Explain why the issue hinders organizational efficiency

ASSIGNMENT PREP

COMPANY SELECTION

AND SOURCES Due Week 3: 60 points

There are three written assignments in the course, in which you will use the

same organization to analyze the culture and make recommendations.

Therefore, it is essential you start to think now about your company

selection.

Consider selecting a company you work for, a company a family member or

friend works for, or a civic organization. To ensure your selection sets you

up for success in all three assignments, be sure that your company:

▪ is one you are familiar and can draw on internal processes the public

(outsider) is unaware

▪ has true issues that need to be resolved

▪ allows for realistic and enforceable solutions for the organization to

be successful

INSTRUCTIONS

To complete this assignment, use the provided textbox in which you:

1) Identify the company that you want to research for the three written

assignments in the course.

2) Describe the organizational issue in your chosen company.

3) Explain why the issue hinders organizational efficiency.

ASSIGNMENT 1

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

AND SOLUTIONS Due Week 4: 240 points

Leaders address issues and propose solutions. As a leader, you’ll need to

stay on top of events that may facilitate or hinder productivity. You must

create and implement solutions to address these issues.

This assignment exposes you to complex modern organizational

challenges. The solutions you devise should reflect your learning and

research of organizational and individual influences in the workplace.

INSTRUCTIONS

The new CEO has selected your consulting firm to give him/her an analysis

of the organizational efficiency.

Write a double-spaced 2 to 3 page paper in which you will present to the CEO

your findings during your research steps. You must propose strategic

solutions in your paper to include the following:

1) Describe the Organization and the Issue to Resolve

• Provide a brief description of the organization you selected.

• Present the organizational issue that adversely affected

productivity and that you, the consultant, will review and

resolve.

2) Analyze Current Corporate Culture

• How has the current corporate culture facilitated the

development of the current issue? Research the organization,

dig into the culture, and analyze how it contributed to this issue.

Hint: Review the mission and vision statements as well as the

corporate website.

3) Identify Areas of Weakness

• What are the organization’s areas of weakness? Use your

research on organizational behavior approaches to corporate

culture, diversity, teamwork, and motivational strategies.

4) Propose Solutions

• What organizational practices would you modify? What

solutions would you recommend to management? As the

consultant you will identify the suggestions and solutions you

would present to the organization’s leadership with regard to

modifying current organizational practices to resolve the issue.

5) References and Citations

• Provide at least 2 quality resources such as the course

textbook, company website, business websites (CNBC,

Bloomberg, etc.), resources from the Strayer Library, and/or

outside sources. Note: Wikipedia and web-based blogs do not

qualify as credible resources.

• In-text citations are required when paraphrasing or quoting

another source.

6) Formatting and Writing Standards

• Formatting and writing standards are part of your grade. Align

your formatting to the Strayer Writing Standards.

*Grading for this assignment will be based on the following criteria and evaluation standards:

POINTS: 240 ASSIGNMENT 1: ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

Criteria

Exemplary

100% – A

Proficient

85% – B

Fair

75% – C

Unacceptable

0% – F

1. Describe the

Organization and

the Issue to

Resolve

Weight: 20%

Fully describes the

organization by providing a

relevant and robust but

concise overview of the

company (e.g. when they

were established, what

service(s) or products they

provide, and other relevant

information). Additionally,

the author fully describes the

issue he/she has identified;

what he/she knows about it

and how it has impacted the

company.

Sufficiently describes the

organization and provides

details about the company.

The issue is identified and

the author sufficiently

describes what he/she

knows about it and its

impact on the company.

Partially describes the

organization and provides

some details about the

company, but additional

details would improve the

description. The issue and

its impact on the company

are not clearly articulated.

Does not describe the

organization or provide

details about the company.

The issue and its impact on

the company are not

provided.

2. Analyze

Current Corporate

Culture

Weight: 20%

Completely describes the

company’s culture by

detailing how the company

positions itself from internal

and external perspectives.

Draws strong, logical

connections about how the

culture did or could have

supported/facilitated the

challenge. Makes direct

connections and supports

points with source material.

Satisfactorily describes

the company culture by

drawing on and

synthesizing corporate

information about the

company. Makes logical

and realistic connections

that are supported by

source material.

Partially describes the

company’s culture. Lacks

details and/or multiple

sources are not utilized to

provide a well-rounded

perspective. Makes loose

connections that were not

supported by sources or

that were not fully

articulated.

The culture is not

described or the company

is not differentiated

completely from others.

Poses unsupported

connections or

connections are not

included.

3. Identify Areas

of Weakness

Weight 20%

Completely identifies areas

of weakness and provides

strong details with logical

connections and supporting

source material.

Satisfactorily identifies

areas of weakness and

provides valid details

supported by source

material.

Partially identifies areas of

weakness and makes loose

connections between the

weaknesses and supporting

material.

Does not identify areas of

weakness or does not

provide supporting source

material.

4. Propose

Solutions

Weight 25%

Completely describes

modifications to

organizational practices and

provides solutions with

strong connections and

supporting source material.

Logically details how the

solutions will resolve issue.

Satisfactorily describes

modifications to

organizational practices.

Provides solutions that

make some connections

with supporting source

material to indicate how

the solutions will resolve

the issue.

Partially describes

modifications to

organizational practices and

solutions to resolve the

issues. Lacks supporting

details and source material.

Does not describe

modifications to

organizational practices,

or does not identify

solutions that would

resolve the issue. No

source material is

provided.

5. Reference

minimums;

Reference quality

Weight 5%

Meets or exceeds number of

required references; all

references high quality

choices.

Meets number of

required references;

some references may be

poor quality choices.

Does not meet the required

number of references; some

references may be poor

quality choices.

No references provided or

all references poor quality

choices.

6. Follows writing

standards;

Meets page

minimums

Weight 10%

Followed all writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed most writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed few writing

standards.

May not have met page

minimums.

Followed few to no writing

standards.

Did not meet page

minimums.

ASSIGNMENT 2

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM PROPOSAL Due Week 6: 240 points

As you continue your consulting role, the next task is to deliver a

professional development program to the CEO of your chosen organization.

It is important that your program’s proposal be based on your research of

emotional intelligence (EI) and specifically detail how a new incentive

program, based on an EI management approach, will:

▪ foster teamwork,

▪ strengthen interpersonal relationships,

▪ enhance communication,

▪ increase overall performance, and

▪ benefit not only managers but the bottom-line.

INSTRUCTIONS

Create a double-spaced 5 to 7 page proposal that includes the following components:

1) EI and Motivation

• Which of the EI building blocks would impact management’s ability to

enhance employee performance and job satisfaction?

• Based on your research on motivational theory, describe how you

would utilize positive or negative reinforcement to influence the

members of the organization and resolve the issue. Provide examples

to support your solution.

2) EI and Social Skills and Decision Making

• Explain how the core concepts of emotional intelligence would

enhance the social skills and the decision-making efficacy of the

management team.

3) Effective Teams

• Describe the core attributes of an effective team and the strategies

you would implement to develop team dynamics that will benefit the

organization.

4) Reward Systems

• Create an effective reward system for this organization. Determine

the strategies you would incorporate to motivate employees and

influence behavior.

5) References and Citations

• Provide at least 2 quality resources.

• In-text citations are required when paraphrasing or quoting another

source.

6) Formatting and Writing Standards

• Formatting and writing standards are part of your grade. Align your

formatting to the Strayer Writing Standards.

*Grading for this assignment will be based on the following criteria and evaluation standards:

POINTS: 240 ASSIGNMENT 2: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PROPOSAL

Criteria

Exemplary

100% – A

Proficient

85% – B

Fair

75% – C

Unacceptable

0% – F

1. EI and

Motivation

Weight: 20%

Fully describes how

motivation and

reinforcement would be

used to influence members

of the organization to

resolve the issue. Draws

compelling, logical

connections between theory

and solution. Examples are

strong and support solution.

Satisfactorily describes

how motivation and

reinforcement would be

used to influence members

of the organization to

resolve the issue. Makes

logical connections

between theory and

solution. Examples support

solution.

Partially describes how

motivation and

reinforcement would be

used to influence members

of the organization to

resolve the issue. Makes

loose connections between

theory and solution.

Examples do not fully

support solution.

The description does not

address how motivation

and reinforcement would

be used to influence

members of the

organization to resolve the

issue. Examples are not

provided.

2. EI and Social

Skills and

Decision Making

Weight: 20%

Fully describes how

motivation and

reinforcement would be

used to influence members

of the organization to

resolve the issue. Draws

compelling, logical

connections between theory

and solution. Examples are

strong and support solution.

Satisfactorily describes

how motivation and

reinforcement would be

used to influence

members of the

organization to resolve

the issue. Makes logical

connections between

theory and solution.

Examples support

solution.

Partially explains how core

concepts of emotional

intelligence would enhance

the social skills and the

decision-making efficacy of

the management team.

Loose connections are

made to support the

relationship between EI and

management’s skills.

Application of research is

minimal.

The description does not

explain how the core

concepts of emotional

intelligence would

enhance the social skills

and the decision-making

efficacy of the

management team.

3. Effective

Teams

Weight 25%

Completely describes the

core attributes of an

effective team. Strategies to

develop team dynamics are

strongly articulated and

detailed. Benefits to the

organization are logical and

well supported.

Satisfactorily describes

the core attributes of an

effective team.

Strategies to develop

team dynamics are

articulated. Benefits to

the organization are

stated. Additional details

and source support

would improve the

description.

Partially describes the core

attributes of an effective

team. Strategies to develop

team dynamics lack details

and source support or are

not fully articulated. Benefits

to the organization are

unclear.

Does not describe the core

attributes of an effective

team or strategies to

develop team dynamics.

Benefits to organization

are not presented.

4. Reward

Systems

Weight 20%

Creates an effective reward

system and articulates well-

thoughtout strategies to

motivate employees to

influence behavior. The

connection between strategy

and influence is strong and

supported by source

material.

Creates an effective

reward system and

provides motivational

strategies. Details and

source material support

how behavior would be

influenced.

Partially creates an effective

reward system and

articulates some

motivational strategies.

Supporting details are given

but could be expanded to

describe how behavior

would be influenced.

Application of research is minimal.

Did not create an effective

reward system or

determine strategies to

motivate employees to

influence behavior.

5. Reference

minimums;

Reference quality

Weight 5%

Meets or exceeds number of

required references; all

references high quality

choices.

Meets number of

required references;

some references may be

poor quality choices.

Does not meet the required

number of references; some

references may be poor

quality choices.

No references provided or

all references poor quality

choices.

6. Follows writing

standards;

Meets page

minimums

Weight 10%

Followed all writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed most writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed few writing

standards.

May not have met page

minimums.

Followed few to no writing

standards.

Did not meet page

minimums.

ASSIGNMENT 3

POWER, POLITICS, AND CULTURE Due Week 9: 240 points

In business, power and politics greatly influence an organizational

culture in turn hinder organizational productivity. In your role as

consultant you observed power and politics influence on the corporate

culture.

INSTRUCTIONS

Create a double-spaced 5 to 7 page report that addresses the following:

1) Influence of Politics and Power

• Explain how politics and power-play may have influenced the

organization’s culture.

2) Sources of Power

• Explore the sources of power and describe how management

could use this influence to benefit your department and improve

organizational performance.

3) Leadership Behavior and Culture

• Make recommendations that support how the study of power

and politics could influence leadership behavior and improve

the organization’s culture.

4) Leadership Influence

• Discuss the importance and complexity of leadership behavior.

How does it influence organizational structure and

performance?

5) References and Citations

• Provide at least 2 quality resources.

• In-text citations are required when paraphrasing or quoting

another source.

6) Formatting and Writing Standards

• Formatting and writing standards are part of your grade. Align

your formatting to the Strayer Writing Standards.

*Grading for this assignment will be based on the following criteria and evaluation standards:

POINTS: 240 ASSIGNMENT 3: POWER, POLITICS, AND CULTURE

Criteria

Exemplary

100% – A

Proficient

85% – B

Fair

75% – C

Unacceptable

0% – F

1. Influence of

Politics and Power

Weight: 20%

Completely explains how

politics and power-play may

have influenced the

organization’s culture.

Accurately identifies the core

issues and strongly

connects them to the impact

on culture. The explanation

is well-supported by research.

Satisfactorily explains how

politics and power-play

may have influenced the

organization’s culture.

Identifies some core

issues and connects them

to the impact on the

culture. The explanation

uses research support.

Partially explains how

politics and power-play may

have influenced the

organization’s culture.

Identifies some issues but

does not fully explore them

or make a strong

connection to their impact.

Uses little research support.

Does not explain how

politics and power-play may

have influenced the

organization’s culture.

2. Sources of

Power

Weight: 20%

Completely identifies the

sources of power and

describes how management

could use this influence to

enhance organizational

performance. Uses relevant

key concepts and makes

valid connections to

enhanced performance that

are well-supported by

research.

Satisfactorily identifies

the sources of power

and describes how

management could use

this influence to enhance

organizational

performance. Most key

concepts are accurately

identified and there is a

connection to enhanced

performance with

research support.

Partially identifies the

sources of power and

describes how management

could use this influence to

enhance organizational

performance. Not all key

concepts are identified and

there is a loose connection

to performance. There is

little research support.

Does not identify the

sources of power or

describe how

management could use

this influence to enhance

organizational

performance. There is no

reference to research.

3. Leadership

Behavior and

Culture

Weight 25%

Provides excellent

recommendations as to how

the study of power and

politics could influence

leadership behavior and

impact the organization’s

culture. Recommendations

are credible and relevant

with a strong connection to

the impact on culture backed

by well-supported research.

Satisfactorily

recommends how the

study of power and

politics could influence

leadership behavior and

impact the organization’s

culture. Recommenda-

tions are clear and

mostly realistic; there is a

connection to the impact

on culture. Research

support is evident.

Partially recommends how

the study of power and

politics could influence

leadership behavior and

impact the organization’s

culture, but the

recommendations are

unclear or unrealistic. There

is no clear connection to the

impact on culture. There is

little or no research support.

Does not recommend how

the study of power and

politics could influence

leadership behavior and

impact the organization’s

culture. There is no

reference to research.

4. Leadership

Influence

Weight 20%

Thoroughly discusses how

the importance and

complexity of leadership

behavior influences

organizational structure and

performance. Relevant key

concepts are presented with

strong research support.

Satisfactorily discusses

how the importance and

complexity of leadership

behavior influences

organizational structure

and performance. Most

key concepts are

presented with research

support.

Partially discusses how the

importance and complexity

of leadership behavior

influences organizational

structure and performance.

Some key concepts are

missing and there is little or

no research support.

Does not discuss how the

importance and

complexity of leadership

behavior influences

organizational structure

and performance. There is

no reference to research.

5. Reference

minimums;

Reference quality

Weight 5%

Meets or exceeds number of

required references; all

references high quality

choices.

Meets number of

required references;

some references may be

poor quality choices.

Does not meet the required

number of references; some

references may be poor

quality choices.

No references provided or

all references poor quality

choices.

6. Follows writing

standards;

Meets page

minimums

Weight 10%

Followed all writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed most writing

standards.

Met page minimums.

Followed few writing

standards.

May not have met page

minimums.

Followed few to no writing

standards.

Did not meet page

minimums.