BA421 Leadership in Organizations (BA 421: Leadership in Organizations)

BA421 Entire Course + BA/421 Final Exam solution 

BA 421 Week 1 Assignment Comparing Management and Leadership

This week you learned about the differences between Management and Leadership. Managers and leaders are not inherently different types of people. Many managers possess abilities and qualities to be effective leaders. As well, leadership cannot replace management--it is in addition to management.

Write a 2 page paper where you compare and contrast the term Management and Leadership.

Address the following in your paper:

Provide examples of leadership versus management activities for each of the 5 areas crucial to organizational performance.

·         Direction

·         Alignment

·         Relationships

·         Personal Qualities

·         Outcomes

Include your own examples, thoughts and experiences in your discussion.

Please adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), (6th ed. 2nd priting) when writing and submitting assignments and papers.

BA421 Week 2 assignment: Five Leader Decision Styles

Five Leader Decision Styles

There are five levels of subordinate participation in decision making ranging from highly autocratic (leader decides alone) to highly democratic (leader delegates to group):

Write a 2 page paper. 

Address the following in your paper:

·         How does a leader decide which of the five decision styles to use?

·         Explain the five styles and give an example of when it would be best for the leader to use each style.

Include a title page and 3-5 references.  Only one reference may be from the internet (not Wikipedia).

BA 421 Week 2 DQ Dealing with Disrespectful People

Dealing with Disrespectful People

This week the theory suggests that one way to work effectively with different personalities is to treat everyone with respect.

·         How might a leader deal with a subordinate who is perpetually rude, insensitive, and disrespectful to others?

Should be 75 to 150 words, but may go longer depending on the topic.

BA 421 Week 3 Unethical Versus Ethical Leadership

                        Unethical Versus Ethical Leadership

It takes courage to lead an organization with ethics.

For instance, Leaders at AIG argued that they were obligated to pay bonuses to executives even after the company was bailed out by the U.S.  Government.  They stated that they had a contractual obligation to pay these bonuses.  Many people argued that the Leaders at AIG acted unethically when paying those bonuses.

Others said they were justified in doing so.

Write a 2 page paper.  In your paper address the following:

·         How does a leader find the courage to step through fear and confusion to act ethically despite the risks involved?

·         Give an example of a situation in business where you observed a leader acting unethically/ethically.

·         Knowing what you know now how would you have counseled them?

·         Conclude your paper by describing how you will prepare yourself to lead ethically.

Include a title page and 3-5 references.  Only one reference may be from the internet (note Wikipedia). APA Format.

BA 421 Week 3 DQ Mental Models

                              Mental Models

Why is so hard for people to change their assumptions?

Discuss specific reasons why leaders need to be aware of their mental models.

 Should be 100 to 150 words

BA 421 Week 4 Managing Up

                   Week 4 Managing Up

Why is Managing Up Important in organizations?

This week’s theory discussed four tactics that enables followers to overcome the authority-based relationship and develop an effective, respectful relationship with their leaders.

Write a 2 page paper.

Address the following in your paper:

·         How can you be a resource for your leader

·         How can you help the leader be a good leader

·         How can you build a relationship with the leader

·         How can you view the leader realistically

·         What strategy would you use to “Manage Up”?

Include a title page and 3-5 references. Only one reference may be from the internet (not Wikipedia). APA Format

BA 421 Week 4 DQ Followership Habits and Style 

Followership Habits and Style

Consider your followership habits and style as well as what you expect from your leader.

Discuss the following questions in your post:

·         As a leader, what would you want most from followers?

·         As a follower, what would you want most from your leader?

·         How do these differ?

·         How are they the same?

Should be 150 to 200 words

BA 421 Week 5 Strategic Conversations

Strategic conversation is communication that takes place across boundaries and hierarchical levels about the group or organization’s vision, critical strategic themes, and values that can help achieve desired outcomes.

Write a 2 page paper on “Strategic Conversations” & Your Organization.

Address the following elements in your paper. Explain why each is important in achieving outcomes.

·         An open communication climate

·         Asking questions

·         Active listening

·         Dialogue

·         Candor

·         Using stories for communication

Include a title page and 3-5 references. Only one reference may be from the internet (not Wikipedia). APA Format.

BA 421 Week 5 DQ Stages of Team Development

Stages of Team Development

Discuss the stages of team development.

·         As the leader of a virtual team, how would you facilitate the team’s development through each stage?

Should be 150 to 200 Words

BA 421 Week 6 Assignment Personal Power

Personal Power

This week you learned about power in the workplace.

Write a 2 page paper on “Personal Power.”

Address the following in your paper:

o   Describe ways in which you might increase your personal power.

o   How would you:

• Appeal to a vision or higher purpose?

• Use rational persuasion?

• Help people to like you?

• Rely on the rule of reciprocity?

• Develop allies?

• Ask for what you want?

Include a title page and 3-5 references. Only one reference may be from the internet (not Wikipedia). APA Format.

BA 421 Week 7 Assignment Organizational Culture

Write a 2 page paper on “Organizational Culture”.

Address the following in your paper:

·         What is Culture

·         Why is it important

·         Internal Integration

·         External Adaptation

·         Also include a description of a culture for an organization you are familiar with. Identify some physical artifacts—such as log, mascot, building, advertising images—associated with the company and discuss what underlying values these suggest.

Include a title page and 3-5 references. Only one reference may be from the internet (not Wikipedia). APA Format.

BA 421 Week 7 DQ Strategic Leaders

A management consultant said that strategic leaders are concerned with vision and mission, while strategic managers are concerned with strategy.

Discuss:

·         Do you agree/disagree?

BA 421 Week 8 Helping People Be More Creative

This week you learned about the importance of helping people be more creative.

Write a 2 page paper on “Tools for Helping People Be More Creative”.

Address the following “Tools” in your paper:

·         Facilitating brainstorming

·         Promoting lateral thinking

·         Enabling immersion

·         Allowing pauses

·         Nurturing creative intuition

·         Provide an example of a “tool” that assisted you in being more creative and how that helped me organizational goals.

Include a title page and 3-5 references. Please adhere to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), (6th ed. 2nd printing) when writing and submitting assignments and papers.

BA421 FINAL EXAM QUIZ (A+ Rated)

1. A manager's role is that of "information processor," whereas a leader's role is:

o   to communicate the big picture --- the vision.

o   to serve as a communication champion.

o   to communicate written information, facts, and dat

o   both to communicate the big picture --- the vision and to serve as a communication champion.

Question 2

2. Being a good listener expands a leader's role in the eyes of others because of all EXCEPT:

o   active listening is an ongoing part of a leader's communication.

o   total attention is focused on the message.

o   a leader concentrates on what to say next rather than on what is being sai

o   a good listener finds areas of interest, affirms others, and builds trust.

Question 3

3. Discernment involves all EXCEPT:

o   detecting unarticulated messages hidden below the surface.

o   paying attention to patterns and relationships.

o   listening carefully for undercurrents that have yet to emerge.

o   trying to convince others to agree with a point of view.

Question 4

4. Messages transmitted through action and behavior are called:

o   nonverbal communication.

o   channel richness.

o   discernment.

o   communication champion.

Question 5

5. Face-to-face communication can be described as:

o   the richest form of communication.

o   the poorest form of communication.

o   impersonal one-way communication.

o   having slow feedback.

Question 6

6. The sender (such as a leader) initiates a communication by _____________ a thought or idea

o   encoding

o   decoding

o   creating “noise” around

o   channeling

Question 7

7. The guidelines for using email effectively include:

o   Don’t act like a newspaper reporter.

o   Say anything negative about a boss, friend, or colleague.

o   Keep e-mail messages short and to the point.

o   Use e-mail to start or perpetuate a feud

Question 8

8. A team has all the following components EXCEPT:

o   Teams share a goal.

o   Teams have individual "stars."

o   Teams are made up of two or more people.

o   Teams work together regularly.

Question 9

9. The "storming" stage of team development is characterized by:

o   conflict and disagreement.

o   orientation.

o   establishment of order and cohesion.

o   cooperation and problem solving.

Question 10

10. Team types do NOT include:

o   functional teams.

o   vertical teams.

o   cross-functional teams.

o   self-directed teams.

Question 11

11. Using a third party to settle a dispute is:

o   mediation

o   groupthink

o   distributive justice

o   bargaining

Question 12

12. The __________________ reflects a high degree of both assertiveness and cooperativeness.

o   collaborating style

o   avoiding style

o   accommodating style

o   competing style

Question 13

13. _______________ is the tendency of people in cohesive groups to suppress contrary opinions.

o   Team dynamics

o   Groupthink

o   Mediation

o   Collective bargaining

Question 14

14. Interactive leaders tend to be:

o   competitive

o   individualistic

o   consensus builders.

o   reluctant to share power.

Question 15

15. Ethnocentrism is the belief that:

o   one's culture and subculture are inherently superior to other cultures.

o   all cultures have value.

o   everyone in the organization has the same values, beliefs, and motivations.

o   everyone in the organization has the same attitudes about work and life.

Question 16

16. The invisible bar that separates women and minorities from top leadership jobs is called:

o   ethnocentrism.

o   power distance.

o   the glass ceiling.

o   uncertainty avoidance.

Question 17

17. When a leader and company act out prejudicial attitudes toward people who are the targets of their prejudice, _________ has occurred.

o   ethnocentrism

o   discrimination

o   inclusion

o   uncertainty avoidance

Question 18

18. ____________is designed to help people become aware of their own biases, become sensitive to and open to people different from themselves, and learn skills for communicating and working effectively in a diverse workplace.

o   Collectivism

o   Diversity training

o   Inclusion

o   Ethnocentrism

Question 19

19. When workers admire a supervisor because of her personal characteristics, the influence is based on:

o   legitimate power.

o   reward power.

o   expert power.

o   referent power.

Question 20

20. If Paul, a salesman, does not perform as well as expected, his supervisor can put a negative letter in his file. This is an example of:

o   referent power.

o   expert power.

o   coercive power.

o   legitimate power.

Question 21

21. The levels of the Domain of Strategic Leadership include all EXCEPT:

o   strategy.

o   vision.

o   mission.

o   core competence.

Question 22

22. The levels of the Domain of Strategic Leadership include all EXCEPT:

o   strategy.

o   vision.

o   mission.

o   core competence.

Question 23

23. To determine strategic direction for the future, leaders do all EXCEPT:

o   use SWOT analysis.

o   consider trends in technology.

o   develop industry foresight.

o   use the Hersey and Blanchard Situational Theory model.

Question 24

24. Situation analysis includes a search for SWOT which includes all EXCEPT:

o   strategy.

o   threats.

o   strengths.

o   opportunities.

Question 25

25. Mission answers the question:

o   Where are we headed?

o   Who are we as an organization?

o   What are our weaknesses?

o   What is our situation?