MGMT 1115 Chapter 1 Homework

Leadership effectiveness

Joseph, a restaurant owner, ensures that his employees offer prompt service and quality food to customers even during peak service hours.

Musk personally has been known to inspect every Tesla car as he was very particular about the design. Such was Musk's expertise that he could easily spot even the minutest misalignments and errors. Which of the following leadership roles best describes this example?

Technical problem solver

Catherine, a senior project manager, has advance knowledge of the projects that her team will be handling in the next six months. This is an example of:

one of the satisfactions of being a leader.

The role of a figurehead typically includes:

making oneself available to outsiders as a representative of an organization.

Identifying innovative methods for service delivery

Leadership Task

Introducing new processes to streamline training

Leadership Task

Motivating workers to reach their individual goals

Leadership Task

Ensuring that workers adhere to work timings

Managerial Task

Planning the training schedules of the department

Managerial Task

Allen is the CEO of a market research firm. The research firm is known for its culturally diverse work force. Taking into consideration the diversity factor, Allen decides to customize some of his company's policies to suit the cultural needs of the various communities and maintain harmonious relationships. Which of the following key variables of the basic framework model is illustrated in this scenario?

Internal and external environment

Substitutes for leadership

The product development team of a company consists of highly trained and focused individuals requiring minimal supervision.

Which of the following activities can be categorized as the role of a negotiator in the context of Mintzberg's leadership function of management?

Bargaining with superiors for funds, facilities, equipment, or other forms of support.

Emergent leaders

Daniel, one of the most talented and sincere engineers in his team, has his teammates looking up to him for support and advice.

Read the following case and use your knowledge of this chapter's concepts to answer the questions that follow. Elon Musk, Business Leader and Superhero While still in his early forties, Elon Musk had established himself as one of the world's best-known entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. His rise to fame began in 1999 when he founded X.com, an online payment company that eventually became PayPal, and was later sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. In a few years, Musk invested this large amount of money into three start-up companies. Musk wanted to start a low-cost Mars mission that would capture the imagination of thousands of people about space travel. To make life inter-planetary, Musk reasoned that a transport system was needed that would be completely and rapidly reusable. To meet this need, in 2002, he founded Space Exploration Technologies (or SpaceX). In 2012, the Dragon spacecraft of SpaceX delivered 500 pounds of provisions and equipment to the International Space Station. Dragon returned nine days later, landed in the Pacific Ocean precisely on target two minutes ahead of schedule and in excel- lent condition. In his quest to help Earth become less dependent on carbon-generating fuels, he cofounded Tesla, an electric car company, and SolarCity, which manufactures and markets solar energy systems. Tesla automobiles are sold directly to consumers, often through two dozen stores or galleries in the United States. Traditional dealers dislike this direct approach to sales because they say it violates state franchise laws. Musk was raised in South Africa and Canada before coming to the United States to complete his college education. He holds undergraduate degrees in physics and business from the University of Pennsylvania. Musk acquired his expertise in aerospace engineering on his own, including being guided by textbooks on subjects such as fundamentals of liquid propellants as well as propulsion elements. Musk has also carefully studied the biography of Albert Einstein. Musk is a strong believer in simplicity in technical design, manufacturing, and in running an organization. Tim Mueller, the director of propulsion systems at SpaceX, says that the bureaucracy is much simpler in his company than in an organization such as NASA that has to satisfy so many constituents. He says, "If you want to change something or fix something, just talk to Elon. It keeps the signal-to-noise ratio high." Musk displays a strong belief in his own capabilities and creativity, though this is seen as a sign of hubris by some observers. He believes that he has a design that will allow for the colonization of Mars. Musk has filed for almost no patents because he believes that he is so strongly ahead of the field that nobody else could copy his technology. Musk's reasoning is that if you move fast enough, nobody can catch you. Several people who worked for Musk in the past describe him as autocratic and blunt, often to the point of being offensive. Steve Jurveson, a SpaceX board member, said about Musk, "Like Steve Jobs, Elon does not tolerate C or D players. But I'd say he's nicer than Jobs and a bit more refined than Bill Gates." In 2013, when three battery-related fires erupted in Tesla cars, Musk responded combatively to critics via his blog. He pointed out that gasoline fires were a greater potential danger than battery fires in an electric vehicle. Musk is such a fanatic about design that he devotes hours to personally inspecting every Tesla car. He will notice a headlamp misaligned by a few millimeters. He once said that the wrong type of screw in a sun visor "feels like daggers in my eyes." Jon Favreau, a friend of Musk and the director of Iron Man movies, claims that Musk is the basis for his version of comic book hero Tony Stark, the playboy who invents a flying suit with built-in weapons. Question Elon Musk rose to fame in 1999 when he founded X.com, an online payment company that eventually became PayPal. It was later sold to eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. He then invested this amount into three start-up companies. Musk, in this scenario, is involved in _____.

strategic development

Aaron, a team leader, encourages his team members to share their efficient work practices. He then ensures that his team is accountable for their productivity. Which of the following roles best describes this behavior?

Executor

Assessing the performance of his team members

Managerial Task

Lewis is an assistant researcher associated with the drug development department of a major pharmaceutical company. During a health impact examination, he finds that one of the company's products has a potential for inflicting long-term health complications. So, he decides to bring up this issue with his senior officials. Under which of the following types of followers can Lewis be classified?

Participants

Leadership

Theodore, the director of a prestigious bank, inspires his employees to be professional by being a thorough professional himself.

Cameron is part of a team of graphic designers. Though she shares the same title and performs the same tasks as the rest of her team, her co-workers often seek her advice and respect her opinion. Group members such as Cameron are called _____.

emergent leaders

Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) in 2002. In 2012, the Dragon spacecraft of SpaceX delivered 500 pounds of provisions and equipment to the International Space Station. Further, the Dragon landed precisely on target and in excellent condition. This shows that Musk is an excellent _____.

executor

Chloe, Joshua, Jacob, and Emily are senior physicians working in a private hospital. Each of them has specialized in a particular field of medicine, and hence acts according to the incorporated criteria of strong medical practices. This means that they do not require a visionary figure to motivate them to perform a sincere job. A factor influencing this lack of need for supervision is the _____.

integration of professional norms

In 2013, three battery-related fires erupted in Tesla cars. Musk aggressively responded to critics via his blog that gasoline fires were a greater potential danger than battery fires in an electric vehicle. Musk stood by Tesla cars' safety features and was ready to defend it in any public forum. This instance best exemplifies Musk's role as a _____ of the company.

spokesperson