[Corse Name]
Which kind of people tend to be more innovative in a given field; those who are knowledgeable or those who are inexperienced in the field? Why?
Innovativeness is often related to knowledge and experience, but it is not a fact that only experienced and knowledgeable people can be innovative. People who have greater knowledge in a particular field know the tricks of the trade; thus, they are better able to devise better solutions to the problem. On the other hand, inexperienced people tend to experiment when faced with a situation and might be able to come up with creative solutions that experienced people may not think about. Individuals who have knowledge in a specific field often want to play safely in order to maintain their credibility and eventually this takes away the element of creativity. People who have minimal experience want to shine in their field; thus, they are willing to go to any extreme to take risks and chances (Williams 136).
Can any company go global? Why or why not?
Companies decide on going global mostly because they want to increase their customer base either because there is demand for their goods and services abroad or because the domestic markets have saturated. The costs related with the global expansion are massive; thus, not all companies are able to afford these costs. Hence, only those companies that have excess cash agree upon global expansion. At times, firms go global because the cost of production in foreign countries is significantly lower, and the firm can then take advantage of lower costs and price competitiveness. For instance; many US-based firms have outsourced their call centers to India because of low labor costs which result in greater profitability for the company. Moreover, many firms have outsourced their units to China for instance; many of Apple’s products are manufactured in China because of the lower cost of production. Majorly it is only the bigger firms that go global; whereas, smaller firms strive to maintain a foothold in the market domestically (William 156).
What do you think determines how a company decides to structure itself?
The two major factors that determine the structure of a company are; the good or service it wants to produce and the vision and values of the founder of the company. However, the structure of a firm is not constant and successful companies ensure that this evolves as the internal and external environment of the company changes. For instance; advertising agencies require creativity from its employees; thus, strict structure will hinder creativity, and a loose structure might promote creative thinking. On the other hand, the FBI deals with sensitive information; thus, the need to have a closed and strict structure is essential.
What advantages can you see in hiring nearly half of a company’s managers from outside the company? What advantages are there to promoting internal talent?
Managers hired from external sources will bring in newer ideas into the firm that existing employees may or may not have. Furthermore, if managers are hired from competitor firms, then the company might get a competitive edge with the manager’s expertise. For instance, Unilever is able to attract the manager of P&G then this new manager might give away secrets of P&G that can be in the benefit of Unilever. However, if internal promotions are made part of company practices, then the company will not have to incur additional costs of induction. Adding on, the employee will already know the company policy and norms; thus, productivity loss will be minimal. Employees may also show signs of loyalty towards the firm if they know that they have a future of growth and promotions in the firm.
What is the difference between diversity and affirmative action?
Diversity is referred to a situation where other individuals who may be different from oneself are understood and accepted (William 149). People are recognized as being different, and they are not sidelined because of their differences.
Affirmative action, on the other hand, refers to the law that helps promote equal employment opportunity at the workplace (Stony Brook University). All discriminatory practices are put to an end under affirmative action, and all employees are treated in a fair and just manner. For instance, the law that protects women at the workplace might be considered part of affirmative action. Whereas, companies that implement this law might be considered as embracing diversity.
Do you think that behavior is a function of its consequences?
The behavior of people is majorly determined by the expectations of others around them. Employees behave in ways that will impress their supervisors the most. Moreover, behavior at the workplace is also determined by the work ethic of that particular organization. When people know that they will be positively or negatively rewarded for a particular form of behavior they will mold their actions accordingly. Hence, it can be said that the consequence of behavior will determine if the person will behave in a particular way or not. For instance; an employee who knows that he will receive a bonus if he comes on time every day will be pushed to come on time, but if there will be no reward for coming on time then he may or may not follow timings as strictly as in the former situation.
Does good listening have to involve verbally responding to the speaker?
Two-way communication ensures that the speaker is understood in the context he wants himself to be understood. People who respond to the speaker show signs of understanding and may also clear out misunderstandings. However, it is not mandatory for a listener to actively respond to the speaker, and the listener may understand even without asking further questions. But it is always advisable to ask questions because it gives an impression to the speaker that you are listening and comprehending whatever is being talked about.
What do you think about this statement; “self-control is the preferred control method?”
If people practice self-control, there will be no need for any external body to intervene to regulate behavior. However, people often fail to comply by self-control and thus have to be controlled by other individuals or groups. But if people are unaware of the norms and values then self-control must not be expected of such individuals and others must intervene to show what the appropriate kind of behavior is. Self-control also entails the individual’s personal values; therefore, it is important to ensure that the control mechanism in place is able to explain those values that are collectively shared.
Works Cited
"Difference between Diversity and Affirmative Action." Difference between Diversity and Affirmative Action. Web. 23 June 2015.
Williams, .. MGMT 8. 6th ed. South. Print.
