Leadership

Q1

Dear John,

I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for your recent contribution to the project. Your presentation was exceptional and the client was extremely impressed with your proposal. However, I would like to provide some feedback regarding your approach to collaboration.

Last week, I noticed that you were facing challenges in keeping up with the workload, and I reached out to offer my assistance. I want to emphasize that seeking help is not a sign of weakness in our team. We are here to support one another, and it is important to trust our colleagues when faced with difficulties.

In the future, I kindly request that you consider asking for support and relying on other team members when you encounter obstacles. Building trust and fostering a collaborative environment are crucial aspects of our team’s success.

On the topic of trust, I recommend reading a book called “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth” by Amy Edmonson. It offers valuable insights into creating a trusting and productive workplace. I would love to hear your thoughts on trust and its impact on our team during our next one-on-one meeting in September.

Lastly, I want to commend you on your excellent handling of the Q&A session. Your willingness to accept constructive criticism truly embodies the spirit of growth and improvement that I mentioned during our last conversation.

Please continue your exceptional work, and I look forward to our future collaborations.

Best regards,

Anna

Based on this letter, which of the following leadership styles would best describe Anna?

1. Transactional Leadership
2. Shared Leadership
3. Transformational Leadership
4. Managerial Grid

None of the models fully explains completely Anna’s leadership approach towards John. Nonetheless the Managerial grid has 2 axes: concern for people and concern for production. No information are provided about the latter while we have many information about the concern for people like: “I want to emphasize that seeking help is not a sign of weakness in our team”; “We are here to support one another”; “it is important to trust our colleagues when faced with difficulties”. Thus we can certainly say that the concern for people is high so the managerial grid can start providing information about Anna’s leadership approach in dealing with John. In addition, no transactions are mentioned, and it is clearly not a shared leadership situation since no other leaders are mentioned. Transformational leadership is also not possible, suggesting a book to improve the working relationship is not a trait of inspirational motivation or intellectual stimulation.

Q2

Paul is the warehouse manager of a logistics company in northern France that is conquering the home furniture market. To be aligned with the company’s KPIs, Paul carefully organizes monthly meetings to set new goals for his team. Throughout the month, he strives to monitor their activities by implementing an innovative performance matrix. He also attempts to find time for one-on-one meetings to clarify the team’s goals and provide feedback on key activities. However, the demands of daily operations often interfere with his consistency in these activities. As a result, he sometimes struggles to connect with his team members and, despite his best intentions, finds himself validating the team’s activities only after they are completed. Paul acknowledges that the delays in individual monitoring can affect team morale, but he has a lot of work to do, and in the end, he could only monitor once a consistent error occurs through his performance matrix.

According to the case Paul is performing:

1. Inspirational motivation
2. Passive Management by Exception
3. Role model
4. Laisse Faire

He is a transactional leader, the monthly meetings are only an excuse to define the goals and share the direction towards which the team must perform. He is willing to lead with an Active Management by Exception but at the end he performs as a Passive Management by Exception. Key sentence: “ but he has a lot of work to do, and in the end, he could only monitor once a consistent error occurs through his performance matrix”.

1. A) wrong, he doesn’t inspire his team he tries to have a conversation and individual consideration but he fails.;
2. B) correct, he check effectively only at the end and once an error is occurred;
3. C) Wrong, the case does not mention situation in which he is actively showing what is requested performing as a transformational leader;
4. D) Wrong, he controls for how things are performed, Laisse Faire implies that the leader do not control at all what is happening.

Q3

Marta during her one-on-one meeting with her supervisor told him: “Since I joined our team, I perceive I change a lot, both professionally and personally. You challenged me to perform different kind of tasks and projects, making me aware of the importance to meet goals and expectations. Thanks to your guidance I perceive my self-esteem increased as well as my intrinsic interests in meeting goals and meaningful tasks”.

According to Marta words, how would you describe Marta’s supervisor behavior?

1. a) Inspirational motivation
2. b) Laissez Faire
3. c) Active Management by Exceptions
4. d) Intellectual stimulation

D, According to the transactional model: the leader challenges followers to be innovative and creative. A common misunderstanding is that transformational leaders are “soft,” but the truth is that they constantly challenge followers to higher levels of performance. The key message that Marta is highlighting is being challenged by her supervisor thus intellectually stimulated.

Q4

Mia is the latest intern hired by Ardentis, a technology company specializing in renewable energy solutions for the automotive industry. She is doing her final semester at GSoM, where she is finishing an MBA. She has got good knowledge about Ardentis’ working field as she worked as a consultant in different companies, even working in the automotive sector, for the past 4 years. In that experience Mia demonstrated to be autonomous and motivated. For this reason, Sarah (head of new product development in Ardentis) decided to invest on her. She will be part of the most ambitious Team in Ardentis, a task force focused on the development of the most innovative electric mobility and fast-charging services for vehicles. An unexplored competence for the whole Team but an extremely important business area for the strategic direction of the company. The first task of Mia is revising 250 pages of reports to give Sarah a 2-page memo about electric mobility in Singapore.

According to the Situational Leadership Model, which kind of style should Sarah adopt with Mia in her team?

1. a) Participating
2. b) Delegating
3. c) Telling
4. d) I don’t have enough information to answer

We have a lot of information on Mia background, but we have no information regarding her readiness in the new job. She is experienced, but is she also willing and secure in the new environment and in such an important project? She has a lot of previous information, but is she also really able to perform such tasks in the new environment? Does she feel comfortable or terrified in being part of the most ambitious team in Ardentis? We don’t have enough information regarding the follower readiness thus for us is difficult to say how Sarah should behave with her according to the situational leadership model

Q5

Mark, the director of a renowned art museum, fosters a vibrant and collaborative environment for his staff.

He actively solicits their input on exhibition ideas, marketing strategies, and even budget allocation. Mark empowers his team members to take ownership of projects, trusting their expertise and encouraging creative solutions. He readily provides support and resources, but avoids micromanaging, preferring to allow his team to flourish independently.

Mark believes in continuous learning and development for both himself and his staff. He regularly attends industry conferences and workshops, sharing his insights and learnings with his team. He also encourages his team members to pursue professional development opportunities, providing financial assistance and flexible work schedules to facilitate their participation.

Beyond the museum walls, Mark fosters a strong sense of community engagement. He collaborates with local schools and arts organizations, offering educational programs and outreach initiatives.

Which leadership style best describes Mark’s approach?

1. a) He is a transactional leader, since he clarifies the final goals and establish clear objectives
2. b) He is a servant leader, since he empowers his team to take ownership of their work
3. c) He is a transformational leader, since he gives individualized consideration for his team members
4. d) He is a servant leader, since he provides guidance and support because he is focused on achieving organizational goals

B, He is a servant leader who empowers the team to achieve self-confidence, choaching to reach the final result, without imposing personal view. Mark is creating a psychological safe culture where common good (both for the company and for the society) is fostered, giving a direction for team’s ideas. Answer B is correct. Mark does not dictate decisions or control his team rigidly with defined objectives (answer A is wrong). Answer C is wrong since we don’t know if Mark behaves with Individualized Consideration showing genuine concerns. Answer D is wrong, since achieve organizational goals are not characteristics of servant leader

Innovation

Q1

SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars aligned with the growing desire to explore the universe. SpaceX has developed several launch vehicles, among which the latest is the Dragon capsule spacecraft. With a demo-launch,

NASA has recently certified SpaceX’s Dragon capsule for human spaceflight, resuming regular crewed launches from the US after a nine-year stop. The launch represents the culmination of nearly a decade of work by NASA and SpaceX. Following the end of the shuttle program, NASA was left without a rocket to send astronauts to space, so for the past nine years, the agency has relied on Russian rockets for a ride to the International Space Station. It was a pricey proposition—seats on the Russian capsule cost $80 million per astronaut. NASA embraced commercial crew contracts with SpaceX as a way to drive down the cost of space access by harnessing the powers of the market. And the gamble is about to pay off. Once SpaceX starts ferrying astronauts to orbit on operational missions, seats on the Dragon capsule will cost roughly half the price of a seat on the Russian capsule. SpaceX won’t just be launching NASA astronauts, of course.

In 2018, Elon Musk also sold tickets to the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa for an around-the-moon excursion on SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket. NASA and SpaceX are about to usher the world into this brave new stage of commercial space exploration.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule is an example of:

1. a) Technology-push innovation, since the whole innovation didn’t start from a market need but from a new breakthrough technology
2. b) Market-pull innovation, since it addresses the explicit needs of rich people who want to travel to space
3. c) Innovation of meaning, since it is about a new way to communicate aerospace travel
4. d) None of the other options

Justification:

Dragon capsule is an example of market pull innovation, because it started from the explicit need of lowering the cost of space travel. A is wrong because Dragon capsule is not an example of technology push, it started from a market need, and it is not based on a breakthrough technology, but on already existing technologies B is wrong as the starting point is not the need of rich people to travel into space (the possibility for rich people to travel into space for tourism may come afterwards). Dragon Capsule is created to lower the cost of space travel, expanding access to space travel not just for luxury space tourism C is wrong, Dragon capsule is not an example of innovation meaning as it is not changing the meaning of travelling into space for NASA.

Q2:

The World Wide Web is an Internet-based hypertext system invented in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Tim Berners-Lee. He wrote the first web browser WorldWideWeb, later renamed Nexus, and released it for the NeXTstep platform in 1991. By the end of 1992 other browsers had appeared, providing choice to users both in browsers and platforms. The multitude of browsers led to the development of several

“Browser Wars”. A browser war is competition for dominance in the usage share of web browsers. The “First Browser War” during the late 1990s pitted Microsoft’s Internet Explorer against Netscape’s Navigator. Browser wars continued with the decline of Internet Explorer’s market share and the popularity of other browsers including Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera. Each browser proposes a different user experience when browsing the internet, adding personalized tools and services. With the introduction of the transmission and visualization protocols HTML5 and CSS 3, a new generation of “Browser War” began, this time adding more widespread use of smartphones and other mobile devices for browsing the web. These newcomers have ensured that browser battles continue among enthusiasts, while the average web user is less affected.

According to the Tushman et al. Model of Cyclic Innovation:

1. a) The decline in market share of Internet Explorer led to a technological discontinuity
2. b) The presence of multiple browsers on the market (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and others) represents a Fluid Phase
3. c) Today, the introduction of the protocols HTML5 and CSS 3 are the symptom of a new Fluid Phase
4. d) The presence of multiple browsers on the market (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chromevand others) represents an Incremental Innovation Phase

D, The dominant design in web browsers has been identified in the market, and the different web browsers adopted by the average web users, which are the large majority of the market, are not radical innovations but just incremental. No technological discontinuity is introduced for the average market. A different design is not enough to say that they are competing dominant designs. First option is wrong as usually is the other way round (a technological discontinuity may bring to the decline of a technology that becomes obsolete). Second option is wrong as the dominant design is the same for the different browsers if considering the use that the majority of the market (average web users) do of the different browsers Third option is wrong as the introduction of the new protocols did not create a new fluid phase but a technology substitution

Q3

The PepsiCo Design Center partnered with PepsiCo’s Foodservice innovation team to develop the vision and spirit of F!ZZ – a completely new brand experience that defines the future of soft drink (e.g. Pepsi etc.) mixology, which we call “fizzology”. At the core, F!ZZ is a playful celebration of bubbles with unexpected ingredient combinations — including flavor shots, bursts, garnishes and foams — creating a fun, adventurous way for consumers to deconstruct and reconstruct soft drinks (e.g. Pepsi etc.).

To define the F!ZZ beverage experience, we extended beyond traditional branded packaging, creating a unique experience for consumers that is emotive and fully sensorial. The resulting 360 degree immersive experience includes actual bubbles, spinning spheres, flavor scent tubes, a DJ and hands-on fizzology experiments which come together to embody the fun spirited nature and emotion that is now F!ZZ. The experiential architecture and graphic design system uniquely define the surprising and exciting experience of fizzology.

Considering the soft drinks market (e.g. Pepsi) and the initiative of F!ZZ which innovation strategy has been adopted by PepsiCo Design Center?

1. a) Market Pull, due to the answer to a specific request of the market, selling new flavors and new combinations of soft drinks
2. b) Internal Platform, due to the creation of a format that would support the spread of PepsiCo soft drinks (e.g. Pepsi) all over the world
3. c) Innovation of Meaning, transforming the meaning given to soft drinks
4. d) None of the above

It is an innovation of meaning because it does not start from a user need or a new technology, but it focuses on shifting the meaning associated with soft drinks.

From drinking a soft drink conceived by others, to drinking my own soft drink created through a multisensorial solution and experience. It is an inside-out process that the PepsiCo Design Center envisions developing and delivering into the market.

They are not developing an internal platform for new product development, rather a new product line to be sold into the market. No market needs support this innovation.

Q4

Amazon introduced Amazon Halo, a new service dedicated to helping customers improve their individual health and wellness. Amazon Halo combines a suite of AI-powered health features that provide actionable insights into overall wellness via the new Amazon Halo app with the Amazon Halo Band. It uses multiple sensors to provide the highly accurate information interacting in an innovative way with the user.

“Despite the rise of digital health services and devices over the last decade, we have not seen a corresponding improvement in population health in the U.S. We are using Amazon’s deep expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning to offer customers a new way to discover, adopt, and maintain personalized wellness habits,” said Dr. Maulik Majmudar, Principal Medical Officer, Amazon Halo. Amazon Halo Band is purpose-built to focus on your health and wellness—unlike smartwatches and fitness trackers, it doesn’t have a screen or constant notifications. The small sensor capsule delivers highly accurate data with accelerometer, temperature sensor, heart rate monitor, microphones to talk with the Halo Band, and other sensors relevant to obtain a complete body scanning. Amazon Halo Band can substitute the expensive tools required to measure body fat, usually only available to doctors, that individuals have difficulties in accessing. The innovative Tone feature uses machine learning to analyze energy and positivity in a customer’s voice this supports to enhance users’ health not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Amazon Halo thus delivers an empathic interaction with the users increasing physical but more importantly mental health.

Considering Amazon Halo Band which of the following sentence is correct:

1. a) Amazon Halo Band is a type of technology push innovation to facilitate BMI measure through new sensors developed by Amazon
2. b) Amazon Halo Band is a type of innovation of meaning; differently from the other smart bands the reason for buying this solution is the fact that it allows communicating to the smartphone through the microphone
3. c) Amazon Halo Band represents a Market pull innovation starting from the market need to find easier way to control your health
4. d) Amazon Halo Band is a type of technology epiphany; the presence of the tone monitoring will allow giving a new meaning to wear a smart band due to the innovative usage of machine learning to monitor feelings

Justification

D, The new technological features related to the tone monitoring enables a quiescent meaning of health-related monitoring system: from monitoring physical health to monitoring also mental health and emotional status.

First option is wrong as Amazon Halo Band is not leveraging on internal technologies to innovate the health monitoring system rather adopting existing technologies into new and diverse fields, like producing new movements with the interacting tone. Second option is wrong as the new meaning is not related to the possibility of communicating to the smartphone through the microphone. Third option is wrong as no information are provided on the market demanding this kind of object.

Q5

“We’ve reached an exciting milestone with PlayStation 5, as we’re starting to ship our new controller in its final design to developers who are implementing its unique features into their games. But first, we wanted to get a first look at the DualSense™ wireless controller, and hear our vision for how the new controller will captivate your senses. The features of DualSense, along with PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, will deliver a new feeling of immersion to players. We adopted haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud.

When PS4 launched in 2013, the DualShock 4 wireless controller garnered a lot of positive feedback from gamers and developers for being the best PlayStation controller yet, and for introducing forward-looking features like the Share button. This provided us with an exciting challenge to design a new controller that builds off the current generation, while taking into account the new features we were adding”. Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Considering the words of Jim Ryan about the DualSense remote control, which of the following sentences summarizes the approach adopted for the DualSense controller:

1. a) Radical platform innovation because it will now give the possibility to game creators to leverage the controller to create new games
2. b) Technology-Push innovation since it leverages innovative sensors previously not present in DualShock4 remote control and increasing the performances
3. c) Technology epiphany since the new haptic feedback technology enables the transmission of new sensations while playing. This will make the game even more real
4. d) Innovation of meaning since it reinforces the feeling of immersion to players

The new sensors added to the remote control of Play Station 5 are a typical example of technology push, because the meaning of immersion in a virtual world will remain between PlayStation 4 and 5 what changes is the technology in the remote control. In other words, the innovation is a radical innovation in the performance of the sensor.

This is not a case of Tech Epiphany since they are not applying existing technologies into new field changing their meaning, but they are improving the feelings while gaming.

Innovation 4th call

Q1

Rituals is a groundbreaking cosmetic brand that proposes a unique range of products for both body and home, with an unwavering commitment to supporting the well-being of users and the planet. At the heart of Rituals’s philosophy lies the belief that feeling good and doing good should go hand in hand. Unlike traditional cosmetic brands solely focused on external beauty, Rituals recognizes the interconnectedness of our well-being and the environment. They invested in R&D technologies to meticulously craft their products using sustainable, eco-friendly ingredients that are both gentle on the skin and leave a minimal ecological footprint in their packaging, an operation that granted the B-Corp certification.

Rituals understands that true beauty emanates from within. By offering a holistic range of body and home products, they go beyond enhancing external appearances, aiming to foster a sense of inner harmony and balance. They inspire a sense of mindfulness and self-care, promoting relaxation and rejuvenation, encouraging individuals to embrace their authentic selves and make a positive impact on the world around them. With their pioneering vision, they are reshaping the industry, challenging established norms, and proving that cosmetics can be a force for good.

What kind of innovation is Rituals doing?

1. a) Rituals is performing an innovation of meaning by caring for individual mindfulness and planet by buying their product, with synergies in the home environment and personal care
2. b) They are not innovating anything: Rituals is leveraging on massive trends proposed by the market as sustainability and individual well-being to reposition their product.
3. c) Technology epiphany: Rituals technological innovation lies in their products production processes and sustainability orientations
4. d) Innovation of meaning: The innovation operated by Rituals reflects the outside-in approach

Justification:

Rituals is proposing an innovation of meaning by providing a new value into the cosmetic industry starting within the company. Innovation of meaning means innovating the reason why users use a product.

1. a) Rituals is an innovation of meaning proposing their own vision in the market without starting from a market latent need or technological advancement. They change the meaning of beauty products from being only for personal care to using for the individual and their home doing good for the planet.
2. b) Wrong as Rituals is innovating and this new vision is interpreting the society weak signals of self-care and sustainability
3. c) Rituals is not changing the technology and innovating starting from internal competencies
4. d) Innovation of meaning is an inside-out approach

Q2

In the competitive landscape of video game consoles, Sony a pioneering company, revolutionized the industry with the introduction of DualShock. This innovative design featured two analog joysticks, a Dpad, and four face buttons. Notably, other players in the video game console market quickly embraced a similar configuration for their joystick designs, solidifying a shared industry standard. The shape reminded users the arcade cabinet games, fastening the adoption, and reducing usability barriers.

This widespread adoption of a common controller design is a prime example of:

1. a) Technological convergence
2. b) Technological obsolescence of other joysticks
3. c) Dominant design
4. d) Technological disruption

Justification:

The correct answer is c) Dominant design. The introduction and widespread adoption of a standard controller design with specific features and configurations in the video game console industry exemplify the establishment of a dominant design. The dominant design, in this case, is characterized by the presence of two analog joysticks, a D-pad, and four face buttons.

Option a) is incorrect as technological convergence refers to the integration of various technologies into a single device or system.

Option b) is incorrect because the establishment of a dominant design in the video game console industry does not render other controller designs obsolete. It represents a prevalent design choice rather than the obsolescence of other designs.

Option d) is incorrect because the establishment of a dominant design in the video game console industry does not involve the disruption of existing technologies or the displacement of other console manufacturers. It signifies the emergence and widespread acceptance of a particular design as the prevailing choice, rather than a disruptive force in the industry.

Q3

Naturaland is a platform that paves the way for an organic and social food industry. It leverages its network to promote sustainable production for the planet and society. This platform operates worldwide to support farmers, organic producers, independent food retailers, and drugstores in committing to an organic future. Naturaland certifies farmers and food producers compliant with Naturaland standards, besides certification Naturaland supports them offering a strategic support through scientific knowledge and visibility with its worldwide network. In return the platform charges an entry fee. Naturaland onboards also several research centers and institutions that share their best practices with the platform offering a set of users where they can test their research and new farming methods. Naturaland also collaborates with food shops and fair trades to sell farmers’ certified products to their customers.

Based on the information above, which platform structure does Naturaland correspond to?

1. a) Naturaland is a transactional multi-sided platform
2. b) Naturaland is a transactional two-sided platform
3. c) Naturaland is an orthogonal two-sided platform, with food shops becoming the source of value to attract new farmers
4. d) Naturaland is an orthogonal multi-sided platform, with farmers as client-as-a-target for research centers

Justification:

Naturaland is a case of transactional multi-sided platform, where all the sides are subjected to bidirectional cross side network externalities, and the platform creates unique value propositions to join them on board.

1. a) true. Here bidirectional cross-side network externalities are present among all sides. Naturaland leverages on the information obtained to improve its services and attract new farmers enriching its network with new shops that want to sell organic products
2. b) There are three sides connected and not only two
3. c) This is not an orthogonal platform. This answer doesn’t consider the research centers and between shops and farmers there are cross side network externalities, while orthogonal have unidirectional one
4. d) this is not the case following the same reasoning of answer (c). The platform facilitates a transaction between both sides bidirectionally and here the shops are excluded

Q4

In the realm of smartphone technology, in 2016 Samsung has unveiled its latest innovation: a smartphone equipped with a revolutionary battery technology that promises significantly longer battery life compared to its competitors. The new battery technology uses advanced materials and energy-efficient mechanisms, providing users with extended usage without compromising the device’s performance. In response to the increasing demand for smartphones with extended battery life, Samsung invested heavily in research and development focused on investigating new user’s behaviors, including a long-term ethnographic study, performed in several countries, to understand and adapt to evolving user behaviors.

This comprehensive research allowed Samsung to tailor the new battery technology to align its lifecycle seamlessly with the needs identified during the study. The inputs emerged guide the research performed in their leading-edge lab.

Samsung is innovating its battery through a:

1. a) Innovation of Meaning: Samsung is changing the meaning of smartphones by introducing a revolutionary battery technology that aligns with new user behaviors.
2. b) Technology Push Innovation: Samsung is introducing a radically new technology through its leading-edge lab.
3. c) Market-Pull Innovation: Samsung is addressing the market demand for smartphones with extended battery life, driven by insights from a long-term ethnographic study.
4. d) None of the above.

Justification:

Samsung launches a new innovation based on extensive ethnographic research and new customer behaviors. The connection with the market and its guidance in the definition of the new product represent the orientation towards a market-pull innovation.

1. a) It is not an innovation of meaning, since the smartphones do not change their meaning through the new battery, nor does the company position itself differently in the market.
2. b) Despite the relevance of the R&D laboratory, the innovation emerges from customer needs.
3. c) is true, as said before the innovation comes from market needs
4. d) impossible, given the extensive role of market users in guiding the innovation

Q5

In the ever-evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EVs), a new entrant, EcoDrive, has introduced a groundbreaking proposition leveraging a technology traditionally adopted in the construction industry.

EcoDrive’s electric cars feature integrated solar panels on the exterior surface, a technology the company has patented to harness sunlight for generating additional power. Their solar panels have a unique structure that ensures adaptability even to small surfaces. They are resistant to hail and are easily interchangeable and disposable. This innovation extends the driving range of electric cars, aligning with the growing consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly transportation solutions. EcoDrive has already applied this patented solar technology to electric scooters, showcasing its versatility across various forms of sustainable transportation.

How would you categorize EcoDrive’s innovation strategy considering their patented solar panels in its electric cars?

1. a) Technology Push Innovation: EcoDrive is adopting patented solar panels, which is a technology usually adopted in other industries in a new sector.
2. b) Market-Pull Innovation: EcoDrive is responding to the market demand for sustainable transportation solutions by integrating patented solar panels.
3. c) Technology Epiphany: EcoDrive had a technological breakthrough, adopting solar panels in a new field changing their meaning.
4. d) Technology Push Innovation: EcoDrive is introducing a new technology, based on internal competencies, by integrating patented solar panels into electric cars.

Justification:

This is a case of pure technology push innovation, driven by advances in the EcoDrive lab. The technology is being tested and refined based on the company’s vision of innovation.

1. Wrong – The fact that solar panels have been adopted in other industries does not mean that this is a technology push innovation.
2. Wrong – although solar panels respond to a market need for sustainable transportation solutions, EcoDrive isn’t innovating to meet that need. Rather, it comes from internal innovation.
3. False – Technological epiphany occurs when a technology is used in a new way that changes the meaning of that technology. Here, solar panels retain their purpose of storing and powering the car’s engine.
4. Correct – Innovation comes from the internal competencies of the company and finding new directions.

Leadership 4rd call

Q1

CDC is a software company where work is organized in teams. When a new project is initiated, the team comes together to discuss and collectively decide on the project goals, strategies, and timelines. Each team member contributes sharing their expertise and insights during the decision-making process, assigning roles based on their specific skills and knowledge. As the project progresses, different team members take on leadership roles depending on their strengths and interests. For example, one team member may lead the design phase, another may lead the development phase, and another may lead the quality assurance phase.

The leadership roles rotate, or shift, based on the needs of the project and the skills of the individuals involved. The team values and respects the contributions of each member, and decisions are made through consensus or by considering the majority opinion.

Select the correct statements among the following ones:

1. a) Regular feedback sessions in which the team members share insights on each other behavior and contribution could be particularly beneficial in this setting;
2. b) External coaching could hinder the performance of the team;
3. c) Rotating leadership could create conflict and tensions inside the team;
4. d) Identifying a formal single leader could help the team in moving forward and improve the overall performance

Justification:

The case is a case of shared leadership. Regular feedback sessions could foster social support;

1. is wrong as external coaching can help the team in managing tasks and improve performance;
2. is wrong as in shared leadership the mutual commitment on leadership responsibility is a positive characteristics;
3. is wrong as having an authoritative approach from one member is not effective in a shared leadership context

Q2

Camilla is a charismatic manager who works for a utility company based in Milan. She is in charge of the external communication of her company and leads a team of nine people. Four of these nine people are young and have just been hired, while the rest have been working for at least 10 years and have an average age of 44. His team is currently working on the communication campaign that will debut on television within three months, as well as planning the future communication campaign designed for the main social networks.

Every Friday, Camilla organizes meetings with her collaborators to review the development of the various projects and provide feedback. This is followed by a team lunch in the pub next to the office. These moments are not only occasions to guide the new members towards the common goals to achieve, but they are also moments to introduce and engage them within the team. Camilla takes great care in these retrospective meetings to openly discuss errors made and share possible remedies to avoid future mistakes. She did this deliberately, given their lack of expertise, to allow them to learn from their mistakes in an inclusive climate aimed at future improvements.

Based on the Blake and Mouton model, which leadership style could Camilla adopt in this circumstance?

1. a) Camilla has an Impoverished Management Style.
2. b) Camilla has an Authority-Compliance Management Style.
3. c) Camilla has a Middle-of-the-Road Management Style.
4. d) Camilla has Country Club Management Style.

Justification:

The correct answer is Middle-of-the-Road Management Style (c). The team is composed of a mix of new people and other ones with high experience. Camilla decides to pay close attention to the climate she creates, which is informative but above all supportive, fostering a safe environment for new employees to learn from past mistakes and improve their performances but at the same she has concerns for production and performance (“every Friday, Camilla organizes meetings with her collaborators to review the development of the various projects and provide feedback”).

– Impoverished Management Style (A) is not correct. The deadline is not closed but she has to instruct and engage the new members.

– Authority-Compliance Management Style (B) is not correct. Only the oldest collaborators have a great experience and are fully committed. She has to engage the new members and create a good work environment.

– Country Club Management Style (D) is not correct. Of course, Camilla shows high concern for

people but she is also interested to the production.

Q3

Mr. Richardson, a highly skilled and effective manager at ABC Company, is known for his extensive leadership experience and exceptional track record. In a recent team retrospective, discussing the current project with a strategic and vital client, Marco, a junior colleague, thanked Mr. Richardson.

Marco expressed gratitude for Mr. Richardson’s recognition during a client meeting, stating that this acknowledgment made him feel valued and appreciated. Marco mentioned that he met the ambitious quantitative goals set by Mr. Richardson at the start of the project, such as the number of new clients approached or the induction meetings started by the DevOps team. Marco highlighted how he sincerely appreciated the clear objectives and guidance provided by Mr. Richardson, suggesting that this approach to project management should be considered a best practice for each project. Marco also valued the direct and honest feedback Mr.Richardson gave in front of the client and considered it an excellent act to feel empowered to push his performance further.

In analyzing Mr. Richardson’s behavior, we can consider the following options. Which is the correct one?

1. a) This is an example of “Idealized Influence” where Mr. Richardson serves as a role model for Marco
2. b) This is a “Contingent Reward” in a transactional leadership style, where Mr. Richardson provides a reward to Marco for achieving specific objectives
3. c) This is “Intellectual Stimulation” in a transactional leadership style; Mr. Richardson challenged Marco to break existing norms, encouraging his creativity
4. d) This is “Passive Management by Exception” in a transactional leadership style. Mr. Richardson stepped in to highlight a standard that has been met

Justification:

According to the situation provided, the style acted by Mr. Richardson is Transactional Leadership. In this style of Leadership, leaders stimulate their employees to get the best out of themselves, strictly focusing on the task that must be completed through Rewards and Sanctions.

In this case, the correct answer is “contingent reward” (B), because from the text “Marco highlighted how he sincerely appreciated the clear objectives and guidance provided by Mr. Richardson,…” we can understand that his leader set specific goals objectively measurable. We can also deduct that the reward Marco obtain is related to the feedback (which has an effect on his reputation) in front of the client.

The other options are not valid since Idealized Influence and Intellectual Stimulation are characteristic of Transformational Leadership. While regarding answer D is not possible since the manager interact with his followers in case of deviations from expectations and a corrective measure is needed.

Q4

David is the new leader appointed by the AD of Zalando to take the lead in a task force project strategic for the company consisting in launching Zalando in the metaverse. Unfortunately, the former Project Manager left one week ago. Once the new manager, David, stepped into the task force project, he sensed a certain hesitance among the team members who had grown accustomed to their previous manager. The team has already lost its commitment to the project by randomly performing tasks without reflecting on their impact.

Determined to integrate smoothly, David approached them with empathy and understanding. Before every activity, David gathered the team, emphasizing the impact each task would have on the overall project. Given the relevance of the project all the members were curious to work on it and keen on doing their best, even though they were not experts of the metaverse. Thus, he leveraged their excitement encouraging collaboration by suggesting specific team members to work together, enhancing their strengths, and fostering a sense of unity. As the project progressed, David took the opportunity to reflect with the team, acknowledging the difficulties they had encountered thus far. He created a safe space for open discussions, allowing everyone to express their concerns and propose solutions collectively. This moment of sharing enabled everyone to become more conscious about their skills and capabilities, but still requiring the validation of an expert to conclude their task.

Which leadership style is most connected to David behaviors?

1. a) He is a situational leader, performing all the stages of the Hersey and Blanchard model
2. b) He is a transactional leader, indicating to the task force what they have to do
3. c) He operates as a transformational leader, being an inspirational motivator
4. d) He is a situational leader, firstly behaving in a selling mode and subsequently participating

Justification:

David operates as a situational leader since he timely adapts his leadership style according to the readiness of the followers to get support from the team. He firstly behaves by selling what the team has to do with a meeting and “emphasizing the impact each task would have on the overall project”, as the team was curious to follow the project but unsure about how to perform. Subsequently, leading by participating, focuses more on discussing and reflecting rather than guiding. As the time passes the team becomes more confident in their skills but still unsecure to take decision on their own.

The answer A is wrong since we do not have information about the other stages, like no further details if he will delegate the team to operate.

Answer B is wrong since he changes his behaviors along the project, and C is wrong since he supports the team, but he is not positioning as an inspirational leader being a role model for his team.

Q5

Back in 1984, Nike was an uncool underdog in the running shoes and apparel industry that lacked the athletic prestige or cool factor of companies like Converse, aiming to conquer the basketball market. This goal was well known by Sonny Vaccaro, a sports marketing executive selected by Nike CEO to twist the company’s destiny. He was sure about his capabilities to scout the new Nike star, but previous failures did not support his risky vision. One night he found the perfect player, betting everything on one NBA rookie: Michael Jordan.

Vaccaro explained to the CEO that to conquer him, they should put all their resources towards signing with Jordan, banking on him becoming an NBA star. His vision was to design a unique shoe tailored for the player with superior performance. The product would become the symbol not only of Jordan but a legacy of the creator and the Nike brand, a solo-player brand (Air Jordan) belonging to the next top player in the Basketball history. Sonny Vaccaro pitched his vision to the head of the design department to inspire him to create the perfect shoe. Sonny Vaccaro was so sure about the success that, enlightened by this plan, started to work night-shift to design the perfect shoe. The head of design comprehends that by signing that deal, the creation of the brand Air Jordan will be not only a spin-off product but a legacy for them all.

He is a transformational leader, and this is a clear example of, which of the following best describes this leadership style?

1. a) He is a transformational leader that acts as a role model even intellectually stimulating others
2. b) He is a transformational leader because he sets defined goals that, when achieved, create economic success for the company and its employees.
3. c) He is a transformational leader who gives specific tasks to be accomplished, explains his expectations, and guides people through the process.
4. d) He is a transformational leader who gives people the freedom to work the way they want, to create an outstanding product.

Justification:

Vaccaro behaves as a transformational leader; he truly believes in his vision and inspires others to commit to the same path. He intellectually stimulates sharing his vision let the other imagine the final goal to be reached. He could not lead by example since it is the first time for the company inspires the others leveraging the emotional sphere.

The b) answer is wrong, setting specific goals is typical of the transactional leader.

1. C) False, this refers to the management by exception which is typical of transformational leader
2. D) False, this represents the typical laissez-faire typical of transformational leader.

Innovation:

Q1:

With explosive interest in ChatGPT and other programs that use Large Language Model technology, many AI evangelists are touting their use as a common problem-solving tool, which can be also used for diagnoses in healthcare. However, S. Elizabeths Hospital (Massachusetts) is experimenting with an app for doctors that uses ChatGPT, but not for diagnosis – hence, differing from the expected application of the technology.

The hospital’s app leverages ChatGPT to empathically explain specific medical scenarios to patients and their loved ones. It has become an invaluable resource for the frequent situations where the ER ward is too busy or short-staffed for explaining complex medical diagnoses in a way that is accurate but easy to Understand. The Hospital App uses ChatGPT to find words to be more empathetic, thus empathically communicate complex scenarios and calm patients and their relatives.

1. The Hospital’s App is an example of market-pull innovation, because of the empathy of the service.
2. The Hospital’s App describes a technology-push innovation
3. The Hospital’s App is an invention
4. The Hospital’s App is a technology epiphany.

Justification:

Technology epiphanies occur when a new meaning is unveiled in an existing technology. The existing

technology (language model technologies) is currently seen as a tool for solving cognitive problems.

But the app is changing its meaning and use : from “a tool for problem solving” to “a tool for

empathic communication”.

A – wrong. Even if we can imagine that the market is in need for empathic communication, there is no

clue of this requirement to be expressed by the market and drive the innovation.

B – wrong. The text does not mention that the innovation stems from the willingness to “push” a new

technology in the market

C – wrong. The App is the result of recombination. It lacks the uniqueness and pure novelty required

by inventions.

Q2

Plastic bottles typically have a cylindrical shape, characterized by a straight, upright body with a circular cross-section. However, there can be variations in the shape depending on the specific design and purpose of the bottle.

The main part of the bottle is the body, which is typically straight or slightly tapered. This shape provides stability and allows the bottle to stand upright on flat surfaces. The body may have straight vertical sides or slightly curved contours for ergonomic or aesthetic reasons.

Some beverage companies have introduced hourglass-shaped bottles for aesthetic appeal and branding purposes. The distinctive shape aims to stand out on store shelves and create a visually appealing product that attracts consumers’ attention.

According to the description provided above, hourglass-shaped bottles represent…

1. A new dominant design
2. A radical innovation based on an existing dominant design
3. A new archetype of the product in both the user’s and designers minds
4. None of the above

Justification:

A dominant design is the winning architecture able to summarize innovations introduced by

previous products. It represents the archetype of the product in both the designer and the user

imagination.

1. False: The dominant design of plastic bottles is the typical cylindrical shape
2. False: It is not a radical innovation; it is an incremental innovation, that doesn’t improve the

design – only adapts it for aesthetic and branding purposes

1. False: Definition of dominant design, so this is false like (A)
2. True: It is an incremental change in the design

Q3

While machine learning models can handle facial expressions and body movements, detecting hand and finger movements remains a challenge. The American Society for Deaf Children understood that the rise of AI capabilities could play a role in filling their need for tools that break down barriers between deaf and hearing people. So, they created GiveAHand.ai, a platform open to the market, where users upload images or videos, that aims to collect a diverse dataset of hands (in image and video form), including different shapes, colors, backgrounds, and gestures. This repository is open to all researchers who want to use these hand images training AI algorithms for good.

The American Society for Deaf Children previously created Fingerspelling.xyz, an app for learning sign language. It provides a hand-tracking experience using machine learning to help learn the sign language alphabet, with real-time feedback via webcam for each sign and word you spell correctly. Currently, more than 5.1 million correct hand signs have been registered on Fingerspelling.xyz, and the American Society for Deaf Children now uses it as part of their own training materials, radically improved with the dataset collected by GiveAHand.ai

What kind of platform is represented here?

1. The American Society for Deaf Children has created a transactional platform where the customer side is the deaf children and the supply side is the GiveAHand.ai
2. The American Society for Deaf Children is an orthogonal platform client-as-a-source where GiveAHand.ai was developed to improve the quality of the service of Fingerspelling.xyz
3. The American Society for Deaf Children is an orthogonal platform with client-as-a-target structure, where Fingerspelling.xyz is the target for GiveAHand.ai and the platform creates value through this connection
4. There is no platform dynamic created here, GiveAHand.ai and Fingerspelling.xyz are two separate services united by helping deaf people.

Justification:

We are looking at an orthogonal platform subjected to unidirectional cross side network externalities,

where the higher is the number of photos collected by GiveAHand.ai the higher is the value for

Fingerspelling.xyz but not the vice versa. Also GiveAHand.ai was developed only to increase the value

for Fingerspelling.xyz, and we have 2 sides connected to the platform, represented by the American

Society for Deaf Children.

1. a) Transactional platforms imply bidirectional cross-side network externalities and here we

don’t find them. There is no transaction between Deaf children and GiveAHand.ai

1. b) Yes, because GiveAHand.ai was created to generate value for the first side of the platform

and ultimately respond to a market need

1. c) No as we are in the opposite case (see answer b)
2. d) No as platform dynamics are present, because GiveAHand.ai and Fingerspelling.xyz are two

sides of the platform.

Q4

LIVSN is a growing company based in North America that produces high quality apparels based on organic materials and functional shapes. They are firmly committed to reducing the impact of the apparel industry on the planet and recognize that there is a group of consumers waiting for this transition. This approach led the funder to strongly believe that this sustainable change begins with a joint effort between the company and its customers. LIVSN’s R&D department is at the forefront of the textile industry, applying various techniques to obtain the strongest, lightest and most durable fabrics, adaptable to any climatic condition. They work to make the customer responsible by buying less and choosing durable and timeless products.

They innovate the development of new products by actively studying customer behavior and learning their needs by establishing a fruitful conversation with “green” customers, following their motto: “The best way to make quality products is to listen to our customers”, continuously collaborating also in testing fabric functionalities to collect valuable feedback.

LIVSN designs only those pieces that can meet customer needs, producing better and less. To achieve a sustainable transition, they also encourage customers to repair the final product instead of buying a new one, stating: “Replace throwaway items with well-designed pieces to eliminate clutter and make room to live. Keep what matters.”

Reflecting on the innovation process of LIVSN:

1. It is a market pull approach since LIVSN wants to propose a sustainable transformation in the apparel industry by encouraging new customer behaviors abandoning the buy-use-dispose paradigm
2. It is an innovation of meaning approach since LIVSN wants to propose a sustainable transformation in the apparel industry by collaborating with customers to transform their purchasing style
3. It is a market pull approach since LIVSN is eager to understand the customers’ needs by continuously dialoguing and testing with them to incorporate insights into new designs.
4. It is a market pull approach, since LIVSN believes in the need for a sustainable transition and tries to change the meaning of clothing to a “durable and timely” product

Justification

The market pull innovation is a process that starts from studying customer behavior and critically

reflecting on the insights to define new products that fit market needs.

1. a) False: It is market pull, but for a different reason. The capability to change customer

behaviors is a goal to be achieved and not part of the innovation process. A market pull

approach is based on the analysis of the customer behaviors

1. b) False: The innovation of meaning starts from the inside-out but does not start with a

collaboration with the final customer

1. c) True: LIVSN first studies the user’s needs (eg with interviews, ethnographic research), they

constantly collaborate with user at the beginning and in the testing phases to propose a

product that fits market requests.

1. d) False: durability and timelessness cannot be considered a new meaning; it is not a new

reason why customers would buy the product, since the meaning of clothing would remain

having clothing to cover yourself

Q5

The European Union’s (EU) Copernicus Program is a strategic initiative that uses satellite data to provide accurate and timely information for environmental monitoring, climate change, and disaster management. It funds several cutting-edge projects based on data collected for the well-being of the Earth and its citizens. Copernicus aims to improve decision-making processes, support sustainable development, and enhance the understanding of Earth’s dynamics. The EU invests in the development and deployment of advanced satellites and ground infrastructure to ensure the continuity and expansion of Copernicus services. The EU believes that satellite technology will play an important role in the future. One of the main applications of satellite technology envisioned by the EU is smart farming technology. Smart farming satellite technologies can respond to the need to take climate action by providing insights on the amounts of fertilizer, irrigation, and pesticides to be applied on different fields.

The development of the smart farming satellite technology is an example of:

1. Technology push: the EU pushes the development of smart farming satellite technologies through the Copernicus program without basing this on a market need.
2. Market pull: there is a demand for more sustainable technologies to respond to the climate crisis.
3. Incremental innovation: the smart farming satellite technologies build upon a dominant design of satellite technologies.
4. Innovation of meaning: a new meaning is given to satellite technology, namely “enabling more sustainable food systems”

Justification:

1. a) correct: EU is developing new innovations based on a leading edge technology and data, pushing to explore new solutions to innovate in a specific field, without any request from the market

1. b) Wrong: No evidence of a market needs analysis
2. c) Wrong: No evidence that a dominant design has been reached, the satellite technologies are stillunder development.

1. d) Wrong: it doesn’t change the meaning (which is already envisioned before)

Leadership

Q1

You are a high school principal who prides yourself on maintaining a disciplined school environment.

One of your long-standing rules is that students must be in class when the bell rings. One afternoon, you see Jack, a student known for causing trouble, sprinting down the hallway after the bell has rung. Your gut clenches in irritation; it takes every fiber of your being not to shout at him on the spot.

Just as you’re mentally framing the stern lecture you plan to give him — words tinged with disappointment and perhaps a touch of anger — a science teacher rushes up to you. She explains that Jack was actually helping her clean up a hazardous chemical spill in the lab. He willingly put himself at risk and managed the situation efficiently, allowing the emergency team to take over when they arrived. As you absorb this information, the stern lecture dissipates from your mind. Your clenched jaw relaxes and you feel a rush of relief and newfound respect for Jack. At the next assembly, not only do you commend Jack for his actions, but you also announce that the school’s disciplinary policies will undergo a review for more flexibility in exceptional circumstances.

What is this change in attitude given by and why:

1. It is a reinterpretation of the rules: your original irritation evaporates because you no longer find the tardiness rule important.
2. It is a paradigm shift. The revelation about Jack’s actions triggers a re-evaluation of your understanding of discipline and responsibility within the school environment.
3. It is a change in policy. Your feelings change because you know you will adjust the rules to account for emergencies.
4. It is an exceptional case. Your emotions shift only because you recognize the situation as a one-time, unique event without broader implications.

Justification:

Correct Answer: B.

In this refined scenario, you start with a rigid disciplinary mindset, interpreting Jack’s lateness as yet

another act of disrespect that fuels your irritation and near-anger. This emotional response is deeply

rooted in your existing paradigm, where discipline and punctuality are non-negotiable cornerstones of

a functional school environment.

However, the new information you receive doesn’t just alter your intellectual understanding; it has a

powerful emotional impact. The surge of irritation that had built up within you melts away, replaced

by relief and a sense of newfound respect for Jack. This emotional turnaround reflects a deeper shift

in your mindset—a paradigm shift.

This goes beyond merely adjusting a rule (C) or making an exception for an exceptional case (D). It’s

also not just about reinterpreting a single rule (A); it’s about a fundamental change in how you

emotionally and intellectually understand what discipline and responsibility mean in your school. Your

immediate emotional relief and subsequent actions—commending Jack and revising policies—

highlight the transformation of your underlying paradigm.

Q2

Ibrahim is the CEO of Spartacut, a company that produces syringes. The company is composed of 523 employees, and it works mainly within the Asian market. In order to motivate and encourage his collaborators to achieve the organizational goals settled by the board for the year, Ibrahim has defined some monetary benefits. Ibrahim used to have only three meetings with his business unit’s directors over the year. In the last meeting, he discussed with Carol, the Head of Marketing, pointed out to her that the digital campaign just launched presented a mistake connected to the colors used for the picture shared on various social networks. The main message should be written using both white and blue and not only blue (as the logo of the company). In that situation, Ibrahim instructed to make the necessary changes quickly, warning her to pay more attention the next time, adding “Now you should change the combination of the colors of the next television campaign as well. We must standardize them. We cannot afford to make confusion about our visual identity to our clients. I hope it doesn’t happen again or I will have to take further action”.

The context described in the text above is a good example of which of the following leadership approaches?

1. Active Management by Exception
2. Delegating
3. Passive Management by Exception
4. Laissez-faire

Justification:
The correct answer is Passive management by exception (C). In passive management by exception, leaders do not react to problems systematically. Leaders set the standard and wait for errors or problems to occur and then interfere reluctantly. Leaders let the employees do the job and intervene only when employees make mistakes on their job.
– Active management by exception (A) is not correct. Ibrahim does not monitor actively their jobs. He does not look for errors and deviations and corrects the errors, but he intervenes only when a mistake has been made. Active management by exception involves leaders who take initiative too, he does not provide specific instructions.
– Delegating (B) is not correct. Ibrahim does not delegate their collaborators of all the responsibilities. He uses to have weekly meetings just to remain informed about the progress of the work activities. He intervenes only when a problem occurs.
– Laissez-faire (D) is not correct. Laissez-faire leaders play a passive role, and they have no initiative to interact with group members. The leaders avoid giving direction or making decisions and do not involve themselves in subordinates’ development. Laissez-faire leaders ignore problems and followers, and they do not contribute to the growth of the follower. Feedback, rewards, and leader involvement are totally absent in this type of leadership.

Q3

Maksym recently joined MANGO – an amazing company active in the field of information technologies for healthcare industry. Maksym is astounded from the continuous changes around him. There seems never to be a routine, with new colleagues joining every week, others leaving, and immense career opportunities. Their product – an AI-driven app for image recognition – is under constant evolution due to the pace of technology renovation. Recent advances in generative AI models have stirred up the industry, opening for incredible opportunities. Maksym’s colleagues are amazing, too: everyone is autonomous in their work, developing apps on top of their proprietary technology that contribute to the company vision of “an AI-enhanced world of creativity”.

Despite these great opportunities, the middle management sees great problems due to the highly regulated industry the company operates in. Strict regulations force the top management to set too narrow plans, limiting opportunities for decentralized development and look for strong control. Despite the existing challenges, it is evident that the middle management at MANGO is dedicated to creating a supportive and collaborative environment. They understand the importance of providing the teams with the necessary resources and freedom to innovate, ensuring that the company continues to thrive amidst the ever-changing landscape of information technologies.

How would you describe the leadership approach inside the organization MANGO?

1. Adaptive leadership
2. Enabling leadership
3. Administrative leadership
4. All of the others

Justification

All of the others:

We are in a case of complexity leadership, where the system is both fast changing and highly

regulated.

Teams make use of adaptive leadership, adapting one to the other and autonomously building on

each other’s apps.

Middle-management uses enabling leadership, to enable adaptivity at the lower levels.

Top management uses administrative leadership, as it provides structured tasks and narrow plans.

Q4

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. He is remembered for his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He aimed at reconnecting with American citizens appealing to a sense of understanding through the use of symbolism and metaphors, that went well beyond the actual words and that were aimed at inspiring and motivating people. Memorable examples of this include his famous comments such as “It’s morning in America”, and the metaphor for his foreign policy strategy and goal of achieving “peace through strengths”.

What is the leadership approach that can best explain the Ronald Reagan leadership approach based on the above information?

1. Traits leadership;
2. Shared leadership;
3. Transactional leadership;
4. Transformational leadership

Justification:

The correct answer is D.

The initial quote is about pushing followers’ performance towards extra-ordinary performance

(intellectual stimulation) and the case refers to inspirational motivation with the use of metaphors in

order to inspire and motivate American people.

1. is wrong as the quote does not focus on traits, but on behaviors;
2. is wrong as it much focuses on the single leader’s behaviors and perspective;
3. is wrong as the quote does not refer to meeting standard performances

Q5

Andrea is presenting his start-up at during a pitch event organized by PoliHub. His start-up focuses on blockchain validation of sustainable supply chains. Once Andrea’s presentation is over, Maia, a VC in the jury says the following: “Andrea, I am incredibly impressed by the potential impact of your start-up. With my 20 years of experience in the field and a deep passion for sustainability, I find your concept truly compelling. I do fully recognize the unique perspectives and innovative ideas that entrepreneurs like you bring to the table. I genuinely want to support you on your journey. Beyond this pitch event, I am making myself available to you for coaching, mentorship, and guidance. I am eager to share my experience and offer any assistance you may need as you navigate the challenges of building a successful and sustainable business. Together, let’s work towards driving positive change, leveraging both my network and knowledge, and ensuring your start-up thrives. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for any support you may require.”

What kind of leadership behavior is Maia manifesting?

1. Coaching behaviour
2. Shared leadership
3. Servant leadership
4. Participating leadership

Justification:

Maia is exerting Servant leadership (C true). She is empowering (“Offer assistance as you navigate the challenges”), humble (“20 years of experience” yet truly impressed and listening), authentic (“wants to provide genuine support”), showing acceptance (“do recognize the unique perspectives and innovative ideas of others”), providing direction (“leveraging my network and knowledge”), providing

stewardship (“ensuring your start-up thrives”).

1. False: she is not yet coaching, only demonstrating availability to coach
2. False: she wants to contribute to the vision, but the project is still of Andrea… so it didn’t emerge

from them two

1. False: she is not helping him in understanding how to take decision, besides we do not have

information about Andrea’s readiness

Leadership

Q1:

Transformational leadershipMourinho is one of the most famous and successful soccer coaches of these years. Over the years, he has distinguished himself for being a highly demanding coach, able to push his players beyond their limits and leading his teams to unpredictably high performances.  In each experience he tries to deeply connect with each player, dedicating specific sessions to each of them and putting the consideration for individuals’ needs on top of the list. He doesn’t set objectives for the season, and after each victory,he pushes his players to improve. Due to his extreme approach, he attracted a lot of critics and enemies around him over time, which makes him perceivethe necessity to quickly achieve results and demonstrate his value to supporters and the management.The context described in the text is a case of:

1. Transactional leadership
2. Transformational leadership
3. Shared leadership
4. Attribution effect

The described case is a transformational leader. There are many indicators to support this: •push his players beyond their limits [clear definition of transformational]•deeply connect with each player, dedicating specific sessions to each of them [individualizedconsideration]•after each victory, he pushes his players to improve [intellectual stimulation]However, there is no clue about inspirational motivation and idealized influence. We cannot say thisis missing, butconsidering the text only we can highlight that his transformational leadership role is not fully developed.

Q2:

Managerial grid Paul and George are competing for the same position as the production manager ofthe FarmTechcompany. The position requires the ability to perform a variety of duties such as: ensuring plant productivity, managing production scheduling, managing maintenance, and coordinating a 20-person work team. At the final interview with the HR manager, crucial to obtain the position, the two bring up their respective perspectives on the leadership style to be adopted:Paul says, “For me, meeting goals and performance is everything. The key thing is to have a solid, well-organized structure that works synergistically. People are a toolof that structure.”George, on the other hand, says, “At the heart of achieving any goal there is a team working together. Fostering a collaborative environment and supportive climate is just as critical as achieving production goals.”Leveraging on the Blake and Mouton model, how can Paul’sand George’sstyles be classified?

1. Paul has an Authority-Compliance Management Style, while George has anImpoverishedManagement Style
2. Paul has an Authority-Compliance Management Style, while George has a Middle-of-the-Road Management Style
3. Paul has a Team Management Style, while George has a Country-ClubManagement Style
4. Paul has Middle-of-the-Road Management Style, while George has Team Management Style

Paul has a style of Authority-Compliance Management: High concern for production: “For me, meeting goals and performance is everything” and low concern for people:-“People are a toolof that structure”On the other hand, George has a Middle-of-the-Road managerial style:concern for people and concern for production balanced:“Fostering a collaborative environment and supportive climate is just as critical as achieving production goals “

Q3:

Carlotta  is  an  intern  of  a  PHARMA  located  in  Padua;  Ambra is her supervisoron  a  very ambitious project. Carlotta, despite her young age, has great potentialand is learning fast how to do what she is askedto. Obviously there is stilla lot to learn but, so far, her progression is remarkable. Still, the problem is that her motivation is decreasing rapidly, as she doesn’t see a real growth inperpetuating always the tasks and the micro-instructions provided by Ambra. At the same time, Ambra -being at her first experience of leadership since Carlotta is her first intern-is  a  bit  disappointed  and  is  starting  to  believe  she  cannot  guide  her  at  her  best. The  situation between  them  is  becoming  more  and  more tense despite  all  the  effort  Ambra  is  putting  into  this relationship.  She  is  giving  her  best  to  follow  Carlotta  in  every  step  providing  clear  instructions, controlling the execution and providing very precise feedbacks about the quality of the execution. You  are  a  third  colleaguewho  has  been Ambra’s  mentor  in  a  previous  situation.Which of  the following leadership styles would you suggest Ambrato apply?

1. You suggest Ambra to adopt a Selling style
2. You suggest Ambra to adopt a Delegating style
3. You suggest Ambra to adopt a Participatingstyle
4. You suggest her to keep the Telling style

Ambra is using a telling style: •“She is giving her best to follow Carlotta in every step providing clear instructions, controllingthe execution and providing very precise feedbacks about the quality of the execution”probably she should move to a selling one instead because:•Carlotta is gaining more competence “Obviously there is still a lot to learn but, so far, herprogression is remarkable”•Carlotta is losing motivationbeing micro-managed: “her motivation is decreasing rapidly, asshe doesn’t see a real growth is perpetuating always the tasks and the micros instructionsprovided by Ambra”

Q4:

Whole Brain Lars is very appreciated by his colleagues. For this reason, the manager guaranteed him a fast-track route to a position in the Leadership Team next year. Talking about Lars one colleague said: “Lars loves facts and numbers but at the same time, he has a strong sense of intuition for strategy. In meetings, he wants to get straight to the point but at the same time, he always thinks out of the box.” Following this brief description, which of the following statements best representsLars according to the Whole Brain Model?

1. According to the Whole Brain model, Lars can be defined as Blue and Yellow because he always loves facts but has a great intuition
2. We do not have enough details to understand how to apply the Whole Brain Model to Lars because no specific behavior is contextualized
3. Lars is most probably a slow person in taking decisions
4. Lars mainly uses the right part of his brain

THE WB Model acknowledges that different tasks require different mental processes, and different people  prefer different  kinds  of  thinking.  Applying  the  WB  Model  means  understanding  which contextualized behaviors are represented by different colours. In this case,we do not have enough information about Lars

Q5:

Feedback“Hi Sarah! Thank you for taking over during the meeting today, without your help we would never get a final decision for the project! Still, I think you have been too harsh with Bill,you knowhe just went through a divorce and he is emotionally sensitive.However, your presentation style is always amazing, everyone in the company should learn from you!”How would you comment this feedback?

1. The feedback is effective as it follows all the steps of constructivefeedback
2. The feedback is not effective as it misses 1 key element of the constructivefeedback process
3. The feedback is not effective as it misses 2 or more key elements of the constructive feedback process
4. The feedback includes all the key elements of the corrective feedback process, however it is not perfectly structured

1.Doesn’t describe a specific behavior: Harshis an adjective, not a behavior. What did she doto be harsh? Didshe insult him, stopped him talking, eyerolled, make fun of him???2.Doesn’t describe the effect of the behaviour: “he just went through a divorce and he isemotionally sensitive” this is about Bill’s condition and it is not related with Sarah’s behavior. 3.Doesn’t propose apositive alternative behavior: “I would recommend you to not be soharsh” again this is not a behavior4.Doesn’t show the effects of this positive alternative behavior: missing5.Has a sandwich style, not good because of the risk of the feedback giver to indulge too muchin the emotional easier parts (opening and closing) without focusingon the real feedback (here it is not well done indeed).

Innovation

Q1

Walmart Inc., the world’s largest retail company, has set up an extensive innovation initiative to encounter the shift of the traditional retail landscape to digital–digital retail channels and online shopping becoming increasingly popular among customers. As part of its innovation strategy, Walmart has defined the improvement of the customer experience as a major goal and the seamless engagement of the customer across offline and online channels should be strengthened. To make the in-store experience more convenient, Walmart stores are equipped with “In-store Walmart.com Kiosks”. Customers can use the kiosks to purchase online if a product is sold out in the store. Furthermore, Walmart provides “InHome Delivery” in several cities, providing customers the opportunity to get their orders delivered. Recently, the customer experience team came up with a new idea, the “WeCare”,service that consists ofoffering counseling about healthy eating, diet, and nutrition combined with shopping assistance at the point of sale. Corporate head, Doug McMillion, liked the “WeCare” service concept and decided to push it further to the discussion and approval of Walmart’s boarddecision committee.

1. “InHome Delivery” and“WeCare” are inventions.
2. “In-store Walmart Kiosks” is an innovation; while “WeCare” is not an innovation because not fully developed yet
3. “In-store Walmart Kiosks” and “InHomeDelivery” are inventions; “WeCare” is not an invention because not fully developed yet
4. “In-store Walmart Kiosks” is an innovation; “WeCare” is an invention.

Justify your answer“In-store Walmart Kiosks” is an innovation because it comprises value appropriation. “WeCare” is just a concept for an innovation. It is not developed and brought ot the market yet. Still, it is not an invention as it is not the discovery of something new.A –(InHome Delivery” is a process innovation; “WeCare” is an invention) Wrong: InHome delivery is already on the market. WeCare is not something new.C –(“In-store Walmart Kiosks” and “InHomeDelivery” are inventions; “WeCare” is an innovation) Wrong: “In-store Walmart Kiosks” and “InHomeDelivery” are innovations because idea generation and conversion into business opportunity are both realized, which is not yet fully realized for “WeCare”D–(“In-store Walmart Kiosks” is an innovation; “WeCare” isan invention) Wrong: “In-store Walmart Kiosks” is an innovation because the idea is converted in a business opportunity, “WeCare” is not an invention because it’s not the discovery of something new

Q2

“Legumotti Barilla” results from the partnership between Barilla, leading brand of the food industry, and Esselunga, the Italian retail store chain. The product consists of different typologies of legumes ready to be cooked in just nine minutes and suitable to be served in various recipes for hot and cold dishes. The challenge was to combine the complementary competencies of the two leading brands to address a growing trend that requires healthy, tasty, easy and quick to prepare food products suitable for the whole family. The aim of following this trend allowed the companies to create a product that providesa new eating experience offering wellbeing and immediacy.During its development, several groups of stakeholders were involved. First, multiple experts (such as nutritionists, food bloggers, doctors) have been engaged in some teasing events to discuss wellness and nutritionto gather an initial understanding of the topic. Then, after the products were developed, user groups, including some with food allergies or others following a vegan-based diet, were givendifferent product samples to collect their impressions and comments.  After a year of research, a product perfectly consistent with the initial objectives posed by the companies was launched.

1. Legumotti Barilla is a type of innovation of meaning; several stakeholders indeed were involved during the teasing events to inquire about the meaning of wellness and nutrition.
2. Legumotti Barilla is a type of innovation of meaning; users were actively involved during the collaborative sessions to provide feedback about the new meaning of improving people’s eating habits.
3. Legumotti Barilla is a type of market-pull innovation; lead users were actively involved during the collaborative sessions so to allow the company to foreshadow the general demand in the marketplace.
4. Legumotti Barilla is a type of market-pull innovation; users were actively involved as beta testers during the collaborative sessions to provide early feedback.

Justify your answer:

A, First option is wrong as the users were testing product performances and not criticizing the new meaning;B. Second option is wrong as the users were involved in beta testing and not providing insights about the new meaning;C. Third option is wrong as users were not lead users because they didn’t havethe capability to innovate;D. Fourth option is correct as the collaborative sessions were meant to work as concepttesting and then beta testing whereproduct samples werepresented to possible users.

Q3

“L’alveare [beehive]  che dice si” is a platform which connects farmers with consumers. A local “Alveare”, typically a bar, an association or a sport or social centre, connects with local farmers and food producers within a 60km radius through a platform. Consumers can order food from the farmers connected to the platform such as local cheeses and fresh fruits and vegetables. The farmers deliver the food to the local “Alveare” on a weekly basis where it is ready to be picked up by the consumers. Of the income, 80% goes to the farmers whereas the other 20% is divided between the local Alveare and the platform. The platform “L’aveare che dice si” is an example of:

1. A transactional two-sided platform.
2. An internal platform because it offers the local Alveare the possibility to adjust their offer based on the availability (seasonality) of local food.
3. An orthogonal platform with the client as a target.
4. A transactional multi-sided platform

Justify your answer

Conditions for being a two-sided platform are two (or more) user groups (here: Producers, the “alveare” locations and consumers), cross-side network externalities (among users who wish more  products,  different  producers  who  are  incentivized  to  join,  and  more  locations  who contribute with storage and distribution) and an intermediary (the alveare platform connecting the  three  groups).  It  is  transactional,  because  users  pay  for  the  provision  of  a  good  by  the producer.A.Wrong because there are more than two actorsB.Wrong because the description clearly shows that there are multiple sidesC.Wrong because although there are two partners, there is a clear transaction side where clients pay for the productsRight because the platform brings together three groups (customers, alveares and farmers) to internalize indirect network externalities.

Q4.

The  market  for  sport  and  running  shoes  has  constantly  evolved  over  time.  Brands  have  applied different  technologies,  such  as  materials  to  increase  cushioning,  prevent  injuries,  increase performance, and make them more comfortable. However, traditional shoes are not the best solution when it comes to posture and skeletal wellness. Recent advancements in the medical sciences have shown that shoes that replicate the foot’s shape –“fivefingers®”: shoes that have separate “sleeves” for each toe –are healthier for our body. Few companies have started producing sport and running shoes  with  such  a  shape.  The reaction  by  the market  has  been  quite  negative:  even  if there  is a small network of deeply satisfied users with the new shoes, the majority of the market is not keen to change its way of dressing. The shoes with five sleeves for the toes are generally perceived as weird and difficult to wear in public.

1. The emergence of the “fivefingers®” shoes marks the switch between an old dominant design –the traditional shoes –and a new dominant design.
2. The “five fingers®”shoes are an example of dominant design thanks to their superior health performances.
3. The traditional shoes are not an example of dominant design because they are inferior at least in one performance –being healthy –.
4. The traditional shoes are a dominant design even if their performances are at least partially inferior in respect to the “fivefingers®”shoes.

Justify your answer

It is a typical case of dominant design since it freezes the socio-economical context, it serves the needs of the majority of the market, it is the archetype of the shoe product, it is the architecture winning on the market. It’s not A because the new shoes are not a dominant design at the moment. It’s not B for the same reason and because increased performances are not related with being a dominant design. It’s not C because being inferior in one performance is not related with not being a dominant design

Q5

Developed at MIT’s Senseable City Lab for the Copenhagen municipality, the Copenhagen Wheel is a self-contained rear-wheel electric bicycle system that transforms a traditional bicycle into a hybrid e-bike.  The product has been asked by the Copenhagen municipality to make the transition to the e-bikes easier for customers. It consists of a “red disc” weighing 5.9 kg that includes different components: from the 250 W motor (350 W for the US market) that allows traveling up to 25 km/h, to the energy recovery system when braking, from the pedaling assistance sensors to the lithium-ion batteries. Batteries designed to have a “life” of 1000 complete cycles, recharge in 4 hours, and allow autonomy of up to 50 km. The wheel accumulates energy while pedalingand returns it when needed (power is supplied according to specific instructions set on the App). Therefore, the Copenhagen Wheel allows citizens to capture the energy dissipated while cycling and breaking, and save it when needed.

The different components have been designed with the precise objective to amplify a rider’s pedal-power by up to ten times.Moreover, thanks to the sensing unit it also maps pollution levels, traffic congestion and road conditions in real-time. The data acquired by the various sensors in the Wheel arenot advertisedto the users. They are collected forresearch purposes by the MIT lab as the municipalityaims at getting data on thepedaling style of citizens.

1. TheCopenhagen Wheel is a type of technology epiphany; the presence of the sensors conveys a new meaning to use a bicycle since it allows the user to contribute to a healthier environment.
2. The Copenhagen Wheel is a type of technology push innovation; the entire electrical and electronic system was designed by the MIT lab to significantly innovate the physical attribute of the product.
3. The Copenhagen Wheel is a type of innovation of meaning; differently from the other e-bikes the user has a new reason to buy the product to enhance his pedaling style and riding habits.
4. The Copenhagen Wheel is a type of market-pull innovation; since the market is asking for hybrid and app -connected e-bikes

Justify your answer

a.First option is wrong as the Copenhagen wheel doesn’t change the meaning of the bicycle.b. The new technological components (motor, energy recovery system, sensors and batteries)were developed on purpose for the Copenhagen municipality to improve the technical performances of a traditional bicycle; c. Third option is wrong as a new reason why to use the product is not given to the user.d. Fourth option is wrong, as the innovation comes by the advancement in the technology andnot from the market needs.

Innovation

Q1.

In 2019, Nutella Biscuits were announced as the new product of Ferrero, the Italian company known worldwide for iconic products such as Nutella (the hazelnut cream) and Ferrero Rocher (the chocolate coated hazelnut within a sphere of cream and wafer). The hype for these new biscuits was initially high as the company claimed the originality of the cookie as opposed to other cream-filled cookies, such as Oreos or Baiocchi (two cookies with cream in the middle). Indeed, they argued that the design of the crunchy casing was completely new, as the cookie casing completely embeds the Nutella cream, thus unleashing it only after dipping the cookie in the milk.According to the information provided, Nutella Biscuits can be seen as:

1. A radical innovation, because it changed the meaning of cream-filled cookies
2. A radical innovation, because the new shape of the cookie casing introduced a new function
3. An invention, because Ferrero has created a new cream-filled cookie
4. None of the other

Justify your answer:

The answer is D, because Nutella Biscuitesare an incremental innovation of cream-filled cookies. The cookie casing is an improved version of the two cookies in Oreos or Baiocchi. It is not a radical innovation because they do not move away from the current meaning of cookies, nor do they add new functions

Q2

Audi has revealed the interior of its upcoming electric SUV, the Q4 E-Tron, with a focus ona new augmented reality heads-up display in front of the driver. The AR system offers several benefits: it places a red line over a lane marker to let the driver know when they are straying too far to one side, adds an animation that follows the car ahead when using adaptive cruisecontrol, and adds arrows on the road to improve navigation. Audi says this new AR system collects more than 1,000 “signals” from sensors throughout the car to figure out exactly where toplace these AR elements –and to keep them in place, even ifyou’re driving on an uneven surface –to avoid misrepresenting virtual images and distracting the driver.

1. The AR system in the Audi Q4 E-Tron is a type of technological epiphany as this is a new technology that can also revolutionize the meaning of driving itself
2. The AR system in the Audi Q4 E-Tron is a type of innovation of meaning because differently from other cars, the user has a new reason to buy the product to enhance their driving style.
3. The AR system in the Audi Q4 E-Tron is a type of technology-push innovation, since the whole innovation didn’t start from a market need but from an opportunity offered by a new technological development that is applied for the first time in the automotive industry.
4. The AR system in the Audi Q4 E-Tron is a type of market-pull innovation, since it addresses the requests of drivers for safer and more assisted driving

Justify your answer

It’s a technology-push innovation.since it is an innovation that comes from a new technological trend that is emerging. It’s not a such significant innovation to be a technology epiphany (e.g. autonomous driving)(option A wrong)The case focuses on the benefits of AR, rather than the meaning of driving with this technology.(Option B rwrong). Finally, it doen’t start from any market demand(Option D Wrong).

Q3.

Brazilian footwear brand Havaianasis launching a flip-flop island within the online video game Fortnite. A virtual selection of the brand’s products will be available to all 350 million players of the video game worldwide as part of the deal. Havaianas is the latest fashion name to join Fortnite amid a growing trend of fashion and beauty brands competing for a slice of the $162 billion gaming industry pie.

1. The flip-flop island of Havaianas is a good example of market-pull innovation, since the brand is using the gamers’ data to select what products to develop.
2. The flip-flop island of Havaianas is a good example of innovation of meaning since it is about a new way to communicate its brand.
3. The flip-flop island of Havaianas is a good example of platform innovation, since thanks to the partnership with Fortnite, Havaianas can leverage the data gathered.
4. None of the other

Justify your answer

A.First option is wrong. It’s not a market-pull innovation, as there is no direct demand from end users and/or response to user need. B.Second option is wrong. Innovation starts with a market trend and is not about changing the meaning of the product. Innovation of meaning innovates the reason why to buy a product instead of justinnovating the way it is communicated.C.Third option is wrong. The focus of this innovation is to engage people and raise brand awareness, not collect user data.

Q4.

An artwork is an artistic creation of aesthetic value which may be a physical or digital product. Unique artworks are often owned and exhibited by private collectors as a symbol of wealth and aesthetic taste. One of the main characteristics of art is uniqueness: any work of art should be the unique product of an artist’s labour.Recently, a new approach wasdeveloped to track the uniqueness of digital artwork. A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. While copies of these digital items are available for anyone to obtain, NFTs are tracked on blockchains to provide the owner with a proof of ownership. A digital artwork entitled “Everydays –The First 5000 Days” by artist Mike Winkelmann (also known as Beeple) was sold for US$69.3 million in 2021.According to the information about NFTs provided above, which of the following describes the innovation of NFTs?

1. Innovation of Meaning: NFTs provide the new meaning of uniqueness to art
2. Technology Epiphany: NFTs represent a radically new technology which enables the new meaning of “uniqueness” of digital art
3. Technology Push innovation: NFTs represent a new functionality built on the existing blockchain technology to enable proof of ownership
4. Market Pull: NFTs represent an incremental improvement to the uniqueness of digital art, developed by listening to the voice of the user

Justify your answer

Innovation  of  meaning  represents  a  new  “reason  why”  a  product  should  be  bought.  The meaning of art (digital and physical) was uniqueness, and this doesn’t change(Options A & B wrong). TheNFTs is  a  new  functionality  built  on  top  of  an  already existing  technology (blockchain). Therefore, NFTs represent a technological development. For this reason,we can classify it as a tech push innovation. Finally, as typically happens with tech push innovation, the market was not asking for it as was not even aware of this technical opportunity(Option D wrong)

Q5.

Twitch is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of E-sports competitions. On twitch, expert users act as content providers: they are connected to an audience of non-experts who wish to watch their “champions” play. Additionally, Twitch is often used for video game tutorials; the nature of Twitch allows mass numbers of learners to interact with each other and with the instructor in real time. Twitch is also used for software development learning, with communities of users streaming programming projects and talking about their work.Twitch makes money charging users with a subscription fee to the platform and selling merchandising. Additionally, users can choose to subscribe to a single channel of one “expert” content provider. In this case, the subscription fee is collected by the platform but goes to the expert who runs the channel.Considering the application of Twitch as described above, please highlight the correct answer:

1. Twitch represents a transactional two-sided platform
2. Twitch represents an orthogonal two-sided platform
3. Twitch represents an industry-wide platform in the gaming industry
4. Twitch represents a product platform

Justify your answer

Conditions  for  being  a  two-sided  platform  are  two  (or  more)  user  groups  (here:  expert  / instructor  and  the  inexperienced  user),  cross-side  network  externalities  (which  occur  among the  user  groups)  and  an  intermediary  (represented  by  twitch,  which  connects  the  sides  and collects revenues). It is transactional, as the revenues of individuals who subscribe to a specific channel go to the owner of the channel. Data plays no role on the platform (at least not in the exam text), so there is no orthogonality(option B wrong).Finally,there are not different companies building one on top of the layer of others (Option C wrong) nor a product with a common base and derivatives on top (Option D wrong)

Leadership

Q1.

Valentina is working as an intern for a landscape architecture studio based in Milan. She is carrying on a project focused on the design of a public space in Riyadh with other two members of the studio. Every week they must present the development of the project to their supervisor. The project must be finished and presented to the clients within three weeks. During the last review, her supervisor has criticized the advancement of the project saying her: “This is not good Valentina! I expect you to fully satisfy the customer who requested a change. You must change the urban furniture and the materials chosen for the main square. I want to remind you that the deadline is close. Please remeber that the next step of your brilliant carrer is directly connected to this customer satisfaction”.According to this situation which kind of Leadership approach is adopting her supervisor?

1. Active Management by exception
2. Telling leadership style
3. Passive Management by exception
4. Selling leadership style

Justify your answer

According to the situation provided, the approach adopted by Valentina’ supervisor is Transactional Leadership. Specifically the supervisor is showing an activemanagement by exception style. Leader who Manages ByException-Actively checks with the co-workers in order to verify if they are reaching the target and help them to correct their behaviours before they fail (“You must change the urban furniture and the materials chosen for the main square. I want to remind you that the deadline is close”).Transactional leaders are very clear in setting the expectations (“I expect you to fully satisfy the customer who requested a change”)Transactional leaders stimulate their employees to get the best out of themselves, strictly focusing on the task that has to be completed through rewards and sanctions(“Please remeber that the next step of your brilliant carrer is directly connected to this customer satisfaction”).

Q2.

Filippo is a young engineer who has been working for a small construction company for 2 years. After finishing and presenting his last project his supervisor gave him the following feedback: “Hi Filippo! First, I wanted to tell you that you and your group have done a great job. However, I noticed that you didn’t say anything during the 3 hours of meeting we had yesterday. I’m cofused by this behaviour, because I somehow perceive thatyou are not fully engaged in what you are doing. Maybe, next time, you could show a more clear position by speaking up if something doesn’t convince you or alternatively confirm everything is ok for you. In this way your colleagues and myself would know exactly what’s on your mind and there would be no more space for guessing”.Following the theory of well-structured feedback, which of the following statements is correct?

1. The feedback is well-structured
2. The feedback does not describe a specific behavior
3. The feedback is patronizing
4. None of the other

Justify your answer

The  correct  answer  is  A  (well-structured).  In  this  case  Filippo’s  supervisor  has  considered  a  specific situation without generalizing (“I noticed that you didn’t say anything during the 3 hours of meeting we had yesterday.”). Then the effect of such a behaviour is described using the I message (“I’m confused by this behaviour, because I somehow perceive that you are not fully engaged in what you are doing”)As a third step a positive alternative solution is provided (“Maybe, next time, you could show a more clear position by speaking up if something doesn’t convince you or alternatively confirm everything is ok for you”)And, finally, the effects of this alternative behaviour are presented (“In this way your colleagues and myselfwould know exactly what’s on your mind and there would be no more space for guessing”.)The initial sentence is just an opening and not a sandwich as Filippo supervisor close the feedback after the description  ofthe  positive  alternative behaviourwithoutadding  any  other  positive  and  useless comment just to relax the tension.

Q3.

John is an employee of an American consultancy firm and has currently been assigned to a project with a new client. The project is still in its early stages, and the team has been defining the role and responsibilities of John and other team members. The possible roles are:·      

• Analyst, for which coding and analytical skills are needed.·
• Promoter, for which communication and negotiation skills are required.·
• Vendor, for which analytical and negotiation skills are needed.

During the meeting, the team also discusses John’s possible role in the project. John believes he is perfect for the Analyst position because he is sure to have the right set of coding and analytical capabilities. In addition, John does not believe that he could be suitable for the Promoter role, if the Analyst position is not available, John would also be satisfied with the Vendors role, because it atleast requires the analytical capabilities. After a discussion among the other team members, the team decides to give to John the Promoter role. Indeed, although they recognize John’s analytical skills, all members agree about the fact that John’s most important capabilities are communication and negotiation skills. Coding, on the other hand, is considered by his colleagues as the main weaknesses among

John’s abilities.Considering Johari’s model, which of the following sentences is correct?

1. His negotiations skills could be assigned to his Blind Area, while his analytical skills to his Private area
2. His communication skills could be assigned to his Blind Area, while his negotiation skills to his Private Area
3. His lack of coding skill could be assigned to his Blind Area
4. His analytical skills could be assigned to his Blind Area, while his coding skills could be assigned to his Private area.

Justify your answer

Considering the text, we can understand that: John believes he has coding and analytical abilities, but not communication and negotiation skills(this is true also for negotiation skills even if hewouldchoose vendor as second best…”John would also be satisfied with the Vendors role, because it at least requiresthe analytical capabilities”)The team instead recognize in John analytical, communication and negotiating skills, but codingis not only not recognized as a strength but as a weakness.Drafting the JoharyModel, then, it has been possible to say that: the Public/Open Area is composed by analytical skills (recognized both by the team and John); the Blind Area is composed by communication and negotiation skills (recognized by the team but not by John), and by bad coding skills (recognized as a weakness by the group, but not by John).One could argue that John might have coding in the private area…this is exactly the problem with the blind-spot!If everyone tells you that your coding skills are poor…you should probably consider to open your blind–spotwindow rather the assuming you arethe only one right.

Q4.

You are in the middle of a project with a new and very important customer. The relationship is good but has not been simple until now. The customer has got his ideas regarding what should be done and how to do it. Unfortunately, in many occasions so far, his ideas proved to be lacking experience and knowledge in the field. As a result, you had to engage into several discussions to let him understand and accept your point of view. In many cases you had the feeling that the customer was not fully trusting you and thought that some decisions were just simpler for you rather than being more valuable for him. Now you are into a new discussion about the plan for deploy the new functionalities to their employees. The customer wants to slightly change some of the new functionalities to make them more easily recognizableand acceptable by the employees. The changes are not problematic or difficult (it is mostly a matter of look and feel) but will require some more work and time and are really not adding any more functional value to the existing solution. The customer, though, is very stubborn about this and refers to previous projects that almost failed in the past due to lack of attention to these details. He says that this is the typical detail that is important for their culture. The discussion is becoming a little bit more tense than you expected, the project release date is approaching quickly, and it is time to clearly take a position about the topic.Which of the following conflict handling modes would you select and why?

1. Compromising
2. Accomodating
3. Collaborating
4. Competing

Justify your answer

You recognize that the customer might have a point aboutthe change management phase of the project (he has the experience of previouscases, this is not a technicalissuewhere he could be weakbut a change management one…you should consider you might be wrong). Moreover the required changes are not a big deal for you while he cares a lot about them (the issue is much more important to the other person than to yourself). Thus, you decide to accommodate the request. In this way you’ll easily create some social creditto be used for more important issues later in the project or to cool down the tension and solve part of the potential lack of trustfor being awarded with new projects in the future. A wrong because The customer proved to be technically not savvy, but this is more a change management issue. He could be right. Moreover, the situation is more tense than you expected, and you know the customer now…You might be wrong in understanding the situation. Finally, you already have some trust issue with the customer.C wrong because The cost and timeis not high, you are neglecting the time pressure and the previous trust problems. D Wrong because The basic concept is ok but here the customer has got a point. Besides that, the relationship has not been easy and now it is particularly tense. Competing might be a wrong choice.

Q5

Pharma is a company in the pharmaceutical sector that has decided to implement a radical change in its plants by introducing new digital technologies that allow to monitor in real time the performance of all production lines. In order to achieve this change, a working group of 10 people from different functions and belonging to different hierarchical levels is created, including 3 operators, 5 managers and 2 top managers. Many of the team members know each other but have never worked together. One of the 5 managers, Marianna, is also the project manager, and she initially organized several meetings to clarify to everyone what the goals of the project are, i.e. to design technologicalinnovation that will reduce production costs and be user-friendly for everyone. Team members are aligned with respect to these goals, and have just begun conducting interviews with the people in the company who would be most impacted by the change. Duringthese interviews, however, the top managers on the team ask different questions than those agreed upon and try to force their proposed changes on the entire team. Marianna continually tries to keep everyone aligned and very often decides to handle the most sensitive interviews herself.Based on the text provided, in which phase of development is the team led by Marianna?

1. Forming

1. Storming

1. Norming

1. Performing

Justify your answer

The objective is defined,and the team members are part of the group (even if this group is still troubled). Hence the forming stage is over.On the contrary we see many characteristics of the storming phase:•Resistance to constraints on individuality (“the top managers on the team ask different questions than those agreed upon”)•Conflictsfor group control (“top managers try to force their proposed changes on the entire team”)•The leader must act personally because the group is not working fine (“Marianna continually tries to keep everyone aligned and very often decides to handle the most sensitive interviews herself.Finally,we can easily say that Marianna’s role is still not fully recognizedand the storming phase is not over

Innovation

Q1

A plasma display is an emissive flat panel display where light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass. During the early 60s, the University of Illinois used regular televisions as computer monitors for their in-house computer network. The inventors of plasma researched the technology as an alternative to the cathode ray tube-based televisions being used till then.  By July of 1964, the team had built the first plasma display panel with one single cell. After that, television broadcast companies considered developing plasma television as an alternative to televisions using cathode ray tubes. However, another technology was rising: LCD or liquid crystal displays made flat-screen television possible, which hindered the further commercial development of plasma displays. It took many years for plasma televisions to become successful.   After more than 60 years of continuous improvements, today’s plasma televisions use millions of cells and allow High resolutions on aflat screen. They display sharper contrasts and deeper blacks than LCD displays, and technological developments have increased their lifespan –which was a major drawback of Plasma displays and still remains lower than the LCDs.

1. The S-shaped curve of Plasma technology is today higher than that of LCD technology
2. The S-shaped curve of Plasma technology is today lower than that of LCD technology
3. Looking at both curves today, we may understand the investment policy pursued on both technologies in the past
4. A technology manager should compare the curves per each relevant performance before taking any investment decision on the two technologies

Q2

3D Hubs calls itself “the world’s largest network of manufacturing services”.3D Hubs offers 3D printing, CNC Machining, and Injection Molding and operates a global network of manufacturing partners. Engineers can easily upload their design and instantly receive quotations from manufacturing partners. Once they select their preferred quotation they can close the order with a click and the manufacturing partner starts the production right away. 3D Hubs also releases a quarterly Digital Manufacturing Report covering recent trends in the manufacturing industry. The report includes printquality ratings, 3D printer model popularity, print categories, most used CNC and 3D printing materials, color choices, and demographics. The report is based on data from 6,000 active international suppliers that create over 200,000 parts each quarter.3D Hubs: A.It is an industrywide platform where engineers can foster innovationB.It is a non-transactional or orthogonal platforms because it uses the transactions on the platform to create the report in a client-as a target perspectiveC.It is a transactional two-sided platforms linking engineers and manufacturing partnersD.It is an internal platform because it offers 3d printing, CNC Machining and so on to other engineers

Q3

We all are familiar with the diamond frame of the nowadays bicycles, the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and othercomponents are fitted. The diamond frame is not the most effective way of translating human leg force into speed. In the summer of 2016, Todd Reichert completed a 200-meter measuring distance at a speed of 144.17 kilometers per hour on his self-constructed, fully covered recumbent (places the rider in a laid-back reclining position) “Eta”. Graeme Obree, who set the hour record in track cycling in 1993 and 1994, is also experimenting with alternative frame shapes for bicycles: In September 2013 he set a newworld speed record in prone position on his selfbuilt Beastie Bike at the World Human Speed Championships in Battle Mountain (Nevada). Nevertheless, products not based on the diamond frame would be skeptically received by the market. 

Which of the following is true?

1. Diamond frame is an example of the dominant design
2. Diamond frame is not the dominant design because of its inferior performance
3. Emergence of Beastie Bike and Eta marks the beginning of the transition phase in the Abernathy-Utterback model
4. Emergence of Beastie Bike and Eta marks the beginning of the specific phase in the Abernathy-Utterback model

Q4

Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures microcontroller kits for building digital devices.The Arduino project aims to provide a low-cost and easy way for novices and professionals to create devices that interact with their environment using sensors and actuators. Common examples of such devices include simple robots, thermostats and motion detectors. Arduino LilyPad is an Arduino Main Board designed for e-textiles and wearables projects.  It comes in round shape, embeds the same number of functionalities as a regular Arduino board and can be embedded into fabrics and for this reason it stands out of the boards available in the Arduino community. Over the years, the LilyPad Arduino has been used as a systemfor experimenting with embedded computation that allows users to build their own soft wearables. For instance, one of the most beautiful applications that have been created with the LilyPad card is Electronic Traces. A project that allows people to createdigital paintings through the movement of the dancers.

1. User Toolkit: because, by noticing what users do, tacit needs are elicited
2. User Toolkit: because users are actively involved in testing existing products along the project cycles
3. User Toolkit: because users are involved as designers of new solutions
4. None of the previous

Q5

Calimoto is a GPS navigator specialized for motorcyclists. This is how they introduce themselves: “Winding country roads, nature and freedom. We want every rider to find the perfect route. Therefore, we have developed an app designed for motorcyclists. True to our motto “no more straight roads”. Whether you are looking for a nice route from A to B or a spontaneous round trip –our specialized winding road algorithm will always deliver the best ride. If you have a specific destination in mind, Calimoto will provide you with the perfect route along winding country roads. You want a spontaneous tour for two hours? Calimoto will calculate the appropriate round trip so you are back on time. Your motorcycle navigator and route planner –anywhere on your smartphone.”

1. Calimoto is a good case of innovation of meaning, since it changes the reason why a motorcyclists should use a navigator
2. Calimoto is a good example of technology push innovation, since it uses the GPS to enable a new function which is not available in traditional navigators
3. Calimoto is a good example of platform innovation because it offers a service leveraging the data gathered during the usage of the service
4. Calimoto is a good example of market pull innovation, since all the bikers would love to avoid “straight roads”

Q6

A blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. Each block typically contains a hash pointer as a link to a previous block, a timestamp and transaction data. By design, blockchains are inherently resistant to modification of the data. The Harvard Business Review describes it as “an open, distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way”. A blockchain is typically managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without the alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires collusion of the network majority.

1. It represents a case of innovation of meaning, since it offers users a new reason why to use a crypto system
2. It is a case of open innovation, since it is managed by a peer to peer network to foster innovation through it
3. It is a case of transaction two-sided platforms since it builds on a peer to peer network
4. None of the previous

Q7

Founded in 1899, Miele is a German manufacturer of high-end domestic appliances and commercial equipments. During a Miele investigation of the increasingly growing number of people with allergies, a mother was observed hoovering her child’s mattress multiple times. “Because then I know that it’s clean!” –she exclaimed when she was asked the reason why of that action. A few times later, a vacuum cleaner with hygiene sensors at the nozzle was released. This had a small light indicator that turned from red, through amber, to green as clean progress, allowing people with allergies to know when a room or cleaning surface was dust-free.The previous sentence describes an innovation coming from:

1. Lead Users Analysis: because a sample of customers are observedin their natural context to understand their behaviour
2. Ethnography: because users are observed in their natural context to understand their needs
3. Lead User Analysis: because users are expecting to obtain high benefit from a solution to theirneeds
4. Ethnography: because users are involved in the project cycles to leverage on their capability to spot innovative solutions

Q8

Unlike virtual reality, which is a totally computer-generated environment, Augmented Reality (AR) typically adds information to a user’s surroundings. It can provide data like a heads-up display when driving, overlay visual data on a patient during surgery, or provide instructions to a manufacturing employee. The primary value of AR is the manner in which components of the digital world blend into a person’s perception of the real world, not as a simple display of data, but through the integration of immersive sensations, which are perceived as natural parts of an environment. Over recent years, augmented reality applications are gaining popularity because of the wide adoption of mobile and especially wearable devices. Augmented reality wearable devices like the HoloLens rely on infrared lasers to scan and map the real world around you.     Wearable technologies are smart electronic devices (electronic device with micro-controllers) that are worn close to and/or on the surface of the skin. Traditional wearable technologies allow to detect, analyse, and transmit information concerning for example body signals of the wearer. The integration with AR enhances user experience, as it enhances remote collaboration.

1. Augmented reality wearable devices are not an innovation because the components were already on the market
2. Augmented reality wearable devices area good case of component-based innovation because they are created merging two existing technologies (wearables devices and augmented reality)
3. Augmented reality wearable devices are a good case of technology-push innovation as they combine two existing technologies to develop new products
4. None of the previous

Leadership:

Q1:

Dear Anna, Thank you for the presentation of this morning, the client was very delighted by your proposal. Great performance, but I’d like to give you my feedback about yourattitude. Last week when I texted you to offer some help on the project, I did it because I perceived you were struggling to keep up with the workload.  I’d like to make clear that here “asking for help is not a fault”.  We are a team and we should help each other.  Please, the next time I’d appreciate you to ask for support and trust other team members in front of difficulties. Since I’m citing the issue of trust, I suggest you have a look at this book: “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth” by Amy Edmonson. A great read for the summer! I’d love to hear your thoughts about psychological safety during our next 1-to-1 in September. Finally, I’d like to let you know that I really appreciated the way you faced the Q&A session, this is the spirit of constructive criticism I was suggesting during our last lunch.   Keep working this way, great job Best Mark Which model might help you in start defining Mark’s leadership approach in dealing with Anna?

1. Transactional Leadership
2. Shared Leadership
3. Traits Theory
4. Managerial Grid

Q2

Max is the latest intern hired by Teply, an energy company which aims at providing a wide range of energy-related services,developing innovative solutions. He is doing his final semester at MIP, where he is finishing an MBA. He has got good knowledge about Teply working field as he worked as a consultant in a different company, in the Energy Practice for 4 years. In that experience Max demonstrated to be autonomous and motivated. For this reason, Elisa (head of new service development in Teply) decided to invest on him. He will be part of the most ambitious Team in Teply, a task force focused on the development of the most innovative electric mobility and fast-charging services. An unexplored competence for the whole Team but an extremely important business area for the strategic direction of the company. The first task of Max is revising 250 pages of reports to give Elisa a 2-page memo about electric mobility in Singapore.According to the Situational Leadership Model, which kind of style should Elisa adopt with Max in her team?

1. Telling
2. Participating
3. Delegating
4. I don’t have enough information to answer

Q3

Simon works as a Junior Consultant for an important international Consultancy Company. The nature of his job forces him to work at the same time on different projects with different clients and mixed teams.In the last months, Simon has experienced a very stressful period because of the numerous projects and tasks he had to manage. Unfortunately, he was asked to join an additional project for a company called Farm. The project was proposed and started in a very short time. Simon joins the new team with the same commitment as always, but he feels this project is not so valuable for him at the moment. Thus, given that he is already facing a complex and demanding situation, he decides to put the minimum effort into this project, leaving the majority of the work to the rest of the team.

According to the main dynamics that characterize a Team Work, which of the following better describe Simon behavior regarding the Farm’s project:

1. Social Loafing, since he perceive that he can rely on the team for the project success
2. Social Loafing, he decide not to work as hard as usually
3. Free-Riding, because he tend to minimize his cost in relation to the benefit he perceive to gain
4. Free-Riding, since the team size is big enough

Q4

Judy is a project manager in a multinational company. Recently she has been assigned to a new project where she will have to manage a completely new team of people she never met before. At the Kick-Off meeting, she takessome minutes to introduce herself, telling about her background, career, and leadership style. In particular, at a certain point, she says: “Project needs are as important as people’s needs. I believe in the necessity to care about people’s well-being and focus on tasks and routine to attain organizational goals.” Leveraging on the Managerial Grid Model, Judy’s style can be classified as:

1. TEAM MANAGEMENT: she is committed to people, besides he believe that interdependence through common goals bringsto trust and good relationship
2. COUNTRY CLUB MANAGEMENT: she cares about friendly climate to bring people to fair productivity
3. AUTHORITY COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT: she believes that people’s needs do not have to interfere with the final goal
4. IMPOVERISHED MANAGEMENT: she believes that minimum effort is enough for defining the organizational belonging

Q5

Everyone in this team believes that he/she knows each other.  The team is composed of Luke, Mark, Laura, and John. The four of them are allsenior consultants, working all together on projects for many years. They work very well together, but in this period of time, on project X, they are facing some unexpected issues.  In this specific phase of the project, Luke is trying to take the lead and is sharing with the others how he would like to solve the problems.  Luke is an expert and detail-oriented consultant, and he expects the others to follow. The others see his detail orientation, but also know that he is not good in taking decisions under pressure. Which of the following statement is correct? 

• It is a case of Situational Leadership considering the moment in which the team is and the fact that Luke is adopting a telling approach
• The whole Brain is the model that might help the team to know each other better. Luke is a Yellow personality because he has a vision on how to solve the situation
• The JoHari Model may help the team in overcoming the current situation
• The team is in the performing phase of the Tuckman model because they are working together for many years, and they areable to achieve high performance.

Q6

You are managing the recruitment process for hiring the new COO of your company. After different rounds your team selected a single candidate: Jaime Sanders.  Considering the long recruiting process she went through so far, you have no doubts about her technical, managerial and leadership skills. Nonetheless, you want to observe how she behaves when pushed out of her comfort zone. So you ask her to pick 5 sentences that best represent her out of a set of 20. These are Jaimie selections: -I like to fix problems -I like to go in depth on what I’m doing -I don’t like changes it is hard for me to handle them -I think rules are important -I like to plan my activities and stick to my plan

Starting form these results, what of the following strategies you would NOT use to bring her out of her comfort zone?

1. Assign a task that requires speed and acting under pressure
2. Ask to think creatively and out of the box
3. Ask her to organize a team building activity
4. Ask her to fully explore all the details of a technical matter

Q7

Sam and Julia have just finished their final presentation of the innovation project for the Leadership course, and they are enjoying dinner together with their team. During the conversation, Sam says to Julia: “I really liked the way you presented your part today! However, when talking about the trend analysis, you didn’t mention the stakeholder analysis that we did perform. I think this will badly affect our final evaluation. But overall your presentation skills are great!”Is this a proper and effective feedback?

1. Yes, because it correctly follows the steps of a corrective feedback
2. No, because it doesn’t follow the steps of a supportive feedback
3. Yes, because it provides both positive andnegative comments
4. None of the above

Innovation

Q1

General Electric (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate that operates in different segments such as power and renewable energy. GE implemented a project called First Build, a collaboration platform which connects designers, engineers, and thinkers who are willing to share ideas with the other members on innovative solutions for energy efficiency. The ideas presented in First Build are focused on solving problems and creating new home appliances products. Winning ideas are selected by a dedicated GE committee and are made available for purchase. The manufacturing of the ideas is done through GE’s micro factory places where members can get access to machines and tools required to turn their ideas into real products. First Build is a case of:

1. Elite circle
2. Innovation mall
3. Innovation community
4. Consortium

Justify your answer

Participation is open to all the subjects (designers, engineers, thinkers) willing to share ideas; governance is closed  because  there  is  a  GE  committee  that  decide  and  select  the  ideas  that  are  made  available  for production.

Q2

Patient Innovation is an online platform where patients and caregivers around the world connect to share and create solutions they developed themselves or with the help from collaborators, to cope with a health-related problem. The platform can be visited at this website: https://patient-innovation.com. Patient innovation is an example of:

1. A transactional  two-sided  platform  since  it  matches  patients  and  physicians  and  serves  as  a technological foundation upon which other users develop complementary innovations
2. A platform enabling lead-user innovation since it leverages on users who face specific needs before the bulk of the marketplace
3. It is not a platform enabling lead-user innovation since it leverages on users who are facing needs for products and services that do not exist on the market
4. A platform enabling beta testing because patients are directly involved in the testing of innovative solutions

Justify your answer:

Patient and caregivers can be considered as lead users, as they faceneeds for products and service before the mass market need it, they are strongly motivated to innovate and they can co-create the innovation they need. A is wrong as there isn’t any transaction between the two sidesD is wrong as patients are not involved in testing the solution, but they can create it.

Q3

The PepsiCo Design Center partnered with PepsiCo’s Foodservice innovation team to develop the vision and spirit of F!ZZ –a completely new brand experience that defines the future of soft drink (e.g. Pepsi etc.) mixology, which we call “fizzology”. At the core, F!ZZ is a playful celebration of bubbles with unexpected ingredient combinations –including flavor shots, bursts, garnishes and foams –creating a fun, adventurous way for consumers to deconstruct and reconstruct soft drinks (e.g. Pepsi etc.). To define the F!ZZ beverage experience, we extended beyond traditional branded packaging, creating a unique experience for consumers that is emotive and fully sensorial. The resulting 360 degree immersive experience includes actual bubbles, spinning  spheres,  flavor  scent  tubes,  a  DJ  and  hands-on  fizzology  experiments  which  come  together  to embody the fun spirited nature and emotion that is now F!ZZ. The experiential architecture and graphic design system uniquely define the surprising and exciting experience of fizzology. Considering the soft drinks market (e.g. Pepsi) and the initiative of F!ZZ which innovation strategy has been adopted by PepsiCo Design Center?

1. Collaborative innovation,  in  the  Elite  Circle  modality,  due  to  the  close  participation  and  the hierachical governance of Pepsi over the initiative that involved soft drinks innovation
2. Market Pull,  due  to  the  answer  to  a  specific  request  of  the  market,  new  flavours  and  new combinations of soft drinks
3. Internal Platform, due to the creation of a format that would support the spread of PepsiCo soft drinks (e.g. Pepsi) all over the world
4. Innovation of Meaning, due to the new meaning given to soft drinks

Justify your answer

It is an innovation of meaning because it does not start from a user need or a new technology,but it focuses onshifting the meaning associated to soft drinks. From drinking a soft drink concived by others,to drinking my own soft drink created through a multisensorial solution and experience.

Q4

Immuniis the app developed by BenginSpoon and commissioned by the Italian Government to track the coronavirus outbreak in these months. It’s missions is “Let’s start afresh together: living a normal life once again is possibile. Immuni helps us reach this goal faster and without compromising our privacy”. The app uses the bluetooth technology to track contacts and alert the users who have had a risky exposure—even if they are asymptomatic. The app sends a notification to people who were in close contact with a user who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, alerting them of the risk of infection. Thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy technology, this takes place without the app gathering any data on the identity or the location of its users. Users who have been notified by the app of a possible infection can isolate themselves to avoid infecting other people. By doing so, they help contain the epidemic and speed up the return to a normal life. Immuni has been designed and developed while taking great care to safeguard user privacy. Any data, collected and managed by the Ministry of Health and by public entities, are stored on servers located in Italy. All the data and app connections with the server are protected. Immuni is a digital service that can be read through the platform lenses, which kind of platform does best fit this case?

1. Transactional Two-Sided Platform
2. Industry-Wide Platform
3. Orthogonal or Non-Transactional Two-Sided Platform
4. Internal or Product Platform

Justify your answer

Immuni can be considered an orthogonal or non-transactional  two-sided platforms  since  it  has  a  first  side represented by the end-users which are the citizens. They enjoy the service and give back data on their position and on their health status. The Ministry of Health is subsidizing the entire system working as an orthogonal player.  The  system  is  based  on  a  client  as  a  source  strategy.  There  are  cross-side  network  (or  indirect) externalities  but  they  are  only  unidirectional  (the  value  for  the  orthogonal  player  is  higher  with  a  larger number of users on the first side).

Q5

We’ve reached an exciting milestone with PlayStation 5, as we’re starting to ship our new controller in its final design to developers who are implementing its unique features into their games. But first, we wanted everyone in the PlayStation community to get a first look at the DualSense™ wireless controller, and hear our vision for how the new controller will captivate more of your senses as you interact with the virtual worlds in PS5 games. The features of DualSense, along with PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, will deliver a new feeling of immersion to players. We had a great opportunity with PS5 to innovate by offering game creators the ability to explore how they can heighten that feeling ofimmersion through our new controller. This is why we adopted haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud. We also incorporated adaptive triggers into the L2 and R2 buttons of DualSense so you can truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow. When PS4 launched in 2013, the DualShock 4 wireless controller garnered a lot of positive feedback from gamers and developers for being the best PlayStation controller yet, and for introducing forward-looking features like the Share button. This brought us to the next question –how do we build upon that success? This provided us with an exciting challenge to design a new controller that builds off of the current generation, while taking into account the new features we were adding. Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment Considering the current situation and the words of Jim Ryan about the DualSense remote control, which of the following sentences summarizes the approach adopted for the DualSense controller:

1. Radical platform innovation because it will now give the possibility to game creators to leverage the controller to create new games
2. Technology-Push innovation  since  it  leverages  innovative  sensors  previously  not  present  in DualShock4 remote control and increasing the performances
3. Technology epiphany since the new haptic feedback technology enables the transmission of new sensations while playing. This will make the game even more real
4. Innovation of meaning since it reinforces the feeling of immersion to players

Justify your answer

The  new  sensors  added  to  the  remote  control  of  Play  Station  5  are  a  typical  example  of  technology  push, because the meaning of immersionin a virtual world will remain between PlayStation 4 and 5 what changes is  the  technology  in  the  remote  control.  In  other  words,  the  innovation  is  a  radical  innovation  in  the performance of the sensor.

Q6

SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars. SpaceX has developed several launch vehicles, among which the latest is the Dragon capsule spacecraft. With a  demo-launch,  NASA  has  recently  certified SpaceX’s  Dragon  capsulefor  human  spaceflight,  resuming regular crewed launches from the US after a nine-year stop. The launch represents the culmination of nearly a decade of work by NASA and SpaceX. Following the end of the shuttle program, NASA was left without a rocket to send astronauts to space, so for the past nine years, the agency has relied on Russian rockets for a ride to the International Space Station. It was a pricey proposition—seats on the Russian capsule cost $80 million per astronaut. NASA embraced commercial crew contracts with SpaceX as a way to drive down the cost of space access by harnessing the powers of the market. And the gamble is about to pay off. Once SpaceX starts ferrying astronauts to orbit on operational missions, seats on the Dragon capsule will cost roughly half the price of a seat on the Russian capsule. SpaceX won’t just be launching NASA astronauts, of course. In 2018, Elon Musk also sold  tickets to the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa for an around-the-moon excursion on SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket. NASA and SpaceX are about to usher the world into this brave new stage of commercial space exploration.The SpaceX Dragon capsule is an example of

1. Technology-push innovation, since the whole innovation didn’t start from a market need but from a new breakthrough technology
2. Market-pull innovation, since it addresses the explicit needs of rich people who want to travel to space
3. Innovation of meaning, since it is about a new way to communicate aerospace travel
4. None of the other options

Justify your answer

Dragon capsule is an example of market pull innovation, because it started from the explicit need of NASA(the main customer of the aerospace market)to lower the cost of space travel A is wrong because Dragon capsule is not an example of technology push, it started from a market need, and it is not based on a breakthrough technology, but on already existing technologiesB is wrong as the starting point is not the need of rich people to travel into space (the possibility for rich people to travel into space for tourism may come afterwards). Dragon Capsule is created to answer to the need of NASA to lower the cost of space travel C is wrong, Dragon capsule is not an example of innovation meaning as it is not changing the meaning oftravellinginto space for NASA.

Q7

Lawson, Inc. is one of the top convenience store chains in Japan, third to convenience franchise giants 7-Eleven and FamilyMart. All of the usual Japanese convenience store goods, such as magazines, video games, manga, soft drinks, onigiri, pastry roulette and bento are available. Started in the 1990s, Lawson allowed third -party providers to offer various services within its shops. Today Lawson customers can pay utility bills and insurance premiums, ship and pick up parcels through postal service providers, and claimitems ordered from e-commerce sites just by visiting their local convenience store.

1. Customers in the Lawson shops find it convenient to access various services in the same location and this creates network externalities, being Lawson a two-sided platform
2. Lawson shops are not two-sided platforms because there are no direct effects among the customers or among the third-party service providers
3. Lawson shops facilitate transactions between its customers and third-party service providers, but they are not a two-sided platform as there are no indirect effects
4. Lawson shops are not two-sided platforms because they do not exploit network effects

Justify your answer

Lawson can be considered a two-sided platform since, on top of its “traditional” business, it acts as an enabler of transactions between customers which join the shop and third party service providers that uses the shop as a way through which reach the endcustomers. It is a transactional platform having indirect or cross side network externalities between the two sides (the more customers the more its valuable for third party service providers to join the platform and vice versa).

LEADERSHIP

Q1

DISH&WASH,a  company  producing  components  for  household  appliances,  is  a  family-owned company whose revenues significantly grew in the last 3 years. Thus, the CEO and owner of the company decided to re-design the overall organization and to hire two professional managers,Bob and Mark, for one position as Sales Director and one position as Accounting Director.During their job interviews the two managers were asked to describe their management style, and that’s what they shared:-Bob: “I always try to talk with all the people in my team, one by one, to understand what their concerns are and what can best motivate each individual. I think that having a one-to-one connection is at the basis of an effective leadership interaction. Also, I always push the boundaries of excellent performance”-Mark: “For me the best way to achieve a successful performance is to closely supervise what my team is doing. I assign clear roles and responsibilities to each member, and before an important meeting or deadline with the client, I always organize several internal meeting withmy team to check that everything is okay, and to prevent mistakes from happening”.Which is the best model that can help the CEO to identify Bob and Mark’s leadership approach,based on what they shared during their interview?

1. Shared leadership
2. Leadership traits
3. JoHary window
4. Transformational and transactional leadership

Justify you answer

Bob is expressing transformational leadership, putting in place individualized consideration –as he foster one-to-one connection and genuine concern for the individuals in his team and intellectual stimulation -as he “always push the boundaries of excellent performance”Mark is expressing transactional leadership, putting in place active management by exception –checking that everything is okay and preventing mistakes from happening. A is wrong as they do not refer to sharing leadership responsibilities in a team or in the organization overall. B is wrong as it is not possible to identify leadership traits with just the words they use in the example. C is wrong as they are not talking about other’s or self-perceptions, the model cannot be applied to just their interviews.

Q2:

This is Helen’s Johari Window. She built it with her colleagues. To describe Helen all of them (Helen included) picked 6 words out of a long list. If the one the words selected by Helen was also selected by at least a colleague, that word is positioned into the public/Open Area. If none of the colleagues insteadselected that word, it is put into the Private/Hidden Area. Words selected by the colleagues butnot by Helen are in the Blind Area. Finally, words not selected by anybody are in the UnknownArea.This is the result:

Which of the following statements may be a proper comment for this Johari Window?

1. The exercise did not work. It’s clear that Helen’s colleagues do not know her enough, she should repeat this exercise with someone who knows her better
2. Helen should work hard to show the others the lower left quadrant, otherwise she cannot be valued in the organization
3. Helen should take this result as the opportunity to ask her colleagues for feedbacks to better understand the behaviors in which they see the elements in the blind spot
4. Helen should spend more time talking with her colleagues, havingsuch a wide unknown area with the people she works with is not a good sign

Justify you answer

The Johari Window is a model helps people toto increase self-awarenessand to manage team dynamics. Having a wide blind area means the person has a lot of things on him/herself that he/she does not know, but others notice instead

Therefore, this person should ask for feedback, other people would show him/her behaviors he/she has that can help this person in knowing more things about him(herself that others already know.

Q3

Paul and Gloria did a workshop together. At the end of the session, they are in the parking lot and Paul says: “Hey Gloria, I think it was anexcellent session. Can I give you a feedback?”. Gloria says yes and Paul continues: “You tendto expect that everything is done as you would do it. I feel uncomfortable when you do it, as Idon’t understand  what  should  I  do  instead”. Thinking  about  this  feedback,  pick  the  best  of  the  following statements:

1. This a corrective feedback that did not follow anyof the 4 steps for a corrective feedback
2. This a corrective feedback that followed 3 out 4 steps of a corrective feedback
3. This a corrective feedback that followed 2 out 4 steps of a corrective feedback
4. This a corrective feedback that followed 1 out 4 stepsof a corrective feedback

Justify you answer

First step of a corrective feedback -describing the behavior -is not followed, as Paul is not describing a specific Gloria’s behaviorSecond step of a corrective feedback –describing the effect –is followed,as Paul says “ I feel uncomfortable”. Third step of a corrective feedback –Describing an alternative behavior –is not followedFourth step –explaining why the alternative is better –is not followed-

Q3

You are working with the corporate legal department team to consider a new approach to the existing yearly proxy statement process. The team has worked diligently on the proposal for thepast few months. One team member, Marie, is obsessed with minor details, and is stopping the submission of the proposal despite the team covering those details multiple times. Marie startsto get in a heated debate with other members on the team, who feel the delay is unnecessaryand looks bad for the team as a whole. You engage with Marie to help this person understandthe team’s perspective and now she is debating with you. The outcomes of continuing a debatemay not yield fruitful results for the team and Marie is not in a position of authority. Moreover, you  feel  that  the  team  is  tired  and  wants  to  move  on.What  is  the  most  effective conflict management styleyou should adopt in this situation?

1. Compromising
2. Collaborating
3. Accomodating
4. Avoiding

Justify you answer

Avoiding conflict, for example through the postponement of the issue, may be most effective in this case. First, the issues that are being discussed are trivial, so the potential benefits that may be gained from engaging in such a discussion probably outweigh the costs bared by the team to discuss them. Also, avoiding the conflict may be used to let Marieand the whole team “cool down”.Lastly, Marie is not in a position of authority and she cannot impose her view to the whole team

1. Compromising is wrong as it would waste more time
2. Collaborating is wrong as you already tried that way and it didn’t work
3. Accomodating is wrong, Marie has not the authority to pursue her objectives over the team objective

Q4

The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action —an unconventional business strategy, a unique product-development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign —even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. In other words, real leaders are happy to zig while others zag. They understand that in an era of hyper-competition and non-stop disruption, the only way to standout from the crowd is to stand for something special.Andrea Guerra, a CEO, put it about as well as anyone has: “Crises are not only about negative things,” he said. “Where the world is changing and changing fast, your thoughts have to be bold and you need to see the future of the company five years from now, not today”. Considering the perspective of Andrea Guerra choose the correct statement:

1. He relies mainly on his limbic layer of the brain and on his left hemisphere
2. He relies mainly on his limbic layer of the brain and on his right hemisphere
3. He relies mainly on his neocortex layer of the brain and on his right hemisphere
4. He relies mainly on his neocortex layer of the brain and on his left hemisphere

Justify you answer

Andrea Guerra is yellow –vision oriented, showing rational thinking over emotions and attitude to think in unstructured/out-of-box way

Q5

Laurent is a new manager hired at Sylvestre Inc. He will work in the HR department, guiding a new important project that should significantly change how people work with the company. His goal will be to design, implement and roll out an Agile framework to change how projects and processes are managed within each function. He has been selected by the new CEO due to his great experience in different companies. He guided a start-up from the early days to a big exit with a multinational company, but he also guided a digitalization process for a multinational company. During the interview, the CEO understood that Laurent tends to be extremely clear when providing guidance and instructions, as well as an avid observer to make sure that everything goes as planned. Nevertheless, the experiences he told to the CEO, convinced him that he is very good in adapting his leadership style to the context he his working in, doing what is best for the project he is guiding. He will manage a task force of 5 people. They are quite experienced within the company, all of them attended various Agile courses and worked in Agile environments over the years. Nevertheless, they passed the last three years working at the Sylvestre Inc with the previousCEO, an authoritative leader who tends not to ask for the others opinions. This had a very relevant impact on the behaviors and attitudes when working on projects. According to the situational leadership model, which Laurent knows very well, which styles hould he use with this team?

1. Delegating
2. Participating
3. Selling
4. Telling

Justify you answer

The team that Laurent will manage is made by people who are able and capable to perform the task, but they are insecure/unwilling due to the previous management style.

Q6

SUPER CLEAN, a company producing components for household appliances, is a family-ownedcompany whose revenues significantly grew in the last 3 years. Thus, the CEO and owner of thecompany decided to re-design the overall organization and to hire two professional managers,Wilma and Joan, for one position as Sales Director and one position as Accounting Director.During their job interviews the two managers were asked to describe their management style,and that’s what they shared:-Wilma: “I do believe that a friendly environment is the key for achieving the bestperformance. I work hard to convey a shared purpose and to create a collaborativeenvironment, as in my opinion this is the secret for excellence”-Joan: “I always say this to the people I work with: ‘When you are at work, you must forgetwhat there is outside. Your personal life is not my problem’. I am convinced that the key forsuccess is to have a solid planning and a clear system of objectives, expected targets andincentives. In the end, the most powerful tool to make people happy to work in a place is to paythem enough money for the proper accomplishment of their tasks.Which is the best model that can help the CEO to identify Wilma and Joan’s leadershipapproach, based on what they shared during their interviews?

1. Shared leadership
2. Leadership trait
3. Managerial grid
4. Situational leadership

Justify your answer

Wilma is expressing high concern for people –collaborative and friendly environment -and high concern for production –aiming at excellence, putting in place

Q7

Joan  is  expressing low  concern  for  people -“your  personal  life  is  not  my  problem” -and high  concern  for production –aiming  at  success  with  solid  planning  and  task  orientation -putting  in  place  by  Authority compliance managementThe Covid-19 Data Portal (C19DP) task force is a team of scientists working on open data,interoperability, virology and life science. The task force has been gathered by the EuropeanCommission in order to facilitate data sharing and analysis on coronavirus, accelerating therelated research. All the members of the task force are very experienced in their field andpossess specialised knowledge and complementary competences. They all faced similar typesof challenges and have long term experience of team-working in similar projects, but they neverhad the chance to work together on this brand new topic.VoiceMed is a startup exploiting Artificial Intelligence to identify a healthy person from a Covid-19 infected one by comparing pneumonia coughs and voices. The startup has been created bya group of friends who played together in a soccer team for many years and share a passion fordigital innovation. They have different  educational  backgrounds  and  studied  at  differentuniversities,  so  they  did  not  have  previous occasions to work together.Choose the right answer:

1. C19DP team does not need to worry about the storming phase while VoiceMed still needs to properly experience the storming phase
2. Initially, VoiceMed team should pay particular attention to the norming phase, while C19DP to the forming phase
3. The most critical issue for C19DP will be experienced during the norming phase, while for VoiceMed during the forming phase
4. C19DP team will be more effective than VoiceMed team in the performing phase

Justify your answer

VoiceMed  already  shared  a  sense  of  collective  identity,  but  they  may  experience  problems  when  defining norms  and  rolesin  a  professional  environment.  C19DP  team  is  newly  formed,  so  they  need  to  pay  more attention to the shared purpose of this specific project team, while it should be easy for them to define norms and roles as they all have experience in this type of projects

INNOVATION(7,5POINTS)

Q1

Consider the description of the case and take the standpoint of the final customer of the insurance product, analyze it according to the innovation model based on the interplay between technology and meaning.

Knowing your customer is at the heart of insurance. It allows insurance companies to provide the right insurance coverage at the right price. But practical implications (user experience, cost, and time) place a constraint on the insurer’s ability to collect sufficient information about policyholder. Mobile & wearable data promises to solve this problem. Cleverly combined it provides rich customer & risk profiles that can be collected and processed automatically and nearly instantaneously. Insurers have recognized the potential value of this data but they lack the IT infrastructure and data analytics capabilities to unlock that potential. FitSense closes this gap by providing the three critical components from data to product: Data Integration, Data Interpretation, and White-label product development.

What they do

“FitSense uses app and device data to create rich customer profiles that allow insurers to truly personalize insurance products and services. To achieve this, we built a data platform to collect, store, and process data. We then build end-user facing applications and we interpret that data to create customer profiles.”

The types of data

Age, sleep patterns, locations, physical activity, education, income level, stress level and more.

The Health Engagement

AppThe first product powered by the FitSense platform is a health engagement app sold to insurance companies to launch their own rewards program for the insurers’ finalcustomers.  Insurers with health engagement programs all around the world have demonstrated these benefits: 

• Attract new customers: turn your product into a differentiated offering that appeals to today’s customers
• Increase loyalty: achieve stickiness by increasing touchpoints and giving customers a good reason to stay with you.
• Reach healthier customers: attract customers that are already active today and share the value of health conscious behavior.
• Incentivize behavior change: Help customers become healthier while improving your bottom line. A win-win. (Adapted from the FitSense official website)

Q2

MOFILM is a British-based content sourcing company, which allows users to produce video and photographic content for various brands and social causes. The company was co-founded by Jeffrey Merrihue. Jon Landau is the Chairman of the MOFILM Advisory board. The website has 50,000 filmmakers who can produce work with a number of companies, including, brands such as Pepsi and Chevrolet. Once the users propose their videos or photo, the brand chooses the best 5 which are awarded and the best one which get paid.

1. It is not an innovation mall because the governance is flat
2. It is an innovation community because the governance is hierarchical
3. It is a consortium because the participation is open
4. It is an elite circle because the governance is hierarchical
5. None of the previous one

Q3

The Coolest Cooler is a Kickstrater project described as follow: “Regular coolers are boring, break easily and are a hassle to haul around just to carry the ice. The COOLEST cooler is 60 quarts of AWESOME packed with so much fun you’ll look for excuses to get outside more often. It contains: a blender, waterproof wireless speakers, USB charger, Led lid light, gear tie down, essential storage (to have plates, knifes, …), internal removable dividers, bottle opener and other cool features”. The project received more than 13 million Dollars of funding on Kickstart, but it never reached the market. 

1. It is not an innovation because it simply re-assemble different kind ofsolutions already present on the market
2. It can be considered a market pull innovation, since it embeds several features that solve common issues with a traditional cooler
3. It can be considered the results of a latent needs’ analysis
4. The addition of new features offers new reasons why to buy a cooler
5. None of the previous ones

Justify your answer:

Q4

An innovation of meaning is:

1. A new way to communicate a product on the market
2. The result of a design-driven approach that leads to different shapes in the final solution
3. A strategy based on the ease of use of the final solution
4. The output of a design thinking approach based on the generation of divergent ideas
5. None of the previous one

Q5

The disruptive innovation model:

1. Describes industries which are disrupted by new entrants leveraging on an “unprecedented” strategy
2. Considers the performance and the time of an innovation, highlighting the differences in terms of process and product innovation
3. Is suitable to describe the process of diffusion of a technology in a market
4. Can be used to describe how a focus on the most demanding customers can hinder the innovation capabilities of firms
5. None of the previous ones

LEADERSHIP(7,5POINTS)

Q1

Explain the situational leadership model by Hersey and Blanchard providing specific examples for each quadrant

Q2

The French National Football team is taking part at the World Cup. The coach is used to give a lot of freedom to his players during pretraining activities (i.e. the activitiesthey perform in the filed before starting the training). He allows players to act as they prefer and to do what they like to do.  It is Saturday morning and two team members are just running easily around the field, talking about the previous game and without showing any kind of effort in what they were doing. Some of the other members’ start screaming at them, highlighting the importance of these last training sessions before the final game.   The day after the coach, before the starting of the pre-training session, when all the team members are on the filed –call them and start explaining the precise schedule of the pre-training session, without giving the any kind of freedom. What is the best theoretical perspective to explain this example:

1. The coach is changing too much his behaviours; this will lead to a big misunderstanding with the team
2. The coach is acting as a transactional leader, guiding the followers in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements
3. The coachis leveraging a situational leadership to take into consideration the environment around them
4. The coach his changing his colour moving from Green to Blue, leaving behind the emotions, leveraging its cortical dimension
5. None of the previous ones

Q3

Creativity:

1. Is related to the convergent phase of the creative process
2. It is a process where just the creative skills are requested
3. Is a peculiar characteristics of human beings
4. Can not be fostered with tools and methodologies such as: Brainstorming and Brainwriting
5. None of the previous ones

Q4

When you should use developmental feedbacks:

1. To encourage positive behaviours inside teams
2. To highlight negative aspects inside a solution
3. To dig deeper into the reasoning
4. To increase the creativity into the concept development
5. None of the previous

Q5

The Whole Brain model:

1. Should be used to adapt your behaviours according to the individual characteristics of the people you are working with
2. Gives four different clusters of behaviours which are directly related to the genetic personal traits of the leader
3. Shows four different orientations, some of them are better in a professional environment, others are more suitable in a personal environment
4. Is based on two dimensions which are the level of structure and the social orientation
5. All the above mentioned

Solutions

INNOVATION (7,5POINTS)

1. It’sa technology epiphany (at the intersection between technology push and design-driven innovation), because of the discovering of quiescent meaning for an existing technology.From the final customer point of view, the path is: A radical change in technology (gathering personalized data about the customer through wereable and mobile) enabled the possibility to have a radical new meaning (from customer using a fitness app to be healtier, to customer using a fitness app to save money OR new meaning for the customer about the insurance service: not just covering risks but also to be healthier)
2. E, It is and innovation mall because the governance is hierarchical and the participation is open. All the other answers are based on mistaken combination of the two dimensions of the model or wrong interpretation of the case.
3. B, A product like the Coolest can be developed observing the users interacting with it and analysing their main issues. A) It denies a definition of innovation (that can be the re-assembly of existing solutions in a novel way) C) Latent needs are deeper and not observable (by definition) D) A new reason why means an innovation of meaning. The reason why to buy a cooler is not changed (still buy a cooler to do a picnic, eventually I choose the Coolestinstead of another cooler)
4. E, An innovation of meaning is a change in the reason why people love and buy a product or a service. A) It is not a new way to communicate something (that is marketing) B) It is not (just) a matter of shapes, C) It is not (necessary) a matter of ease of use, D) It is an inside out process. Provide an example: Yankee Candles or many others
5. D, The disruptive innovation model show the path that bring technologies -which are not able to answer even to the needs of the lowest and of the market –above the level required at the highest end A) It is not a matter of strategy and is not necessary related to new entrantsB) It is not related to the relationship/dynamics/differences between product and process innovation C) it is not a matter of time, that is the Big Bang Disruption model. Provide an example: Hard disk industry, Netflix or many others…

LEADERSHIP (7,5POINTS)

1. Meaning of the model: leaders –to be effective -should adapt their behaviors to the maturity level of his/her followers, showing different people support and task guidance. On the horizontal axis we find the level of people support (concern for people), on the vertical one we find the level of task guidance (concern for production) and on the third axis we find the level of maturity of the followers.  + Specific examples
2. C, The position of the leader moves from a delegating position to a telling positiondue to the changes in the situation he is leading. A) Changing leadership behaviour is not wrong B) Transactional leadership implies a contingent rewards. To guide an effective team as the one described in the case, transactional leadership is not the appropriate leadership theory. D) He was not showing green behaviours
3. E, a)It is related to the divergent phase not only convergent, b) No also knowledge and motivation are requiredc) IBM Watson (Chef Watson) is creative and it is definitely not a human being, d) Of course Brainstorming and Brainwriting are tools for creativitye) Is the correct answe
4. C, a) It is not true because development feedbacks are envisioned for a different reason that in motivating people, b) It is developmental, so positive aspects are encouraged while negative are mentioned to be improved as opportunities, c) Correct answer; it is a way to dig deeper in the solution and the discussion that is going on, d) It is not the main aim. Developmental feedbacks are not a tool for creativity butmore for a convergent phase
5. A, It is a model that allows people to better understand the differences there exist between people, all of them sharing different strengths and weaknesses, and that show how we should adapt our style to specific context or people. B) Everybody can work/study to fit in all the four quadrants. The aim of the model is to understand how to modify/switch the colour according to the people we are working with. C) All the orientations have pros and cons both in personal and professional environment. D) The second dimensions is Cortical VS Limbic, not the social orientation.