Part -1:
You own a small gardening and landscaping business and employ 4 full-time employees and 8 part-time employees who work on a seasonal basis when you need the additional help, especially in the spring and summer months. The part-time workers' salaries are 20 percent higher than the industry average.
The full-time employees do outstanding work year-round. Yet, it is difficult to motivate the seasonal employees in the spring when the weather is rainy. It is also a challenge when the weather is hot as you move into the summer months. For the most part, the full- and part-time workers meet their productivity goals, but often the seasonal workers lack initiative on such things as making sure the client's yard is spotless when the work is complete and more.
You are seeking some type of rewards and recognition program to motivate the seasonal employees to be more customer-service oriented when on the job at various commercial and residential sites.
Following these guidelines, write a proposal about how you will solve this problem:
- Define the steps to solve this problem.
- Research and apply at least 1 creative approach to determining a solution to the problem of motivating your seasonal workers to do their best work. Explain why you believe this is the best approach to solve this problem.
- Brainstorm 5 potential programs that could motivate and reward seasonal employees, and do not include "raising their wages."
- Include a section about what rewards and recognition program you decided upon, and why.
- In your summary, evaluate the creative approach you suggested.
- Why do you think your solution will be effective?
- Why do you think this approach will help solve the problem relative to cost, benefits, and practicality?
- How and why this is an innovative solution?
- How and why do you think the solution will fit the problem?
- Decide on 1 alternative creative approach to solving the same business problem.
- Add any other ideas that will help solve the problem of how to motivate the seasonal employees.
Part -2:
Your manager is asking you to think of a new way to look at product features for your company's toothpaste product. Everyone on the product team is asking, "Why? The product is selling quite well-why do we need to look at a different way to communicate its features to customers?"
As a traditional product that almost everyone in the marketplace needs and uses, consider some new ways to think about how to promote a toothpaste brand, from new flavors to new customers.
Based on this scenario, do the following:
- Discuss some of the reasons why employees may resist change.
- Explore 3 ways that creative processes can help eliminate employees' resistance to change in the organization.
- Briefly explain how creative thinking can help generate new ideas to sell the toothpaste.
Please provide all references in text citations very important.