1. How does Solar City help companies meet their strategic business goals for sustainability?
2. What types of strengths does Solar City have that its business partners might lack?
3. For Walmart, is its partnership with Solar City to achieve sustainable goals a type of corporate strategy or business-level strategy?
4. According to Solar City, what business-level strategies does it help its partners achieve?
5. Why is it important that Honda and Solar City share similar values regarding sustainability?
1. Outline the steps in the decision-making process that Leonard, Howard, and Raj undertake to come up with their final option.
2. What appears to be the best alternative to the dinner/movie theater problem?
3. Describe the decision making style of the four decision makers.
4. How might the group’s decision have differed if the group had been smaller (e.g. just Sheldon and Leonard)?
5. Describe how this clip demonstrates some of the disadvantages of making decisions in a group.
6. Would you put Sheldon in the position of Devil’s advocate? Why or why not?
1. Describe Apple’s organizational culture? How does this impact the company’s success?
2. According to the video, would you argue that Apple has a centralized or a decentralized structure?
3. What type of organizational structure does Apple have—functional or multidivisional? Give reasons for your answer.
4. At the time this interview was filmed, what stage in the organizational life cycle does Apple appear to be in?
5. At the time this interview was filmed, what type of environment do you think Apple operated in—munificent, scarce, stable, or turbulent? Defend your answer.
6. What type of structural configuration has Apple adopted?
1. Why might Google place more emphasis on intelligence and curiosity rather than whether the applicant’s experience fits with the job descriiption exactly?
2. Describe how Google tends to select potential employees to interview. What qualities is it looking for?
3. What are the advantages of Google’s use of an extensive hiring and selection process for employees? What are some disadvantages?
4. Why is objectivity such an important part of the hiring process for Google?
5. Who are the different people who have to go over the applicant’s application before an offer for hire is made?
1. What type of power does leader Richard Branson seem to have? (There can be more than one answer).
2. According to the clip, what are some traits of successful leaders?
3. How do you think Richard Branson uses emotional intelligence to connect with and lead his employees?
4. According to Path-Goal Theory, setting ambitious goals for employees is what type of leadership? Why do you think it is important to set ambitious goals as a leader?
5. McKinsey and Goldman Sachs are working to re-recruit mothers who used to work for the company. Why might these women make successful leaders at these firms?
6. What are some steps McKinsey and other companies are taking to encourage mothers to re-assume positions with the firm?
