Part One

1. Why are problem solving and decision-making important and how does they relate to the functions of management? Should managers be ethical in their decision-making? Why or why not? Should managers use ethics in all decision-making situations? Is there a situation(s) when you would not use ethics to make a decision?

2. Explain in detail how strategic and operational plans differ. Is there a difference between Total quality management (TQM) and management by objectives (MBO) (explain in detail and provide examples)? As a manager which would you use and why? Defend your argument.

Part Two (Provide the corresponding link. EACH question should be answered approximately 200 words.)

Finding a mission statement for a sport organization (Nike is off-limits as it has been overdone and analyzed!).

1.Present the organization and its mission statement.

2.Next, analyze and evaluate it. What does it tell us about their philosophy (i.e., what do they believe and how does this guide their behavior?), how they do business, and who they target and why? If their mission statement came alive as a person, what would it look like? How would it act? Could it be improved?

3.To what extent do you believe they are accomplishing, moving towards, or ‘living’ their mission, and why? Can you provide any evidence to support your evaluation?

4.Does their mission statement distinguish itself from its competitors, and if so, how?

5.Finally – having gone through this process of analyzing a company’s mission statement, do you believe that these are even necessary for a company to be successful, and if so, why?

Part Three ?This part requires 350-500 words?

Find a strategic plan for a sport organization by searching online. This can be for a collegiate athletics program, a governing body, a minor league team, an apparel company, or any other sport-based organization. Consider organizations near you, or that you are familiar with (it does not have to be a large, global organization – often we can learn a lot from looking at smaller organizations). Read through their plan and see how it aligns with the process covered in Chapter 4.

Identify the organization and provide a link to its strategic plan. Next, reflect upon what you have read – what ideas or observations stood out to you? What surprised you or what did you learn about the organization that you did not know or had not considered? How well does their plan align with the material from Chapter 4? Do you think the plan will assist the organization with its goals and why?