Read the case study and answer the questions in apa 7th edition | BA 650 Management and Leadership Capstone | Campbellsville University

Uncategorized

Marshall Gordon was recognized by associates and competitors as a man on a mission. One of four members of the design team for a large chair manufacturing corporation, Marshall’s obses- sion with the creation of comfortable seating dated to a childhood back injury and a lifetime of pain. He recognized, more than most in the industry, the importance of designing chairs that offered some relief to those suffering from debilitating back, hip, and neck pain as well as help- ing people of all ages to avoid problems with proper posture. In his early days with the com- pany the staff jokingly called his approach the Marshall Plan, after America’s 1947 initiative (named for Secretary of State George Marshall) to rebuild European economies after the war. Like someone fighting to save the world, Marshall Gordon brought passion and a creative in- tensity to design meetings as if each drawing, each design tweak would change civilization as we knew it.

Single and with no apparent family or friendship ties, Marshall was married to his work. He seemed to thrive on 70-hour work weeks, although as a salaried manager, he received no overtime pay. Even his ‘‘down time’’ at meals or on weekends was spent sketching, studying the latest in ergonomics, or reconnoitering each design adjustment by competitors.

‘‘When you visit a furniture store, you fully expect to see Marshall, skulking about in trench coat and hat, checking to see what the competition is offering,’’ says fellow team mem- ber John Craddock. ‘‘We all laugh about it. The guy brings—actually brings—chairs to meet- ings and tears them apart to show us some miniscule discovery.’’

This obsession with chairs, pain and gravity, and one-upping the competition has made Marshall a valuable employee and earned him a reputation in the industry for creative design. Not since Peter Opsvik’s Gravity Balans ergonomic chair of the 1970s has anyone made such an impact on the industry. The effect of Marshall’s work on company profits is undeniable. The fact that competitors are chomping at the bit to lure him away is also undeniable.

But the Marshall Plan comes at a price. Over the 15 years he has worked with the com- pany, five as leader of the design group, there has been a constant turnover within the design group as frustrated workers leave the company to ‘‘get away from Marshall.’’

‘‘Anything you could learn from this brilliant and dedicated man is destroyed by his cold, calculating attitude,’’ Craddock complains. ‘‘I came to this company excited about the chance to work with him. But any knowledge he possesses is carefully guarded. His design ideas are perfect, while ours are picked apart. We all swear he has listening devices scattered around everywhere, because if the rest of the team huddles in some corner of the world to discuss a design idea, voila! He walks into the next meeting with our idea. Once when he was a few minutes late to a meeting, we thought we had beaten him and quickly presented our idea. Just then, he walks in, and announces, ‘Ideas must be in the air. I have something very similar,’ and throws his completed design on screen. Guess who won.’’

Marshall presents a continuing challenge to company management, having both incredible positive and negative influence on the culture. While his contributions to design and profits far exceed those of other employees, his negative effect on the culture and his team’s creativity and morale results in the loss of talented people and a climate of suspicion and discontent. His threat, ‘‘I can take my talents elsewhere,’’ hangs over top management like a sledge hammer.

Now, Craddock and Leslie Warren, other talented members of the design team, have approached management with their own ultimatum: Do something about Marshall or we resign.

QUESTIONS

1. If you were a top leader, how would you respond to the ultimatum? Be specific. Explain why.

2. What is Marshall missing with respect to his leadership abilities? How do you explain his poor leadership behavior?

3. If you were Marshall’s manager, how might you increase Marshall’s awareness of the negative impact he is having on his team? How would you guide him toward better team leadership, sharing his knowledge with others, and mentoring his team members?

Continue to order Get a quote

July 1, 2023

81) If the marginal cost of producing a television is constant at $200, then a firm should produce this item.

A) only if the marginal benefit it receives is greater than $200 plus an acceptable profit margin.

B) as long as the marginal benefit it receives is just equal to or greater than $200.

C) as long as its marginal cost does not rise.

D) until the marginal benefit it receives reaches zero.

82) Which of the following is an example of a "how much" decision?

A) The Pleasantville movie theatre is open only in the evenings. The theatre's manager is debating whether to add daily matinee shows.

B) The Zhous have demolished their old home and are debating whether to build a ranch-style house or a Craftsman home.

C) You're planning to hold a graduation party and must decide between having your party catered or having a pot-luck.

D) Chelsea has withdrawn from the swim team to take up a full-time job.

83) Which of the following is an example of a "how much" decision?

A) Octavia is debating whether to buy a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes or Steve Madden boots.

B) Humberto has taken a second job to earn money to buy a Harley-Davidson SuperLow Sportster.

C) You plan on going to Las Vegas for your birthday and are deciding if you should fly or drive.

D) Diana is trying to decide if she should open her pet shop on Sundays.

84) Marginal cost is the ________ associated with undertaking an activity.

A) total cost

B) extra cost.

C) opportunity cost.

D) foregone cost.

85) Cassie's Quilts alters, reconstructs and restores heirloom quilts. Cassie has just spent $800 purchasing, cleaning and reconstructing an antique quilt which she expects to sell for $1,500 once she is finished. After having spent $800, Cassie discovers that she would need some special period fabric that would cost her $200 in material and time in order to complete the task. Alternatively, she can sell the quilt "as is" now for $900. What is her marginal benefit if she sells the quilt "as is" now?

A) $100

B) $900

C) She makes a marginal loss of $600, not a marginal benefit.

D) The marginal benefit cannot be determined.

86) Cassie's Quilts alters, reconstructs and restores heirloom quilts. Cassie has just spent $800 purchasing, cleaning and reconstructing an antique quilt which she expects to sell for $1,500 once she is finished. After having spent $800, Cassie discovers that she would need some special period fabric that would cost her $200 in material and time in order to complete the task. Alternatively, she can sell the quilt "as is" now for $900. What is the marginal cost of completing the task?

A) $200

B) $500

C) $1,000

D) $1,000 plus the value of her time

87) Cassie's Quilts alters, reconstructs and restores heirloom quilts. Cassie has just spent $800 purchasing, cleaning and reconstructing an antique quilt which she expects to sell for $1,500 once she is finished. After having spent $800, Cassie discovers that she would need some special period fabric that would cost her $200 in material and time in order to complete the task. Alternatively, she can sell the quilt "as is" now for $900. What should she do?

A) She should cut her losses and sell the quilt now.

B) It does not matter what she does; she is going to take a loss on her project.

C) She should purchase the period fabric, complete the task and then sell the quilt.

D) She should not do anymore work on the quilt because she has already spent too much time on it and has not been paid for that time.

88) Lionel's Lawn Care is a company that maintains residential yards. Lionel's cost for his standard package of mowing, edging, and trimming is $15, and he charges $25 for this service. For a total price of $40, Lionel will also trim shrubs, a service that adds an additional $10 to the total cost of the standard package. What is Lionel's marginal benefit if he sells the standard package?

A) $10

B) $15

C) $25

D) $40

89) Lionel's Lawn Care is a company that maintains residential yards. Lionel's cost for his standard package of mowing, edging, and trimming is $15, and he charges $25 for this service. For a total price of $40, Lionel will also trim shrubs, a service that adds an additional $10 to the total cost of the standard package. What is Lionel's marginal cost of adding the shrub-trimming service to the standard package?

A) $10

B) $15

C) $25

D) $40

90) Lionel's Lawn Care is a company that maintains residential yards. Lionel's cost for his standard package of mowing, edging, and trimming is $15, and he charges $25 for this service. For a total price of $40, Lionel will also trim shrubs, a service that adds an additional $10 to the total cost of the standard package. Should Lionel continue to offer the shrub-trimming service?

A) Yes, his marginal benefit is greater than his marginal cost.

B) Yes, but only if he raises the price of the standard package.

C) No, his marginal benefit is less than his marginal cost.

D) More information is needed for Lionel to make this decision.