Grand Canyon – LDR 620 Entire Course

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Entire Course

LDR620

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 1 Discussion 1

The Plucknette article suggests that there are considerable differences between being a leader and being a manager. Is it possible or desirable to be both? Chapter 2 of the Management textbook suggests that the four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Provide one challenge posed by serving as a leader and one challenge posed by serving as a manager in each of
these functions?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 1 Discussion 2

What roles do leadership and innovation play within each of the four management functions?
Provide an example of how to integrate leadership into at least two management functions.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 2 Discussion 1

An individual manager’s ability to make ethical decisions is influenced by many factors, such as individual traits and corporate culture. Applying conscious capitalism principles typically starts with a plan from the CEO and requires the plan to be implemented through various management levels and all employees. What role does ethics play in conscious capitalism and how do the ethics of conscious capitalism impact management tactics within an organization?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 2 Discussion 2

Post a draft of your Strategic Management and Socially Conscious Organization Presentation assignment to the Main Forum. Read two classmates’ presentations and provide feedback to your peers about their presentations. Are there areas that need adjustments?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 1

What are the major elements of strategic planning? Refer to HBS case reprint, Southwest Airlines: In a Different World. What elements of strategic planning are present in the case study? Based on the case study, what are the major challenges of strategic planning, especially for large, complex organizations like Southwest airlines? What challenges does strategic planning on such a large scale pose
for leaders?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 2

What have you experienced or what do you anticipate as the most challenging aspect of strategic planning in your field of interest? What do you think can be done to improve strategic planning processes in your own organization or field?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 4 Discussion 1

In “Business Model Innovation in Practice,” Euchner and Ganguly (2014) discuss the challenge of implementing innovations within organizations that are naturally resistant to change. They present a systematic approach for integrating innovations to increase the likelihood of acceptance and success. Review their five-step approach and discuss how the four functions of management (planning,
organizing, leading and controlling) can be leveraged within in their suggested approach to assist organizations in implementing successful innovations.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 4 Discussion 2

What do you anticipate will be the greatest challenge of operationalizing strategy across various business functions? Do you think the challenges change depending on the circumstances? Provide an example within your field.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 5 Discussion 1

Return to HBS case reprint, Southwest Airlines: In a Different World. The case study makes it clear that a significant shift in organizational strategy requires collaboration across multiple departments, or functions, within a business.

Review the case and discuss how you think Southwest’s plan to serve La Guardia would impact two primary business functions (e.g., marketing, operations, human resources, finance, accounting, and IT). Consider how coordinating efforts of the two functions to successfully serve La Guardia might affect management and decision making. How integral is collaboration among business functions to the success of Southwest’s plan? Cite specifics from the case in your response.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 5 Discussion 2

Provide an example in which managerial decision making has positively or negatively affected you? How did the personal decision-making styles used by managers apply to the situation? What is your take away from the example you provided after your reading about managerial decision making in this topic?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 1

Provide an example of a challenge you have experienced in the workplace leading a cross-functional team or as part of a cross-functional team. How was this challenge solved? Would you have approached the challenge differently? If so, how?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 2

Organizations are increasingly transcending country boarders and physical space limitations.
What are some effective strategies to motivate dispersed team members in a virtual setting? What are some emerging trends that deal with this challenge in your field? Provide an example.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 7 Discussion 1

An organization’s landscape can be expansive and complex. Most organizations rely heavily upon information technology as a way to achieve outcomes. Conduct a needs assessment on your current organization or a familiar organization.
Evaluate the cross-functionality of departments to identify gaps or opportunities for more effectively utilizing information technology to improve collaboration, efficiency, and communication. Recommend improvements based on your assessment. Include an explanation of the benefits in your proposal.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 7 Discussion 2

Respond to the “Apply Your Skills: Case for Critical Analysis: Email Adventure,” located at the end of Chapter 17 in the Management textbook.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 8 Discussion 1

From the perspective of a general manager in your field, which of the organizational control methods outlined in Chapter 19 do you think would be the most universal? What does organizational control look like in your sphere of influence?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 8 Discussion 2

Post a link to your Strategic Plan: Presentation video in the Main Forum. Read two classmates’ presentations and provide feedback to your peers about their initial assumptions. Are there areas that need adjustments?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon week 2 Assignment

Strategic Management and Socially Conscious Organization Presentation

Create a 7-10 slide presentation with speaker notes on an organization that exhibits characteristics of a socially conscience organization. Cite the mission and vision in your presentation. Explain how the mission and vision are translated into strategy. Be sure to provide specific examples.

As a manager, your role is to carry out the mission and vision of the organization in daily life, ensuring alignment between managerial tactics and the organization’s mission and vision. Examine the organization’s alignment through the following concepts: corporate social responsibility, corporate culture, personal ethics, leadership, followership, and competitive advantage.

APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 3 Assignment

Strategic Planning: SWOT Analysis and Goals

Strategic planning within organizations provides a plethora of benefits to the organization including meeting goals specified in the plan and contributing to the long-term success of an organization. Refer to Exhibit 8.3: The Strategic Management Process, located in Chapter 8 of the management textbook.

For this assignment, select either your own organization or one you know enough about to complete a series of assignments related to strategic planning for a proposal you would like to implement. The same organization will be used in the following assignments:

1. Strategic Planning: Strategy Map (Topic 4)
2. Strategic Planning: Action Plan (Topic 5)
   
3. Strategic Planning: Communication Plan (Topic 7)
   
4. Strategic Planning: Evaluation (Topic 8)
5. Strategic Planning: Presentation (Topic 8)

Once you have selected the organization, identify a strategic goal through preforming a SWOT analysis within your sphere of influence. For example, if you are not currently in a management or leadership position, it is acceptable to focus on a more focused area of your organization you are currently in a position to impact. If you are a classroom teacher, perhaps you see opportunities for improving access
to technology in your district. If you are a nurse, perhaps you see opportunities to improve communication processes in your department, etc.

A SWOT analysis is part of strategy formulation that leads to goal setting and then progresses to the development of a strategic plan. Be sure to follow the criteria for effective goals as illustrated to Exhibit 7.5, located in Chapter 7 of the Management textbook.

Complete a SWOT analysis using the “SWOT Analysis” template. Using the SWOT analysis results, develop at least one strategic goal. Submit both the completed SWOT analysis document and the strategic goal.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

SWOT Analysis
Strengths

Use these prompts to complete this section:

1. What are the recognized strengths of your identified area?
2. What does your identified area do better than other companies?
3. What unique capabilities or resources does you identified area possess?
   
4. What do other companies consider to be your strength?

Weaknesses

Use these prompts to complete this section:

1. What are the recognized weaknesses of your identified area?
2. What do competitors do better than your identified area?
3. What areas can be improved at your current position?
4. What do other companies consider to be your weakness?

Opportunities

Use these prompts to complete this section:

1. What trends or conditions impact the company in a positive way?
   
2. What opportunities exist for the identified area?

Threats

Use these prompts to complete this section:

1. What trends or conditions impact the identified area in a negative way?
2. What is the competition doing that may have an impact on your identified area?
3. Does your identified area have solid financial support?
4. What impact does your weakness have on the threats your identified area faces?

LDR 620 Grand Canyon week 4 Assignment

Strategic Planning: Strategy Map

The Strategic Planning: SWOT Analysis assignment completed in Topic 3 helped you identify a strategic goal within your sphere of influence. This assignment asks you to visually represent the cause-and-effect relationship among goals, operations, and stakeholders. In addition, this assignment seeks to examine the impact on various operational processes within the selected organization

According to your Managementtextbook, a strategy map “is a visual representation of the key drivers of an organization’s success, showing the cause-and-effect relationship among goals and plans.” Refer to Exhibit 7.4 in the textbook. A strategy map seeks to align organizational goals into strategy and provide clear direction for the organization.

Review the mission statement of your selected organization. Prior to creating a strategy map, identify your stakeholders. Complete a stakeholder analysis to identify and prioritize the various stakeholders. Refer to the “Stakeholder Analysis” resource from Mindtools and complete all steps.

Based on your strategic goal, create a strategy map using Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, or other software. Include only the required perspectives (financial, customer, internal, and learning and growth) that pertain to the strategic goal in your map. The cause-and-effect relationships are described by connecting arrows.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon week 5 Benchmark Assignment

Strategic Planning: Action Plan

Use your completed strategy map to formulate functional-level strategy for the primary business functions included in your plan. Functional-level strategies are the action plans used by departments within organizations to support the execution
of business-level strategy at the managerial level. Create a 500-750 word
action plan that addresses the following:

1. Identify which management tactics and strategies you will implement to meet your strategic goals for each of the stakeholders, departments, or business functions impacted by your plan: MBO, MBM, single-use or standing plans, competitive advantage, contingency planning, building scenarios, crisis planning, and innovation.
2. Provide an explanation of how you will apply managerial decision-making methods throughout your action plan.
3. Which business functions will be impacted by your action plan? What tactics will you use to manage implementation across business functions? What can you do to enhance collaboration/cross-functionality to ensure the success of your plan?
4. Identify leadership strategies you plan to implement throughout the execution of your action plan. In particular, explain which strategies you would implement to foster team collaboration among the multiple stakeholders who must collaborate to successfully implement the plan. Why do you think these will be successful?

   While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA  formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon week 7 Benchmark Assignment

Strategic Planning: Communication Plan

Using your completed action plan, create a 500-750 word communication plan for disseminating your action plan to all of the stakeholders. Which strategies do you plan to utilize and why? Your plan should demonstrate how you plan to use formal and informal communication channels to implement the plan.

In addition, explain how the communication plan addresses what you are hoping to achieve with your strategic goal. What leadership or managerial skills will you draw upon in implementing this plan?

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in  the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 8 Assignment 1

Strategic Plan: Evaluation

In the final step for your strategic plan, determine the method you will use to evaluate how your strategic goal is being met. Include specific metrics that will be used to evaluate the success of the implementation. What types of controls will you use?

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.

LDR 620 Grand Canyon Week 8 Assignment 2

Strategic Plan: Presentation

Oral communication is essential in the business setting. Create a 5-10 minute oral presentation that narrates your strategic plan from inception through evaluation.

Record yourself presenting the plan and then post your video using YouTube, Vimeo, Tumblr, Prezi, or any other video site that allows you to post your video. Be sure to address the “why” and “how” in your narrative. Imagine you are presenting your strategic plan in a meeting with your superior and other essential stakeholders to approve your plan. During this meeting you will field questions.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
You are not required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.