Fluent Essays

Questions for Discussion 1  How would you describe Chris Cox’s personal leadership style, and what sources of power does he possess? 2  What traits do you think he is high on, and to what extent does he engage in consideration and initiating structure? 3. Do you think Cox is a transfor­mational leader? Why or why not? 4. Do you think Cox is high on emotional intelligence? Why or why not? GUIDELINES FOR ANALYZING CASES Problem and Issue Identification 1. What are the central facts of the case and assumptions you are making based on these facts? 2. What is the major overriding issue in this case? (What major question or issue does this case address that merits its study in this course and in connection with the chapter or material you are now covering?) 3. What subissues or related issues are present in the case that merit consideration and discussion? Analysis and Evaluation 4. Who are the stakeholders in the case and what are their stakes? (Create a stakeholder map if this is helpful.) What challenges, threats, and opportunities do these stakeholders pose? 5. What economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities does the company have, and what exactly is the nature and extent of the responsibilities? 6. If the case involves a company’s actions, evaluate what the company did or did not do in handling the issue affecting it. Recommendations 7. What recommendations do you have for this case? If a company’s strategies or actions are involved, should the company have acted the way it did? What actions should the company take now, and why? Be as specific as possible, and include a discussion of alternatives you have considered but decided not to pursue. Mention and discuss any important implementation considerations.Smash That Like Button: Facebook’s Chris Cox Is Messing with One of the Most Valuable Features on the Internet Inside Facebook’s Decision to Blow Up the Like Button The most drastic change to Facebook in years was born a year ago during an off-site at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, a 10-minute drive from headquarters. Chris Cox, the social network’s chief product officer, led the discussion, asking each of the six executives around the conference room to list the top three projects they were most eager to tackle in 2015. When it was Cox’s turn, he dropped a bomb: They needed to do something about the “like” button. The like button is the engine of Facebook and its most recognized symbol. A giant version of it adorns the entrance to the company’s campus in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook’s 1.6 billion users click on it more than 6 billion times a day—more frequently than people conduct searches on Google—which affects billions of advertising dollars each quarter. Brands, publishers, and individuals constantly, and strategically, share the things they think will get the most likes. It’s the driver of social activity. A married couple posts perfectly posed selfies, proving they’re in love; a news organization offers up what’s fun and entertaining, hoping the likes will spread its content. All those likes tell Facebook what’s popular and should be shown most often on the News Feed. But the button is also a blunt, clumsy tool. Someone announces her divorce on the site, and friends grit their teeth and “like” it. There’s a devastating earthquake in Nepal, and invariably a few overeager clickers give it the ol’ thumbs-up. Changing the button is like Coca-Cola messing with its secret recipe. Cox had tried to battle the like button a few times before, but no idea was good enough to qualify for public testing. “This was a feature that was right in the heart of the way you use Facebook, so it needed to be executed really well in order to not detract and clutter up the experience,” he says. “All of the other attempts had failed.” The obvious alternative, a “dislike” button, had been rejected on the grounds that it would sow too much negativity. Cox told the Four Seasons gathering that the time was finally right for a change, now that Facebook had successfully transitioned a majority of its business to smartphones. His top deputy, Adam Mosseri, took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m with you,” he said solemnly. Later that week, Cox brought up the project with his boss and longtime friend. Mark Zuckerberg’s response showed just how much leeway Cox has to take risks with Facebook’s most important service. “He said something like, ‘Yes, do it.’ He was fully supportive,” Cox says. “Good luck,” he remembers Zuckerberg telling him. “That’s a hard one.” The solution would eventually be named Reactions. It will arrive soon. And it will expand the range of Facebook-compatible human emotions from one to six. Cox isn’t a founder, doesn’t serve on the boards of other compaLeadership Case Guidelines The following Guidelines are to be helpful in analyzing the cases. The Guidelines are not intended to be a rigid format, however, that the student just mechanically goes through. Each question is intended to surface information that will be helpful in analyzing and resolving the case. Each case is different, and some parts of the Guidelines may not apply in every case. Also, the student should be attentive to the questions for discussion at the end of each case. These questions should be answered in any complete case analysis. The heart of any case analysis is the set of recommendations made. The Problem and Issue Identification and Analysis and Evaluation steps should be focused on generating and defending the most effective set of recommendations. GUIDELINES FOR ANALYZING CASES Problem and Issue Identification 1. What are the central facts of the case and assumptions you are making based on these facts? 2. What is the major overriding issue in this case? (What major question or issue does this case address that merits its study in this course and in connection with the chapter or material you are now covering?) 3. What subissues or related issues are present in the case that merit consideration and discussion? Analysis and Evaluation 4. Who are the stakeholders in the case and what are their stakes? (Create a stakeholder map if this is helpful.) What challenges, threats, and opportunities do these stakeholders pose? 5. What economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities does the company have, and what exactly is the nature and extent of the responsibilities? 6. If the case involves a company’s actions, evaluate what the company did or did not do in handling the issue affecting it. Recommendations 7. What recommendations do you have for this case? If a company’s strategies or actions are involved, should the company have acted the way it did? What actions should the company take now, and why? Be as specific as possible, and include a discussion of alternatives you have considered but decided not to pursue. Mention and discuss any important implementation considerations.