Reference no: EM132253098

Discussion :

Each student will prepare a white paper that analyzes a specific performance management related problem in an organization. Note the key words specific problem and analyzes. This paper may be different from many past papers in two key ways. First, it is written as a business white paper rather than in an academic style.

Second, it is written for the CEO or other key decision maker in the organization. It is not to be a description or history of events or a general treatment of a concept. This assignment is modeled after White Papers which are created in organizations to address particular problems and generate solutions. You will be expected to use a concept from the course to better understand the situation and make recommendations for improvement in this situation. You must use a minimum two outside, peer-reviewed journals.

Note: Business Week, newspapers and similar publications are not peer reviewed journals.) Use these articles to help you better understand and use your concept. Use the articles to help you think more thoroughly about your chosen concept. Do not provide "book reports" of the articles. Papers not using required outside, peer-reviewed sources will result in up to a 10 point deduction. All sources used must be properly cited.

This includes all web pages used, whether you use quotation marks or not. This paper will require analysis of a performance management related problem in an organization. This paper has a fixed structure with required sections.

1. Problem Statement - A brief statement of a SPECIFIC performance management related problem in a particular organization. Identify the costs, financial and others, of the organization not solving this problem. Create a compelling argument on behalf of your view of the problem.

Conclude this section with a clear question that you wish to answer through this paper. Write this question in the form of an open-ended question rather than one that can be answered with a yes or no. How well you answer this question becomes a key criteria for evaluating each of the next three sections. (recommend not more than 2 pages)

2. Concept - Description of a concept chosen from the Key Concept List and how you expect this concept to help you successfully complete this analysis.

Include a statement about why you believe this concept will help you answer your question. Present your concept in a form that will be useful in framing the analysis. (Do not present all you know about the concept. Demonstrate your knowledge of the concept and its elements by the effective way you present how you will use the concept to answer your question.) Reflect in this section how this concept will provide a more useful view of the problem by using.

What questions do you want to ask, using the concept, which will help you answer your question? Remember to use the elements of the concept to help you identify useful questions. This is the section where your peer reviewed journal articles can help you better understand your chosen concept and/or how to use it for analysis. Consider this section as your plan of action - what steps will you take to complete your analysis? This is not the section to provide descriptive information about your organization. (2 pages)

3. Analysis - Systematically ask the concept-framed question developed in the Concept Section to learn what is being done well and what could be improved. Answer your questions and draw conclusions from your answers. Do not introduce additional concepts in this section. If an additional concept is valuable, integrate it in a revised concept section. End this section with a list of conclusions you have drawn from your analysis.

Collectively, these conclusions should directly answer your open-ended question and provide a foundation for your specific, actionable recommendations. In summary, this analysis section should be an execution of your plan developed in your concept section (2 to 4 pages).

4. Recommendations - From what you have learned in your analysis, make recommendations for specific action that would improve the handling of the situation. These should address the problem presented in the first section. A definite thread should be seen from the question to the concept to the analysis to your recommendations. They should be readily identifiable, not buried in the midst of paragraphs.

Remember, as a manager, you are expected to be able to understand situations and determine specific action to take. This is where you demonstrate you can identify specific, actionable recommendations. The work in the paper, to this point, should have created a compelling argument on behalf of your recommendations. (1 to 2 pages)

These 4 sections will conclude the actual White paper. The last sections of the paper will be the supporting sections for our white paper. These are the sections that provide important preparation and reflection for your white paper. It should contain the Concept, Evaluation, Learning, and References. The previously submitted Concept may be modified (BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE), and a new grade will be assigned. Modification is a good idea since it will better support the sections that to follow in the paper.

5. Evaluation - The fifth section to this paper is the opportunity for you to review your problem-solving process. In what ways did you find your definition of the problem useful in solving it? What were the strengths and weaknesses of your choice of concept?

If you chose more than one concept, how well were you able to use an integration of these concepts to frame your analysis? How might you have integrated them differently? Is there another concept or two that might have been equally or more useful? Which ones and why? In what ways were you able to draw new conclusions about the problem through using this process? (1/2 to 1 page)

6. Learning - The final section to this paper is not a typical conclusion. Do not summarize your paper. That is not necessary. This section is an opportunity to reflect on you personal learning. Write a brief statement about what you learned about Performance Management from completing this assignment. (up to one page)

10-12 pages, APA style.

Required Text: Aguinis, Herman. (2013).Performance Management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Person/Prentice Hall.

ISBN: 978-0-13-255638-3