Midterm Unit Exam

Gung Ho Management

Instructions – Pick and complete 10 and only 10 of the questions below. You may pick any combination of the questions (up to 10 total). Your answers will be equally weighted and count for 10 points each. Some of the questions can be addressed with short answers. Others may require a miniature essay. If you need more space than is provided, you may add additional sheets. (Don’t forget your own name).

  1. The Spirit of the Squirrel stands for "Worthwhile Work". What are the 3 major components or pillars of Worthwhile Work as embodied in the Spirit of the Squirrel?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  2. The Way of the Beaver stands for "In Control of Achieving the Goal". What are the 3 major principles of the Way of Beaver?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  3. What does the Gift of the Goose stand for?

     

     

  4. What does E=MC2 stand for as it pertains to the Gung Ho Management style?

     

     

     

     

  5. Marvin Manager has just graduated from SIU and moved to the work world where he has been given a crew of 7 miners to work with. Marvin has been told that his crew is sort of the arm pit of the mine. He would like to begin working with his crew to improve productivity and worker safety but he hardly knows where to begin. He would like to set goals for his team and has a few ideas of some key goals. Marvin wants his team to really buy in and support the goals that he sets. What does Marvin need to do to get that buy in from his team?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  6. Marvin Manager looks at his crew of 7 miners. Brian Brain is a brilliant employee full of good ideas and a motivated self starter. It has been suggested that if were not for Brian the best thing to do would be to push the whole crew down the air shaft. Mindi Mediocre, Able Average, Lyle Laidback, and Inna Idontcare have their moments as good workers when the show up, but getting and keeping them going can be like pulling teeth without anesthesia. Freddy Frustrated, and Timmy Terrible spend more time inventing reasons not to work than they do producing coal. Marvin knows that he cannot ignore anyone on his crew but recognizes that he needs to begin working to build the moral and commitment and that he must have a focused plan of working with individuals to achieve the goal. Who should Marvin focus the most energy and attention on and why?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  7. Lapcoat Mining has been generally pleased with the productivity and cost saving improvements at their Freaky Tiki Mine. Lapcoat is also aware that UMWA is preparing to conduct a signature drive at the mine for the purpose of organizing as a union operation. Lapcoat feels that one way to keep the union out is to make sure that their wages, benefits, and incentives are better than what the union has been able to obtain for the workers they represent. Simply raising wages or creating some new benefit program is tempting in view of the current costs at Freaky Tiki, but costs can go up and down and Lapcoat feels they cannot survive with high labor and benefit costs if their production cost inches up. Accordingly it has been decided that the money by which the coal comes in under $16.75/ton can be used to provide incentives to the miners. Lapcoat would like to have an incentive program that provides a motivation for genuine cost control and productivity without the incentive bonuses becoming an entitlement that will be expected like wages and regular benefits. How can Lapcoat design and implement an incentive program that will have the desirable features without falling into the all too frequent pit falls of non-union mine incentive programs?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  8. What are the characteristics of true congratulations?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  9. Billy Badnews has just come from a staff meeting in which his mines impending loss of a contract was discussed. Without the contract, layoffs at the mine, if not the survival of the operation itself will be in danger. Billy is only all too aware that problems of worker motivation (and missing items) can follow announcement of a layoff, and while there is hope that if the mine can get its costs down about another 10 cents a ton they can save the contract, Billy hates to offer a false hope to those he works with. Discuss reasons why Billy either should or should not share the news with his team. What should Billy do? Why? If Billy does decide to share the news, how should he approach this rather distasteful subject?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  10. At Mabushe mine the Gung Ho Management Style is used. The face bosses are Herby Harness, Jelly Bean Johnney, Matty Mattoon, and Kevin Kupofsoup. The mine manager is Betsey Ross. The Prep Plant manager is Thore Thickener. The General Manager is Gentle General. The CEO of DRAB mining (the owner of MaBushe) is Billy Buzzard. Who is the boss at Mabushe mine?

     

     

     

  11. Marvin Manager recognizes the need to encourage his team in good performance but Marvin can be a bit of a stuffed shirt at times and all to often he feels his compliments sound like some programmed, general collection of blanket statements that sound so traditional as to be clique. What types of features should Marvin begin striving to put in his compliments?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  12. Clifford Climber’s production record with his crew this month looks really good. Clifford is sure that with the record he has coming he is certain to be noticed by management (who just happen to be looking to fill a post at a higher management level that Clifford has had his eye on for some time). Kasey Klutz has been a good worker for Clifford but has been off for most of the month with an injury. Clifford figured Kasey would be out another 3 weeks, but much to his surprise it now appears that Kasey will be coming back to work. Clifford knows that Kasey can’t be up to snuff in putting out work and while there is no doubt that Kasey will try or that Clifford will have a good month, its home runs, not good months that get people noticed. Clifford Climber has Brian Brain on loan to his crew and Brian is tremendous (and probably the reason for the record month to date). Clifford has a chance to shift Kasey to another crew for a few weeks while he gets back up to full potential. By doing this Clifford can keep Brian and his "Dream Team" in tact. What are the pro’s and con’s of shifting Kasey to another crew? What should Clifford do? Why?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  13. What is the name of the student worker who assists Sharon Brooks in the Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering Departmental Office?

 

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