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Be sure to leave enough time for your review of your work and final editing for all necessary corrections.  Post your final paper in Assignments by the due date. 

Deliverable: Submit an analysis of the employee selection and performance appraisal methods used in your workplace or in one with which you are familiar. If you do not have a current employer you may use the provided alternative assignment. Onesingle organization must be used for the entire paper. Thus, whatever organization you use for the hiring analysis must also be used for the evaluation analysis. You are not permitted to use two or more organizations (e.g, one company for application analysis, one government agency for interview analysis, one company for evaluation analysis, etc.). One topic organization is required and it must be used for the entire paper.

Purpose: Employee selection and assessment are important responsibilities for all managers. When done poorly, significant problems can arise for managers, those they supervise, and the organization. This assignment gives you an opportunity to: a) complete a thorough, thoughtful, and objective analysis of the process and methods used for selection and performance assessment in an organization; b) identify strengths and areas that may need improvement; and b) make preliminary recommendations based on your analysis.

Process Steps:

 1. Research: Complete the assigned readings and at least two additional relevant scholarly articles you will use and cite as references in your report.  Simply selecting an “academic article” in a library database does not guarantee the work has benefited from blind review by scholarly experts. You should check the credentials of the authors whose work you are citing and see whether the articles have have been cited by others. You should complete your research in week 8.

2. Analysis and Diagnosis:

1) Identify and evaluate the dominant methods used in your workplace, or one with which you are familiar, to select people for jobs. Examine whether:

• The interviews, tests, and/or other selection procedures are reliable and valid.
• The methods used pose any ethical, legal, or practical issues that could present problems for managers and/or the organization.
• Methods might need to be adjusted given the increasingly diverse, multicultural, and geographical dispersed workforce.

2) Identify and analyze the performance appraisal program used in your organization. Questions to guide your analysis include:

• Is the program formally or informally applied? Note that even when there is no formal appraisal system decisions are made about pay, promotions, and terminations and these are generally influenced by an assessment of performance.
• Are there clearly articulated and well communicated goals for the appraisal? [Note: These may be both the formally articulated goals and those you believe will be important. Offer a brief explanation of and support for each goal, relying where appropriate on insights gleaned from seminar readings.]
• Is there a relationship between the strategic goals of the organization and standards used for evaluating individual performance?
• Is there evidence of criterion contamination or deficiencies?
• Are there measures in place to ensure reliability?
• Are there any legal issues the organization might want or need to consider? Explain your reasoning. Note that all systems have the potential to introduce ethical and sometimes even legal concerns, in design and/or in implementation.
• Who is involved in conducting the appraisals (supervisors, self, subordinates, peer, team, customer, all of these) and what are the pros and cons of this approach? Cite references to support your analysis and conclusions.
• Does the program meet best practice standards for appraisals including training to eliminate common rating errors and ensure sound feedback methods?
• Which specific method from your research into appraisal methods most closely matches the one in use in your organization and what is your support for this conclusion?
• What are the relative strengths and limitations of this method and what are the practical implications for your organization and managers? Note any differences between policy and actual practice and consider why these exist. (Note: Be sure to refer to information gleaned from the work of scholarly experts when undertaking this assessment of the method you are examining.)
• Does the method used limit the organization’s ability to foster diversity and operate effectively in a multicultural global marketplace? Explain and support your reasoning.

3)      Conclusions and Recommendations: Based on your critical analysis, identify changes you believe might be made to improve how your organization manages employee selection and appraisal. Each recommendation must be derived from your research and analysis and must be supported by a well reasoned argument and references to the literature. If you have observed a difference between the stated organizational goals, policies, and what happens in practice you should be sure to address this in your recommendations.

4)      Reflections: Reflect on lessons you take from your analysis as a current or future manager or leader in this organization or industry. Consider the implications for your need to ensure performance and commitment of all those for whom you will be responsible.

5)      Write and submit your report:

a) Word count range = 1,800 to 2,000 words not including cover page, reference list or executive summary.  Points will be deducted if papers significantly exceed the word count limitation.  Be sure to use word count before submitting your paper.

b) Your report should address the above questions and should recognize, integrate, and cite relevant theories, concepts, and ideas from the readings and your research. Include a maximum 250 word executive summary, an introduction, conclusion, and properly APA-formatted list of references.

In the introduction be sure to include a succinct narrative description of your organization and position. You do not need to give the specific name of your organization if you prefer to keep that confidential but you should give sufficient information (for example, the industry and nature of the business) so the context can be understood.

Include page numbers on all pages

c) Submit your final write-up in Assignments by the specified due date (by 11:59 PM EST on the last day of Week 9).

In the W9 area you will find the rubric that will be used to grade your research project.

Please note that because this is an advanced graduate student research project, the quality of your research counts for 15% of the grade. Be sure to incorporate a minimum of two articles from scholarly journals.Incorporating an article into your paper means more than simply quoting and citing it.  You need to demonstrate that you understand the point the authors are making and can apply their ideas to the unique circumstances of the workplace practices that are the subject of your paper.

Writing and presentation counts for 25% of the grade.  As advanced graduate students, you are expected to understand how to write a research paper with good grammar and attention to citation format.  Part of the presentation also involves adhering to word count limit, which is 2,000 words, not counting the reference list and the cover page.  The word count does not include the 250 word executive summary, but your executive summary should not exceed 250 words.