Assignment 1
Case Study Introduction
In this course, you will complete four assessments based on the Atha Corporation case study. Based on the scenario provided in the Atha Corporation materials, you will simulate an organization-wide strategy of goal setting and achievement by creating alignment between daily activities, department objectives, and organizational goals. As a manager of the fictional Atha Corporation, you will examine two functional areas within the organization:
• The human resources functional area.
• Your choice of one of the following three additional functional areas:
1. Sales and marketing.
2. Operations and production.
3. Accounting and finance.
For each functional area (both the human resources area and your additional chosen functional area), you will create a strategic alignment worksheet (SAW), developing different sections of both forms through successive course assessments. You will also create organizational charts for both functional areas. Note that you are expected to choose your second functional area in this assessment, and to continue to use that same functional area throughout the course.
Preparation
To prepare for this assessment, complete the following:
• Select Functional Area: In addition to human resources functions, select one of the following functional areas to focus on:
o Sales and marketing.
o Operations and production.
o Accounting and finance.
Download worksheets: Download the strategic alignment worksheets for your chosen functional area and for the human resources area. (The SAWs are linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading.)
View Videos: Watch the Presentation from the CEO video and the Atha Corporation: Planning video, both of which are linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading. These videos introduce the Atha Corporation case study.
Read Atha Corp Documents: Read the Executive Department Management Instructions and the Doubling Sales Memo, both of which are linked in the Resources under the Required Resources heading.
Research Planning Processes: Conduct independent research to familiarize yourself with the process of developing organizational project goals and activities. You may find the materials listed in the Suggested Resources for this assessment helpful, or you may search for other resources.
Strategic Alignment Worksheets
Complete Section 1: Goals and Activities in the strategic alignment worksheet (SAW) for both functional areas. For this assessment, complete only Section 1 in each worksheet.
• Develop three new departmental goals (in addition to those provided in the worksheets).
• Identify activities that support achievement of each goal, and list the achievement deadline for completing each activity.
Reflection
Write a 2-3-page reflection analyzing the work you just completed for your SAWs. In your reflection, address the following questions:
• Why is planning important to strategic management in a functional area? What are the risks of not planning?
• How is planning important to the achievement of organizational goals?
• For each of the functional areas you have addressed, analyze factors that define and shape management (such as the economy, customer needs and wants, and innovation). What is the relative influence of these factors (which of them have more impact than others)?
• What research did you use to support your work in arriving at the goals and activities? Use APA style and formatting to cite your sources.
• What current or past experience did you draw from for this assessment, if any?
Submit all three of the following as attachments to this assessment:
1. Your SAW for the human resources area, with only Section 1 completed.
2. Your SAW for the additional functional area you chose, with only Section 1 completed.
3. Your reflection paper.
Assignment 2
Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence.
You have been authorized to hire the new employees in order to carry out the organizational goals you have identified for the two functional areas you are examining in the Atha Corporation case study. For this assessment, determine the allocation of your new employees by revising the organizational charts for both the human resources area and the additional functional area you have chosen.
You can use Microsoft Office Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to create your revised organizational charts. The organizational charts are given in Word format so that you can make your revisions within the same document, if you choose. Note: For accessible versions of the organizational charts, refer instead to the PDF versions in the Resources.
Follow these steps to complete this assessment:
1. Review your managerial directives and parameters in the Executive Department Management Instructions (linked in the Resources).
2. Conduct independent research to familiarize yourself with the process of developing organizational charts. You may find the materials listed in the Suggested Resources helpful, or you may refer to other resources.
3. Download the organizational chart for the human resources area (linked in the Resources under the Required Resource heading).
• Examine the organizational chart to determine where the new staff resources are to be assigned.
• Revise the organizational chart to reflect the allocation of staff resources to be added.
• At the bottom of the revised organizational chart, write a brief justification for your decisions.
4. Download the organizational chart for the additional functional area you selected (linked in the Resources under the Required Resource heading).
• Examine the organizational chart to determine where the new staff resources are to be assigned.
• Revise the organizational chart to reflect the allocation of staff resources to be added.
• At the bottom of the revised organizational chart, write a brief justification for your decisions.
5. Write a 1-2 page reflection analyzing the revised organizational charts you just completed, addressing the following questions:
• How does the revised organizational structure (including the new chain of command) influence the role of management in each functional area?
• What research did you use to support your work in arriving at new organizational structure? Use APA style and formatting to cite your sources.
• What current or past experience did you draw from for this assessment, if any?
Submit all three of the following as attachments to this assessment:
1. Your revised organizational chart for the human resources area.
2. Your revised organizational chart for the additional functional area you chose.
3. Your reflection analysis.
Assignment 3
Conduct independent research to familiarize yourself with the differences between management and leadership. You may find the materials listed in the Suggested Resources for this assessment helpful, or you may refer to other resources. Complete a 1-2-page analysis that addresses the following questions:
• What are differences between management and leadership? Compare the roles of the manager and the leader in relation to concepts of leading.
• Consider a management situation that you either directly experienced, or which occurred in a context familiar to you. Analyze the leadership and management characteristics or attributes that contributed to the effectiveness of the manager.
• What research did you use to support your work? Use APA style and formatting to cite your sources.
Assignment 4
Note: You will need to complete Assessment 1 before completing this assessment.
For this assessment, complete the remaining sections of your strategic alignment worksheets (SAWs) for the human resources functional area and the additional functional area you selected for the Atha Corporation case study. Using the two strategic alignment worksheets you submitted for Assessment 1, complete the following:
1. Conduct independent research to familiarize yourself with the process of developing a purpose statement and performance standards. You may find the materials listed in the Suggested Resources helpful, or you may refer to other resources.
2. Update the SAW for the human resources area and for the additional functional area you selected by completing Section 2: Purpose Statement and Section 3: Performance Standards in each form.
• In the Section 2: Purpose Statement table, provide thoughtful answers to the four questions to arrive at your purpose statement for each functional area.
• In the Section 3: Performance Standards table, identify at least three performance standards that will be used to measure the performance of the functional area team. Provide a rationale for each identified performance standard.
3. Write one 1-2-page reflection on the sections you just completed for your SAWs. In your reflection, address the following questions:
• For each SAW, explain how the purpose statement for that functional area addresses the people leadership aspects of management by promoting trust, motivating employees, and supporting collaboration.
• How do the performance standards reflect strategic alignment with the organizational goals, through support of the other sections of the SAW (the goals and activities and purpose statement) and your revised organizational charts?
• What research did you use to support your work in arriving at the goals and activities? Use APA style and formatting to cite your sources.
• What current or past experiences did you draw from for this assessment, if any?
Submit all three of the following as attachments to this assessment:
1. Your completed SAW worksheet for the human resources functional area.
2. Your completed SAW worksheet for the additional functional area you chose.
3. Your reflection paper.