...Case Study – The Virgin Group: Structure, leadership and motivation This essay analyses organizational structuring of the Virgin Group, with a view to understanding the dynamics that have helped create a global conglomerate. A critical assessment is undertaken on three areas: the hierarchical form of the company, the style of leadership exhibited by Sir Richard Branson, and the approach adopted by management to motivate employees. Firstly, a comparative argument is made on whether the Virgin Group can be classified as a centralised or decentralised organization. These terms refer to division of power, capital, technical procedures and control in various units of a business. A centralised organization allows for minimal delegation to managers, with the chief executive retaining power over majority of the decisions. On the other end, a decentralised organization makes it possible for managers to exercise control without ownership oversight at each stage, provided goals and targets are met (Buchanan & Huczynski, 2007). Secondly, the essay aims to determine the leadership style practiced by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group’s chief executive officer (CEO). Two styles of leadership are used as reference point: transactional and transformational. According to Bass & Bass (2009), transactional leaders work within the organizational culture as it exists, with an awareness of the link between effort and reward. They motivate their employees by setting goals, and enforce control through...
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...Name: Jack Brendon Instructor: Date: 08.10.2013 Case: The Apollo Group Major issues and problem * The primary problem UoP faces increased competition from both traditional not for profit universities as well as for profit universities as recently both private and public institution have expanded their part time and online offerings to adults, which was exclusively their competitive advantage earlier. Now students are seeking education with most up to date technology and with a renowned accreditation and UoP does not comes in either of those therefore they have to re-examine their focus market and continue their competitive advantage. * There is a lot of negative promotion and bad image associated with the Apollo group like “low standard education” by public universities and the media. Also according to the research conducted 95% of the employer said that they would rather hire a graduate who has done traditional in class graduation as compared to online graduation. * The new regulatory norms which are introduced now is likely to clash with UoP current condition as they are very close to 90% limit of federal fund and they are already above the stated 45% loan repayment rate. * The regulatory agencies had enormous power and could destroy the legitimacy of UoP programs by refusing to grant accreditation to the sponsoring institutions Suggested Alternatives and Implementation * The first alternative is to focus on the market focus which is...
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...Summary Houghton Refrigeration Company is a company that builds refrigerators for large appliance companies. During the summer, the company needs to hire around forty new employees which are typically college students from a local private college. They receive little training prior to starting working. All they are taught is the basics of how to do their job, not how to handle difficulties that arise. More and more employees start to get injured, and the president of the company decides the company needs safety training. The first-line supervisor gave a brief training that wasn’t very beneficial to the employees. Step 1: Identify the Problem The problem in this case is that Houghton Refrigeration Company is having complications maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for their employees, and now some of their workers are becoming injured. Step 2: Identify Causes of the Problem There are several reasons this problem could be occurring. One reason is that the upper management are educated in engineering, not management, which is the cause of the second reason for this problem. The second reason the employees are being injured is because they lack proper training. The college students are also feeling pressured by one of the first- line supervisors who is harassing them. Step 3: Alternative Solutions * The company can hire an outside source to develop a training program for the employees. * They can hold one-on-one training with each of the new employees...
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...Faridah Abdul Malik Section 50 A Study on IIUM Students on the Issues of Group Workings Saiful Bahri ABSTRACT Under organizational behavior comes group behavior, how individual behave when working in group. This paper examines the posible errors that can be found in tasks done in group. The result showed that some of the errors are done on purpose due to laziness of IIUM students. Although, these students are aware of what causes the problems and what they should avoid to have a free-problem group work but they still manage to do them, either intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, in reminding them, some ground rules and peer assessment should be adapted in each group. Keywords: free-rider, teamwork, miscommunication, and time management. INTRODUCTION Organizational behavior is the study of individuals and the behaviors they have within an organization and in a workplace setting. It is an interdisciplinary field that includes sociology, psychology, communication and management (Organizational Behavior Introduction, Catherwood Library). Group behavior is a part of the organizational behavior in which it falls under the interdiciplinary field of sociolagy, how individual work in small or large groups. Group behaviour differs from mass actions which refers to people behaving similarly on a more global scale while group behaviour refers usually to people in one place and having a coordinated behaviors. The members in a group should each be interdependence (depends...
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...Case Study: The Forgotten Group Member MGMT 591 – Leadership and Organizational Behavior Christopher Declerk 1/27/2013 Group Development 5 Stages of Group Development 1. Forming Stage: In the Forming stage, personal relations are characterized by dependence. Group members rely on safe, patterned behavior and look to the trainer for guidance and direction. Individual learners have a desire for acceptance by the group and a need to know that the group is safe. They set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among people in the group, and forming preferences. 2. Storming Stage: This stage is characterized by competition and conflict in personal relations. As the group members attempt to work together on the task, conflict inevitably results - healthy debate or slight disagreement. Individuals may need to adapt their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group. 3. Norming Stage: In the norming stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Learners are engaged in active acknowledgment of others' contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues. Individuals will be willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by others, and they actively ask questions of one another. 4. Performing Stage: The performing stage is not always reached by all groups, however if learners are able to get through this stage their capacity...
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...Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Helen M. Gales GM591 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior Keller Graduate School of Management Professor Leo Shelton July 23, 2012 Case Study - The Forgotten Group Member Part 1: Group Development In looking over the details given for the case, the group appears to still be in the Storming stage. While some of the team has come together and are providing their assigned portions of the class project, they still are not a cohesive, and functioning team; due to one of their team members being preoccupied with outside demands and not really coming together with the rest of the team. By having a better understanding of the stages of group development, Christine would have had a better idea of how to lead the group through the different stages and help them to move forward towards a successful completion of the assignment. The text indicates that for a team to be successful it needs to go through all of the stages, forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning; making progress as each stage is completed. Part II: Problem Identification From the little amount of information that the case gives concerning the initial meetings of the group, the primary problem is that Mike is seen as the "clown" and not taken seriously when suggestions are made. From what the text indicates about the different stages, this indicates a "clique" was formed between the other team members, and a general lack of concern was given to Mike and...
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...7 Case Study 1. The first stage of the group development phase is forming. This phase is where the group begins to gather and start introductions. Discussing the case Study, The Organizational Behavior Group Christine leads, along with Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The First group meeting in the case study involved Christine and her group getting acquitted with one another, which signals the forming phase. The second phase is Storming. This is known to be one of the hardest phases in group development due to conflicting personalities and different opinions in the brainstorming process. This would refer to the case study in the situation when Christine planned a team meeting 5 weeks into the semester. The conflict was that Mike would not attend most meetings. This resulted in him not participating with the team, which was the opposite interest of the entire team. Norming is the phase that comes after storming. During this phase, this is when the whole team learns to relate and starts building relationships with each other as friends, rather than acquaintances while attempting to reach the same goal. This started to happen around week 5 in the semester, when the whole team was already feeling comfortable with each other, having the ability to joke with each other. This made Mike feel left out since he missed meetings. After norming is the fourth phase, performing. This is where the united plan of a group is being accomplished. This phase is shown in the case study when everyone...
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...CASE STUDY 7: THE FORGOTTEN GROUP MEMBER GM591 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Group Development At this point, Christine’s group is considered to be stuck at the storming stage. This is the stage where high tension and emotionality amongst the group members have occurred. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Mike is causing a lot of the tension because he can’t commit to the group meetings; and therefore, it is hard for them to stay motivated and complete their assignment. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Each group was assigned a specific task and a different section to complete, but Mike is putting a strain on the group by continuing to miss the group meetings and not contributing like he should. (Ramsoomair, Franklin 2010) Christine needed to know the series of life cycle stages that a team passes through because it would have prepared her for the different challenges. Knowing the stages would have helped her to handle the situations differently and also helped the team to remain effective. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010) Going through the forming stage would have pinpointed who were the hard workers and who were the slackers as they became more acquainted. As she noticed Mike’s behavior in the beginning, she could have found it unacceptable and corrected it. It was expected for everyone to be at the group meetings, but Mike started being absent and became the obstacle standing in the way of the group’s goals which began the storming stage. (Schermerhorn, et al., 2010)...
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...Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Case Study Marcela Beas Dr. Pepper Snapple Group March 5th, 2013 Current Situation Analysis Mission/Vision Statement The Dr. pepper Snapple Group fuses its vision and mission statements saying, “At Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, it is our vision to be the best beverage business in the Americas. Our brands have been synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor for generations, and our sales are poised to keep growing in the future.” This stamen is straightforward and informatively average. It establishes the company’s goal and core values. Also, it highlights DPS’ interest in future sales growth. The company includes its business strategy stating that it focuses on building and enhancing leading brands, pursuing profitable channels, packages and categories, leveraging an integrated business model, strengthening routes to markets, and improving operating efficiency (Dr. Pepper Snapple Group). External Analysis Government policies and regulations affect business development and growth. Products have to be consistent with the USDA’s dietary guidelines and adhere to the FDA’s standards for health claims. Due to the current post-recession economy, growth is expected to be slow since existing demand patterns are expected to change as consumers become more health conscious. Moreover, global awareness and concern regarding the impact of climate change continues to be a focal point as business seek to achieve better business in terms of reduced cost...
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...“A team is a group of people holding themselves collectively accountable for using complementary skills to achieve a common purpose”. Group development: Stages of team development: 1. Forming stage: “The forming focuses around the initial entry of members of a team”. In this stage team members ask questions to each other. In this stage team members are in the process of getting familiar with each other. During the forming stage of Christine’s team, Diane, Janet, Steve and mike came across each other for the first time. Diane is the one who is quiet but has very good ideas in the mind if when asked. Mike is a funny and relaxed guy. Steve is a business minded person, he is always makes sure that the meeting was productive. Janet is the matured one, she always puts in more efforts. Christine is the one who is organized and tried to give her best. 2. Storming stage: “The storming stage is one of high emotionality and tension among team members”. In this stage team members experience many changes. Individuals may have clashes between each other. They try to impose their opinions on the group. Everyone tries to attain a special position for themselves in the group. The team members feel very pressurized due to the expectations. Conflicts may rise at this stage. I think Christine’s team is that storming stage. Because she has not developed a comfortable relation with Mike. Mike always avoids attending the meeting and he hardly works on his assignment. Here Christine should lead...
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... 27TH APRIL,2012 | | | TOPIC: GROUP STUDIES AMONG STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF GHANA Table of contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Literature Review…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. What is a group study? How do we form successful study groups? Benefits of study groups Presentation…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Interpretations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… References…........................................................................................................................................... INTRODUCTION As others have done researches on various aspects of students’ behavior, it seems good to me also as a ‘’senior undergraduate and proud ethnoarchaeology student to also conduct this research on ‘group studies among students of the university of Ghana’’. First of all, what is a study group?. A study group may be described as two or more people coming together to exchange ideas or to study a particular subject. A study group is a small number of people who meet regularly to exchange ideas with...
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...The Forgotten Group Member Case Study Wanda Keeton keetonwanda@yahoo.com MGMT 591 Leadership and Organizational Behavior November 18, 2012 Dr. Thomas M. Bock Part I: Group Development Reflecting on the case and our text book I believe that the group is in the Storming stage which is the second phase of the group development. There are five phases in group development; the first one is Forming. This stage is when the group starts coming together and begins by introducing themselves. According to the case study Christine is the leader of the group and the other group members are Diane, Janet, Steve and Mike. The second phase is Storming. In this stage the group is coming together showing their own personalities and different opinions during brainstorming. Some of the group has pulled together and have done their portion of the assignment. The group is still not cohesive because of Mike. Mike has missed out on most of the meetings and has not done is fair share of the assignment. The third phase is Norming. In this phase the group should be relating to each other and should be working together on the assignment. Four of the members are getting along and working well together, Mike is feeling left out as he doesn’t attend most of the meetings and is not giving any input. The fourth phase is Performing. In this phase everyone is turning in their part of the assignment so that the leader can compile all the information. Everyone has done their portion even Mike although...
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...1.0 INTRODUCTION EMI Group plc In early spring 2007, Martin Stewart as chief financial officer (CFO) for global music giant EMI, he’s knew most of the news that would break at the company’s April 18 earnings announcement. Annual underlying revenue for the company was down 16% to GBP 1.8 billion (British pounds). Earnings per share (EPS) have also dropped from 10.9 pence (p) in 2006 to -36.3p in FY2007. The performance reflected the global decline in music industry revenues, as well as the extraordinary cost of the restructuring program EMI was pursuing to realign its investment priorities and focus its resources to achieve the best returns in the future. On an annual basis, EMI has consistently paid an 8p-per-share dividend to ordinary shareholders since 2002. EMI’s recent performance, Stewart questioned whether EMI should continue to maintain what would represent a combined GBP 63 million annual dividend payment. Stewart recognized that EMI faced considerable threat of takeover. It seemed that boosting EMI’s share price was imperative, if Emi wanted to maintain its independence. The Dividend Decision The board already declared an interim dividend of 2p per share in November 2006, whether to maintain the past payout level by recommending an additional 6p final EMI dividend be paid. Provided a forecast of the cash flows effects of maintaining the dividend based on market-based forecast of performance. Dividends are payments made by an organization to its shareholders...
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...Sodexo and Principle Financial Group Case Study MGT/312 June 22, 2015 Gregory Lucht Sodexo and Principle Financial Group Case Study 1. What are some of the ways that Sodexo effectively manages diversity? Diversity Inc. constructed a list of 440 companies, and of the top fifty Sodexo was ranked number one (George & Jones, 2012, Chapter 4). Sodexo is considered the best company to work for minorities, women, veterans, and people with disabilities and the LGBT community. Diversity and inclusion are critical to the success of an organization through efficiency and effectiveness. Being that a business in any market is competitive, it is important for companies to embrace diverse employees who can provide the company with different perspectives, cultures, and solutions. Sodexo manages diversity through conducting mentoring programs, diversity training, various encouragement, and interaction. Different groups are constructed by managers that consisted of those unlike themselves to provide a place for people who share similar feelings and beliefs to come together. Employees can interact through these affinity groups that will increase cohesiveness, trust, and performance. Though Sodexo encourages managers to construct mentor groups they are also trained to assess the groups in regards to effectiveness (George & Jones, 2012, Chapter 4). “ twenty-five percent of top managers’ bonuses are based on how well they do on diversity initiatives such as the hiring and training...
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...The advantages and disadvantages study in group Nowadays , most of student rather like to study in group better than study individually. Study group is a group we form with 3 or 4 members to discuss certain topic. As you know , all things we did , there will be we get benefit or loss to us. Same for study group. Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of study group? Here ,I will list some for you. There are many advantages we can get from study in group. Firstly , we can share our opinion with another members. As you know , first stage in study group is brainstorming. From brainstorming , all of members must call out one or more ideas to complete the topic discussion. Here , we can collect and gather many ideas base on topic discussion. After this stage , we can discuss how to build the whole body of topic. Study in group make it better and easy if the topic is hard and complex. Secondly , advantage study in group is we can help other members who weak in studying. As you know , not everyone born with high intelligence same as us. There will some of them whose slow to understanding certain topic. So , we can share our notes or guide them if they do not fully understand what they have learn in class. When we teach them the topic , we also have benefit from it. Like the words I like the most , “sharing is caring”. But for the weak student , do not fully depends on your friends. We must find our study method to get along with other students , right? Here...
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