Assignment 1: Discussion Political Actions and Effective Management
Politics relates to who gets what, when, and how. Politicking bridges at least three other topics in management and organizational behavior: decision making, leadership, and power. Individuals often perceive organizational political actions as primarily negative. This is unfortunate because political incompetence, political naivet , and the inability or unwillingness to effectively perform required political tasks are all sources of management failure.
Using the University online library resources, locate at least three different scholarly sources on power, politics, and conflict in the workplace. Discuss the following:
- Can you be an effective manager in a large organization and avoid politics? Explain.
- Does politicking always cause dysfunction in an organization s operations? Explain.
- Support your positions by citing scholarly references.
Write your initial response in a minimum of 400 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
By Wednesday, January 22, 2014, post your responses to the appropriate Discussion Area.
Assignment 2: Power, Influence, and Success
In this assignment, you will review an article analyzing the personal and positional sources of power of a famous businessman, Steve Jobs. His innovation, creativity, and boldness have earned Apple Computers worldwide success. You will write an analysis covering the following requirements.
Background Overview:
Steve Jobs created the Apple Computer in 1976 with his friend, Stephen Wozniak. From day one, the Apple Computer Company differentiated itself from similar companies with its unconventional business ideas that constantly redefined the standards for products, marketing, and industry innovation techniques. Steve Jobs was criticized many times, labeled eccentric, and said to be hard to work with. What was the real force behind the success?
Directions:
Read the following:
- Markoff, J. (2011, October 5). Apple s visionary redefined digital age. New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/business/steve-jobs-of-apple-dies-at-56.html?
_r=moc.semityn.www&adxnnl=1&ref=applecomputerinc&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx
=1348599652-bYaC7rxlLsyo+X1SDUXzfw
Using the University online library resources, select and research at least two other business leaders.
Write an essay that covers the following:
- Identify Steve Jobs sources of personal and position power. Justify your reasoning.
- Assess the implications of Steve Jobs influence inside and outside the company.
- Utilizing your previous knowledge/experience with different organizations, compare Jobs with at least two other business leaders, analyzing the relationship between each leader s power and influence inside and outside of their organizations.
- Analyze the Apple case within the political frame presented in Module 4, considering its main characteristics.
Write 3-pages paper in Word format. Utilize at least two scholarly sources in support. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
BySaturday, January 25, 2014, deliver your assignment
