trident mgt301 module 4 and 5 case

LEADING

Assignment Overview

Few CEOs have been subject to as much criticism and attacks as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Most famously, he was portrayed as the villain in the movieThe Social Network. Shareholders have complained about his leadership and failure to increase the stock price of Facebook, and others have claimed he is socially inept and too young and immature to be a CEO of a multibillion-dollar corporation.

However, in spite of this criticism Zuckerberg is inarguably one of the most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs in corporate history. The small project that he created while he was a college student has become world dominant in the social media business and is still growing and expanding. So in spite of all of the criticism he clearly has been a successful leader.

For this Case Assignment, do some research in the online library and find out what you can about Zuckerberg’s leadership style. Take a look at the criticisms as well as what you think he is doing right or what lead him to his strong success.

Here are a few articles to get you started:

Facebook's leadership: Time for an update? (Jun. 13, 2010).The Washington Post. [Available on ProQuest]

Bailey, B., & May, P. (2014, Feb 03). Facebook at 10: Zuckerberg pushing for change.Oakland Tribune. [ProQuest]

Lesley, C. T. (2012, Jan 27). Job at Facebook not for sensitive types.Toronto Star. [ProQuest]

Case Assignment

Once you have finished your research, write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following questions:

· How would you describe Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership style? Was it transformational, transactional? Both, or neither? Explain your reasoning.

· Consider both the positive and negative aspects of Zuckerberg’s leadership style. What is good, and what is detrimental to Facebook? Does the good outweigh the bad?

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 general background materials.

· List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

· 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.

· Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).

· Review Trident's “Writing Style Guide” for more detail on referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under “My Resources” in the TLC portal.

CONTROLLING

Assignment Overview

Of course having solid control processes is essential for any successful organization. Some organizations like to seek formal recognition for their control functions through independent certifications such as ISO 9000. In order to receive ISO certification, you need to extensively follow and document a long list of published standards and then have an outside evaluator certify that you are meeting these standards.

ISO certification has both proponents and critics. Proponents argue that meeting ISO standards through certification will improve organizational control functions and also help signal to the outside world that you are running a solid operation with high standards. However, critics point to the huge amount of time and money spent on documentation that may be excessive. Critics also say that ISO focuses on documentation of processes rather than the actual quality/efficiency of the process.

For this assignment, first read up on ISO certification and examine the arguments both for and against it. Then read up on a new start-up company called Clinkle and consider whether or not ISO 9000 would be appropriate for this new company to seek. Clinkle is new online payment company that has received a lot of media attention recently but has also had its ups and downs. It has raised a lot of money from investors but is still at an early stage with no revenue yet.

Here are some articles on ISO certification to get you started:

Seddon, J. (1997). Ten arguments against ISO 9000,Managing Service Quality7(4), pp. 162-168. [ProQuest]

Wahid, R., & Corner, J. (2009). Critical success factors and problems in ISO 9000 maintenance.

The International Journal of Quality & ReliabilityManagement 26 (9), pp. 881-893.

Here are some articles on Clinkle to get you started:

Smart money follows mobile payment app Clinkle (July 4, 2013).Irish Times, Dublin [ProQuest]

Clinkle raises $25 million in seed financing as it prepares to change the way people transact. (June 27, 2013).Business Wire, New York [ProQuest]

Case Assignment

After doing research and carefully considering whether or not ISO certification is the right option for Clinkle, write a 4- to 5-page paper answering the following questions:

1. What aspects of the control function of management do you think should be the most important to Clinkle?

2. What would be the main benefits to Clinkle of obtaining ISO certification?

3. What would be the main disadvantages to Clinkle of obtaining ISO certification?

4. Overall, should Clinkle invest time and money in ISO certification, or are the resources better spent on other ways to maintain control systems?

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 general background materials.

· List supporting references and cite sources in proper format.

· 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.

· Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, and spelling).

· Review Trident's “Writing Style Guide” for more detail on referencing and writing expectations. This guide is found under “My Resources” in the TLC portal.