Organizations, from time to time, must make hard decisions (expand, lay off employees, or close a facility). As a manager, you will have to use work experiences, advice from supervisors, and the organizational culture to support your decision. Organizational culture is the sum of the values and beliefs shared among employees.
Suppose you are a manager who is faced with having to reduce headcount (lay off one of your two employees) in your unit. Sales within the company have declined due to the downward spiral of the economy, and each department within the organization is faced with making the same decision. Fortunately, you only have to cut one job; others are reducing more.
- Mary is in her mid-20s, single, and a college graduate. She is very hard-working and was in the top 10 percent of the performance ratings this year. She constantly volunteers to travel and work weekends and evenings. However, she supports political causes that could be viewed as contrary to the goals of the company.
- Alice is in her mid-40s, has two young children, and is married to a doctor. Her performance is good, and she has above-average performance reviews. However, she has limited availability on weekends and limitations on overnight travel due to her volunteer work with local charities.
Respond to the following:
- As a manager, who would you select to lay off and why?
- What is the potential impact of this choice on organizational culture?
Respond to a Peer
Read a post by one of your peers and respond, making sure to extend the conversation by asking questions, offering rich ideas, or sharing personal connections.
Classmate post:Unfortunately this is one of the hardest parts of a management position and we must make these decisions with the overall success of the company and team as our top priority. I would have to part with Alice and offer her a great letter of recommendation. Mary is the more qualified candidate and would put less of a strain on the team as the work loads shifted. Employees are allowed to have their own opinions or beliefs and they are not always going to align completely with the company. As long as she is keeping those opinions professional and not creating conflict in the office her different outlook on varying subjects might prove beneficial.
In my experience choosing the most qualified employee is a lot easier to defend than likeability.
HomeCourse InformationMy ProfessoreBookWeek 1AnnouncementsAssignmentsGradesPeoplePagesFilesMedia GalleryWeek 2 Activity - Organizational Issues and Solutions Fishbone DiagramWeek 2 Activity - Organizational Issues and Solutions Fishbone Diagram
Due: Mon Jan 20, 2025 9:00am1/20/2025
Ungraded, 70 Possible Points70 Points Possible
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Overview
You will select an organization you are familiar with to analyze the culture and make recommendations using critical thinking to develop a Fishbone Diagram. The Fishbone Diagram is a visual way to look at the cause and effect of a problem, not the solution.
Watch The Fishbone DiagramLinks to an external site. video to learn how to develop a Fishbone Diagram for your selected organization and identified problem. Download the template Download template, and complete the Fishbone Diagram, which will be used to complete Week 3 and 4 assignments.
Instructions
- Select the organization you will use to complete the Fishbone Diagram and prepare for the Week 3 and 4 assignments base your organization selection on the following criteria.
- The organization should be one you are familiar with.
- You have access to internal processes.
- It has an organizational problem that needs to be resolved.
- You can think of a realistic and enforceable solution to the issue.
- Develop a Fishbone Diagram using the instructions below and the provided template.
Developing the Fishbone Diagram
Note: It is important to view the following videos before starting the assignment and to develop your Fishbone diagram.
- Bloom's Taxonomy and Critical Thinking SkillsLinks to an external site..
- Critical Thinking ModelLinks to an external site..
- The Fishbone Diagram.Links to an external site.
The purpose of the Fishbone Diagram is to support you as you drill down to identify the actual problem. You can use as many major causes and sub-causes as you may need to document the results of your brainstorming as you identify the root problem.
To get started, you may want to research different brainstorming techniques, such as the 5 Why's or the 4P's to assist you in completing the Fishbone Diagram. When you start the brainstorming process, you should think of the diagram as a fish with the main axis being the fish spine; the issue's primary factors branch out in a fashion resembling the bones of the fish.
Using the Fishbone Diagram helps you to break down complex issues into manageable components. Take note of causes that appear numerous times. Test the most likely cause and verify it with data. Important: Keep in mind to state causes, not solutions.
Note: The diagram for this assignment has been created in Excel to provide you with a template to work in and does not reflect the traditional Fishbone Diagram but works the same way. You may not need to use all the major cause or sub-cause fields provided; it is not required.
The following are the steps to construct your Fishbone Diagram.
- Brainstorm potential causes of the problem.
- Identify your major cause categories and record them in the diagram.
- Note: Double-click in the field where you want to record information.
- The following are examples of categories that are commonly used, but yours may be different:
- Turnover, Culture, Retention, Job Satisfaction, Management, Customer Service.
- Methods, Machines, Materials, People.
- Places, Procedures, Employees, Policies.
- Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills.
- Identify sub-causes that may contribute to the problem and record them in the diagram.
- Review each sub-cause and highlight the most likely causes on the diagram.
- Review the sub-causes that are highlighted and ask, "Why is this a cause?" Asking why helps you get to the root of the problem.
- Identify supporting information that could contribute to each of the sub-causes.
- Add the contributing factors in a branch off the sub-cause.
- Continue identifying causes until you identify the root cause for the problem.
Prepare
- Prepare for the assignments due in Weeks 3 and 4 by reviewing the course guide and the assignment requirements.
- Read the assignment instructions thoroughly.
- Start to research one source of power to formulate your individualized approach.
- Reach out to your instructor with questions early.
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 organizations should only occur within this course and not be shared with people outside the course.
INSTRUCTIONS
Format
- ting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Help Resources
- Check out the BUS520 Library Guide.
- Check out this interactive tutorial: Using Your Own Words: Preventing PlagiarismLinks to an external site..
| Week 2 Activity - Organizational Issues and Solutions Fishbone Diagram | ||
|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts |
| Develop a Fishbone Diagram for the selected organization. | 14 to >12.6 pts Exemplary Developed a Fishbone Diagram for the selected organization.12.6 to >11.2 pts Competent Developed a Fishbone Diagram for the selected organization, but it is incomplete.11.2 to >9.8 pts Needs Improvement Developed a Fishbone Diagram for the selected organization, but it is incorrect.9.8 to >0 pts Unacceptable Did not develop a Fishbone Diagram for the selected organization. | / 14 pts |
Identify the major cause categories. | 14 to >12.6 pts Exemplary Identified the major cause categories.12.6 to >11.2 pts Competent Identified the major cause categories, but they are incomplete.11.2 to >9.8 pts Needs Improvement Identified the major cause categories, but they are incorrect.9.8 to >0 pts Unacceptable Did not identify the major cause categories. | / 14 pts |
Identify potential causes of the problems. | 14 to >12.6 pts Exemplary Identified potential causes of the problems.12.6 to >11.2 pts Competent |