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Mintzberg on Management

Mintzberg is interviewed about his book and he offers insights on highlights of the book.

1. What does Mintzberg mean by management as more of an art than science?
2. Explain what the dynamics of management are.
3. What does it mean to be “managing over the edge”?
4. What does Mintzberg believe has changed in management over the decades?  Explain his reasoning.
5. What kind of relationship that Mintzberg believes management and leadership should demonstrate?
6. Mintzberg believes all managers are flawed and yet he knows some managers are more effective than others. Explain his reasoning.

Ford and Taylor

This clip gives historic pictures and video to demonstrate the influence of Ford and Taylor on the automobile industry as well as the scientific management theory.

1. How did Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry Ford help to solve worker problems?
2. What world records were broken under the supervision of Frederick Taylor?
3. Identify how Ford in 1913 introduced the assembly line.
4. What were some of the positives and negatives in implementing the assembly line?

Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne Effect is clearly described and illustrated in this video with historic clips of the Hawthorne Studies from 1924 to 1932.

1. How was the Modern Industrial Revolution started?
2. What is the difference between autocratic versus democratic management?
3. Why was the Hawthorne plant on the cutting edge in 1924 with an illumination experiment?
4. What was more important in the Modern Industrial Revolution, production or people?
5. What were the management differences between the Ford Plant and the Hawthorne Plant?
6. What kind of needs were met by the employees of the Hawthorne Effect?
7. What is a potential bias of the Hawthorne Effect?

Management Science 

Research Scientist Andrew McAfee from the MIT Sloan School of Management talks about how business innovation can be approached differently by using scientific management.

1. Identify decentralization vs. centralization.
2. Explain what it means to let technology get out of the way.
3. What is meant by imposing and emerging?