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TEXTBOOK EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE: Efficiency versus Effectiveness: How Did Delta Airlines Deal with
the Emergency at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport?
In December 2017, an underground fire caused an 11-hour power outage at Atlanta’s Hartsfield–
YOUR CALL
1. Did Delta handle the emergency efficiently?
1. Were the human resources distributed to maximize their availability to stranded passengers? If
it seems there were not enough staff available, should Delta have activated more? Borrowed
them from other airlines or airports in the area? How should they balance costs of additional staff
against the need for them?
2. Would it have been more efficient to have a central distribution point for physical resources,
several linked distribution centers, or should Delta staff have moved about individually seeking
out stranded passengers with needs?
3. Should Delta have used the energy and computing power available in the Operations and
Customer Center solely for rebooking flights? Could the computing power and energy have been
used more efficiently to help the stranded passengers? What should Delta have considered in
terms of power usage or sharing?
4. Could the airline have been more effective from a passenger’s point of view? How?
The students could start by identifying Delta’s goals and their apparent priority. For example:
Consider conditions in the terminal.
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Provide water.
Consider conditions on the runways:
Make sure passengers stranded in planes are okay.
Get crews to airports where they will be needed to bring planes to Atlanta as needed.
Rebook passengers on other airlines as well as on Delta and at other airports as well as
Hartsfield Atlanta.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY
Companies judge the handling of both crises and everyday management on the two criteria of
effectiveness and efficiency. Using this exercise, students can begin to appreciate the
interconnectedness of effectiveness and efficiency and the outcomes for companies when they
are present in varying combinations.
Use the pictures below as slides or handouts to stimulate discussion.
Handout articles (see suggestions below) about companies’ crisis or day–to-day management or
allow students to choose a situation at their own companies or in industries of their choice.
Each group should review their chosen situation, and using the first slide, make a list of effective
and efficient elements.
Next, each group should decide how to classify the company on the second slide.
Have each group discuss the ramifications for their company of the company’s effectiveness and
efficiency. What would they suggest the company do to improve or sustain its outlook?
SUGGESTED ARTICLES ABOUT COMPANY CRISES OR MISSTEPS
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Apple Slows its Older Phones
Facebook and Cambridge Analytica:
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Kinicki/Williams: Management, 9e: Chapter 1 The Exceptional Manager: What You Do, How You Do It
EXAMPLE: The Struggle for Competitive Advantage: Airbnb Shakes Up the Hotel
Business
This Example describes challenges managers in the accommodation industry are facing,
including managing for competitive advantage.
YOUR CALL
Which sector, Airbnb or hotels, do you think will prevail in the lodging industry?
Students can share their experiences with accommodation-sharing firms, such as Airbnb and
Vacation Rentals by Owner, and provide the pros and cons for such a service. Accommodation-
sharing firms are to date more flexible and less regulated, allowing them a competitive
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
One way to build on this Example is to have the students watch the Fortune video “Listing Your
Apartment on Airbnb Could Soon Be a Crime in This State.” This 1-minute video summarizes
the arguments for and against allowing people to rent out their homes and profiles a recent move
in New York to further prevent home sharing. Consider using the following discussion questions:
1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed legislation in New York which will
limit home-sharing opportunities there.
2. Besides using legislation to block competition, provide other recommendations for how
traditional hotels can create a competitive advantage.
3. Assume that you wanted to list your residence on Airbnb for an upcoming special event in
Another way to build on the Example is to have the students read the article “Airbnb and the
Unintended consequences of ‘Disruption.’”
This article challenges the common perception that Airbnb is going to destroy the hotel business
the way Netflix destroyed Blockbuster.
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TEXTBOOK PRACTICAL ACTIONS
PRACTICAL ACTION: Developing Your Soft Skills
Students generally focus on their hard skills, but companies are focusing on necessary soft skills
at least as much when recruiting. Unfortunately, they find college graduates to be lacking in
essential soft skills such as written and oral communication, giving feedback, handling conflict,
YOUR CALL
Review the first paragraph in the Practical Action box. Which of the soft skills listed there would
you like to improve by the time you graduate, in order to make yourself a more attractive
candidate to prospective employers?
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY
Assign this article on fiving feedback:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_98.htm
After students have read the article, lead a class discussion about feedback they have received.
Ask questions such as:
1. Have you ever had a boss or an instructor who was exceptionally good (or bad) at providing
feedback? What did they do differently than others? How did their behavior make you feel? How
could they improve?
2. Why is it important to develop skill in providing feedback? What are the consequences for a
manager and a company if that manager gives good feedback? Or rotten feedback?
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PRACTICAL ACTION: Mindfulness: How Good Are You at Focusing Your Thoughts,
Controlling Your Impulses, and Avoiding Distractions?
Do you want to improve your performance at work—or at school? Research has shown that
practicing mindfulness can help you do so. Mindfulness is the opposite of multi-tasking. It
YOUR CALL
Meditation is a skill that improves with practice. Try this simple technique. It takes only 5
minutes a day, and over time will help you improve your meditative skill.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
This activity can be assigned in a variety of ways:
1. Assign all parts.
3. Assign the exercises only.
5. Assign the exercises along with the student log.
This is an individual, not a group activity. There are three parts:
Have the students read The Muddied Meaning of “Mindfulness”
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/the-muddied-meaning-of-mindfulness.html
Ask the students:
1. What insights did the article provide beyond what you learned in the text?
2. Do you feel mindfulness can help managers reduce stress and increase performance?
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Lead a class discussion about how the students feel after practicing the exercises over the
assigned time.
Do they feel the exercises were valuable? How?
What is the largest impact doing the exercises has had on their lives as students?
MINDFULNESS EXERCISES
(Source: Free from Positive Psychology Program. https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/02/five-senses.pdf )
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
Find a place where you can sit quietly and undisturbed for a few moments. To begin, you might
want to set a timer for about 10 minutes, but after some experience, you should not be too
concerned about the length of time you spend meditating. Begin by bringing your attention to the
present moment by noticing your breathing. Pay attention to your breath as it enters and then
BODY SCAN
During the body scan exercise, you will pay close attention to physical sensations throughout
your body. The goal is not to change or relax your body, but instead to notice and become more
aware of it. Do not worry too much about how long you practice but do move slowly. Begin by
paying attention to the sensations in your feet. Notice any sensations such as warmth, coolness,
MINDFUL EATING
Choose a food you would like to practice with (preferably something you can hold in your hand
without getting messy.) something as simple as a single raisin will work well. Move slowly
through these steps, taking a moment to focus on each one. Before you pick up your food, notice
how it looks on the table in front of you. Notice its color, how the light reflects from its surface,
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slowly chew your food. Notice how your teeth sink into it, and how the texture is different
inside. Pay close attention to the flavor, and how it spreads across your tongue. Notice how your
body changes—does your mouth fill with saliva? Does your tongue feel hot or cold? Continue to
chew your food, paying close attention to the many sensations as you finish.
FIVE SENSES
What are 4 things you can feel? Maybe you can feel the pressure of your feet on the floor, your
shirt resting on your shoulders, or the temperature on your skin. Pick up an object and notice its
texture.
What are 3 things you can hear? Notice all the background sounds you had been filtering out,
such as an air-conditioning unit, birds chirping, or cars on the street.
What are 2 things you can smell? Maybe you can smell flower, coffee, or freshly cut grass. It
doesn’t have to be a nice smell either: maybe there’s an overflowing trash can or sewer.
What is 1 thing you can taste? Pop a piece of gum in your mouth, sip a drink, eat a snack if you
have one, or simply notice how your mouth tastes. “Taste” the air to see how it feels on your
tongue.
PRACTICAL ACTION: Preparing Yourself to Behave Right When You’re Tempted to
Cheat
This Practical Action shows that there are all kinds of reasons why people cheat. How we think
we may act when put in the position to cheat, and how we actually act, may be very different.
There is now research attempting to understand the underlying reasons people act the way they
do when it comes to unethical behavior, and how to nudge them toward the right behavior.
YOUR CALL
What will you tell yourself the next time you’re tempted to cheat or see someone else cheating
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Students should discuss the ways they can nudge themselves into the right behavior. Fear of
punishment, the desire to do good, etc. are good ways to start on this.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
One way that you could build on this Practical Action is to have the students read The Wall
Street Journal article “Foreign Students Seen Cheating More Than Domestic Ones” This article
discusses the various factors that contribute to cheating on college campuses. Consider using the
following discussion questions:
According to the article, 60 percent of all students on U.S. campuses admit they cheated at least
once in the last year. From what you have observed, how and why do students cheat?
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SELF-ASSESSMENTS
SELF-ASSESSMENT 1.1
How Strong Is My Motivation to Lead?
This Self-Assessment is intended to help students reflect on whether they have a strong internal
motivation to lead other people.
STUDENT QUESTIONS
1. Do results match your desire to assume leadership roles at school, work, and home? Explain.
2. Which of the three dimensions do you think is most likely to affect your future success as a
leader?
3. You can increase your motivation to lead by increasing the scores on the three lowest-rated
items in the survey. Identify these items and develop a plan for how you can change your
behavior in leadership situations at school and work. Work the plan and get feedback about your
effectiveness.
Student responses will differ.
SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
Students should be assigned to groups based on their Self-Assessment scores. Students with high
motivation to lead should be grouped together and students with a low motivation to lead should
also be grouped together.
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SELF-ASSESSMENT 1.2
Do I Take Ownership and Responsibility for My Actions?
STUDENT QUESTIONS
1. Do you have a strong attitude about accepting responsibility for your actions? Do you agree
with these results? Explain your thinking.
2. What can you do to increase the strength of this attitude?
3. How might you demonstrate that you have this attitude during a job interview?
Students should point out during an interview that they take responsibility for their actions, are
open to constructive feedback on how they can improve, and are focused on accomplishing their
goals.
SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
Students should be assigned to groups based on their Self-Assessment scores. Students with high
and low scores should be mixed together.
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GROUP EXERCISE
HOW WELL DO MANAGERS MANAGE THEIR TIME?
Objectives
• To see how time is allocated in a top management position.
Introduction
Managers must allocate their time appropriately. If as a manager you continuously misallocate
your time in terms of work coordination, your company will not reach its goals, or at the very
Instructions
The following is from Charles Handy’s Understanding Organizations:
A senior manager’s diary: One senior division manager sat down to review what he regarded as
the major responsibilities of his job. He listed six key areas for himself:
1. Relations with head office: communicating with the top managers.
3. Operational responsibilities for particular ongoing activities: the day-to-day activities of the
company.
5. Standard setting, performance, morale priorities: setting up quality standards and other types
6. External relations: working with customers, watching what competitors are doing, dealing
1. ___ percent 4. ___ percent
3. ___ percent 6. ___ percent
What areas would you add to his list? Why?
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Questions for Discussion
1. How do your percentages compare to the senior division manager’s time allocation?
2. Why do you think that 1, 3, and 4 take so much of his time?
3. In this changing world do you think that more time should be spent on 2, 5, and 6?
4. How do managers “know” how to allocate their time? In his position, would you allocate
your time differently? Why or why not?
Answers
After outlining the six key areas of responsibility in his job, the division manager then analyzed
his diary for the previous 3 months and came up with the following approximate percentages of
time spent on each of the key areas:
1. 20 percent 4. 25 percent
3. 35 percent 6. 5 percent
Adapted and modified by Anne Cowden, PhD, from Charles Handy’s Understanding
Organizations (New York: Penguin, 1993), p. 338.
Tip for online classes:
Online classes: Post this activity as an online discussion board. Groups should submit their
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CAREER CORNER GROUP EXERCISES
KSAOS IN BUSINESS OCCUPATIONS
Learning Objective
• Students will have an enhanced ability to identify the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
other characteristics required for various occupations in Business.
Introduction
We have been discussing knowledge, skills, attitudes and other characteristics (KSAOs) that
pertain to career readiness. At the same time, there are other more task-specific KSAOs needed
Instructions
The primary purpose of this exercise is for your students to gain a better understanding of the
career readiness-based KSAOs needed in different jobs.
1. Put students in groups of 3 to 4 and have each group select a specific job title or
profession they might pursue after graduation. Jobs in business fields such as accounting,
2. Have students review Table 1.2 (Description of KSAO Skills Needed for Career
Readiness) in the book so they can recall career readiness-based KSAOs.
3. Ask each group to research the career readiness-based KSAOs needed to advance in the
profession. Suggested resources for garnering this information are the following sources:
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profiles and job descriptions of more than one listed position to get a more
comprehensive idea of the KSAOs required in the occupation.
5. Have each group prepare a 5-minute presentation summarizing the career readiness-based
6. Groups should present to the class. Facilitate a class discussion using the following
questions:
• What unique KSAOs are required to be successful in the occupation?
• Based on your findings, what specific steps will you take to improve your career
readiness? Increase your knowledge? Improve your skills?
Tips for online and large in-person classes:
Online classes: Post this activity as an online discussion board for each group. Groups should
prepare a PowerPoint presentation and upload to their shared group space. Instructor can then
provide feedback and also post all the presentations to a file that all students in the class can
view.
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UBER CONTINUING CASE
Chapter 1: The Exceptional Manager
This part of the Uber cumulative case focuses on Chapter 1 and provides an introduction to the
challenges the organization is facing. This cumulative case’s real–world application of
management knowledge and skills is designed to help you develop critical-thinking ability and
realize the practical power of sound managerial skills for solving problems in your job and
career.
The case includes five multiple-choice questions and two essays-based questions. The essay-
based questions can also be used in class to spur discussion:
1. In future parts of the cumulative case you will learn that Uber ousted its founder, Travis
Kalanick, as CEO and replaced him with a new leader. What impact does this have on the
company based on the Seven Challenges to Being an Exceptional Leader?
2. Khosrowshahi is determined to dominate the industry by developing self-driving cars.
Draft a SMART goal that will represent his wishes and make sure to explain each
element of the goal.