DISCUSSION 1

Assignment Details

This assignment has 4 parts:

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a common method of group decision making.  The group members will meet to discuss their ideas and all parts of the problem and possible solutions and then the voting is done privately.  

1. How can the NGT be a valuable tool for group decision making?
2. What possible outcomes will result from using the NGT method? How do these outcomes differ from those that could occur if the members voted while all together?
3. How can technology be integrated into the NGT to allow multi-site groups to work together? 
4. Describe how the NGT can aid in the organizational change process.

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 REPLY 1

Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a beneficial and valuable tool to use when you are dealing with a group of individuals to solve an issue and some of them are too vocal and others are shy or do not want to rock the boat by having an opposite opinion (ASQ, 2019).

A group devised discussion that leads to possible solutions that the employees put input into. There would be more conflict if everyone voted together especially if ties are created and deciding votes swing one way or the other opposite either opposing groups (Community Development, n.d.).

When incorporating technology into multiple site NGT you can have every site put input into the problem at hand to get a larger options pool. Having all the sites work on the issues will increase the adaptability to the decision made since all the employees had input into it. We use Skype at work for a lot of offsite meetings.

When using the employees past experience’s and using them to help solve the problem, you engage the employees into the change that needs to be made and this will make it easier to implement.

REPLY 2

Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a structured method for group brainstorming that encourages contributions from all members through anonymity. As dynamic teams may be comprised of individuals from differing backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses, it is crucial that all members can contribute equally. The benefit to NGT is that the tendency that social dynamics has to influence others is removed from the decision-making process ( Editorial Board , 2014).

The NGT method allows all participants to present their alternative ideas on an equal and flat format, allowing everyone to prioritize all suggested solutions and vote on them privately. Similar types of brainstorming sessions that are not conducted per the nominal group technique can influence others into not participating in the same way, or immediately siding with other’s ideas as an effect of social pressure. People that have introverted tendencies assume the position that the business will take care of itself as well as surrounding conditions without the need to speak for themselves. NGT forces participation without shocking the member out of their comfort zone into an open forum.

Technology can be utilized in the NGT in the form of questionnaires or surveys, most typically businesses will circulate a “rate your experience” type of survey to get anonymous feedback on how the employee feels the business is doing, how management is doing, and what the company can do better. Though the employees surveyed do not participate in voting for the change action, these answers are gathered and prioritized by upper management and HR to issue necessary change.

NGT aids in the organizational change process by allowing employees or members to say what they have to without fear of retaliation and gives the management the opportunity to address concerns accordingly, as previously stated the “[feedback can be] prioritized by upper management and HR to issue necessary change” and change that requires overall restructuring is issued as organizational change or change management and will involve all of the appropriate steps including employee involvement which may take the form of future NGT sessions.

Editorial Board (2014). Organizational Behavior. Schaumburg, IL: Words of Wisdom, LLC. Retrieved January 8, 2018 from https://ebooksbvd.my-education-connection.com/read/9781943926268/9781943926268_1_xhtml

DISCUSSION 2

 Assignment Details

This DB has three parts. 

1. Describe the four key elements of a good performance appraisal.
2. Many factors can lead to a company failing.  Discuss the external conditions that can occur that would hinder the success of a company.
3. Discuss your understanding of the POWER SWOT.  How can this method increase the effectiveness of a strategic plan?

REPLY 3

Part 1

In order for a performance appraisal to be considered good, it should be objective. Meaning that it should look at every angle and not just assume one position. This objectivity includes equal application to all involved, you should not single out an individual. The performance appraisal should have a process that is clearly defined, and procedures that are followed to reduce backlash. The performance appraisal system should be consistent, not fluctuating to favor certain people and make others look bad. It should be a forward thinking, developmental appraisal that allows employees to provide feedback on the process. A company should make every effort to have the performance appraisal done in order to advance, coach, or develop employee skills, knowledge, and behavior, (Skinner and Green, 2010).

Part 2

There are many reasons that a company can flail, and at some point, some of these factors could very well impact your company or the company you work for. There are several external (outside company control) factors that can have a negative impact on a business. The first being the economy in which the business is in, and the world’s economy if the company is large enough. If the economy is in a bad way, it is likely that the business will struggle. Finance is another big external factor that can have a damaging effect on a business. Most businesses rely on credit of one kind or another, and if interest rates a high then the cost of credit is high as well. This includes banks that may fail, while they may not have an immediate impact, they could have a long-term impact. Nobody controls the rain, sunshine, tornados, hurricanes, or let’s just say the weather. Weather at the wrong time can break a business, especially if the business is a tourist attraction or if it requires sunny weather. Changes in the infrastructure could also be very damaging to a business. If the zoning laws, or construction of a highway, or the development of housing moves too close to your business it could have a serious impact on the overall health of your company. When state, local, and federal laws change it could be difficult for a company to overcome it. A town near where I live changed their local law recently to say that anyone under the age of 21 could not buy cigarettes inside city limits. This had an impact on the businesses that sell cigarettes inside city limits, on the reverse side the places that sell them outside city limits have received extra revenue. Not following trends or changing with the time can result in a loss of customers for a business. People are busy and want easy to use quick technology to do their bidding. In this day and age no business should be started without utilizing an Instagram and Facebook account, and the company should develop a web page also. If they choose not to the company is looking at limited promotional resources and the lack of customer trust. A company should monitor the efforts in marketing to make sure they are appealing to the proper customer base. Should a company fallout of touch with the consumer or lose sight of who they want to purchase their product the company not only could lose money, but they could end up shutting down, (Ray, 2018).

Part 3

The POWER SWOT is a more defined way to get an in-depth view of your company and how your personal experience fits in and use it to your advantage. Not only that but it helps you come up with a more defined approach to constructing your SWOT analysis. This process also allows the marketer to organize the SWOT, giving each item in it a ranking from least to most important this helps the marketer decided which items are the most important and need to be listed first, (Marketing Teacher, n.d.).

Reference:

Marketing Teacher, (n.d.). SWOT Analysis-POWER SWOT. Retrieved from: http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot-analysis-power-swot/

Ray, Linda, (2018). Small Business Chronicle. Seven External Factors of Business. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/seven-external-factors-business-21960.html

Skinner, Jennifer and Green, Ravonne, (2010). The Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees. Library Worklife. Making the Grade: The Elements of an Effective Performance Appraisal. Retrieved from: http://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2010/06/08/hr-practice/

REPLY 4

1. Describe the four key elements of a good performance appraisal.
   • It serves to motivate employees toward company goals.-incentives
   • It is understandable
   • It is viewed, in some way, as related to compensation.
   • The system involves quantitative measurement of performance versus just subjective ratings.
2. Many factors can lead to a company failing.  Discuss the external conditions that can occur that would hinder the success of a company.

I see the biggest thing that hinders company now is public perception. Media is everywhere now, whether it’s social, T.V. or on paper. Media can twist anything into something that fits their agenda. Another big factor that can hinder a business is the economy as a whole. If people don’t have money to spend then business can’t take in money. Natural disasters, stock market crashes and pretty much anything can effect a business.

1. Discuss your understanding of the POWER SWOT.  How can this method increase the effectiveness of a strategic plan?

The power SWOT takes in account your personal experience when helping you find an approach that fits your needs. This allows you to take SWOT and organize items by rank from least to most important.