INEN 5369 Engineering Management Homework 2

Due Date: March, 31 2024 until 10:00 pm

1. Please take a look at the Case #7 Target and answer following questions (20 points).

a. In what ways does Target’s massive infrastructure relate to the complexities of

making coherent, competitive decisions? Can a large corporation like Target cope
– and thrive – in the information intense environment that it has created? What
kinds of solutions might help Target avoid some of the pitfalls that it has
experienced most recently?
b. Target functions using a traditional, top-down structure with a group of C-suite
executives led by a CEO. How can an organization with this kind of traditional
structure expect to keep all of the moving parts in the company moving in a
coordinated way? What kinds of decision-making tools might increase Target’s
ability to cope with changing market demands?

2. Please take a look at the Case #8 UBER and answer following questions (20 points).

a. Although many argue that the gig economy has opened opportunities for
individuals to be self-employed in ways that complement their lifestyle, the
investments that gig giant Uber is making suggest a different kind of future for the
uber-successful taxi substitute. What do you think Uber has in mind?
b. What are some of the potential applications for fleets of self-driving vehicles?
What role might this kind of infrastructure play in towns and cities in the future?
How might Uber leverage these kinds of assets to generate a profit? Do you see a
way for Uber to be successful while still employing human drivers? How?

3. Please take a look at the Case #9 Electronic Art and answer following questions (20
points).
a. How can feedforward, concurrent, and feedback controls help Electronic Arts
meet its quality goals for video games?
b. Which of the control systems and techniques can be most useful to EA’s next
round of business decisions, and why?

4. Please take a look at the Case #10 Dunkin Donuts and answer following questions (20
points).
a. How does Porter’s Five Forces analysis describe the food industry in which
Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks compete? What are the strategic implications for
Dunkin’ Donuts?
 b. Could Dunkin’ Donuts use strategic alliances to even better advantage than it does
now? How could cooperative strategies help it succeed further with its master
plan for growth?

5. Please take a look at the Case #11 National Public Radio and answer following questions
(20 points).
a. What are the implications of NPR’s operating approach in contrast to that of for-
profit media? How might this decision be related to NPR’s not-for-profit status?
What kinds of issues are likely to play a role in how successful this model is,
moving forward, in light of the massive consolidation of the industry?

b. How does the structure of NPR relate to questions relating to branding? What
about quality control? Would this kind of “organic” organizational structure work
in a not-for-profit setting? Why or why not? What other kinds of businesses might
benefit from this kind of loose conglomeration? Why, specifically? What about
higher education?

Some reminders about HW2:

 This is an individual assignment. Please do not talk about your answers with each other.
 If you are referring from our book or any other references, you should give that part as a
reference. You cannot simply copy paste from any website any information. If you are
copy paste from anywhere, this can be PLAGIARISM. It is unacceptable. You always
use your own sentences.
 I will out this assignment to Safe Assign software to detect any kind of plagiarism.
 Do not include the questions in the homework writing.
 You should not just google the answers, google is not a good reference. You should go
other textbooks or articles if you are using any references.
 Late assignments will be punished by deduction 10 points each day. No HW will be
accepted after 3 days of passing the due dates. Even 1 second is showing as late.
 This homework writing should be somewhere between 5-8 pages (excluding cover page
and references).
 Please use references (articles, white pages, etc., and if you are using them, please
REFER them.
 Please send your FINAL VERSION of writing including references, I will not reopen
HW2 for resubmission.
 This homework has total 5 questions.