Assignment

This assignment consists of three questions. Be sure to include both the questions and the responses in the document you submit. Your total combined responses for these three questions should not exceed 1000 to 1500 words.

Textbook:

McShane, S. L., & Steen, S. L. (2009). Canadian organizational behaviour (7th ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. This course presents material from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 14.

1. A large project engineering company assigns engineering, purchasing, marketing and support staff to client-based projects, which last anywhere from four months to one year. These project staff report to both the project leader and the manager of their functional specialization. For example, a marketing employee in Project Z would receive day-to-day instructions from the Project Z manager but would receive career development guidance from the company's director of marketing. The functional manager also places employees in future projects. In the past, a project employee was evaluated by the employee's project leader at the time of the annual performance evaluation. However, some employees complained that they had just started the project, so the project leader didn't know their performance. The company wants to introduce a 360-degree feedback process to overcome this and other problems with the performance evaluation system.

Describe the specific characteristics of a 360-degree feedback process for project staff at this company and identify two problems that the company should know about 360- degree feedback systems.

2. XYZ Ltd. has just introduced a performance-based reward system for all production employees. The plan pays employees a team-based bonus based on the reduction of labour costs per unit in the production department.

Briefly state the type of reward system used by XYZ Ltd. and describe three strategies to ensure that this and other performance-based reward systems are effective.

3. Senior management at Candoo Graphics has numerous administrative and client problems. In the past, the company assigned one person (typically a senior executive or department manager) to solve each problem alone. Although no one was prevented from discussing these issues with colleagues, the macho style of most managers was that they could overcome the challenging assignment without anyone's help. The results were usually adequate, but rarely exceptional. A few were disastrous. Senior management is now considering involving employees in these decisions, but it isn't sure how employee involvement makes a difference.

Explain to Candoo's managers how employee involvement potentially results in more effective decisions.