C arl  Thomas  worked for one of the big outdoor sporting goods stores for more than seven years.  Although  he never completed his degree,  Carl  took some management courses at the local community college. The knowledge he gained from his coursework along with his own tenacity enabled him to rise into  entry -level management. Although  Carl  enjoyed his job, he couldn’t help wonderi ng if there was more to life. Carl  always wanted to open his own business because he wanted to be his own boss and thought he might be able to earn a decent living. Recently, retired from a career  with  the school system as a PE  teacher and sports coach ,  Carl ’s Uncle John was looking  to fulfill his dream of  having an outdoor adventure business . He had inherited some property years back but had not done anything  with the land  to this point.  When  Uncle John learned t hat  Carl  was thinking along the same lines , he determined  it  was time  to start a business. The two decided to go into business together and brought in  Carl ’s younger brother, Joe, who was working part-time as an athletic trainer. The trio combined their  savings and  started hashing out a plan to  use the five acres of land that Uncle  John  had inherited . The concept was  simple… to open a business where teenagers, young adults, and work teams from local businesses could enjoy hours of  outdoor fun and entertainment. There was limited sports and entertainment for  th e target audience so the family decided to open a  themed  outdoor paint ball  park , which they called  Outdoor  Adventure Paintball Park .  Outdoor  Adventure  offers customers a choice of  five  battlefields, each offering a different level of play. Each field provides a unique experience for hours of enjoyment.  There is  the  civil war  field with a  simulat ed  headquarters and trenches;  an  old castle, which is made of multiple levels and a tower ; the woods, which  offer s a true woodsy battle with placement of  s everal  man-made  buildings for  additional  cover;  the village, which  is a large field with  a wooded section running down one side, a two story building and bunkers in the middle , with  a creek running down the other side;  and the hill, which  contains a wooded section and a number of bunkers on a steep incline.  A small store is strategically placed in a location central to the fields to eliminate the need for guests to leave the playing area. The costs  to customers vary, with rental packages  starting  at $25 per person. Customers may also purchase a la carte based on their individual needs. Additionally, season passes are available for a cost of $150 and birthday party packages are available for $300. The minimum age to participate in a paint ball event is 10 years. In addition to the  five  battle fields, there are  six  air ball fields that are formatted for 3, 5 and 7 - man tournament play.  Air ball fields offer a variety of layouts that are constantly changed to keep up wit.

1. C
arl
Thomas
worked for one of the big outdoor sporting goods stores for
more than seven years.
Although
he never completed his degree,
Carl
took some management courses at the local community college.
The knowledge he gained from his coursework along with his
own tenacity enabled him to rise into
entry
-level management. Although
Carl
enjoyed his job, he couldn’t help wonderi
ng if there was more to life. Carl
always wanted to open his own business because he wanted to
be his own boss and thought he might be able to earn a decent
living.
Recently, retired from a career
with
the school system as a PE
teacher and sports coach
,
Carl
’s Uncle John was looking
to fulfill his dream of
having
an outdoor adventure business
. He had inherited some property years back but had not done
anything
with the land
to this point.
When
Uncle John

2. learned t
hat
Carl
was thinking along the same lines
, he determined
it
was time
to start a business.
The two decided to go into business together and brought in
Carl
’s younger brother, Joe, who was working part-time as an
athletic trainer. The trio combined their
savings
and
started hashing out a plan to
use
the five acres of land that Uncle
John
had inherited
.
The concept was
simple…
to open a business where teenagers, young adults, and work
teams from local businesses could enjoy hours of
outdoor
fun and entertainment. There was limited sports and
entertainment for
th
e target audience
so the family decided to open a
themed
outdoor paint ball

3. park
, which they called
Outdoor
Adventure Paintball Park
.
Outdoor
Adventure
offers customers a choice of
five
battlefields, each offering a different level of play.
Each field provides a unique experience for hours of
enjoyment.
There is
the
civil war
field with a
simulat
ed
headquarters and trenches;
an
old castle, which is made of multiple levels and a tower
; the woods, which
offer
s
a true woodsy battle with placement of
s
everal
man-made
buildings for
additional
cover;
the village, which
is a large field with
a wooded section running down one side, a two story building
and bunkers in the middle

4. , with
a creek running down the other side;
and the hill, which
contains a wooded section and a number of bunkers on a steep
incline.
A small store is strategically placed in a location central to the
fields to eliminate the need for guests to leave the playing area.
The costs
to customers vary, with rental packages
starting
at $25 per person. Customers may also purchase a
la carte based on their individual needs. Additionally, season
passes are available for a cost of $150 and birthday party
packages are available for $300. The minimum age to
participate in a paint ball event is 10 years.
In addition to the
five
battle fields, there are
six
air
ball fields that are formatted for 3, 5 and 7
-
man tournament play.
Air
ball fields offer a variety of layouts that are constantly changed
to keep up with the latest
craze
in tournament play.
Many of the fields
have dedicated
fill stations to eliminate the
need for players to
leave

5. the field to reload.
The facility also includes a shooting gallery designed
to allow individuals to
sharpen
their
shooting skills.
The gallery contains high velocity paint guns and a variety of
still and moving targets. Players may practice aiming, have
shootouts or just blast away at targets for sheer enjoyment.
Carl manages the business
and spends most of his time in his office with the door closed
, Joe trains
new
employees and supervises paint ball events, and Uncle John has
oversight of the shooting gallery. The business started with
three
employees but has grown quickly to a staff of 20.
The venture seemed like a good idea. The family
’s p
assion for
sports and
working with youth
appeared to be paying off
.
There
are
loyal
repeat customers who purchase expensive equipment and
supplies from Joe. These customers also enjoy attending extra
training and information session
s
. The
t
ournaments have become popular and the local news
has been covering the events
.

6. Moreover,
the business has
a reputation for
being a safe family friendly environment
.
However,
recently,
Outdoor Adventure
has
been
experienc
ing
growing pains.
Scheduli
ng is
becoming
more challenging
as the activities o
n the field increase. Staff is
pulled from one area
of the park
to provide coverage in another.
Employees are starting to complain that they do not understand
their job duties outside of the paint ball fields and feel they
need additional training and procedures.
Additionally,
a
major event was missed due to double-booking.
A number of
customers
have expressed their displeasure
with the service
and, as a result, spending less time on the field
.
Local businesses are not responding to special discounts for
employee events.

7. There has been an increase in workplace mistakes but
fortunately these have not resulted in serious accidents.
Customers and e
mployees
are starting to question the leadership and
often ask, “
How
long can a business like this one last?” or “
Who’s running the show
?”
Carl
has noticed a dip in sales and
is
now starting to
feel they are losing
control of the business
. While the t
wo closest competitors
are
30 – 45 miles away and d
o
not offer nearly the same a
menities
,
Carl
understands that if they do not do something quickly, their
customer base may decide travel
to the competition
.
Moreover,
his
passion for owning a sports-oriented business is waning.

8. He is
concerned about the continued success of the business but the
work no longer seems fun or interesting.
Uncle John, on the other hand,
is not interested in discussing the books
and does not see any need to worry. He is not concerned about
what he calls
“
a few random incidents
”
and sees the dip in sales as an
indication that it would be a good idea to expand
the offering
. In
fact, he has been presented with the possibility of forming a
paint ball competing team. He feels this opportunity is too big
to pass up and wants to convince the others that it’s a good time
to pursue.
ase Study #3: The Four Functions of Management (35%)
Students will read the case study that focuses on the four
functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and
controlling (P-O-L-C). You have been hired as a consultant to
help Carl Thomas and his family to solve the problems with his
business. You will create a management plan that covers the
four functions of management. In creating the management
plan, you must also demonstrate how the four functions of
management are interrelated showing how issues in one function
impact other functions.
In speaking with Carl, Joe and John, you already know the
following about the business owners:
failed to develop or share a mission statement;
failed to determine the best way to organize resources,

9. including personnel;
underestimates the importance of recruitment, job design and
descriptions, and training;
assumed that motivation will occur naturally;
fails to define standards and other measurable outcomes;
ignored negative information;
delayed actions to improve organizational outcomes.
Resource that will help you develop the mini-management plan:
How to Make a Management Plan
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/leadership/effective-
manager/management-plan/main
Management Plan Example
https://wakenature.wordpress.com/resources/management-plan-
examples/
Required Elements of the Management Plan
Students will create a management plan that helps Carl, Joe and
John run the business, both day-to-day and over the long term
(strategically). Be succinct in your writing but persuasive so
that the recommendations will have positive outcomes for the
business.
Students are not using buzz-word and are not defining terms
using a dictionary. Students are expected to present the
material in a professional manner describing and explaining to
the owners. As a consultant, you should be secure in your
presentation so there are no Carl, Joe and John
should do this or do that or they needs to do this or do that but
present in an action-oriented manner.
Students are expected to make connections between the facts of
the case study and concepts, theories, and ideas presented in the
course material.

10. In creating the management plan, students will first assess the
business and identify specific areas of strengths and weaknesses
of the business as it relates to the components of the P-O-L-C.
In completing this section, do not create a heading for each
element of the P-O-L-C but write from the perspective of the
consultant discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the
business;
Select a management model (class hierarchy, democratic
hierarchy, collaborative management or collective management)
and explain why the selected model is most appropriate for
Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park;
Develop roles and responsibility of the owners and employees
(Be creative in completing this task);
Discuss why these positions are necessary to the business;
Make specific recommendations for improving the management
of Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park. Cover all aspects of the
P-O-L-C. This area of the paper specifically addresses the areas
of strengths and weaknesses identified above and puts in place a
plan for the short and long –term success of the business;
Create a balanced scorecard that will help Outdoor Adventure
Paintball Park align its business activities to the vision and
strategy of the organization, improves communication and
monitors performance against goals;
Students are expected to show what they have learned in the
course by applying theories and concepts. Be sure to support
your reasoning.
Required Formatting of Management Plan:
The management plan should be single-spaced, 12-point font,
and between 6-8 pages in length excluding the title page and
reference page.
Title page with your name, the course name, the date, and the
instructor’s name.
An introductory paragraph, a summary paragraph and the use of
headings are required;

11. Use the course material to support your reasoning. Outside
resources may be used but the main resources must come from
the classroom;
Use APA formatting for in-text citations and reference page.
You are expected to paraphrase and not use quotes other than in
identifying the mission statement and vision statement.
In citing sources, the page number/paragraph of the cited source
must be provided;
Write in the third person;
Submit paper in the Assignment Folder.
Hide Rubrics
Rubric Name: Written Assignment (35%)
Criteria
demonstrates a high degree of critical thinking, is consistent in
accurately interpreting questions & material; provides solid
assumptions, reasoning & claims; thorough analysis &
evaluation with sound conclusions
shows good critical thinking; accurately interprets most
questions & material; usually identifies relevant
arguments/reasoning/claims; offers good analysis & evaluation
with fairly sound conclusions
shows occasional critical thinking; questions & material is at
times accurately interpreted; arguments/reasoning/claims are
occasionally explained; offers fair analysis & evaluation with a
conclusion
shows little critical thinking, misinterprets questions or
material; ignores or superficially evaluates; justifies little and

12. seldom explains reasoning; draws unwarranted conclusions
lacks critical thinking consistently offers biased interpretations;
ignores or superficially evaluates; argues using poor reasoning,
and/or unwarranted claims
arguments or positions are well-supported with evidence from
the readings/experience; ideas go beyond the course material
and recognize implications and extensions of the material and
concepts
arguments or positions are mostly supported by evidence from
the readings and course content; ideas presented demonstrate
student’s understanding of the material and concepts
arguments are more often based on opinion or unclear views
than on position grounded in the readings of material or
external sources of material
arguments are frequently illogical and unsubstantiated; student
may resort to ad hominem attacks on the author instead of
making meaningful application of the material
a meaningful attempt to explain or support ideas does not exist
demonstrated full understanding of requirements responded to
each aspect of assignment
demonstrated understanding of requirements; missed one minor
aspect of assignment
demonstrated some understanding of requirements; missed a key
element or two minor aspects of assignment
failed to show a firm understanding of requirement; missed two
key elements or several minor aspects of assignment
did not demonstrate understanding of assignment requirements
writing is clear and easy to follow; grammar and spelling are all
correct; formatting gives a professional look and adds to
readability
most ideas are presented clearly; occasional spelling and/or
grammar issues
wordy; some points require rereading to understand fully; more
than an occasional spelling and/or grammar
unclear and difficult to understand; frequent spelling and
grammar issues

13. largely incomprehensible writing/poorly written in terms of
mechanics and structure
no APA style errors
attempts in-text citation and reference list but 1 or 2 APA style
errors are present
attempts in-text citation and reference list; APA style errors are
present; inconsistencies in citation usage can be found
throughout the document
attempts either in-text citation or reference list but omits the
other
no attempt at APA style
Overall Score