This is an idea I have been batting around at work for some time: to generate a junit test package that uses principles from stochastic processes. That is, you could specify different sets of input values, with different probabilities and test how the software behaves in a black box condition with a multitude of inputs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stochastic_process
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_method
http://testng.org/doc/
http://clickworkers.arc.nasa.gov/top
Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickworkers
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17135007/
Get rid of Daylight savings time. It is unnecessary, costly, and wasteful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116924382614681940-8LRSGAYtUi6vTmrECWFZfd4i5AQ_20080205.html?mod=blogs
Week #1 - Introductions
Reading Assignment:
Bolman & Deal, chapters 1 & 2
Questions and Topics for Discussion:
1. A major topic will be what is organizational behavior and why do we study it?
Organizational studies is the study of individual and group dynamics in an organizational setting, as well as the nature of the organizations themselves. Whenever people interact in organizations, many factors come into play. Organizational studies attempts to understand and model these factors. (Wikipedia, 2007)
Like all social sciences, organizational behavior seeks to control, predict, and explain. However, there is some controversy over the ethical ramifications of focusing on controlling workers' behavior. As such, organizational behavior or OB (and its cousin, Industrial psychology) have at times been accused of being the scientific tool of the powerful. Those accusations notwithstanding, OB can play a major role in organizational development and success. (Wikipedia, 2007)
2. We have been getting along with people since we were born; why is there a special course about this in the MBA curriculum?
We have but one frame of reference. We do not have the collective experience of others before us unless we learn from their stories.
3. Is there anything special about work organizations that make focusing on behavior in them particularly important?
Economics relies on well-run organizations that meet market demand for products and services. Without understanding the ways in which behavior affects the workflow, schemes could impede or cause detriment.
4. Is this kind of knowledge and skills of particular importance to your career?
As a consultant it is important to understand how an organization operates, to bring an open perspective, to learn, and adapt. I believe a lot of consutants bring outside expertise, but often also carry with them a lot of baggage and extra issues that make working with everyone on a team challenging.
5. Why is this subject difficult at times?
As it is not a well-defined science, it is open to such problems as objectivity, improper controls in testing, and poor results. It is more of a liberal arts study such as philosophy, economics, sociology and psychology.
6. Are there any answers to the dilemmas that are highlighted in this study?
The problems in the text arose when people did not think outside the box, think objectively, or do the right thing. People need to reframe and also imagine.
7. Think about what your answer is to the question: "What is the purpose of business?" We will begin this discussion in preparation for our focus in week #2.
To produce goods and services which satisfy the demand.
Really this question is individual for each microeconomic situation, but it is being asked in the context of the macroeconomic perspective.
Why some companies fail and others succeed is due in part to not meeting the microeconomic need.
It also depends on the perspective - the frame mentioned in the Textbook. From the relative perspective of the viewer, the objective may be composed of a multi-objective formulation: to maximize profits while maintaining customer and employee relationships, to continuously strive to produce better, more advanced products, and to minimize impact to the environment cost to future owners and consumers. By looking at a variety of frames, one can see different answers to the purpose for said business.