MGT350 Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making
Paper 1 is below
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Decisions in Paradise, Part III complete the following items:
Read the Decisions in Paradise Business Scenario.
• You are Nik, and your employer is the organization represented by Alex, Nik, and Chris. Use your Week Three and Four assignments as the foundation for the current assignment.
Use the information from the case, materials from the course, independent research, the mission of your current organization, and your Week Three and Four assignments, to prepare a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper, in which you describe your rationale and plan for implementation for the proposed solution(s) for your organization to establish a greater presence on Kava by:
• Determining factors affecting decision implementation in an organization and your proposed solution(s)
• Evaluating resources and actions required for decision implementation of your proposed solution(s)
• Evaluating the ethical implications from stakeholders perspectives of your proposed solution(s)
Provide at least two different citations and references. Also, ensure that all material used is properly cited ad referenced.
Business Scenario
Decisions in Paradise: How To Be, or Not To Be
Introduction:
MynameisNik.Ispellmynamealittledifferently.But,withsomanyfolksnamedNicholas,Nicolette,Nicole,Nikoleta,Nikola,andmore,IfigureI’dletpeopleguess.
Likeeveryoneelse,IperiodicallyimaginewhatparadiseonEarthwouldbeforme.Inmyimagination,mytriptoparadiseincludeshavingawonderful,lovingrelationship,finishingmycollegedegree,gettingameaningfuljob,seeingsomeoftherestoftheworld,andgettingmydog,Leonard,housebroken.
AlthoughI’dbeenworkingonallthisstuffforwhatseemsalifetime,Icouldn’tbelievethattheyallcametogetherformewithinathreeweekperiod;although,I’mstillworkingonLeonard.
Withintwoweeksoffinishingmydegree,Ilandedajobwithgreatpotentialinasolidorganization.Alltheinvestmentoftime,energy,andmoneyinschoolfinallypaidoff,nottomentionIlearnedalotmorethanIthoughtIwould.ThenextweekIreconnectedwithaformer“friend”,thatcouldprovetobetheloveofmylife.DidIpointoutI’mstillworkingwithLeonard?
Addingtoparadisefound,myfirstassignmentwithmynewcompanyrequiredmetotraveltoanotherpartoftheworld—anislandcountryofKava,intheSouthPacifictobeexact.NowwhothinksoftheSouthPacificanddoesn’timagineaphysicalparadise–whitebeach,gentlesurf,swayingpalmtrees,tropicalbreeze–I suredid,andsodidtheprospectiveloveofmylife.Weagreedthefirsttripwouldbestrictlybusiness. So, Iwouldbetravelingalone.PoorLeonard.Ifthisassignmentandourrelationshipworkedoutwell,however,wecouldspendotheroccasionstogetherinparadise.
Myfirstweekofworkwasentirelyengulfedinabriefintroductiontothecompany,HRprocedures, organizational processes, overviewofKava,andflightarrangements.AlthoughIreceivedagreatdealofhelpinputtingtogetherthetriptoKava,nooneknewexactlywhatIwouldbedoingthere.
“You’llbeworkingwithAlex,ourdirectorofstrategicplanning,”wastheshort,quick,andconsistentresponseIgot.“Veryexperienced,verydemanding,veryinfluentialexecutive.Whatanopportunityforyou!”
So,thefollowingweekIwasofftoKava,tomeetwithAlex,mysupervisorandmentor,formyassignmentinparadise.
IhopetheloveofmylifegetsLeonardhousebrokenwhileIamgone.
Thesetting:
Myfirstreminderthatlife’seventsarenotasweperceivethemtobeiswhenIlandedinKava.WhatIfoundwasthatthispartofparadisewasamess,atleastwhereIlanded.Itwasamessallthewaytoourcompany’soffice.Itwasamessaroundtheoffice.
Iopenedthedoorofthetrailer,ourmake-shiftoffice.Theofficewasamess,too!
BeforeIcouldfocusmyselftosayanything,eventogreetthereceptionistsittingbehindthedesk,thehecticyetverywelcomingvoicerangout,“Greetings,I’mAlex.”
Iwasabitsurprised.Correction:Iwasverysurprised.Peopleneverlooklikeyoupicturethem—nothingislikeyourmindeverpicturesit—butIwaswayoffwithAlex.Ishouldhaveknownbetter,butIstillanswered,“Really?You’renotthereceptionist?You’renotatallhowIpicturedyou.”
“Really?”Alexresponded,“Howdidyoupictureme……..”gesturingmetointroducemyself.
“I’msorry.I’mNik,”Iresponded.
“YouareNik?”wasAlex’sretort.“Wow!You’renotevenclosetohowIpicturedyou,either.”
“Somuchforperceptionisreality,”wesaidinunison.
“Well,thatwasawaveofcommonalityinthisseaofdiversethought,eh?”Alexquipped.
IquicklylearnedAlexlovedmetaphors.
“Yeah,let’sseeifwecanhavemanymoreoftheseweexperience,”Ianswered,hopingmyfirstimpressionwasnotmylast.
AgainwithahecticthistimereassuringvoiceAlexsaid,“Ohwewill.
“So,you’reoneoftherookiestheysentmefromtrainingcamp.Getreadyforsomefungames.Bytheway,Iamalsothereceptionist.”
“Let me tell you a little about Kava,” Alex continued, and with a note of humor and threat added, “And, make sure you keep your eye on the ball this time.”
AlexdebriefsNik about Kava.
Facts about Kava:
Thelocation:
AsignificantislandcountryintheSouthPacific.
Thepeople:
Over50%under15yearsofage
EthnicmixofindigenousSouthPacifictribes,Asian(Chineseprimarily),African,French,Spanish,andsinceWorldWarII,a sizeable numberofAmericans.
Religions–Indigenous50%,remaindercloselydividedbetweenChristian,Buddhist,andIslamic.
Languages–Numerousindigenous,aswellasEnglish,Spanish,andFrench.
Theeconomy:
Petroleum,coffee,cocoa,spices,bananas,sugar,tourism,fishing,andnaturalgas,aswellasinexpensive,qualitylabor.
Disastersthreats:
Tidalwaves/tsunami
Typhoons/Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Floods
Fires
Volcaniceruptions
Earthquakes
HIV/AIDS
Petroleumspill
Highriskforavianflu
Terrorism,fromwithinandoutsidethecountry
Helpingorganizations:
Governmentalservice–local,state,andnationallevels—including the military
Community-basedorganizations
Faith-basedgroups
Businesses
Thesituation:
After Alex’s introduction to Kava, reviewingthepotentialriskassociatedwithourlocation, andthinkingI’mshowingAlexmygreatobservationskills,Ideclare,“That’swhythemessallaroundhere.Somedisasterhitthisplace.Right?”
Alex’seyesspoke,“Nokidding,slugger.”ButkinderandmoreinformativewordscamefromAlex’smouththatsaid,“No,notsomedisaster.Itwassomedisasters—fastballs being thrown from all sides,sotospeak.”
Iaskedmyfirststupidquestion,“Whatkindofdisastershavetheyhadhere?”
Withsomechiding,butgreatpatience,Alexreplied,“Don’ttheyteachaboutthingsthathappenintherestoftheworldatyourcollege,ordidyougethitbyapitch?”
“Theydo,”Ianswered,“butlikeeverybodyelse,Iguess,ifitdoesn’taffectmedirectly,Idon’tpaymuchattention.”
“Everyday,inmanyways,you’reaffecteddirectlybythingsthathappeninmanypartsoftherestoftheworld,”Alexresponded,thistimewithlesspatience.“IbetwhathappensinKavaimpactsyourlifeatleastthreetimesaday,everyday.Youmaynotgetalltheflyballs,butyou’restillineverypartofthegame”
“Whathappenedherewas…..
“Howdidthefolksdealwithallthat?”I interrupted with amazement.
“Toomuch,toomany,andovertooshortaperiod,”Alexansweredwithsigh.“Addtothatthediversecomposition,beliefs,attitudes,andideologies,andyou’vegotameltingpotboilingover.”
“Or,everybodythinkstheycanpitch,eh?”asItookaswingatmetaphoricstatements.
“Goodone,”Alexstated.“Yep.Now,let’sgettoworkonourgameplan.”
Thetask:
Alexbegantodefineourmissionandmyassignment:
“Our company is considering establishing a greater presence here in Kava,”Alexstarted.“That greater presence could take various forms, based on what’s good for our company and what’s good for the people of Kava. You and I get the chance to analyze, synthesize, and prescribe regarding that decision.”
“Because so many disastershappenhere?”I questioned.“I think I can write up this recommendation in two words, ‘Forget It’.”
Again with great patience, Alex explained, slowly and deliberately, “I guess you can just take your ball and go home. But our organization chose to play in this game and you chose to join our organization. If you really want to play, you will have to take your turn at bat. There are no designated hitters in this game.”
I rephrased my thoughts, “OK, we want a greater presence on Kava, because so many disasters happen here.”
Alexanswered,“Yes,butevenmore. Certainly, onereason is that whateverhappenshereaffectsusthere. I’llmakesureyouunderstandthataswecreatethis study. As you’veseenrecently,disastershappenathome,too. We can avoid, deny, or ignore them. We have to turn them into opportunities. Another huge reason is the founderofourcompany, Chris Morales, hasadeep-seededcommitmenttodoingwhatisright.Notbecauseoftheeconomics,orpolitics,orrecognition,butbecauseit’stherightthingtodo. Our organization is farfromperfect,butwekeeptryingtoupgradewhoweare,whatwedo,andhowwedoit. Chris believes we can’t keep taking more from Kava, if we don’t give more back. Chris wants to live up to that Morales name. And, thethird,maybemostconsequentialreasonisthegovernmentofKava,andI’msureindirectlyabunchofotherorganizations,areaskingusto bring our business “culture” to Kava.
“Whyistheirgovernmentaskingourcompany,afor-profitbusiness,tohelpthemwith their, uh, social needs?”Iasked.
“Therearealsothreebig,basicreasons,forthat,”Alexanswered,“andloadsofotherminorones.
“Firstofall,throughourgrowth,ourcompanyhasdemonstratedthatwecandevelopandmanageaveryeffective,aswellashighlyefficient,organizationalstructure and processes.Thatincludesallaspectsofthecompany;marketing,finance,purchasing,technology,humanresources,physicalresource,transportation,strategicplanning,leadership,etc.
“Secondly,thegoodsandservicesthatcomefromKava,haveasignificantimpactonourcompany,youandme,andmostfolksbackhome,aswellaspeopleallovertheworld.
“Last, and certainly notleast, as Chris has preached and demonstrated, ‘Inthelongrun,economicsdriveseverything.’”
Alexconcludedwith,“So, areyoureadyforyourturnatbat?”
“Iguess,”Iansweredwithalltheconfidenceofafirst-timeskydiver.“But,Iwouldn’tmindifyou’retheleadoffhitter,atleastforrightnow.”
“OK, then. Keep your eye on the ball,” Alex instructed, “because here’s what we, by that I mean you, need to do first.
“All those fresh new critical-thinking skills you developed in your education should be applied, because I want you to write a not-too-long Part I to what will be our company’s plan about how we have a greater presence on Kava. I think Part I of the plan should discuss at least three areas; organizational processes, human resources, and ethics.
“So, how to be, or how not to be here,” I joked, “That is the question.”
“That’s right, Hamlet.” Alex joked in return, “Although I think was Milton not Shakespeare who wrote ParadiseLost. Let’s see if we can find it.”
Decisions in Paradise
Kava is an island in South Pacific, and the company wants to launch its presence in Kava. This paper will apply critical thinking in the decision-making process to develop the opening for the business in Kava. It will also define the issues and discuss the forces involved in formulation of the problem, including using tools and techniques. Kava needs to be examined rationally for identifying opportunities for the company.
The Issues that Appear in the Business Scenario
“Critical thinking is the skill of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better” (Paul & Elder, 2006, (3). There are eight issues that need to be attended to in this business scenario. The main concern is the business has determined to launch a company at Kava. Next as Kava is suitable to catastrophes, the business has numerous risks that it needs to alleviate. Third, the community offers several opportunities because of natural resources such as fishing, natural gas, and petroleum. Four, as the business, Kava needs to put up with the presence needs to be profitable.
Fifth, there is a minimal expenditure and high quality labor accessible at Kava. Sixth, from the market viewpoint, 50% of the individuals are 15-years-old or under. Kava has a large population of youngsters. Seventh, the business has been asked by the Kava government and other establishments to arrange operations at Kava. Last, the population is composed of different views, ideologies, and attitudes. This can cause misunderstandings and disagreements among various groups.
Forces involved in Formulation of the Problem
As is often the case, the problems in Kava have roots in both nature and in human kind. Solution lies in preparation, foresight, and correct assessment of the problem, whether human or otherwise. Currently, the company must spend time in investing in potential employees and company infrastructure. As the company prepares to begin operations in Kava, a plan to employ as much local talent as possible whether in recruiting personnel or building the factory, is desirable. The more that the local populace and government are involved in the process, the more likely company efforts will be supported and strengthened by both the populace and the local government.
Tools and Techniques that Considers Stakeholders Decisions
Kava has a number of risks. These risks have to be mitigated and these may not be favored by several stakeholders. For instance, the shareholders would consider the risks at Kava unreasonable to set up operations, the employees at home country may not be willing to relocate to Kava, and the management may not be willing to supervise directly operations at Kava. The organizational obstacles for the company would be establishing control over the operations at Kava, developing operations at Kava without returns on investment, improper assessment of losses after every disaster, and delegating complete control to the managers at Kava.
The management and shareholders may not get a complete or a realistic picture of the operations at Kava, and they would have to depend on reports received through the Internet. The operations may be driven by the necessity to set up operations at Kava and not proper assessment of profitability. Finally, lack of training can lead to disaster. Consider this Nik has been sent to Kava without much training about either the conditions or the culture at Kava. Since, he is new it appears that he has been sent to Kava because he does not have much choice.
Despite of the government encouragement at this stage, there may be political resistance to the setting up operations at Kava. The tax rate may be increased or sending back of profits may be disallowed. Kava may not have information technology infrastructure like broadband Internet and other connections to remain in touch with the home office. The economy of Kava may be too weak to support a marketing operation at Kava. The acceptance of the company's business culture and methods may be low at Kava. There could be even a boycott of the company's operations by some segments of the society.
Conclusion
Critical thinking consist of skills, self-awareness of individuals, rationality, and open mindedness to justify with the other's perceptions and discipline to make effective process of decision making (Schafersman, 1991). Nik needs to recognize the relevance of different assumptions and viewpoints. For instance, they should define the importance of disasters in Kava. The business should factor in the reasons why their company is welcomed by the government, and some social organizations. Kava needs to be examined rationally for identifying opportunities for the company before making any move.
Page 1mgt350r6