EACH DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE 350 WORDS
DISCUSSION 1
In your company’s management development program, there was a heated discussion between some people who claimed, “Theory is impractical and thus no good,” and other who claimed, “Good theory is the most practical approach to problems.” What position would you take and why?
DISCUSSION 2
Kathy Lee Berggren, a professor of oral communication at Cornell University, indicates “a lot of my students really [only] scratch the surface with the type of research they’re doing.” According to Andy Guess, at Inside Higher Ed, “Just because students walk in the door as ‘digital natives’, doesn’t mean they’re equipped to handle the heavy lifting of digital databases and proprietary search engines that comprise the bulk of modern, online research techniques.” Students erroneously think a Google search is research.” As you evaluate the factors that guarantee good research, what actions do you propose to narrow the gap between students’ research competence and what’s required of a modern college graduate about to become a manager with research responsibilities?
DISCUSSION 3
Kraft will split off its global snack business this year, naming it Mondelez International. The name came from a massive name suggestion program from Kraft employees, involving more than 1,700 names by more than 1,000 Kraft employees over a five-month process. The name plays on the connotation of “delicious world.” How would you design this process to ensure that viable names were produced?
