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Hunter Library
Research Guides
Western Carolina University

Management 300: Intro to Management

Welcome!

Hi Management 300,

Welcome to Hunter Library!

This semester you'll be doing in-depth research on a company.  For some of you, this may be the first time you've participated in business-specific research.  While you'll be able to access some good content on the open web (like the company's website), I think you'll find as you dig deeper into your company, you'll start to hit a lot of dead ends and paywalls.

That's where the library comes in! We have a ton of amazing resources to help with your research including several (very expensive) databases you can't access for free outside the library. I've compiled a list of those resources in this guide to make getting to the information you need faster and easier for you.

In addition to providing you free access to resources, the library has something else you can't get through the open web: me! I'm available to help you with all aspects of your business research for this course and beyond. You can get in touch with me via email (acruse@wcu.edu) or set an appointment with me via Zoom using the 'Book Now' button under my picture on the left-hand side of the screen. I can work with you to find the best information for your project.

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to reach out. I look forward to working with you!

Best,

Allison

Assignment Overview

Week

Chapter

Chapter Name

Artifact(s)

1

1

Intro

  • Team Assignment
  • MS Teams Set Up

2

2

Making Decisions

  • Company Selection Decision Matrix
  • Company Context (Industry, Size, HQ, etc.)

3

3

External Environment & Culture

  • PEST-DG
  • Stakeholders
  • Organizational Culture

4

4

Global Environment

  • How does the company operate in the global economy?
  • Current issues related to the global economy (trade war impacts, etc.?)

5

5

Managing Diversity

  • Diversity Assessment – reported statistics, senior leadership representation, programs, etc.
  • Issues, actions, statements related to BLM or #metoo?

6

6

Social Responsibility & Ethics

  • Overview of the company’s CSR program (if one exists)
  • Statements and programs related to environmental consciousness
  • Any recent newsworthy ethical lapses?

7

7

Managing Change

  • Notable changes (leadership, HQ location, etc.)
  • Known for innovation? (First Mover, Fast Follow (Chapter 9))
  • Has the company had to make changes in response to COVID-19?

8

8

Planning and Work Activities

  • What are the stated (or reported) goals for the company?
  • Who are the company’s primary competitors?

9

9

Managing Strategy

  • Find the company’s Vision and Mission Statements
  • Perform a SWOT analysis on the company (3 items per category)
  • What kind of corporate strategies does the company employ?
    • Growth (Concentration, Vertical Integration, Horizontal Integration, Diversification)
    • Stability
    • Renewal
  • Competitive Strategy (Cost, Differentiation, Focus)

10

10

Entrepreneurial Ventures

  • Entrepreneurial Context (history, lore, etc.)

11

11

Organizational Structures

  • Organizational Chart (+ observations on structure – geography, product, customer, functional, simple, etc.)

12

12

HR

  • 1 Job posting of interest per group member
  • 5 questions to bring to an interview for the selected job

13

18

Monitoring and Controlling

  • Benchmark for this company?
  • What companies might use this company as a benchmark?
  • External Governance Structure(s)