1. According to the cosmic calendar, humankind has been around for about 7 minutes. How much longer do you expect we will be around? Explain.

2. Can you think of any unintended negative consequences that come from thinking that humankind can "own" natural resources like land, or that it can patent the DNA of different plants? Explain.

3. Philosophers like Aristotle argue that using money to make money is problematic because: (a) people have an insatiable appetite for money (so they can never get enough money or own enough resources); and (b) this leads to a widening of income disparity and creates negative externalities. Provide three pros and cons associated with using money to make money.

4. Do you think it is part of the natural human condition to be greedy, materialistic, and individualistic? For most of the history of humankind, self-interested wealth maximization was dysfunctional (e.g., imagine a nomadic hunter carrying the most spears and the biggest tent of anyone in the clan) and was seen as a moral vice. What would management theory and practice look like if we assumed people were naturally generous and recognized that their own well-being was enhanced by making sure that everyone had enough?

5. We take ideas like corporations for granted today, and we forget that not too long ago many people were concerned about the power of corporations, and worried that corporations would have a negative effect on society. If you could, would you make any changes to the power of corporations, or set constraints on what a corporation must do to maintain its charter?

6. Do you agree with the argument that our understanding of management has been socially constructed? Can you think of any dysfunctional management principles that have been institutionalized? How might they best be challenged? Explain.

7. Is the "one best way" to manage still waiting to be discovered? Explain.

8. What sort of workplace would you like your manager to construct for you? What sort of organizational "reality" will you socially construct for others when you are a manager? Is it a social reality that exemplifies FBL, TBL or SET management principles?