week 1

Question B

Describe a situation where you or your supervisor needed to make a decision and based that decision on the data provided. Was the data quantitative or qualitative? Was the decision that was made different than it would have been if it were based on observation alone?

Week 1 Assignment

Week 1 Assignment

In a 2-3 page paper using APA formatting for references, answer the following questions:

1. Imagine yourself sitting in the auditorium of a larger corporation as the CEO expounds on the company’s new vision for 2020 and the way that this corporation will be making “sustainable” services and “green” products for non-industrial economies as well as for the web-enabled e-commerce societies. You are seeing the Chain of Results diagram in your mind’s eye and are beginning to look for the alignment opportunities that are emerging. Describe the Chain of Results elements and how each element provides alignment opportunities. Follow your thoughts up with documented research from outside scholarly resources. You should have at least two (2) outside resources to assist you with this response.

2. List five corporate documents that every performance practitioner wants to review regularly in order to stay in tune with their clients’ strategic directions and redirections. Describe what information you can gain from each that will assist you in aligning your work with that strategic direction. Why are these documents beneficial to the workplace? Which would you consider for your current workplace? If you are unemployed, you may use Grantham University as your company choice or us another company of your choosing.

Week 2

Question A

Your discussion for this module relates to a real-world situation where performance change is necessary. You can use a current or previous employer, popular company from the media, or create a fictional scenario. Define the performance change needed. Identify the categories of requirements that will be needed. Then for each category, define the requirements to be fulfilled. 

Question B

The term Return on Investment (ROI) is often used in describing the results that will be gained by investing in a new venture. Employees are often considered an investment as they come with knowledge and gain expertise through experience and training. Thus, why is it important to consider the ROI in terms of employees and performance? Be sure to back up your response with research from a credible outside resource.

Week 2 Assignment

In a 2 page (minimum) paper following APA format, answer one the following questions:

1. You have been asked to assess the interface for company XYZ’s online job bank and resume submission function. You have limited information, however, you do know that: 

o HR is overwhelmed with the number of resume submissions.

o Internal users complain that their applications disappear into never-never land and that they never hear back about whether they were considered for the position.

o A few external users call HR to ask how to send a resume directly since the online system will not accept their resume.

o The niece of the current Chief Executive Officer visited the site and complained about how frumpy and tired the site was and stated that this is a real turn-off.Describe your process for analyzing the gap(s) and defining the change requirements. 

2. You are consulting with a healthcare organization that has heavy document control needs because all of their documents become legal descriptions of their products, which means that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) includes them in reviews of your products and services. There is long history of managing documents with extensive provisioning controls, checking them in and out, and tracking every change in from the most minor spelling correction to production of new content. This is necessary for FDA compliance. Now, the Chief Executive Officer wants to move to online documentation co-developed with clients via wiki’s with “in draft” and “final” clearly indicated. This is a big leap in performance changes for the document developers. In order for this to be successful, describe the various perspectives that will need to considered and explain the key requirements of each.

Be sure to follow up your suggestions with data from credible resources. Remember that your title and reference page are not considered in the minimum page count requirements.

Week 3 Discussion

Many organizations change so frequently that they are unwilling to invest in the process diagramming and definitions of defined enablers.  A plethora of new technologies such as Wikis and Mashups (a method for bring disparate data together for a common view – for example, bring together a street map, a list of real estate for sale, flag on the street map for schools, churches, parks, government buildings and malls) are changing the scenery again.  Identify three excuses that might be used for not doing an analysis and counter each with a brief description of how technology to help you create it and maintain it with a very low “overhead” (i.e., at no additional time and with no additional money).  Post your list and ideas here.

Week 3 Assignment

In a 2 page (minimum) paper following APA format, answer all of the following questions:

1. Explain how the HPS (Human Performance Systems) model interacts with a process diagram to aid in performing an Enabler Analysis. Identify the process of an Enabler Analysis and explain each of the elements.

2. Describe the three performance variables that should be considered for change in every analysis. Explain how each would impact a corporate “bottom line” – their net gain after expenses.It’s time to buy groceries. Diagram the process for buying groceries (You may wish to do this in Word, Visio, or PowerPoint).

Be sure to follow up your suggestions with data from credible resources. Remember that your title and reference page are not considered in the minimum page count requirements.

Week 4 Discussion

Question A

Use your professional network or an online social network to find a performance practitioner who will meet you. In the interview ask two primary questions (see below). Then, follow-up with any other questions that occur to you. In particular, ask questions about how work gets assigned, how decisions get made, and how practitioners position themselves to be sought-after professionals.The two primary questions to ask are:

1. Do you use performance analysis tools within the workplace? 

2. How do you stay current in the field?Post a summary and analysis of your interview to the Discussion Forum.

Question B

Often interviews are conducted with existing employees when an organizational diagnoses has been deemed necessary. When interviewing various employees within a company, there may be distrust or fear of rebuttal for unfavorable responses. How would you build a new professional relationship with an employee prior to an interview?

Week 4 Assignment

Midterm

Week 5 Discussion

Question A

Analyze the case study design below and post an analysis

The Case:

KandyLand provides sweet treats for all seasons, but they really gear up in the summer so that their products are ready to go for the winter holidays. However, KandyLand has been experiencing problems in the shipping department. Order fulfillment errors are high. During your assessment of their process, you discovered that orders place “on-line” via the web were filled correctly 98% of the time and those that were entered by call-center customer service representatives were filled incorrectly 98% of the time. It was determined that the call-center’s order entry tool was out of date and did not match that used by the shipping department.   In addition, the data showed that over half of the customers ordering by phone had internet technology but were “not comfortable” ordering electronically, so they called their orders in. The “idea” is to move all orders to online order entry for all clients.  

The Design:

•Train the sales reps

•Work with Marketing and Communications to create web and surface mail communications indicating that phone orders and surface mail orders will no longer be taken.

•Arrange for sales representatives to call customers and walk them through an online order or to visit them in person and walk through the online order

•Give sales reps an online form for reporting problems experienced by specific customers and other feedback.

•At weekly QA (quality assurance) meetings, summarize sales reps feedback and actions taken to solve problems

•Move 20% of customer service call-center reps into production roles or shipping roles

•Three-months after transition, determine whether the call-center staffing ratio is correct, whether lay-offs are needed, and determine whether there are other call-center issues that need to be addressed.

Question B

What are the critical factors to consider in the design of a work system? What role does technology play in the design of work systems? Use data from credible outside resources to backup your response.

Week 5 Assignment

Nighttime Apnea Partners Institute (NAPI – pronounced Nap-ee) specializes in the study of sleep disorders, such as Apnea. They test both newly announced products and traditional home-remedies. Eventually, after much research, they publish clinical study data on their findings. In addition, they create market-ready sleep-aids that range from the low-tech tool to some very high-tech options.You are working with them on a software implementation project that will add barcode functionality to their current patient record system and custom-designed sleep-study software. This is a desired functionality in high-demand by the Sleep Specialists who track sleep behaviors of individuals testing various research studies, product studies, or who are simply visiting overnight to identify their specific sleep disorder. Below is the design for this change project. In a 2 page (minimum) paper following APA format, analyze its strengths and weaknesses.

The Design:

•Test barcode software against requirements

•Training shift leaders in the use of barcode readers

•Provide barcode training manuals for shift leaders to use in training their teams

•Bring up one wing of the sleep labs per week until all labs are up and running

•Provide on-the-floor coaches who rotate through sleep labs assisting the technicians, troubleshoot, and coach the use of the barcode readers

•During the week that a wing is building its barcode skills, debrief the wing-team at the end of the shift and debrief senior management at their morning “huddle”

Be sure to follow up your suggestions with data from credible resources. Remember that your title and reference page are not considered in the minimum page count requirements.

Week 6 Discussion

Question A

Risk management is a matter of identifying the situations that could cause your project to fail. Common risks include loss of staff, decreased funding, decision point approvals not completed in a timely manner, and content not being available. Brainstorm three or four other risks that you have seen in your professional experience. If you are having trouble identifying projects, brainstorm with your classmates or contact your instructor.Once you have 3-4 risks, identify at least two ways to prevent each and two ways to resolve them, if they happen in spite of your preventions. Post your ideas.

Question B

How does the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) help to minimize risks? How often should a risk analysis be conducted? Why are risks often overlooked?

Week 6 Assignment

In a 2 page (minimum) paper following APA format, answer all of the following questions:Explain the relationship between work breakdown structures (WBS), network diagrams, and risk management. Give an example of each and backup your data using credible research from online resources.

Be sure to follow up your suggestions with data from credible resources. Remember that your title and reference page are not considered in the minimum page count requirements.

Week 7 Discussion

Question A

One of the best known models for evaluation is the Kirkpatrick Model. The levels of evaluation describe there are used as guides for organizations applying for training awards. Search the internet on “Kirkpatrick Model” to find documentation about this model. Post 1-3 paragraphs comparing this model with the one provided in your textbook.

Question B

Do performance management systems usually measure the right things? How can performance management systems encourage performance that is more consistent with long- range rather than short- term issues?

Week 7 Assignment

In a 2 page (minimum) paper following APA format, evaluate the following evaluation plan. Define the elements that are present. Describe those that are missing and propose evaluation techniques that would fill those gaps.

Qwerty Ltd (QL) designs and builds custom keyboards from scrap computer parts. They resell the keyboard to industries that need non-standard keyboards for specific applications such as manufacturing floors, , mining operations, and even NASA. In order to streamline their order-to-design process, they want sales reps to capture requirements during sales calls. One of your peers has asked you to review their evaluation plan (below): Comment on the strengths and missed opportunities.

•Determine whether sales reps have the right skills for capturing requirements

•Define work processes and tools that sales reps will need for new work

•Design the training (if any)

•Pilot test the training with local sales reps only

•Track participant satisfaction with training

•Track whether or not sales reps submit requirements during or just after sales calls

•Determine whether or not production is satisfied with requirements submitted by sales reps

Be sure to follow up your suggestions with data from credible resources. Remember that your title and reference page are not considered in the minimum page count requirements.

Week 8 Discussion

Review and reflect on what you learned in the past 8 weeks. What is the most practical and easily applied lesson you learned? What was the hardest to grasp? Why? What else do you need to know about Measurement and Assessment Strategies?