Part A consists of three questions. It is worth 40 percent of the assignment total. Your total combined word count for the three questions should be 1000 words.
1. Senior officers in a major hospital decided that operations in supplies requisition were inefficient and costly. They brought in consultants, who recommended that the entire requisition process be “reengineered.” This involved throwing out the old practices and developing an entirely new set of work activities around workflow. However, contrary to expectations, this intervention resulted in lower productivity, higher employee turnover, and other adverse outcomes.
Start with a comprehensive description of the open systems theory as it applies to both external and internal environments. Using the open systems perspective, explain the likely source of the problem with the intervention.
2. Store #34 of CDA Hardware Associates has had below-average sales over the past few years. As head of franchise operations, you are concerned with the continued low sales volume. The store manager wants you to diagnose the problem and recommend possible causes.
Begin with a description of the MARS model of individual behaviour. Use the MARS model of individual behaviour and performance to provide four different types of reasons that employees at Store #34 might be performing below average. Provide one example for each of the four variables. .
3. Several junior investment analysts recently hired by a major firm have been placed under the guidance of senior investment analyst Roger Yu. One of the new recruits, Daphne Silberg, is the daughter of a well-known mutual fund executive who retired from the industry a few years ago. Yu has a lot of respect for Silberg’s father and has quickly developed the belief that Silberg could be as successful as her father.
Discuss the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy and specifically the four step cycle. Based on the steps, explain how Yu’s expectations of Silberg might unknowingly turn into a reality.