MBA 725 – Reflections on Module 2 Concepts

Week two is drawing to a close.  This week’s focus was on understanding organizational structure and the importance of having the right people in the right positions.  In launching a new business (or initiative), having the right staff will be critical in making or breaking the business.  Here’s the questions for reflection this week…

Why is it necessary to look through the four lenses when developing an internal communication strategy?

I think one of the biggest learnings I have already taken from the MBA class work is that it is extremely critical to look at my business decisions through the four lenses. In the case of the communication strategy, the four lenses will help my communication be understood by all those receiving it.

How do your personal experiences, prejudices, and expectations impact your ability to objectively select the best candidates for a job or project position?

As with every aspect of life, personal experiences and prejudices will affect my ability to be objective. A good leader has to learn to be unbiased and subjective with his selection process. A learning from my own experience is that it is good to utilize multiple people when searching for the best candidate for a position. This might include having the HR department do the initial resume reviews and interviews. This will allow a more subjective approach to hiring. Personal experiences can cause a person to possibly stereotype a candidate into the wrong category.

How does the identification of outsourcing opportunities relate to core competencies and competitive advantages? Can this relationship also be connected to the organizational structure? Explain and provide an example.

In reviewing the six step process recommended by Thomas Duening for identifying outsource opportunities, one step is to identify core and non-core activities of the business. By outsourcing activities that are non-core, the business can focus it’s time and energy on it’s core competencies. By developing and improving core competencies, a competitive advantage can be realized. Take a company that is focused on building computer processors. Their core competencies lie in research and development of faster and more powerful chips. By outsourcing their logistics, they do not spend their time coordinating how their product gets to the marketplace, but what their next product will be. The logistics provider has no knowledge of how to build microprocessors, but their core competency lies in knowing the most cost effective way to deliver the products on time. This is an outsourcing that benefits both companies.

May 27, 2007 | Filed Under MBA 725 

Comments

One Response to “MBA 725 – Reflections on Module 2 Concepts”

  1. Maria on June 7th, 2007 8:15

    Hi Brian!

    Just checking in. . . Good work on your blog. I’m posting a comment here, but I did read your other reflections.

    All the best, Maria

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