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 Assignment 1 Please read ALL directions below before starting your final assignment.  

INSTRUCTIONS:

 1. Read the entire case study carefully and then respond to the four Discussion Questions on page 5. Answer all questions and all parts of each question.

 2. Develop each answer to the fullest extent possible, including evidence from the case and citations from course resources, where applicable, to support your arguments. 

3. Submit your assignment as a separate MS Word document in your assignments folder. Do not type your answers into the case study document. 

4. Include a Cover Page with Name, Date, and Title of Assignment.

 5. Do not include the original question. Use the following format: Question 1, Question 2, etc.

 6. Each response should be written in complete sentences, doublespaced and spell-checked. Use 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins on all sides.

 7. Include page numbers according to APA formatting guidelines. 8. Include citations in APA format at the end of each answer.

 9. You must submit to the assignment link by the due date. A missing assignment will be assigned a grade of 0. © 2008 Society for Human Resource Management.

 Alan Cabelly, Ph.D. 2 Case Overview Part A In August, Jason Hubbs submitted a résumé to the human resource department of Big Time Computers Inc. in response to an advertisement in the local newspaper for a senior technical writer. The résumé was forwarded to Big Time’s Manager of Technical Publications, Lisa Cavanaugh, for her consideration. Big Time Computers is a local high-tech firm with sales offices throughout the United States and Europe. At the time of the senior technical writer job advertisement, Big Time employed about 1,200 people. Big Time designs and manufactures high-end computer systems that sell in the $500,000 to $6,000,000 range. Big Time’s products are sophisticated and complex, and the working atmosphere is highly technical. The engineering department is the largest and most dominant department. Engineers are in management positions throughout the company, including top-level management. Due to the sophistication and complexity of their products, employees in marketing, customer service, and technical publications are required to have strong technical backgrounds; many have engineering or computer science degrees. The technical publications department employed 14 people. This included the manager, two senior writers (Mark Samson and Chris Murray), seven writers, one technical editor (Colton Hamrick), and three editorial assistants. The manager had a business degree and had been working in the technical publications field for 12 years. The senior writers had four-year engineering degrees; the other seven writers had engineering degrees, computer science degrees, or two-year associate’s degrees in a technical field. The technical editor had an English degree and an associate’s degree in electronics, and the editorial assistants had English or liberal arts degrees. The department had a well-established set of procedures for new manuals and manual revisions. When given a writing assignment, the writer would do the necessary research by reading product specifications and interviewing the engineers involved with the product. The writer would then develop an outline which was reviewed by the appropriate engineers and the technical publications project leader responsible for that product. The writer then wrote a first draft which was edited by the technical editor and reviewed company-wide. The reviewer list included key people from each area of the company. After making necessary changes, the writer submitted the manual for a brief second review and made additional changes. An editorial assistant did proofreading and formatting before each review, and when the two reviews were complete, the editorial assistant did the final proofing and formatting. The manual was then printed. This extensive review procedure gave the writers a great deal of exposure throughout the company. © 2008 Society for Human Resource Management. Alan Cabelly, Ph.D. 3 The current job opening was a new position at Big Time that was necessitated by an increased workload. Although some internal people wanted to apply for the job, Cavanaugh believed that no internal candidates had the necessary skills for the position; besides, she thought it would be good to bring in new blood at the top. She found one strong résumé and began the hiring process. In considering Jason Hubbs’s résumé, Cavanaugh noted that Hubbs had a computer science degree, was working toward a Doctoral degree, and had three years’ experience as a technical writer in a local high-tech firm. Cavanaugh was impressed with Hubbs’s credentials and scheduled an interview date. Cavanaugh included herself, the technical editor and the two senior writers on Hubbs’s interview schedule. Cavanaugh’s interview was general, focusing on background, goals and work habits. Hamrick, the technical editor, asked questions regarding writing skills and techniques, while Samson and Murray, the senior writers, focused on Hubbs’s technical skills. Cavanaugh then met with the interviewers to determine if Hubbs was qualified for the senior technical writer job. Cavanaugh was pleased with Hubbs’s responses to her general questions and liked the writing samples he had given her. Hamrick felt that Hubbs had answered the interview questions well, but had reservations about his interpersonal skills and ability to integrate into the department. He also had some concerns about one of the writing samples. Samson and Murray thought his technical skills were excellent and had no strong feelings either way about his interpersonal skills. Cavanaugh, Samson, and Murray all felt that Hubbs should be hired; Hamrick disagreed. Cavanaugh checked two of Hubbs’s three references and got good reports on his skills and work habits. She hired him. © 2008 Society for Human Resource Management. Alan Cabelly, Ph.D. 4 Big Time Computers inc. Technical Publications Department © 2008 Society for Human Resource Management. Alan Cabelly, Ph.D. Lisa Cavanaugh Mark Samson 5

 Answer the following:

 1. Evaluate the recruiting strategy and methods used by the hiring manager and identify and discuss any gaps or limitations. Explain and defend your answers. •

 Do you agree or disagree with the recruiting strategy? •

 Do you agree or disagree with the decision to not consider internal candidates? •

 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of internal vs. external recruiting methods as they apply to this case. •

 Discuss 3 additional recruiting sources that could have been used to find potential candidates and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each as they apply to this case

 2. A) Evaluate the selection methods, including the interviewing process used by the hiring manager. Do you believe they were effective? Discuss any limitations or challenges that may exist with the selection methods and the interview process used.

 B) Discuss 3 other selection methods that could have been used and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each as they apply to this case.

3. Evaluate the decision of the hiring manager to make the candidate an offer despite the concerns of Hamrick. Do you agree or disagree that a hiring decision should have been made without consensus among all three team members? Are there any additional steps or considerations the hiring manager could have taken with Hamrick?

 4. Based on the recruiting and selection processes used, do you believe the hiring manager was prepared to make a hiring decision? Why or why not?  

Using the empirical research article that your instructor approved in the Week 5 assignment, ask yourself: “Is this a quantitative research article or a qualitative research article?” Remember, in quantitative research, the emphasis is on measuring social phenomenon because it is assumed that everything can be observed, measured, and quantified. On the other hand, in qualitative research, it is assumed that social phenomenon cannot be easily reduced and broken down into concepts that can be measured and quantified. Instead, there may be different meanings to phenomenon and experiences. Often in qualitative research, researchers use interviews, focus groups and observations to gather data and then report their findings using words and quotations.

Consider how these different methods affect the sampling design and recruitment strategy, and ask yourself how the recruitment of research participants will affect the findings.

For this Assignment, submit a 3-4 page paper. Complete the following:

• Read your selected empirical research article, and identify whether the study is a quantitative or qualitative study. Justify the reasons why you believe it is a quantitative or qualitative study. (Your instructor will indicate to you if you are correct in identifying the research design. This will point you to whether you will use the “Quantitative Article and Review Critique” or the “Qualitative Article and Review Critique” guidelines for the final assignment in week 10.)
• Using the empirical research article, focus on the sampling method in the study and begin to evaluate the sampling method by answering the following:
  • Describe the sampling methods in your own words (paraphrase, do not quote from the article).
  • Describe the generalizability or the transferability of the research finding based on the sampling method.
  • Discuss the limitations the article identified with the sample and how those limitations affect the reliability or credibility.
  • Explain one recommendation you would make to improve the sampling plan of the study that would address these limitations in future research.

Instructions

Today, you learned that your organization has a significant change initiative planned within the next 6 months. The chief executive officer (CEO) has asked you, the human resources (HR) director, to lead this change initiative. You will need to motivate your supervisors as they work directly with the employees; their role in this change will be critical. For this assignment, you will start by doing some self-analysis to prepare yourself to take on heading up the change initiative.

First, begin your paper by briefly describing the change that will take place at your organization. Then, browse the Internet to find one of the many leadership style quizzes that are available. Take the assessment to learn more about your personal leadership style. Consider a traditional leadership style test such as What’s Your Leadership Style?. An assessment that gives a more nontraditional leadership style assessment is The Leadership Legacy Assessment: Identifying Your Instinctive Leadership Style. However, feel free to find your own. Ensure that the assessment provides enough analysis for you to be able to determine your own style.

Once you have taken a leadership style assessment, you will then write a reflection paper that includes the elements listed below.

• Compare and contrast your two top leadership styles. Did your results surprise you? Why, or why not?
• Evaluate how your leadership style could impact employee motivation and the change initiative.
• Select two supervisors from those portrayed in the unit lesson to join your change initiative team, and explain why you would choose them. What roles are they best suited to play in the change process, and how will you mentor them to utilize their strengths and improve on their weaknesses?
• Provide an analysis of the motivational theories that could play a role in successfully leading employees through the change initiative.
• Identify areas where you think you can improve on your own leadership skills to ensure this change initiative is a success.

Your reflection paper should be a minimum of three pages in length. Your writing should reflect an in-depth consideration and personalization of the concepts presented in this unit, and your interpretations should be insightful and supported. 

Any sources must be properly cited. Adhere to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment. APA formatting, however, is not necessary.

 Application of Human Resources Concepts 15% SLO – 7.1, 10.3, 10.4, 10.6, 11.1, 11.3, 11.4 CLO – 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2 Clearly identifies two Human Resource concepts, qualities, strategies, or theories utilized by the CEO or stakeholders. Provides the specific outcome of using each concept, quality, strategy, or theory. Clearly identifies one additional Biblical leadership quality/strategy/theory not discussed in the case that CEO or stakeholders could have utilized. Provides the anticipated outcome of using this quality/strategy/theory. 

Your team’s approach is to involve everyone, to help people be generalists, and to share information openly. What is your team’s approach?​

​Self-censorship

​Mind guarding

​Continuous improvement

​Direct pressure

A long-range, big-picture process to assist companies in better overall management for the entire organization is known as:

​Long-range goal analysis

​Productivity

​Value-added analysis

​Total Quality Management (TQM)

What should effective motivational programs do in terms of offering rewards?

​Make a distinction between workers based on seniority

​Not make a distinction between workers

​Make a distinction between workers based on performance regardless of effort

​Make a distinction between workers based on effort

What is the natural tendency of people in resolving problems?

​Select the last solution possible after evaluating all the alternative.

​Select the first reasonable problem that comes to mind

​Select the first reasonable solution that comes to mind

​Select the best solution after evaluating all the alternatives

Which is best when generating alternatives?

​Focus on the short term; bad decisions in the short term means there is no long term to worry about.

​Evaluate the alternatives after all alternatives have been proposed.

​Separate alternatives from one another.

​Evaluate the alternatives as they are proposed; this saves time.

You are a manager of a team of 50 professionals. One particular professional persists in accusing you of having your priorities out of order. Since the planning activity you do often is not urgent, this particular professional tries to undermine the activity. Which research-based principle should the manager remember?

​People who experience the most time stress are those who allow others to generate their personal principles statement for them through their demands for time.

​Relationship conflicts should be handled at the end of the day so that the important things can be given your best energy in the morning hours.

People who steal time from you should be removed from your work environment in order to avoid situational stress.

​People who steal time from you can be dealt with by talking to them while standing.

As a manager, you are trying to hire someone for a critical position in your department. You have called references on three applicants. Bob’s reference, his former supervisor, said, “Bob has more information and communication flowing through him than anyone in our company.” Joe’s reference said, “Joe can get others to get things done better than anyone I know.” Albert’s boss said, “Albert is the greatest person to be around. He is so optimistic and giving.” Based on the information in the text about creating positive change, who should you hire?

​Bob

​Albert

​Joe

​Not enough information to determine

Which of the following is an unconscious aspect of an organization’s culture?

​Dress codes

​Office furniture

​Mission statements

​Perceptions

According to the text, Management, one approach to translate a performance development vision into a reality involves a three-tier quality and innovation approach focused on:

​benchmark, strategic monitor, progress monitor

​universal, selected, targeted

​facilities, process, and talent

​early prevention, targeted intervention, intensive intervention

If you would like to expand your power base horizontally, what could you do?

Have lunch with co-workers in your department every day

Do an excellent job on all your assignments

Have lunch with workers from other departments

Focus on increasing your power through the formal organizational power

If someone believes that the possible alternatives to a problem must conform to her perception of the boss’s expectations, which conceptual block is she a victim of?

​Ignoring commonalities

​Artificial constraints

​Perceptual stereotyping

​Not separating figure from ground

Dividing a company into sub-units where each unit would be assigned a specific function and employees would perform different tasks, and a manager(s) would be put in place to oversee the department is an example of which technique?

​diversification

​differentiation

​integration

​Implementation

In the workplace, people are most likely to interact with which co-workers?

​Co-workers with diverse social values

​Co-workers with different self-awareness traits

​Co-workers similar to the.

​Creative co-workers

You need a little extra money, so you added an extra $100 to your expense reimbursement statement before handing the receipts over to accounting. Your co-worker Sara added over $1000 to her statement. If you believe Sara’s actions are worse than yours, what is your level of values maturity?

​Third level of maturity

​Second level of maturity

​First level of maturity

​Theta level maturity

You understand the importance of two-way communication during the delegation process. What does this mean?

​That you, as the manager, remain available for consultation and idea exchange

​That you, as the manager, should answer every detailed question and provide continual advice

​That you, as the manager, provide information on a need to know time frame

​That you, as the manager, empathize totally with the process

Your boss prefers that you act on your own initiative and report to her when the final results have been accomplished. Which initiative does your boss practice?

​Wait to be told

​Recommend, then take action

​Act, then report

​Ask what to do

Standardization, formalization, and delegation are used to provide clarity to which of the following processes?

​implementation

​diversification

​integration

​Differentiation

Which information systems help organizations with their decision-making processes?

​ERP

​DSS

​MIS

​ESS

As manager, you have decided to enforce a new policy restricting dating in the office. You are comfortable with the policy and have decided that the policy will affect you also. Which ethical test did you most likely employ?

​Golden rule test

​Personal gain test

​Cost-benefit test

​Equal treatment test

According to the Management text, quality may be defined as:

​an inherent or distinguishing characteristic

​a measure of product or service excellence minus the amount of defects.

​peculiar and essential character

 ​the attribute of an elementary sensation that makes it fundamentally unlike any other sensation

If your boss encourages your team to ask questions and obtain and search for data, she is trying to overcome which conceptual block?

​Separating figure from ground

​Compression

​Bias against thinking

​Noninquisitiveness

Which of the following characteristics are important sources of personal power?

​Flexibility

​Knowledge

​Criticality

​Relevance

The processes and systems built to assist in the daily activities of production are known as:

​automation

​logistics.

​operations management.

​management science.

Relationships must be formed and trust established. Clarity of direction is needed from team leaders. Your team is at what stage?

 ​Storming

​Norming

​Performing

​Forming

Employees at Turner, Inc. are engaged in a debate over the merits of an individual vs. a team-based compensation program. Based on Trompenaars’ dimensions of national culture, which cultural dimension does this debate most closely relate to?​

​Universalism vs. particularism

​Achievement vs. ascription

​Individualism vs. collectivism

​Affective vs. neutral

_____________ help organizations run more efficiently by incorporating people, technology, and information systematically.

​DSS

​ESS

​MIS

IT

What guideline should a firm follow to attain the greatest motivational impact from a new awards programs?

​Give the awards privately

​Make sure the award is meaningful to the families of employees

​Only acknowledge current recipients

​Use awards infrequently

Which is the most accurate summary of the differentiation some writers have given between leadership and management?

​Management is about setting direction and leadership is about creating something new.

​Management is about controlling variance and leadership is about initiating change.

​Management is about equilibrium and leadership is about refining current performance.

​Management is about facilitating stability and leadership is about managing change.

Events, situations, objects, people, or other artifacts that provide greater meaning to the organization are the company’s ___________.

​symbols

​stories

​ceremonies

​Rituals

To become a better manager, what is one of the first things one should do?​

​Manage one’s time better

​Seek knowledge of oneself

​Improve one’s communication skills

​Empower one’s employees

Please respond to the following:

• Discuss at least two areas, or policy changes, covered in this course that you believe will have a significant effect on the field of public personnel management in the next ten years. Explain why you selected those areas or policy changes.

·  Overview
In your second assignment, you created a professional development plan using EI building blocks and motivation. In this last assignment, you will examine how politics and power influence an organization and its culture.
In business, power and politics greatly influence an organizational culture and may hinder organizational productivity. In your role as consultant, you observed power and politics influence on the corporate culture.
Instructions
Write a 5–7 page report that addresses the following:
1.  Influence of Politics and Power:
o  Explain how politics and power-play may have influenced the organization’s culture.
2.  Sources of Power:
o  Explore at least one source of power and describe how management could use this influence to benefit the department and improve organizational performance.
3.  Leadership Behavior and Culture:
o  Make recommendations that support how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and improve the organization’s culture.
4.  Leadership Influence:
o  Discuss the importance and complexity of leadership behavior in solving the issue you identified. How does it influence organizational structure and performance?
5.  References and Citations:
o  Go to the Strayer University Online Library to locate at least two resources.
o  In-text citations are required when paraphrasing or quoting another source.
6.  Formatting and Writing Standards:
o  This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards. For assistance and information, please refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course.
Confidentiality: Since you will be addressing real issues in real organizations in your assignments, it is important to respect confidentiality. Feel free to use an alias for any company or individuals you might mention in your assignments. Remember that all discussions about these organization should only occur within this course and not be shared with people outside the course.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
·  Analyze the influence of politics, power, and leadership behavior on organizational culture.

Instructions

Congratulations! You have been hired as the first director of human resources (HR) for your organization. You will create this fictional organization, which will then be used in this assignment and future assignments. 

For this assignment, complete the steps listed below.

• First, begin with an introduction that provides the name and basic description of your fictional organization. Include the location (city and state), type of industry, and number of employees.
  • The organization must have 20 or more employees.
  • It must be an organization where unionization and globalization are possible.
• Second, explain the importance of equal employment opportunity as you see it through your eyes as the HR director. Why is it important to have up-to-date knowledge about federal laws against discrimination?
• Third, select three federal or state discrimination laws that you consider to be important for your organization.
• Next, evaluate the laws and why you selected the laws that you chose.
• Provide a summary of the total amount of charge statistics in your organization’s state that are related to the three laws you described.
• Finally, develop a brief nondiscrimination policy for your organization. Ensure that it reflects what you must do to prevent discriminatory practices at your organization. Be sure it contains all recommended requirements discussed in the unit lesson.

Your project should be a minimum of three pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. You must use at least three sources to support your project. Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, and make certain to include in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed.

• What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using social media tools in the recruitment process?
• What type of policies should organizations implement when using social media tools for recruitment?
• What are some legal ramifications of using social media during the recruitment process?

Supporting Lectures:

Review the following lectures:

• Discrimination in the Workplace
• Preventing or Defending Against Discrimination Claims

Discussion Questions

Before beginning work on this discussion forum, please review the link Doing Discussion Questions Right, the expanded grading rubric for the forum below, and any specific instructions for this topic.

Before the end of the week, begin commenting on at least two of your classmates’ responses. You can ask technical questions or respond generally to the overall experience. Be objective, clear, and concise. Always use constructive language, even in criticism, to work toward the goal of positive progress. Submit your responses in the Discussion Area.

Tasks

Choose one of the following questions:

Discussion Question 1

Betty is a female production line worker at TechLine. She is a single mother who is seven months pregnant with her fourth child. TechLine is considering moving Betty from the production line to office work. The move would eliminate Betty’s chance to make overtime pay. Advise TechLine on the discrimination issues involved.

Discussion Question 2

BT Electronics is experiencing a continuous boom in demand for its products. They are considering expanding from Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, to adding a second shift from 5:00 pm to midnight and weekend hours on Saturday and Sunday in order to meet product demand. Many of BT’s workers attend church services on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, in addition to other church activities on weeknights. Advise BT Electronics on the discrimination issues involved.

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Your initial posting should be addressed at 500–1000 words as noted in the attached PDF.