solved Part one 1. What is strategic management? 2. List the

Part one 1. What is strategic management? 2. List the steps in the strategic planning process. 3. What is a core competency? 4. Explain why creative thinking is important in strategic plan-ning and how to encourage it. 5. What is SWOT analysis? 6. Write a sample vision statement for a hypothetical organization. 7. Write a mission statement for the hypothetical organization in question 6. 8. Draft a set of guiding principles for the hypothetical organiza-tion in question 6. 9. Establish two or three broad objectives for the hypothetical organization in question 6. 10. Describe the steps you would apply in executing your strategic plan developed in questions 6 to 9 Part Two The Indifferent Manager The efforts of Public Communications Inc. to implement total quality had exceeded expectations at two of its three plants. How-ever, the third plant just didn’t seem to be able to get things off the ground. The plant manager, Merrill Stephens, was under a lot of pressure because his colleagues in the other two plants were suc-ceeding and he was floundering. He didn’t know what the problem was, and he didn’t know how to find out. Merrill decided to call together a group of line employees and ask for their input. Immediately, he sensed their reticence. Clearly, they had something to say but didn’t want to say it. Finally, an employee who had been with the company for more than 20 years spoke up. “Mr. Stephens, we’re just going through the motions to keep corporate off your back,” he said. “We know you don’t buy this total quality nonsense.” Merrill had to admit that the employees were reading him like a book. Sure, he had followed the implementation guidelines to the letter. His executive team was the quality council. Policies had been developed and deployed. Employees were work-ing in teams, and training in the use of quality tools was being pro-vided. The problem was that Merrill himself was just going through the motions. He didn’t really believe in total quality and had hoped it would turn out to be just one more corporate-mandated initiative that would fizzle and eventually go away. He had only four more years until retirement and didn’t need this in his life right now. His managers, middle managers, super-visors, and employees knew him and sensed his indifference and halfheartedness. Part of the organizational culture at this plant was that the employees took their lead from the plant manager. If Merrill was really behind an effort, they got behind it. If he wasn’t, they didn’t. When they accurately sensed his indifference to total quality, they responded accordingly. Discussion Question Discuss the following question in class or outside of class with your fellow students: 1. Have you ever been involved in an effort that was halfhearted because the leader of the effort didn’t seem to be enthusiastic about it? If so, what happened? If not, discuss what it means for the person in charge in a given situation to set the tone.