Microsoft Company - Case Study Example

Running head: Fortune 500 Company - Microsoft FORTUNE 500 COMPANY - MICROSOFT Goes Here al Affiliation Goes Here This is a management case study of a Fortune 500 company. Microsoft has been selected for this case study. Fortune 500 Company - Microsoft Chapter 1 1. What are the important features of the company? Microsoft offers a large range of product and services to all customers regardless of market segmentation. The vision of company includes fostering leadership with emphasis on innovation and talent regardless of origin of employees (Microsoft, 2015). 2. What do you think it would be like to work at this company? As the company follows the latest innovative management techniques for consolidation of the position so, the people who are working here are likely to have most job satisfaction and an attitude to take on new challenges.  3. Do you think this organization is a well-managed company based on what you have read about it? Yes, I think that this organization is a well-managed company based upon what we have read about it barring few missteps, which is natural. 4. What could other managers learn from this organizations approach? Microsoft offers transparency in decisions, fostering of leadership, diversity and inclusive approach towards the employees. In addition to that, it also takes perspectives and requirements of the clients during development in the product (Microsoft, 2015). 5. Find a job posting by this company? What kind of qualification are they looking for managerial position? The company offers detailed information about of any managerial position. Take an example, for Service Management Consultant position in UK specifies inter-personal skills, technical skills and essential experience in service management (Microsoft, 2015). Chapter 3 6. What accounts for this company’s international success despite the potential for intense competition in most markets? Some reasons for company’s international successes are diversity in products ranges, continuance of professionalism and partnering with other companies for better products. One of the major reasons for success is continuous innovation in products and services (Satell, 2013). 7. Find a list of company’s values. Pick 2 of the values and explain how you think those values would influence the way employees do their work? Although, the company has listed many values, the most important two values are mutual respect and continual self-improvement.  These 2 values boost the self-confidence of employees regardless of different ethnic or personal background and results into an increase in productivity (Microsoft, 2015).  8. Research the most recent annual report of the company ( most companies post their annual reports online in the Investor Relations section of their web page ) and list all the factors in the external environment that have affected the company. Focus on both the general and specific environment. The external factors that have affected the company are the rapid rate in advance of the technology, mergers and acquisitions of various tech companies. It is also facing problems due to patent –infringement or anti-trust suit filed against Microsoft in various countries during last few years.  Chapter 4 9. What is the organization’s mission? Whom does the organization serve, and how does it serve them? Microsoft’s main mission is to help businesses as well as people all over the world so that they can realize their full potential in their lives. The organization serves all people and businesses that are their customers with honesty, integrity and full transparency (Microsoft, 2015). 10. Does the company have social responsibility goals? How do organizational programs support its social responsibility goals? Describe. Microsoft considers itself as the Corporate Citizen throughout the world. Yes, it has many social responsibility goals. Microsoft carries out many organizational programs such as Microsoft Youthsparks, promotes principled business practices and others to meet its goals on annual basis (Microsoft, 2015). Chapter 5 11. Create a detailed plan to obtain a job in this company. In the short term, what classes do you need to take? Should you change your major? The basic qualification is an information technology degree. With that, I need to be major in an additional subject. Then, I should acquire latest certifications and 5 years of work experience.  12. Research a big dilemma that company is facing right now or faced in recent years. The dilemma can be ethical, financial, political, etc. Study the problems, research potential solutions, and use the rational decision-making process to decide what should be done. Then compare your plan with what have been done, if the dilemma has already been solved by the company. The biggest dilemma of the company is boosting of employee morale that is down after many high-ranking employees quit the company in the absence of clear future vision. The company needs to streamline its operations for lifting the employee morale. This is being done by the company all over the world (Lee, 2014). Chapter 6 13. What are the strategic goals of the company? How would you define the strategy of the company using the knowledge you learnt from this chapter. The strategic goals within the company include maintenance of corporate governance guidelines, board oversight and shareholders accountability. The company continues to observe and enforce the strategic goals from time to time.  14. How effectively the company uses the internet from a strategic perspective? Internet technology is one of the essential parts of the strategic perspective as this company has introduced much product line such as, Office 365 and Azure. The company uses the Internet and its facilities to keep in touch with all offices spread throughout the world. (Microsoft, 2015).  15. In light of the SWOT analysis, what plans might you propose for yourself that will help you maximize your strengths, exploit your opportunities, and minimize your weaknesses and threats? Write three S.M.A.R.T. goals (remember Chapter 5) that will help you implement your plans. By, June 2017, I should complete my degree with honors and achieve the criteria’s required for the latest certification in my major subject. I also need to research the best companies for summer job as well as internship that will enable me to qualify for the targeted job at Microsoft. Chapter 7 16. Does the company support entrepreneurship and innovations? In what way? Provide specific examples. As Microsoft is founded on the base of entrepreneurship and innovations, it supports this trend among employees. The company invites various suggestions and ideas that can be put in boxes stationed everywhere and choose the best idea at regular intervals.  Chapter 10 17. Does the company support team culture? In what way? Provide specific examples. Yes, the company supports team culture within the workplace. The company encourages formal and informal interaction during the development into new product. During this interaction, they share new ideas with each other through virtual workspace or directly (Microsoft, 2015). Chapter 11 18. What are specific HR Policies of the company? Describe. What particular policies, your opinion, contribute to company’s success? Microsoft HR follows latest practices in HR policies such as recruitment, training and development, career management of an employee as well employee retention policies. In my opinion, flexible work timings are one of the policies that contribute to company’s success (Microsoft, 2015). Chapter 3 (OB) 19. Make research on the personality of the CEO of the company? How, in your opinion, it contributes to company’s success? Presently, the company’s CEO is Satya Nadella who believes in maximization of effectiveness of the team leaders and his contribution in increasing that effectiveness. This approach will enable the team leaders to working with autonomy and streamline the process in an effective way (Bryant, 2014). 20. Is there a particular type of employee personality that might be best suitable for the company? As the company believes in inclusion and diversity, there is no particular type of personality who might be best about the company, but they need to share some traits such as hunger for success, an attitude to take on challenges and work smartly.  Chapter 4 (OB) 21. What work values does the company emphasizes? There are many work values that are emphasized by the company such as inclusion and diversity, manager excellence, fostering of leadership, development and learning initiatives, flexible work timings and world-class environment (Microsoft, 2015). 22. What factors likely contribute to employee job satisfaction at this company? There are many factors that are likely to contribute to employee job satisfaction at Microsoft, such as financial and other perks, world-class environment, participation in innovation of products and other ethical considerations.  23. Towards what kind of organization are you most likely to have affective commitment? Toward what kind of organization are you most likely to have continuance commitment? The affective commitment of any employee is towards the company that treats him like a part within the family and enables him to increase the productivity. When any company offers a good salary, other perks and job satisfaction on the regular basis, the employees offer continuance commitment to the company.  Chapter 14 24. What kind of leadership does the company have? Microsoft has traditional management structure like any other Fortune 500 company, but it also functions as collective leadership, that includes CEO, Board of Directors and Bill Gates as the technological advisor.  Chapter 13 25. How does the company motivate employees? Microsoft motivates employees in various manners, by having employee-centric hr policies, by bringing talented employees regardless of their background, by offering training and development for further career growth and flexible work timings (Microsoft, 2015). 26. What factors are likely to contribute to intrinsic motivation at this company? These intrinsic factors include the challenge of innovation in products and services, collaboration with people from different backgrounds, resolution of difficult issues and learning new and latest technology.   27. What factors are likely to contribute to extrinsic motivation at this company? There are many factors that are likely to contribute to the extrinsic motivations at Microsoft. These factors include the financial rewards, promotion in designation, rapid rate in company and recognition of services. References Bryant, A. (2014), Satya Nadella, Chief of Microsoft, on His New Role, [ONLINE], Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/business/satya-nadella-chief-of-microsoft-on-his-new-role.html, Accessed on 26 April, 2015. Lee, D. (2014). Microsofts next boss: The challenges facing Satya Nadella, [ONLINE], Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-25985780, Accessed on 26 April, 2015. Microsoft, (2015), www.microsoft.com, [ONLINE], Available from: www.microsoft.com, Accessed on 26 April, 2015. Satell, G. (2013). The Secret of Microsofts Success (And Some Lessons or Apple), [ONLINE], Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/15/the-secret-of-microsofts-success-and-some-lessons-for-apple/ Accessed on 26 April, 2015. Read More