個案總覽

An analysis of the activities of key managers in 31 case studies suggests that managers who consistently accomplish a lot are notably inconsistent in their manner of attacking problems. These high achievers persist, however, in careful situational analysis and self-discipline, which permits them to be inconsistent in personal and managerial style. They consider operating skills and strategies flexible and adjust these to changing circumstances. They recognize classical patterns of problems and solutions and are able to choose discriminatingly among the wide variety of action-techniques available.

Illustrates several types of marketing problems that may be approached using break-even analysis. Should be used as supplemental information, helpful in handling case problems.

The first case in a four-part case series which outlines the events leading up to a performance appraisal interview. Describes the background of the company.

Describes the attitudes, feelings, and perceptions of the manager who will conduct the performance appraisal interview.

Describes the events leading up to an actual performance appraisal interview--the views, opinions, and attitudes of the subordinates who are to be interviewed.

Supplements the (A) case.

Outlines events leading up to a meeting of a six-person task force which has been assigned to reduce overhead costs at a major manufacturing company. History of the company, and backgrounds of all the task force members are presented. Raises the following questions and issues for students to deal with: 1) What strategy should the task force leader take to organize the task force and accomplish its goals within the two week period? 2) What division of the labor, if any, is appropriate? 3) What should his purpose and agenda be for the first meeting? 4) Given the information in the case, what problems should be anticipated in terms of interdepartmental conflict and members' hidden agendas? 5) What should he do to deal with these problems?

Organizational learning is a process of detecting and correcting errors. Single loop learning is a process in which organizations are able to correct matters in order to achieve stated objectives. In double loop learning, problems are examined and corrected even though correction requires challenge to underlying policies and objectives. When policy or objectives are not questioned, organizational behavior may camouflage errors. Organizational games and norms prevent people from speaking out.

In 1961, Richard Salomon, the sole owner of Charles of the Ritz, decided to issue public shares in his company. The perceived advantages were the possibility of diversification, establishment of value for estate and inheritance taxes, availability of equity, personal satisfaction, liquidity, and the ability to retain control of the business. When the shares were offered, disadvantages became apparent. Closely knit executives began jockeying for positions and personal relations became strained. Short-term results became a priority over long-range planning. Stockholders were primarily interested in share value, expressing opposition to ventures that jeopardized short-term profit for the sake of long-term growth.

Every manufacturing company experiences conflict, often internecine, between its marketing and manufacturing functions. There is a strong likelihood of conflict in managing the marketing/manufacturing interface in eight areas: capacity planning and long-range sales forecasting; production scheduling and short-range sales forecasting; delivery and physical distribution; quality assurance; breadth of product line; cost control; new product introduction; and adjunct services.

Supplements the (A) case.

Describes the technical, economic, and competitive trends in the metal container industry. The strategy of Crown Cork and Seal is then described in relation to these trends. Focuses on two immediate threats to Crown's strategy: the future of aerosol cans, given the ozone problem; and the impact of the banning of nonreturnable containers.

Minimal background to permit interpretation of positive or negative balances in the key summary accounts of a balance of payments statement; also to permit relating these balances and relevant supporting detail to a possible national development strategy. Designed for use with Foreign Investment in Canada (A).

Describes a number of simple techniques for planning and conducting management meetings.

An "in-basket" decision-making exercise in case form, to be used with Nuclear Tube Assembly Room (A) (Condensed). The purpose is to pose students with several related problems which require immediate analysis arriving at some decisions and planning how to implement those decisions. Includes two exhibits: 1) a process engineering proposal recommending several changes to an assembly operation; and 2) a personal note describing a conflict which has erupted between the general foreman and a process engineer regarding the proposal. Students are expected to appraise the likely consequences of the proposed changes on the department's social system, productivity, and satisfaction; and determine which of the changes are essential, which will have negative effects, and how to implement those changes which are desirable. The student is also posed with the problem of diagnosing and successfully intervening in the conflict between the two key actors. Material is relevant to the topics of group behavior, interdepartmental conflict, interpersonal conflict, and action planning and implementation.

Describes several principles for improving the effectiveness of internal task forces. Suggests a number of guidelines for starting up a task force, conducting the first meeting, managing the group's activities, and completing the project.

Operational budgets usually consist of a projected income statement and a series of supporting statements, such as budgeted sales, production costs and levels, and selling expenses. Budgets play five roles. Three are major roles: planning, motivation, and evaluation. Two are minor: coordination and education. The different roles budgets play in companies prompt three conflicts: planning versus motivation, motivation versus evaluation, and planning versus evaluation. Managerial techniques defuse conflicts inherent in an operational budget's major roles. Six techniques used to reduce the three areas of conflict are: general managers' judgment, a tight-ship policy, contingency planning, differentiation among the levels of the organization as to where managers will be evaluated on the basis of revised or ex post facto budgets, rolling budgets, and regular submission of revised forecasts.

The talent for making good use of professional advisors ranks as one of the most necessary skills for an executive. Certain types of client attitude and behavior lead to success while other behaviors lead to failure. Twenty-five rules for the successful use of professional consultants and advisors examine the problems of hiring and fees, and the common grievances of consultants and clients. Advisors and clients both commit a set of "seven deadly sins" which need to be eliminated as soon as they occur.

In today's large and complex organizations, the effective performance of most managerial jobs requires one to be skilled at the acquisition and use of power. It is primarily because of the dependence on others inherent in managerial jobs that the dynamics of power necessarily form an important part of a manager's processes. To help cope with dependency relationships, effective managers create, increase, or maintain different types of power over others.

Consists of three selections by the most innovative of the early American railroad managers which describe the organizational structures and control systems they created. Questions to be asked are: why and how such managerial techniques were created, how well they worked, and how they differ from present-day techniques.