Assingments % - Management, People and Teams Case Study

Though challenging, group assignments are designed to reflect the reality of the workplace. In this instance, people coming together to contribute knowledge, experience and skills to Produce a desired outcome.

This assessment encourages students to develop their knowledge in relation to the key topics of attracting, developing and retaining employees, teamwork, performance management, team development and change management.

Students will be allocated into groups by the learning facilitator. The group will work together to analyse the given company and provide recommendations to improve on attracting, developing and retaining employees, teamwork, performance management and team development.

Instructions:

Your group is from a well-regarded consultancy firm and has been engaged by your client, ComSyst Technologies (CST) to provide advice on addressing a variety of challenges. CST is a multi-national communications software and systems developer serving the defence and emergency services industries. CST has offices in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Philippines, India and South Korea.

CST has recently lost three major tenders to competitors and their market share has declined substantially in the last two years. This has been attributed to some significant people related issues including poor employee performance, low employee engagement, a decline in staff retention and resignations of some key specialists. Technological advancements elsewhere have highlighted a gap in CST’s technical skills and capabilities.

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Your brief from the client is to prepare a report with recommendations to achieve the following objectives over the next two years:

1. Ensure CST is well positioned for the future by attracting and retaining the best talent possible
2. Create a team based high performance culture
3. Build employee capability and performance

To address these objectives your consulting team will need to draw on content from modules two, three and four. Some consideration may need to be given to other module content if deemed relevant. It is also expected that groups conduct research beyond the resources provided on the subject site For each of the objectives mentioned above, you must include at least one real world example / case study from the literature of how other organisations have successfully achieved the same or similar.

Your group must prepare a business style report for the Chief Executive and Board of ComSyst Technologies. Whilst the format may vary, it must include the following:

• Cover page
• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Background
• Main Discussion
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• Appendices

This assignment provides a great opportunity to work collaboratively and develop key skills in organizational behavior, human resource management, and leadership. To approach the task effectively, you can break it down into structured parts. Here’s a roadmap to guide you through the assignment:

1. Introduction to the Company Analysis

Start with a brief overview of the company you’re analyzing.
Provide context about its current workforce, challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining employees, and the state of teamwork and performance management.
State the objective of your analysis: to provide recommendations for improvement in key areas.

2. Attracting Employees

Current Practices: Discuss how the company currently attracts employees (e.g., recruitment methods, employer branding, diversity initiatives).
Challenges: Identify any issues in the recruitment process, such as talent shortage, brand image, or competition from other employers.
Recommendations: Propose strategies to improve attraction, like enhancing the employer value proposition (EVP), targeting new talent pools, or leveraging social media for recruitment.

3. Developing Employees

Current Practices: Review how the company supports employee development, such as training programs, mentorship, or career growth opportunities.
Challenges: Pinpoint areas where employee development may be lacking, such as insufficient training resources or unclear career paths.
Recommendations: Suggest ways to foster growth, such as implementing more personalized development plans, leadership training, or offering more cross-functional experiences.

4. Retaining Employees

Current Practices: Examine how the company retains talent (e.g., employee benefits, recognition programs, workplace culture).
Challenges: Identify retention risks, such as high turnover rates, lack of engagement, or inadequate work-life balance.
Recommendations: Propose retention strategies, such as improved work-life policies, regular employee engagement surveys, career advancement opportunities, and better reward systems.

5. Teamwork and Collaboration

Current Practices: Investigate how teams currently work together, focusing on communication, collaboration tools, and team dynamics.
Challenges: Discuss any obstacles, such as poor interdepartmental communication or lack of collaboration.
Recommendations: Suggest ways to improve teamwork, such as team-building activities, improved communication tools, or cross-functional projects.

6. Performance Management

Current Practices: Analyze the company’s approach to performance management, including goal-setting, feedback, and evaluations.
Challenges: Identify any weaknesses, such as unclear expectations, lack of continuous feedback, or ineffective performance reviews.
Recommendations: Suggest improvements like a shift toward continuous feedback, setting SMART goals, implementing 360-degree feedback, or using performance management software.

7. Team Development

Current Practices: Look into how teams are developed and supported in the company.
Challenges: Highlight challenges such as poor team dynamics, lack of trust, or team conflicts.
Recommendations: Propose interventions such as coaching, training on team roles, or workshops on conflict resolution and communication.

8. Conclusion

Summarize the main findings from each area (attraction, development, retention, teamwork, performance management, team development).
Reiterate the importance of implementing these recommendations for improving organizational effectiveness.

9. Group Dynamics and Collaboration

Reflect on the teamwork aspect of the assignment itself: how you worked together, divided tasks, communicated, and collaborated.
Highlight any challenges you faced as a group (e.g., differences in opinion, workload division) and how you resolved them.

By breaking the assignment into these sections, each group member can take ownership of specific areas while ensuring all relevant aspects are covered. Collaboration and clear communication will be essential to synthesize the information effectively.

Would you like help with specific recommendations for the company or with organizing the sections further?