INLS 131:  Management for Information Professionals

Week 6: february 12-18, 2002
Problem-Solving and Creativity;
Case Study 2

Assignments

Task 11 is due, as is your group report on Case Study 1. I know that you've all been working hard. At this point you have completed more than a quarter of the work for the course. I will be sending each of you an individual progress report some time during this week or next, so it would be good to have all your work up to date.

You have only one chapter to read this week (Chapter 11), although you will have a new case study to tackle and a new group to form. We will be introducing the topics of problem-solving, conflict management, and negotiation this week and next. First, we will consider some critical processes for a manager's problem-solving activities. This material will prepare us for the following week when we consider conflict and negotiation.

Conflict in organizations (and perhaps in other situations as well) is considered healthy and necessary for a growing and becoming organization, but conflict is often distasteful for those who are tender-minded and would like to act as "friendly helpers." For the more assertive folks in the class, the "tough battlers," conflict is apt to be perceived as fun and exhilarating. For the "logical thinkers," the notion that people would differ at all once the facts have been presented logically and unemotionally is puzzling and seems unnecessary. As you read the textbook descriptions of these "pure types" in Chapter 10, consider how you would characterize yourself and those nearest and dearest to you, bearing in mind that most folks will not be wholly one kind or another but will combine elements from all three types in varying proportions.

Our learning objectives for the week are to:

• apply the four-stage model of problem-solving
• understand problem-solving as a dialectic process
• develop a problem-solving process useful to you.

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Task 13: Problem-Solving Style

Read Chapter 10, Problem Solving and Creativity. Pay particular attention to the "follow-up" section on pages 234-236 where you are asked to compare your learning style (from Chapter 3) with your problem-solving approach. For this assignment, follow the steps indicated on page 236--first describing a problem you have solved and then rating your activities in the solution process on the scale provided.

Summarize your findings and comment on what significance (if any) you see in this exercise. Post your response to the Problem-Solving, Conflict and Negotiation using the heading "Task 13--Problem-Solving Style" by or before February 25.

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Case Study 2: Custom Chip, Inc.

You are assigned a new group of fellow classmates to work with for this case study. I will try to include at least one of the choices you sent to me earlier and more if I can. You will be able to use your learning about group process to good effect in this assignment as you form your second group and establish norms of how you will work together. I will select someone (I hope from volunteers) from the group to act as your group coordinator and designate this with an asterisk. If you would like to have this opportunity, send me an email to let me know and I do my best to assure that you have the opportunity, if not for this assignment, then for one of the subsequent ones.

Case Study 2, Custom Chip, Inc., is found on pages 507-514 of your text. You will want to read the case several times to understand the organizational context and the tasks confronting the product engineering group. You will want to understand Frank Questin's job as manager and the problems he is confronting in this case. Seven other individuals interact with Frank in various ways; they are specifically named in the case study. Make sure you understand what function each of these people performs, see if you can determine what motivates each one based on your earlier reading on motivation, and consider how these motivation needs relate to Frank and the others.

There are a number of discussion questions at the end of the case. I am interested in your responses to these questions. Focus your analysis particularly on issues of problem-solving, conflict management, and negotiation. Based on your understanding of the textual material provided in Chapters 10 and 11, think about how your group might act as friendly advisers (or consultants) to Frank to suggest actions he might take as well as to provide some feedback on his actions to date. In addition, use concepts from earlier chapters of your text to identify any "pinches" in the psychological contracts that various employees may have. Consider the communication methods and the various managerial styles manifested in the case.

You have about a month to complete your analysis of the case and to provide advice for Frank. I suggest that you get a head start on this analysis, as you will have some work on budgeting to do in the next few weeks that will probably require a lot of individual time. Please post a 3-5 page summary of your collective work to the Case Study Analyses forum. The summary will be understood to include input from all members of the group and all your names (first names are fine) should be included on the "From" line. Please use the subject heading "Custom Chip, Inc." Submit your work by or before March 25.

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Week 7