Organizing, Researching, And Illustrating

Introduction

This exam includes three steps.

· In Step 1, you’ll list multiple methods for gathering information about the problem and explain what kind of information you hope to gather from each.

· Step 2 contains two parts.

· In Part A, you’ll create two lists of potential survey questions, one for employees and one for clients.

· In Part B, you’ll draft a letter to the branch manager ahead of your visit.

Lastly, in Step 3, you’ll describe your findings using four headings:

Problems

Facts and Causes

Impacts and Effects

Solutions

You should submit all three steps in one Microsoft Word document. The Grading Criteria section below makes a good checklist for the expectations for each part of this assignment in terms of content and format.

Background

Phoenix Advertising, with its main headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves clients that include banks, insurance companies and local businesses such as restaurants and shops. You’re the vice president of human resources management at Phoenix, and you report directly to Gregory S. Forest, the president of the company.

Mr. Forest advises you that in the last month, four clients have complained about the advertising work produced by the Roanoke, Virginia branch of the agency. He reminds you that the Roanoke branch and its clients are vital to the overall success of the company.

Mr. Forest explains what he has learned about the situation at the Roanoke branch over the last three months. Three graphic designers and four copywriters have threatened to quit because their creative contributions on projects are being rejected or revised without their input. They want to be part of a collaborative team, not to simply produce work that the art directors and account executives can alter arbitrarily. These changes to projects have also caused tension between the creative teams and account managers, causing an art director and an account manager to leave the agency.

In addition to the four clients who complained, others have not renewed their contracts with Roanoke. Several have posted poor reviews of the Roanoke branch on social media sites, leading to a drop in profits.

In an attempt to increase revenues, the branch is accepting new clients without evaluating the effects of the new accounts on the current project workload. As a result, without notice or compensation for the additional hours, all salaried employees are required to work long hours several days each week. Employee morale and productivity are declining day by day.

Mr. Forest directs you to conduct a field investigation at the branch itself to explore the nature of the problems that have arisen there. Your investigative goals are to

· Identify and describe specifically the causes (root issues) underlying each problem

· Show the impact of each problem on the business and on employee morale

· Provide specific recommendations for resolving the problems in order to restore the Roanoke branch to full productivity

Process

Step 1: Prewriting

Prepare yourself for your visit by creating personnel information for the employees at the Roanoke branch. Brainstorm and freewrite about the number of people working in each department and the names and experience of each key executive (including the two who left). Also review the information provided by the staff person and the executive team members regarding agency and branch policies. Use the following questions to jumpstart your prewriting but expand on them with your own questions and ideas.

· Why wouldn’t employees be paid or compensated for extensive overtime? Is the branch following employee contractual agreements and agency/branch policies? Is the Roanoke branch operating under different salary scales/schedules than others Phoenix offices?

· Is the business experiencing financial problems?

· Who at Roanoke oversees the account review process? What are the procedures for accepting a new client account and for closing completed accounts? Are these procedures being followed?

· Why are some, but not all, of the graphic designers and writers complaining? Are their complaints legitimate? Have they always complained or is this a recent development? If recent, what has changed to cause the complaints? What have the art directors already tried to do to handle their concerns? How does their negative attitude affect productivity?

· Why did one of the top executives leave recently? In what ways has the absence affected the branch productivity and employees?

· Has the loss of some management people caused the regular procedure of collaborative review to be overlooked or are the complainers not doing their jobs appropriately?

· What’s the nature of the complaints filed by the four clients with Mr. Forest? What does each request to resolve the situation?

· Does the Roanoke branch have a staff person dedicated to social media outreach?

Once you’ve created answers to these and other questions you’ve asked yourself, determine how you’ll approach the investigation to accomplish your goals and find the facts underlying each situation. These methods might include one-to-one interviews with employees, observation of the work environment, surveys of the clients, and a review of various business reports, policies, and procedures. Use a variety of methods—don’t rely on only one, such as employee interviews, because what people feel or say may not represent the reality of the situation. Create further details as necessary to craft a clear picture of

· The branch, the employees, and the clients (both satisfied and dissatisfied)

· Particular cause or source of each problem (usually more than one cause)

· The impact of each cause on business and morale

Assignment: Methods

In a Word document, type the heading “Step 1: Methods.” Below it types a list of your methods and summarize what you want to accomplish with each. For example, if your method is to interview each department as a group, what kind of information related to the problems should you be able to uncover through that method?

Step 2: Gathering Information

Set aside your prewriting for a few days until you can revisit it with fresh eyes. Reread the scenario information and add ideas to your prewriting as you review it.

Suppose you decide to create two questionnaires, one for all the employees at Roanoke and one for all the clients Roanoke has serviced in the last 12 months. Your purpose is to determine when the problems began, how they’re defined by those involved, what caused them, and how the employees think they could be solved. Write several possible questions and jot down any facts you hope to establish with each question.

Assignment A: Employee and Client Surveys

Continue with the Word document begun for Step 1. Type the heading “Step 2A: Surveys.”

Below it type “Employees” and list in correct sentence form the top three employee questions from your brainstorming. Choose words and phrases appropriate for the intended purpose and audience. Under each question, write one or two sentences describing the information you hope to establish through the use of that question.

Type “Clients” and list the top three client questions from your brainstorming. Under each one, write one or two sentences describing the information you hope to establish through the use of that question. Use language appropriate for the intended purpose and audience.

Assignment B: Letter to CEO of Roanoke Branch

Continue from Step 2A in the same Word document, but begin a new page. Write a full-block style, neutral letter to the CEO of the Roanoke branch in which you explain the reason you’re coming and the preparations he or she must complete before your visit. Use the ABC approach to developing each paragraph. Use correct sentence structure and word choice appropriate for the intended purpose and audience.

Based on your prewriting, detail what reports and client accounts you’ll review during that visit, the meetings and interviews you want to conduct, any branch policies on which you need further information, employee performance reviews, procedural manuals, and so on. Be sure to end in a positive tone showing appreciation for the CEO’s assistance. Include a representation of your signature above your typed name (such as typing it in italics or script font).

Step 3: Organizing

Now imagine that you’ve visited Roanoke, met with the people, conducted the interviews, and reviewed the surveys and other information. You’ve returned to Charlotte and are sorting the information gathered from your investigation according to the primary problem.

Review all your prewriting and freewrite on any problem not yet clearly defined in terms of causes, the impact on employee morale and/or productivity, and possible solutions.

Assignment: Problems and Illustration

Start a new page in the same Word document after the Step 2B assignment for this section.

For the “Problems” portion, you may use words and phrases in bulleted or numbered form to represent your thoughts instead of complete sentences. For the “Illustrations” portion, you must use complete sentences.

Begin with the following labels for the Problems section.

Problems:

Facts and Causes:

Impact and Effects:

Solutions:

Under “Problems,” list four or five of the primary problems you discovered in your investigation. Although President Forest categorized the problems into three areas, you will have found that one or two need to be broken down further, and/or you will have discovered other problems unknown to Forest.

Choose one of the problems you listed. Under “Facts and Causes,” list those you identified— not only what people said or felt, but also the proof or facts you’ve uncovered that identify the causes and underlying issues of the problem. Remember, a major problem is the result of several factors working together.

For the chosen problem, describe under “Impact and Effects” the impact on the business and on the employees for each of the underlying issues you identified in “Facts and Causes.” In your discussion, include numbers such as percentages to show changes in productivity, employee work time, and so on. For issues involving employee morale, be sure to explain the impact on the business as well.

Finally, under “Solutions,” list ideas for each cause that will end the negative impact as well as improve the situation, making sure the solutions actually address the issue. For example, suggesting that the branch dedicates a full-time staff member to hand social media outreach would not be effective unless the quality of the work improves. If you create a solution you want to use but haven’t laid the foundation for it in the causes and impact sections, then return to those sections and create the necessary information to support your solution.

After providing the above information, type “Illustration” and below it identify a specific type of illustration (table, bar graph, pie chart, etc.) you might use to represent numbers related to causes or impacts. Then write two or three sentences explaining why your choice is the best way to convey the information to the executive team of Phoenix Advertising.

Revising

Referring to the above instructions and the evaluation criteria for the exam, revise your work carefully. For the survey questions and letter (Step 2A and B), revise for directness, emphasis, sentence variety, coherence, and appropriate word choice for the audience and purpose. Carefully edit grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Read through your work backwards, first word by word, then sentence by sentence, and then paragraph by paragraph.

Word by word. In this way you can locate spelling errors. Be alert—you may see the word here in your essay, a correctly spelled word. But also check the words on either side. Did you mean here in terms of location or did you mean the sense of hearing?

Sentence by sentence. By looking at each group of words separately from the context, you can more easily locate run-on sentences or fragments. Compare the length and structure of each sentence for variety. Also check the connections between sentences—are they coherent?

Paragraph by paragraph. Locate the controlling idea of each paragraph and compare them with your primary focus for the memo and email. Does the paragraph help to develop that focus in some specific way? Compare it with the controlling ideas of the paragraphs before and after it. Do they follow in logical order?

Dear Student,

The grade you earned on this assignment was below passing. However, you now have another chance to earn a passing grade for this exam. Whatever score you earn on the retake will be posted as the final score for this exam (up to the highest possible retake grade of

7

0%).

1. Within the next four weeks, prepare a completely revised assignment. You may not just make a clean copy of your work correcting only grammar and spelling errors. Instead, address the issues indicated by the evaluator, as well as apply the revision and editing strategies taught in your study materials, including

· adding specific details which you make up in order to clarify and support your statements

· deleting unnecessary information

· reorganizing for logical flow

2. Review the study materials for this exam, especially samples in the unit that show the correct format, as well as the information given in the exam instructions. Contact the school with any questions about the requirements.

3. Review your graded exam, including the comments and the corrections. In particular, take note of those areas on the evaluation sheet where you scored Fair or lower. These indicate areas on which to improve.

4. Be sure to enclose or attach this sheet when you submit your retake assignment, so we can properly credit your record. For online submission, copy just this form and paste as the first page of your retake exam. If you do not include this form, up to ten points may be deducted from your exam grade.

You have missed sharing the exam number and your email address.

Organizing, Researching, And Illustrating

Step One: Methods Comment by Janet Das: You could include a couple more methods to investigate the issues. For example, observation, review of documents, etc.

Information gathering is one of the fundamental aspects to finding a solution to the Branch. Information gathering will be conducted from the management, staff and clients. The information gathering methods suitable in analyzing the issues raised in Branch branch include surveys and interviews.

Surveys

A survey is an information-gathering methodology that entails the use of a questionnaire. A questionnaire is an information-gathering technique that is based on individual or group experiences regarding the issue. Simple questions are printed where participants answer by ticking where necessary. The questions need to be straight forward, clear and should encourage confidentiality. Some employees or clients may want to share their experiences with an issue by hiding their identity in any organization. Surveys will be essential to engage such employees and clients because it will enable them to share their experiences about the problem without fear of revealing their identity. Some of the questions asked may include the competence of new employees and the management at Branch. Questionnaires may be open ended or closed.

Interviews

Interviews may also be used to gather information at Branch. When determining the impact of working for longer hours without compensation, delay in service delivery, and causes of mass turnover, the use of interviews would be appropriate. Interviews require extensive engagement with the clients and employees and are therefore highly relevant.

Step 2A: Surveys

Employees Comment by Janet Das: While framing the employee questions, you need to ensure that your questions determine when the problems began, how they are defined by those involved, what caused them, and how the employees think they could be solved.

1. What do you think prompted the organization to make its employees work for longer hours without compensation? This question would help to establish the origin of the problem. It will also determine if there is laxity in management in terms of managing the time employees’ clock in. It will also determine whether there are employees being overworked. Furthermore, it will help determine if there is discrepancy in the payment of employees.

2. Do you think the organization is adhering to the policies, procedures, and codes of ethics through what is happening now? This question will help understand the organizational policies safeguarding working relations and compensation philosophy.

3. How do the current changes affect your everyday life? This question will help determine the effect of the issue on employees.

Clients

1. Your desire to renew your contract with

Roanoke Branch

has diminished for the first time. What might be the problem? This question will help determine the clients’ problems with the organization.

2. Why do you think many clients complain about the organization’s service delivery through their social media sites? This question will help to determine the reason behind the client’s massive complaints on the company’s social media sites.

3. Did the organization deliver its mandate within the agreed time when you signed the contract? This question will help determine whether the organization is delaying clients’ services or not, as reflected in social media posts.

Step 2B: Letter to CEO of Roanoke Brach

Phoenix Advertising Co.

91

6

7 Service Land

Charlotte, NC 28202

February 19th, 2022

William Roberts

Chief Executive Officer

Roanoke Branch

14

Industry Road

Lincolnton, NCRoanoke, VA

Dear Mr. Roberts:

This is to inform you that I, Ms.

Jane Smith

, The the Vice President- Human Resources Management at Phoenix Advertising Company will be visiting the establishment on February 28th, 2022. This is as a result of the negative changes and several complaints received from the workforce and clients from Roanoke Branch. The purpose of the visit is to meet the Roanoke Branch workforce as well as the clients and confirm the complaints. I, Ms. Smith The Vice President will further identify the course of action in order to address the concerns and also pinpoint the consequence of the problem. Comment by Janet Das: This has already been mentioned above – no repetition is required here.

Several preparations are required before my visit. You will be required to present all the organization’s policies, rules, codes of ethics that protect and detail staff compensation. You should also present the rules and regulations that safeguard and allow interaction with clients. You should further prepare a report detailing the unfortunate reviews posted on the agency’s social media by the clients. The report should also include an analysis of the massive turnover by the workforce. Lastly, you are expected to draft a memo to all employees detailing them of my visit Ms. Smith the Vice President-Human Resource Management on February 28th,2022. Comment by Janet Das: Shouldn’t the focus be on the Roanoke branch policies as the issue is at the branch? Comment by Janet Das: Insert a space after the punctuation.

I look forward to having a successful meeting and positive interaction that will see the company soar to greater heights.

Yours faithfully,

Jane Smith

Jane Smith

The Vice President – Human Resource Resources Management

Step 3: Organizing

Problems
: Comment by Janet Das: Ensure to use either bullets or numbering to list the problems.

There are various problems found with the management of the Roanoke branch from our interview report. First, it was evident that account executives and art directors are not engaging other graphic designers in altering and revising the work. Two, the management is not considerate of how they handle their employees. Third, clients complain about the quality of services and the agency’s time to offer assistance. Fourth, there is a lack of teamwork in the organization. FirthFifth, the organization, is not compliant with the organization’s compensation philosophy.

Fact and causesCauses: Mention your chosen problem here

The major causes of the problems above include lack of effective communication, poor complaints to the compensation philosophy, codes of ethics, and OSHA regulations. Other causes include poor collaboration between the executive and contingent employees and lack of proper coordination between clients and the organization. The report also revealed a lack of adequate feedback response. These were evident when the management engaged in altering the work of graphic designers without their input, working for longer hours without compensation, accepting new clients without evaluating the effect of the new accounts on the current workload and massive turnover. Comment by Janet Das: You need to focus on one of the above-mentioned problems and clearly specify its causes.

Impact and effectEffects: Comment by Janet Das: For the chosen problem, describe the impact on the business and on the employees for each of the underlying issues you identified in “Facts and Causes”. Include numbers such as percentages to show changes in productivity, employee work time, and so on.

The organization’s changes have made the organization experience a drop in revenue, lack of accomplishment at work among employees, poor reviews on social media posts, which have affected the agency’s reputation and increased employee turnover.

Solutions Comment by Janet Das: List here the ideas for each cause that will end the negative impact as well as improve the situation, making sure the solutions address the issue.

The solution to the problems identified here will include compliance to organizational procedures, creating an effective feedback system that would allow clients to air their complaints and get immediate response for their concerns, enhancing the organizational communication system that would enable it to collaborate and work with all its employees in all departments. Compliance with policies and procedures will help the organization understand and respect the rights of employees. Finally, the organization should recruit more employees to accommodate the number of clients to ensure timely and high-quality services.

Illustration?

ENG121: Organizing, Researching, and Illustrating Your Report

15-14

13-12

10-9

9-8

8-7

10-9

9-8

8-7

7-0

10-9

9-8

8-7

7-0

5-4

4-3

3-2

2-0

Skill Realized A/100-90	Skill Developing B/8 9-8 0	Skill Emerging C/79-70	Skill Not Shown F/69-0
Methods and Surveys: Included at least 3 methods and provided a clear analysis of each; included at least 3 different survey questions for employees and 3 for clients; effectively explained the rationale for each question and described the desired information that each question will provide.	20-18	18-17	16-15	14
Letter: Clearly explained your purpose for the visit and detail your expectations for your purpose using ABC development; used correct format including complete addresses, salutation, and closing signature.		15-14		13-12	12-11	11-0
Problems: Clearly identified four specific problems related to the background scenario.		5-4		4-3		3-2		2-0
Causes-Impacts: Included and effectively specific facts showing underlying causes of one problem and described the impact and effects of those issues on the company and employee morale.	14-13	7
Solutions: Identified and effectively explained specific actions the branch should take to solve the underlying issues identified in Cause-Impact section.				10-9				9-8				8-7	6
Illustration: Included a detailed description of an illustration that effectively represents an aspect of the information presented in the report.			7-0
Audience, tone, and word choice: Effectively maintained a professional tone as part of the company team; developed and organized information clearly and logically.
Grammar, sentence structure, and mechanics: Edited and proofread to ensure correct application of standard written conventions for American English.
General format: Used correct labels for sections, font, justification, header info.

Grade: 65 Date: 2/25/2022 Instructor: JD

Comments: Please see assignment