Week 6 Discussion Questions

Instructions regarding the case study are below.

1) Answer the questions that are at the end of the case study from three different viewpoints.

 

Project Management Case Study:

Finding the Emotional Intelligence to Be a Real Leader

 

Recently, Kathy Smith, a project manager for a large industrial construction organization, was assigned to oversee a multimillion-dollar chemical plant construction project in Southeast Asia. Kathy had earned this assignment after completing a number of smaller construction assignments in North America over the past three years. This was her first overseas assignment and she was eager to make a good impression, particularly given the size and scope of the project. Successfully completing this project would increase her visibility within the organization dramatically and earmark her as a candidate for upper management. Kathy had good project management skills; in particular, she was organized and highly self-motivated. Team members at her last two project assignments used to joke that just trying to keep up with her was a full-time job.

Kathy wasted no time settling in to oversee the development of the chemical plant. Operating under her normal work approach, Kathy routinely required her staff and the senior members of the project team to work long hours, ignoring weekend breaks if important milestones were coming up, and generally adopting a round-the-clock work approach for the project. Unfortunately, in expecting her team, made up of local residents, to change their work habits to accommodate her expectations, Kathy completely misread the individuals on her team. They bitterly resented her overbearing style, unwillingness to consult them on key questions, and aloof nature. Rather than directly confront her, however, team members began a campaign of passive resistance to her leadership. They would purposely drag their feet on important assignments or cite insurmountable problems when none, in fact, existed. Kathy’s standard response was to push herself and her project team harder, barraging subordinates with increasingly urgent communications demanding faster performance. To her bewilderment, nothing seemed to work.

The project quickly became bogged down due to poor team performance and ended up costing the project organization large penalties for late delivery. Although Kathy had many traits that worked in her favor, she was seriously lacking in the ability to recognize the feelings and expectations of others and take them into consideration.

 

 

 

Project Management Case Study Questions:

1. Discuss how Kathy lacked sufficient emotional intelligence to be effective in her new project manager assignment.

a)

b)

c)

 

2. Of the various dimensions of emotional intelligence, which dimension(s) did she appear to lack most? What evidence can you cite to support this contention?

a)

b)

c)

 

Project Management Discussion Questions:

 

Ensure when you are responding to this question, that you describe what the process is about and identify various components of the Six Sigma Process and how it important it is to QM. (Please do not say it save money or time in a project, go deeper) Remember to cite your sources, you have to get into the habit of giving credit and cite where you got your information.

1. Why are measurements critical to quality management? What types of measures are available for quality?

2. How important is it to include a quality assessment in your project WBS? What can happen if quality is overlooked?

3. Let’s do a little research on Six Sigma. What is it and why is it important to quality management?

a)

b)

c)

Managed Care and Health Insurance Discussion Questions:

Discuss fraud and abuse in healthcare. Provide at least three specific examples of fraudulent practices that have taken place in U.S. healthcare, and describe ways to prevent these in our modern healthcare environment.

 

1)

2)

3)

 

Explain the difference between underwriting and rating. What are the key elements that typically go into rate development formulas?

 

1)

2)

3)

 

Do you need a similar assignment done for you from scratch? Order now!
Use Discount Code "Newclient" for a 15% Discount!