Trident MGt301 module 2 case and SLP

Module 2 - Case

Organizing

Case Assignment
Zappos Shoes, led by young CEO Tony Hsieh, is well known for its non-traditional
approaches to the workplace. From the background materials you should be familiar
with traditional organizational structures such as the hierarchical organization,
the flat organization, or the matrix organization. But CEO Hsieh plans an even more
radical approach to organizing his online shoe retailing company called holacracy.
This radical new approach involves eliminating hierarchies and even eliminating job
titles.Many of you are used to working in a hierarchical organization, so as you can
see this new form of organization (or perhaps “lack of organization”) will be a huge
change over what most of us are used to. But for purposes of this assignment we must
decide whether or not holacracy is likely to work for Zappos Shoes. This assignment
reflects the radical new ideas of a younger CEO like Tony Hsieh as compared to more
traditional structures found in the older and more established Fortune 500
companies.Here are some readings on Zappos and holacracy to get you started:Frean,
A. (2014, Jan 06). How holacracy killed the hierarchy in companies going flat-out
for success, The Times [ProQuest]Cook, D. (2014). Ready for holacracy? Zappos says
it is. Benefits Selling.Breaking News [ProQuest]Shiers, L. (2010, 03). Touring
Zappos. Footwear Plus, 52 [ProQuest}When you have finished researching Zappos’
current business model and holacracy, then write a four- to five-page paper
answering the following questions: 
 - What risks and challenges does Zappos face in implementing holacracy? 
 - Overall what do you think the chances are of holacracy succeeding at Zappos?
 - What advantages or disadvantages do you think holacracy has over more
traditional structures such as a hierarchical or matrix structure? Of the
structures you have read about in the background materials, which one do you
think would be the best match for Zappos? Explain your reasoning and make sure to
cite Havinal (2009) and at least one other book chapter from the background
materials as part of your answer.

Assignment Expectations
 
 - Integrate readings on the concept of holacracy, Zappos Shoes’ organizational
structure, and on traditional forms of organization structure.
 - Answer the assignment questions directly.
 - Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don't go off on tangents or
devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
 - Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to
Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13 and 14 on in-text
citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide," which is found under
“My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
 




and the second assignment is based on using Starbucks as the company for the
assignment:
 
Module 2 - SLP

Organizing
For this assignment, continue to write about the same organization that you wrote
about for your Module 1 SLP. Carefully review the background materials and make sure
you understand the concepts of centralization versus decentralization, geographic
versus functional divisions, span of control, and other key concepts covered in the
Pearson tutorials and required textbook reading. Then carefully think about how
these concepts apply to your chosen organization.Once you have finished reviewing
the background materials and have carefully thought about how they apply to your
organization, write a 2- to 3-page paper answering the following questions: 
 - How would you characterize the design of your organization? Is it flat, or does
it have many layers? Is it a rigid hierarchy, or does it use alternative
structures like team-based or matrix?
 - Is decision making mostly centralized at the top, or is there room for
decentralized decision making at lower levels?
 - What kind of departmentalization does your organization use? Is it divided into
functional divisions, geographical divisions, or other divisions?
 - What is the typical span of control for managers in your organization? Is it
broad or narrow?
 - Are employees highly specialized, or do employees have a wide range of tasks
and responsibilities?

SLP Assignment Expectations
 
 - Answer the assignment questions directly.
 - Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don't go off on tangents or
devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
 - Make sure to use reliable and credible sources as your references. Articles
published in established newspapers or business journals/magazines are preferred.
If you find articles on the Internet, make sure they are from a credible source.
 - Reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text
citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper,
including pages 13 and 14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing
Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal