Discussion Questions - Essay Example

DQ1 The manager is the most influential employee in a corporation. They are responsible for the actions of the employees and the performance of the company. The decision making process and implementation is the responsibility of the manager. The manager is supposed to evaluate and analyze the potential alternative solutions. The manager has to determine what are the pros and cons of each potential solution. Two important considerations for the manager in the implementation process are time and cost.

If a decision takes too long to implement the solution might become unviable. Also if the solution that was proposed is too expensive to implement the manager must discard the solution. Another important consideration for managers in the implementation process is considering the effect a solution has on the stakeholders of the company. The major stakeholder groups include employees, lenders, suppliers, business partners, the community, shareholders, and the environment. If the implementation process hurts one of the major stakeholders then the manager might have to reconsider the plan.

Take for example a new production process that increases the production capacity of a company by 20%. At first glance this might seem like an awesome solution that should be implemented. The manager of a company has to have an open mind and the ability to evaluate decisions from all perspectives. The manager in this hypothetical scenario studied the option and realized that the new process would increase the air pollution emitted by the firm by 25%. Based on this information that the manager obtained the proposed plan is not as attractive due to the damage to the environment.

DQ2 There are multiple steps that manager should take in a decision implementation plan. Prior to the manager starting the process of implementing a solution he must take some preemptive steps. The manager has to determine what are the issues associated with the plan. After the issues are identified the manager must establish a problem statement. The next step is identifying several alternative solutions. The pros and the cons of each solution must be evaluated to eventually arrive at the optimum solution.

At this point the manager is ready to prepare an implementation plan. The progress of the implementation plan must be monitor closely by the manager. If the manager is not the person that has the most involvement in the particular project, the manager must establish a weekly routine in order to meet two to three times a week with the person in charge to get progress reports on how the implementation plan is going. The manager should also require that the person in charge prepare written reports in order to document the progress of the implementation plan.

When making decisions in global or multinational corporation managers have to consider the impact the decision has on the culture of the foreign location. Take for example the fast food company Burger King. If the company wanted to expand into India the firm should consider the fact that the cow in India is a sacred animal which implies that the success of selling burgers in that market is very unlikely.