selected in Week 1 for this assignment.

Congratulations! You’ve been hired as a manager and have been asked to analyze the current status of your new company.

Review your company’s SWOT analysis and other available sources to evaluate the strategic needs of the organization within a changing global environment.

Use the Wk 2 Apply Worksheet for your evaluation.

Note: This type of information is often found in the company’s annual report.

Submit your assignment.

Discussion Question:

The global business environment is constantly evolving based on the forces in the general and task environment.
In order to sustain the company and maintain a competitive foothold, organization leaders must consistently
analyze the global environment and adjust their strategy as needed. Managers play an important role in
implementing strategies to achieve a company’s mission and goals.

Research a company with stockholder reports available. These reports can usually be found on a company’s
website. Use the report to answer the following questions:
What is (are) the main industry(ies) in which the company competes?

What business-level strategy does the company seem to be pursuing in this industry? Why?
What corporate-level strategies is the company pursuing? Why?
Have there been any major changes in its strategy recently? Why?

MGT/526 Week 3

Week 3 Kit includes:

1. Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 14
2. Practice: Managerial Leadership
3. Apply: Signature Assignment: Aligning Operational Needs with Business Strategies

MGT/526 Week 3: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 14

MGT/526 Week 3:Practice: Managerial Leadership

Apply: Signature Assignment: Aligning Operational Needs with Business Strategies

Use your selected company from Weeks 1-2 for this week’s assessment.

A primary technique of deeper analysis of an organization is the Porter’s Five Forces Model. This technique is often used when looking at your competitive advantage. Looking at your competitive advantage is important to aligning your operational needs with your business strategies.

Review sources on your company. Analyze the company using Porter’s Five Forces.

Write a 2- to 3-page proposal to the company of your plan to align the operational needs with business strategies based on your analysis. Include the following in your proposal:
• An analysis of the company based on Porter’s Five Forces
• An analysis on the effectiveness of the contingency leadership model the company is currently using
• Recommendation for the following actions:
• Leadership model changes
• Further actions needed to align operational needs with business strategies identified in Week 1

Include and cite 2 resources besides the text.

Format your citations according to APA guidelines.

Submit your assignment.

Discussion Question:

One of management's responsibilities is to ensure their team’s work aligns to the company’s business strategies.
Respond to the following prompt in a minimum of 175 words:
What leadership theories have you seen used in your own workplace?
Which were most effective? Which were the least effective? Why?
How did the execution of these theories align with your company’s business strategies?

MGT/526 Week 4

Principles of Microeconomics

Week 4 Kit includes:

1. Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 10, 12, and 15
2. Practice: Organizational Structure
3. Apply: Org Chart

MGT/526 Week 4: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 10, 12, and 15

MGT/526 Week 4:Practice: Organizational Structure

Apply: Signature Assignment: Org Chart

Use your selected company from Weeks 1 – 3 for this week’s assessment.

As a recent hire, you’d like to become familiar with the current organizational structure in your organization. This org chart has not yet been created, so you decide to make your own.

Create an organizational chart (org chart) of your company. This high-level information is typically found on the company’s website or other websites about the organization. The org chart should include key leadership and level of responsibility. If the information is not public, base your decisions on a similar organization and research. You may use any Microsoft® program or web-based program.

Cite all sources.

Format your citations according to APA guidelines.

Discussion Question:

Think of a company or organization you’re familiar with, perhaps one you’ve worked for or even a place of worship or school.
Answer the following questions in a minimum of 175 words.:
What kind of organizational structure does the organization use?
What other structures discussed in the chapter might allow the organization to operate more effectively? For example, would the move to a product team structure lead to greater efficiency or effectiveness? Why or why not?

MGT/526 Week 5

Week 5 Kit includes:

1. Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 10, 11, and 18
2. Practice: The Changing Management Environment
3. Apply: Demographics and Technology

MGT/526 Week 5: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 10, 11, and 18

MGT/526 Week 5:Practice: The Changing Management Environment

Apply: Demographics and Technology

Use your selected company from Weeks 1-4 for this week’s assessment.

An organization’s demographics are an important factor to consider for its business strategies. Review the demographic and technological information about your company to complete the activity below. If the information is not public, base your decisions on a similar company and research.

This information will assist you with the Wk 6 assignment.

Create a chart, outline, or infographic that conveys the following information:
Demographics
•What are the current demographics?
• What was a recent change?
• How did the company handle it?
• Was the change handled ethically? If not, how should they have handled it? If it was, what stands out as something to emulatein your future business endeavors?
Technology
• How does the company utilize technology in day-to-day business?
• What types of technology are used?
• How does a change of technology affect the organization?

Cite all sources.

Format your citations according to APA guidelines.

Discussion Question:

Considering the forces in the global environment, what might some of the implications of demographic forces be for the industry you work in?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of technological change?

MGT/526 Week 6

Week 6 Kit includes:

1. Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 4
2. Practice: Ethics and Social Responsibility
3. Apply: Organizational Presentation

MGT/526 Week 6: Practice: Smartbook Readings and Activities, Ch. 4

MGT/526 Week 6:Practice: Ethics and Social Responsibility

Apply: Signature Assignment: Organization Presentation

Use your selected company from Weeks 1-5 for this week’s assessment.

You’ve become a trusted resource for your organization, and they’ve asked your advice on having a competitive advantage in the field. More specifically, they would like your analysis and recommendations on ways to bring their company culture, demographics, and technologies up to current industry practices and beyond.

Create a 10- to 12-slide presentation that includes the following elements:
An analysis of the organization’s current culture (e.g., beliefs, expectations, values, and norms). Address how managers influence the organizational culture.
An evaluation of the impact of demographic forces (e.g., age, gender, ethnic origin, race, sexual orientation, and social class) of your selected organization and what it could be
Note: This is a good place to use your chart/outline/infographic from Wk 5.
An examination of the impact of technological forces (e.g., changes in the technology managers use to design, produce, or distribute goods and services) of your selected company
An examination on how the organization has complied with ethics and social responsibility behavior
Recommendations of ways to innovate based on analysis
Summary
References

Include detailed speaker notes in a Word document.

Discussion Question:

According to George and Jones (2020), a company’s stance on social responsibility is the way its managers and employees view their duty or obligation to make decisions that protect, enhance, and promote the welfare and well-being of stakeholders and society as a whole. This includes the way the company handles changing demographics and emerging technologies.

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
What do you consider to be the top three benefits to social responsibility?
How does your organization implement social responsibility initiatives?