WMBA6990 2022 July Discussions Latest (Full)

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 1 Discussion

The Big Picture

Taking into consideration what you have achieved in your academic and professional career thus far and what you plan to do in the future, what are your thoughts about “the big picture” of your life? This can include your own personal mission or purpose, the goals you have set for yourself, and so on. Perhaps you have certain goals or plans related to pursuing a particular career path, or perhaps there is a personal passion you want to pursue. In people’s personal lives, these big-picture goals may be related to career, relationships, health, financial stability, and so forth, and they may or may not be connected to a person’s sense of mission or purpose. In an organizational context, these “big picture” goals may also be financially focused, related to the sustainability of the organization, and connected to an organizational mission. In either context, long-term, strategic planning is key to ensuring that goals are met. And when driven by a mission or purpose, achievement of those goals can fulfill even greater outcomes than simply an individual person’s or business’s success. In this Discussion, you will consider your experiences with and knowledge of organizational culture and mission- or purpose-driven strategy to analyze the roles they play in an organization.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Draw upon the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout your program.

Consider your experiences with and knowledge of organizational culture.

Consider the idea of an organization being mission driven or purpose driven.

By Day 3

Post your analysis of the role of culture, mission, and purpose in an organization’s strategy, to include the following:

In your own words, briefly explain what strategy is and how it can help business leaders to focus on “the big picture.”

Based on your own experiences and knowledge of organizational culture, identify which aspects of culture within organizations are most critical to the development and execution of business strategy. Explain why.

Analyze whether it is beneficial for an organization to base its strategy on being mission driven or purpose driven. Explain why or why not. Are there any negatives or compromises that organizations might need to consider?

Refer to the Week 1 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Important Note About Discussion Rubrics: In the peer-to-peer engagement section of the Discussion, the focus of your posts and responses should be to promote quality interaction with your colleagues and Instructor, to further the dialogue on the particular topic, to deepen your mutual understanding of concepts, and to draw out new ideas. Although you are encouraged to provide support for ideas you bring in from other sources, which is appropriate for discourse within a master’s-level classroom, emphasis is placed on the quality of the engagement as noted in the Discussion rubrics, with 40% of your score based on your level of engagement in the ongoing conversation with your colleagues.

By Day 5

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Offer an insight you gained from your colleague’s analysis of how strategy helps business leaders focus on “the big picture.”

Relate to something your colleague identified about which aspects of culture are most critical to the development and execution of business strategy.

Provide an additional perspective on your colleague’s analysis of whether it is beneficial for an organization to base its strategy on being mission driven or purpose driven.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 2 Discussion

The Social and Economic Impacts of Business

Organizations can directly and indirectly affect communities in both positive and negative ways. Their impacts can be simple, such as donating to a local school or sponsoring a neighborhood event, or they can be so profound that the organization shapes or reshapes the landscape of a community—or even the world—for generations. Perhaps an organization pollutes the local waterways or closes a factory that employed half the town, or an organization decides to build a theme park in an underdeveloped area that, in 50 years’ time, could become a top tourist destination. In this Discussion, you will explore the social and economic impact of an organization with which you are familiar or that you have researched.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Consider an organization with which you are familiar that had a social and economic impact on a community. The community can be one you are familiar with, or you can locate an example of another community through your research. Additionally, the organization’s impact on the community could have been positive or negative.

By Day 3

Post your analysis of the social and/or economic impacts of a business organization, to include the following:

Briefly describe the organization and the community in which it operates.

Analyze the organization’s social and economic impacts on the community (positive or negative). Provide specific examples to support your analysis.

Analyze how the benefits or consequences of this social and economic impact on the community shapes your perception and others’ perceptions of the organization.

Refer to the Week 2 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a question about the social and economic impacts the organization has had on the community that your colleague described.

Offer a related example from your own post to your colleague’s analysis of their selected organization’s impact on its community.

Provide an additional perspective on how the benefits or consequences of the social impact your colleague described could shape others’ perceptions of the organization by including how it would shape yours.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 3 Discussion

Organizational Purpose and Business Strategy

Why might an organization strive to have a purpose-driven mission? Some might argue that businesses handle this concept in a superficial manner, only stating their mission in order to fabricate a reputation and generate more sales. Others might point to a more altruistic purpose, feeling that life is about more than money and profits, that at the end of the day people want to make a difference in the world, and that these human tendencies of seeking the greater good can translate into business. Although it may not always be possible to know the true intentions of every organization, it is much easier to look toward their actions and make a judgment call on whether they are “living out” their mission. In this Discussion, you will find an organization that claims to have a strong purpose-driven mission and analyze how it puts words into action.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Consider an organization with which you are familiar or that you have located through research that has a strong, purpose-driven mission. Think about how the organization’s commitment to that purpose is reflected in its business practices. Also consider the possible strategy behind its actions (i.e., statement of its mission, practices that reflection that mission).

By Day 3

Post your analysis of how an organization’s purpose impacts its business strategy, to include the following:

Identify an organization that has a strong purpose-driven mission. Include a brief description of the organization and the purpose that drives its mission.

Provide specific details that demonstrate how the organization “lives out” its mission.

Interpret what the organization’s strategy might be, based on its business practices and the statement of its mission.The point of this is to use evidence to support your analysis.

Refer to the Week 3 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a question about the organization your colleague identified as having a strong purpose-driven mission.

Relate one or more examples of how your selected organization “lives out” its mission to the examples your colleague provided.

Share an additional or alternate perspective on your colleague’s interpretation of their selected organization’s strategy.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 4 Discussion

Healthy Organizational Practices

When it comes to deciding whether to work for or interact with an organization, many individuals are influenced by the organization’s culture. For example, a company might pay well, operate in a competitive field, and offer great benefits, but a toxic culture might cause employees and managers to leave at higher rates than normal. On the other hand, an organization might handle extremely difficult or dangerous work but is comprised of employees who are loyal because they care for and appreciate the work culture. In this Discussion, you will explore examples of healthy and unhealthy cultures in organizations and consider the practices that contribute to the health of those organizations.

To prepare for this Discussion:

From personal experience or public reputation, consider examples of organizations with healthy or unhealthy corporate cultures. Identify examples of business practices that are reflective of organizational health (and those that are not). You may use examples from your own experience or examples you have located through your own search.

By Day 3

Post your synthesis of business practices reflective of organizational health, to include the following:

Identify at least one example of a healthy organizational culture and at least one example of an unhealthy organizational culture. For each example, briefly describe the organization, being sure to avoid using real names of either the company or any individuals in your description.

For the healthy culture you described, identify at least two specific practices that contribute to the overall health of the organization, including a rationale to support your assertion.

For the unhealthy culture you described, identify the specific practices that detract from the overall health of the organization, including a rationale to support your assertion.

For each unhealthy practice identified, propose how it could feasibly be refocused or changed to yield more positive outcomes for the organization’s overall health.

Refer to the Week 4 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a question about the examples of healthy and unhealthy organizational cultures that your colleague described.

Ask a question about or share an insight you gained from the practices that either contributed to or detracted from the overall health of the organization your colleague described.

Provide an additional recommendation for how an unhealthy practice your colleague identified could be handled differently to yield more positive organizational health outcomes.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 5 Discussion

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Change can be difficult, even when it is inevitable. Therefore, change can often be met with resistance initially. Individuals resist change for many reasons, such as fearing the unknown, feeling overwhelmed, or believing a change will not last. However, once the resistance is overcome and a change grows into a habit or new baseline, most individuals will consider the effort worthwhile and may also do what they can to help others surpass the barriers they once faced. In this Discussion, you will consider a time when you resisted change and how you might use that experience to help a team overcome their resistance to changes.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Think about a time when you needed to make a change, whether personal or professional, but were resisting it and what helped you overcome that resistance.

Also consider the role of a leader within an organization in helping individuals and teams overcome resistance to change.

By Day 3

Post your explanation of how to overcome resistance to change at the individual and organizational level, to include the following:

Describe a time when you needed to make a change, whether personal or professional, but resisted it.

Analyze what was holding you back initially from making the necessary change and what helped you to overcome your resistance to the change.

Now put yourself in the position of a team leader within an organization. If you were called upon to lead change within your team and you encountered resistance, summarize how you might apply those lessons learned from your own life experience to help that team overcome their resistance to change.

Refer to the Week 5 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a question about or relate your experience to the time your colleague needed to make a change but resisted it.

Offer an insight you gained from your colleague’s analysis of what held them back and what helped them overcome their resistance to change.

Provide your perspective on how receptive you might be to your colleague’s suggestion for helping a team overcome resistance to change. How do you think you would respond to their approach?

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 6 Discussion

Strategies That Solve Problems

Think of problems you have experienced in your professional career or personal life. Perhaps you have worked for an organization with an exceptionally high turnover rate or that had a difficult time acquiring new clients. Maybe you have had to contend with questions about where you wanted to live, such as whether you should rent or own, live downtown or on the outskirts, be close to or far away from family, or be located in this school district or the other one. Problems can range from simple to complex, and occasionally a strategy (or lack of strategy) is to blame. By changing the strategy, the odds of addressing a problem successfully can be increased. In this Discussion, you will explore a company that experienced a problem due to their strategy (or lack thereof) and provide a recommendation for addressing the problem using a strategic approach.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Using a reputable news source, research a company that is currently experiencing an external problem (e.g., shipping, delivery, support, process, finding customers). Consider ways in which the company’s strategy (or lack of strategy) contributed to the problem.

By Day 3

Post your summary of a strategy to address an organizational performance issue, to include the following:

Briefly describe the company you located and its external problem. Be sure to include a citation to reference your findings.

Propose a strategy you would recommend to the company so its leadership could address the external problem.

Refer to the Week 6 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Offer an insight you gained from the external problem of the company your colleague identified. Have you ever experienced a similar problem in the workplace?

Ask a question about or provide an additional perspective regarding the strategy your colleague would recommend to the company to address the external problem.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 7 Discussion

Strategy Validation Tools

Imagine a friend or family member had an idea for a business and asked you for guidance based on the knowledge and skills you acquired through your MBA program. Perhaps they simply wanted to take you to lunch one day to inquire about your thoughts, or they might have wanted you to participate in the business in either an employer-to-employee or a partnership relationship. In either scenario, how much more confidence would you have in their idea if they could easily answer questions about the industry, competition, target customers, and so on? If they did not know where to begin when answering these questions, you might point them toward the validation tools that are covered this week. It is probably safe to say that you would not be as willing to get involved. This week, you will consider a scenario from your experience and explore how validation tools could have played a role in that scenario.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Consider a scenario from your personal or professional experience in which the outcome of the scenario could have been vastly improved if strategic planning tools had been incorporated in some fashion.

Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider which of the validation tools (i.e., strategy map, PEST analysis, five forces analysis, key success factor analysis, stakeholder analysis) would be the best choice to implement in your scenario to achieve a better outcome.

By Day 3

Post a synthesis of the results of a validation tools analysis related to a personal or professional experience, to include the following:

Describe a scenario from your personal or professional experience that could have been improved using strategic planning.

Propose which validation tool would support the best results if it were applied to the scenario. Provide a rationale, including specific details.

Refer to the Week 7 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a question about or relate your own experiences to the scenario your colleague described.

Offer an insight you gained from your colleague’s proposal of which validation tool would support the best results if applied to their scenario.

Provide an alternate suggestion, along with a rationale, of how another validation tool could be applied effectively to your colleague’s scenario.

 

WMBA-6990B-4/WMBA-6990-4/MGMT-6990

WMBA6990 Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

Week 8 Discussion

Business Skills for Good: Being an Effective Change Agent

Throughout this MBA program, you have been provided with multiple opportunities to consider the role of positive social change in business and beyond. How do you view yourself as an agent of positive social change? What do you feel are your most important takeaways from completing the coursework and discussing these topics with your colleagues? In this Discussion, you will discuss the Business Skill for Good of being an effective change agent and how you can apply the knowledge and skills you gained from this program to become or continue being an effective change agent.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the following video:

Walden University, LLC. (2021). Being an effective change agent [Video]. Walden University Blackboard. https://class.waldenu.edu

Reflect upon your journey throughout your MBA program and how your viewpoints, skills, and knowledge have changed since you began your coursework.

Consider your perspective on what it means to be an effective agent for positive social change.

By Day 3

Post a synthesis of the skills and knowledge you developed throughout this MBA program that will enable you to be a more effective agent for positive social change, to include the following:

Identify at least three important concepts you have learned or critical skills you have developed throughout this program, and explain how this knowledge and/or these skills will benefit you in the future.

Explain how you will apply the knowledge and skills you have gained in this program, coupled with your experience and your personal interests and passions, to be a more effective change agent.

Refer to the Week 8 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.

Read some of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ posts in one or more of the following ways:

Offer an insight you gained from the concepts your colleague learned and/or critical skills they developed throughout the program, including whether their insights could also benefit you in the future.

Provide additional suggestions for ways in which your colleague can apply their knowledge, skills, experiences, and personal interests and passions to become a more effective change agent.