INSTRUCTIONS for ASSIGNMENT #1
1. QUESTIONS, OPTION & INTERVIEWEE INFO
1) A list of Questions you will be using for your interviews,
2) which Option you have chosen, and
3) the Names and Affiliations of potential individuals whom you would like to interview.
FORMAT:
• Submit this assignment as an informal memo that includes the following information:
• On top of the memo, please note:
a. Team number ;
b. Team member names & email addresses;
c. Option chosen;
d. List of potential Interviewees that includes their names, job title and affiliation, plus the city they work in and their (work) phone number or email address.
• Next, list your questions: o Experience has shown that for many teams it works best to have
1) a common set of questions, which are augmented by
2) a set of more specific questions tailored to a particular interviewee. However, please choose a presentation of questions that fits best with your purposes (e.g., if you deem appropriate, segment all questions by interviewees).
Please do not forget to highlight all sample questions you used from this handout (see next page) in your submission!
Grading Assignment :
A) Factors that will be used to determine the quality of the questions: Originality of questions; course content coverage; effort put into developing good questions; spelling and grammar.
B) Factors concerning the interviews: Ability to address the assignment with the selected individuals/job positions. Are the interviews feasible? Do you have a backup plan/alternatives?
"SAMPLE" QUESTIONS
You may use some of the sample questions. However, I expect you to develop a fair number of your own questions (of course, you may exclusively use your questions). Under no circumstances should you use more than 50% of the sample questions (note that many questions need to be modified!!!)
YOU NEED TO HIGHLIGHT ANY SAMPLE QUESTIONS YOU USED FROM THIS HANDOUT IN YOUR SUBMISSION!
• Ask for important background information (e.g., education; how long they have held the position; past experiences or achievements that allowed the person to obtain current position)
o Focus on relevant information here and do not spend too much time on this aspect.
• Do you look forward to coming to work every day?
o If your interviewee does not offer an explanation, ask a follow-up question such as: "Why or why not?"
• What kind of interactions do you have with your superiors (or subordinates, employees, coworkers, ...) on a daily (or regular, ...) basis?
o Adapt question to the person's position and accordingly choose a specific referent and time frame.
• How do your personal values play a role in your job?
o Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision which was in conflict with your personal values?
• What is the most challenging aspect of your position?
• What do you find is the most challenging part of managing employees in your organization?
• How do you motivate your employees (or subordinates, coworkers, ...)?
o Adapt question to the person's position and choose a specific referent accordingly.
• What is the most useful technique for developing the potential of an employee?
• How would you describe your leadership style?
o Try to tease out specific leadership styles or which power bases they prefer to use.
• If you had only three words to describe your leadership style, which ones would you choose?
o What three words would your employees use to describe your leadership style?
• What types of responsibilities do you delegate to your employees? How long does it take for a new employee to earn your trust?
• *Have you ever been micro-managed by a superior? If so, 1) what happened, 2) how did you feel about it, and 3) how did you react? *
*These are required questions for an ongoing research project, and thus they do not count toward the allowed maximum of 50% samplequestions. Please talk to me if you have any questions. Thanks J.
• How much do you think about your job even when you are not at work?
• What are the biggest stressors in your work life?
How do they deal with them?
Does the organization provide any form of assistance (e.g., EAP programs)?
• How do you address conflicts with superiors (or co-workers, subordinates, clients, ...)?
Focus your question on one group only because addressing a conflict with a superior might be very different from addressing a conflict with a coworker.
• How do you handle non-productive team members?
• How have you improved as a manager over the years?
• For someone coming into your position, what kind of advice would you give them? (alternative: "... what type of training would you provide them?")
• What is your greatest achievement in the past 3-5 years?
• What do you think sets you apart from other managers (or leaders, ...) in the business world?
• For you, what does it take to successfully communicate with XYZ (choose an audience) in the workplace?
• When having to make a tough decision who is the first person you consult with?
• What is the hardest part when it comes to implementing major changes in this organization?
• Does your organization have international operations?
If so, how does this impact your job (and/or yourself, ...)?
• What type of hiring process do you use?
Do you look for some typical (or specific, ...) characteristics in people when hiring?
What do you think is the best interview question a manager can ask a job candidate?
• What type of training do new (or all, current, ...) employees receive?
How often does such training happen?
• Does your organization do anything particular in order to make it a desirable workplace for college graduates (or millennials)?
Have you witnessed or experienced conflicts at work that were caused by generational differences?
• How does your organization manage employee turnover?
What types of initiatives exist to minimize turnover?
• How would you describe your organization's culture?
Does the culture of your clients affect the culture of your organization?
Have there been past events that changed the organization's culture dramatically?
• What role do organizational politics play in the organization?
• How diverse is your organization?
What are some of the problems regarding diversity that your organization is facing (or has faced in the past, will be facing in the future, ...)?
INSTRUCTIONS for ASSIGNMENT #2
2. INTERVIEWEE INFO & DATES
1) A list of the interviewees, and
2) the interview dates.
• FORMAT:
Submit this assignment as an informal memo that includes the following information:
On top of the memo, please note:
• Team number (##);
• Team member names & email addresses;
• Option chosen;
Next, please list:
• List of finalized Interviewees that includes their names, job title and affiliation, plus the city they work in and their (work) phone number or email address.
• Interview dates.