If you were offered the new River Woods plant manager position, ...

[chads108]

If you were offered the new River Woods plant manager position, based on what you've learned about the sources of position power,
 
  what actions would you take to insure that as the company's first general manager you had the necessary clout to accomplish your assigned duties?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Using the information on influence strategies in the second half of this chapter as your guide, strategize how you would address the challenges you are likely to encounter if you accepted the position of River Woods plant manager.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[nicoleclaire22]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: This case focuses on all of the major power and influence concepts in the chapter. To select a suitable general manager for the plant, students should realize that they should select a candidate who views power in a positive way (e.g., to gain cooperation, to accomplish tasks, to build relationships). Students should understand that they need a candidate with exceptional expertise, someone likable and attractive, someone with high performance and effort, someone who is trustworthy, and someone whose behavior is aligned with the values of the organization.

To build power, the new manager would likely be more successful using reciprocity and reason. Students should recognize how these strategies will help a new manager at the River Woods plant to build power and influence. Also, students should consider position power and realize that the new plant manager must work to make his or her position central to the functions of the whole organization. In addition, he/she must work to gain freedom to use his or her own judgment to make decisions while remaining visible to leadership in improving plant performance. The more the plant manager's work becomes vital to the organization, the more power and influence the plant manager will have the opportunity to use.

Students need to consider the new form of decentralized management and how that will sway the performance of the plant. Further, the plant is a start-up facility that will require training, problem solving, and evaluation of work. There may be those who try to use power and influence in ways that will lead to negative results for the plant. The new manager will need to be proficient at using neutralization strategies to keep the momentum of power and influence headed in a positive direction.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: This case focuses on all of the major power and influence concepts in the chapter. To select a suitable general manager for the plant, students should realize that they should select a candidate who views power in a positive way (e.g., to gain cooperation, to accomplish tasks, to build relationships). Students should understand that they need a candidate with exceptional expertise, someone likable and attractive, someone with high performance and effort, someone who is trustworthy, and someone whose behavior is aligned with the values of the organization.

To build power, the new manager would likely be more successful using reciprocity and reason. Students should recognize how these strategies will help a new manager at the River Woods plant to build power and influence. Also, students should consider position power and realize that the new plant manager must work to make his or her position central to the functions of the whole organization. In addition, he/she must work to gain freedom to use his or her own judgment to make decisions while remaining visible to leadership in improving plant performance. The more the plant manager's work becomes vital to the organization, the more power and influence the plant manager will have the opportunity to use.

Students need to consider the new form of decentralized management and how that will sway the performance of the plant. Further, the plant is a start-up facility that will require training, problem solving, and evaluation of work. There may be those who try to use power and influence in ways that will lead to negative results for the plant. The new manager will need to be proficient at using neutralization strategies to keep the momentum of power and influence headed in a positive direction.