Workplace situation paper

This paper is about an experience with a managerial problem in a work setting. The problem statement should briefly introduce the situation and the problem (heading 1).

Summarize the issue including the information about the organization in your own words. The report should identify what the problem is that will be resolved in the subsequent sections. This section should be based on facts and information gathered from reliable sources, not your personal opinion or recollection. The last sentence in this section should clearly state who the decision maker is and what his or her problem is. Your role is to advice the decision-maker in the case so that he/she can solve the problem. The decision maker can be the CEO, another manager or anyone you choose but it can only be one person (not a board or a group of people).

“Can I have two or more decision makers?” No. If you do, you will lose points in your paper.

Choose at least three concepts from the textbook that help you better understand the current event you chose (heading 2). Make sure that it is clear that you understand the concepts that you are using. Do not just insert terminology into the paper without defining it and explaining how it fits in with the rest of the paper.

Write alternative approaches to solve the problem (heading 3). There should be more than one way of solving a problem or improving the situation. I find that when students seek that third or fourth alternative, they make better recommendations. Your will lose points if you have fewer than three alternatives.

Evaluate each alternative approach in terms of its advantages and disadvantages. All alternatives should have both advantages and disadvantages. You will lose points if you have fewer than two of each per alternative. I think that this is the most important section in the report. If a student rushes to choose a solution without carefully considering other alternatives and evaluating them carefully, a less than optimal solution is often chosen.

Choose one of the alternatives as a recommendation to the decision maker (heading 4). This section will answer the question, “what would I do now, given what I have learned in class and in evaluating at least 3 alternatives, if I faced this situation?”

You will use the following format to identify the problem, find alternative solutions, carefully evaluate each alternative and propose the solution.                                     

1. Problem statement
2. Concepts from the book related to the problem
3. Identification and evaluation of alternatives

a. Alternative 1