Posted: September 13th, 2017
SERVICE MANAGEMENT
Each student will prepare a paper that analyzes a specific Service Management related problem in an organization. Preferably, this organization will be the one in which you currently or recently worked. Note the key words specific problem and analyzes. This paper may be different from many past papers in that it is not to be a description or history of events. This assignment is modeled after White Papers which are created in organizations to address particular problems and generate solutions. You will be expected to use a concept from the course to better understand the situation and make recommendations for improvement in this situation.
Papers should demonstrate integration of the materials from the class. This paper will require analysis of a service management related problem in an organization.
This paper is a business communication. Write it as if the person receiving it is the CEO of your organization. This means you do not want to include information that would be unnecessary for this person, such as the history of the organization. Build a compelling argument that the problem is serious enough to require organizational resources to solve. Follow this up with a set of recommendations that will solve the problem. The argument for these recommendations must be supported logically by what you discover in your analysis.
Note: This paper should be structured as follows:
- Problem Statement – A brief statement of a specific service management related problem in a particular organization. Provide examples of the symptoms of this problem. Identify the costs, financial and others, of the organization not solving the problem. Create a compelling argument on behalf of your view of the problem. Conclude this section with a clear question that you wish to answer through this paper. Write this question in the form of an open-ended question rather than one that can be answered with a yes or no. How well you answer this question becomes a key criteria for evaluating each of the next three sections. (up to 20 points possible)
Grading rubric for problem statement:
18-20 Section leads with a clear statement of a specific problem. Sufficient symptoms are described to justify the urgency for solving the problem. Specific costs to the organization of not solving this problem. Compelling argument on behalf of your view of the problem. Section ends with a specific open-ended question to be answered. Excellent foundation for paper.
16-17 Section has a useful statement of a problem that is more generally described and less focused. Costs to the organization of not solving this problem are more vaguely presented. May contain more background information about the organization than necessary. There is less of a sense of urgency to solve the problem. A less than clear, compelling argument on behalf of your view of the problem. The section ends with an open-ended question to be answered. Useful foundation for paper.
14-15 Extensive background information on the organization, much more general without a specific problem identified. Unclear or absent costs to the organization of leaving problem unsolved. Weak or absent argument on behalf of your view of the problem. Question is closed-ended. Marginal foundation for the paper.
0-13 Initial section is much more a traditional introduction to a paper that does not address the requirements for this section. The lack of the required question in this section automatically loses 10 points.
- Concept – Description of a concept chosen from the Key Concept List and how you expect this concept to help you successfully complete this analysis. Include a statement about why you believe this concept will help you answer your question. Present your concept in a form that will be useful in framing the analysis. (Do not present all you know about the concept. Demonstrate your knowledge of the concept and its elements by the effective way you present how you will use the concept to answer your question.) Reflect in this section how this concept will provide a more useful view of the problem by using. What questions do you want to ask, using the concepts, which will help you answer your question? Remember to use the elements of the concept to help you identify useful questions. This is the section where your peer reviewed journal articles can help you better understand your chosen concept and/or how to use them for analysis. Consider this section as your plan of action – what steps will you take to complete your analysis? This is not the section to provide descriptive information about your organization. Keep in mind that an important expectation for the Analysis section (to be turned in as part of Deliverable #2) is that you will be systematically asking and answering these concept-framed questions.(up to 20 points)
You must use a minimum two outside, peer-reviewed journals, drawn from the university website. Note: Business Week, trade journals, newspapers and similar publications are not peer reviewed journals.) Use these articles to help you better understand and use your concepts. Use the articles to help you think more thoroughly about your chosen concepts. Do not provide “book reports” of the articles. Papers not using required outside, peer-reviewed sources will result in up to a 10 point deduction. All sources used must be properly cited. This includes all web pages used, whether you use quotation marks or not.
Grading rubric for concept section:
18-20 Clear, concise introduction to your selected concept. Clear rationale for choosing this concept to help you answer your open-ended question. Concept framed questions utilize the elements of the concept to guide question creation.. The questions can easily be used in analysis to answer the base question.
16-17 Introduction to chosen concept written in more general terms. Rationale for choosing this concept to help you answer your question is less clear and explicitly stated. Few questions presented for use in analysis to answer the base question.
14-15 Information provided about concept is more a broad demonstration that the material was remembered. No questions presented for use in analysis to answer the base question.
0-13 Information provided about concept is either quite minimal or not presented. As presented, this section does not provide a concept-driven plan for completing the analysis.
- References – All articles, books, and other sources used to prepare your paper should be properly cited using APA guidelines. In the body of the paper use in-line citations and summarize these sources in a reference list at the end of the paper. You must use a minimum two outside, peer-reviewed journals, drawn from the university website. The textbook should also be referenced. Note: Business Week, trade journals, and similar publications are not peer reviewed journals. These peer reviewed articles are the most help to you in better understanding the concept and/or its application in framing an analysis.
Grading rubric for reference section:
-10 Failure to utilize two peer reviewed journal articles
– 5 Only utilizing one peer reviewed journal articles and/or not complying with APA guidelines for citations and references
– 2 Failure to include textbook in reference list
0 Complying with the reference requirements means no loss of points
The paper is due by 11:00 pm on Friday of Week 4 in the Dropbox.) Attach this deliverable in the dropbox. This is the complete paper, including all sections.
- Analysis – Systematically ask the concept-framed question developed in the previous section to learn what is being done well and what could be improved. Answer your questions and draw conclusions from your answers. Do not introduce additional concepts in this section. If an additional concept is valuable, integrate it in a revised concept section. End this section with a list of conclusions you have drawn from your analysis. Collectively, these conclusions should directly answer your open-ended question and provide a foundation for your specific, actionable recommendations.. In summary, this analysis section should be an execution of your plan developed in your concept section. (up to 25 points)
Grading rubric for analysis section:
23-25 Systematic application of the questions presented in the concept section. New information is generated from this process that provides a better understanding of the problem presented in section one. Definite judgments are made about what is being done well and what could be improved. A clear set of specific conclusions closes this section. Conclusions answer the initial question and provide a foundation for specific, actionable recommendations.
20-22 Concept is obviously used to frame the analysis but less based on questions generated in the concept section. Some judgments are made about what is being done well and what could be improved. Minimal conclusion presented but are more general, less specific. Conclusions less clearly answer the initial question or provide a foundation for specific, actionable recommendations.
17-19 Concept is minimally used to frame the analysis with little or no use of questions generated in the concept section. Few, if any, judgments are made about what is being done well and what could be improved but this was primarily a description not an analysis. No clear set of conclusions close this section. This analysis did not answer the open-ended question or provide a foundation for specific, actionable recommendations in the next section.
0-17 This section is primarily a general description of the organization, possibly loosely framed using the concept. It is not clearly tied to the problem presented in the first section. There is no clear set of conclusions framed using the concepts. This section did not answer the open-ended question or provide a foundation for specific, actionable recommendations.
- Recommendations – From what you have learned in your analysis, make recommendations for specific action that would improve the handling of the situation. These should address the problem presented in the first section.. A definite thread should be seen from the question to the concept to the analysis to your recommendations. They should be readily identifiable, not buried in the midst of paragraphs. Remember, as a manager, you are expected to be able to understand situations and determine specific action to take. This is where you demonstrate you can identify specific, actionable recommendations. The work in the paper, to this point, should have created a compelling argument on behalf of your recommendations. (up to 20 points)
Grading rubric for recommendations section:
18-20 Recommendations are clear, specific, and actionable. They are a logical extension of the conclusions from the previous section and can be seen as helpful in improving the situation described in the problem statement.
16-17 Recommendations address the problem but are less clear, specific, and actionable. The connection with the previous section can be followed.
14-15 Recommendations are quite general and only loosely associated with the concept and/or the problem.
0-13 Recommendations do not appear to be the result of the process outlined for this paper or there are not identifiable recommendations.
- Evaluation – The fifth section to this paper is the opportunity for you to review your problem-solving process. In what ways did you find your definition of the problem useful in solving it? What were the strengths and weaknesses of your choice of concepts? How well were you able to use an integration of the two chosen concepts to frame your analysis? How might you have integrated them differently? Is there another concept or two that might have been equally or more useful? Which ones and why? In what ways were you able to draw new conclusions about the problem through using this process? (up to 10 points) (1/2 to 1 page)
Grading rubric for evaluation of the problem-solving process section:
9-10 Review of problem-solving process used addressed all sections of the paper and contains specific examples and information for what was done well and where improvements could be made.
8 Review of problem-solving process used addressed most sections and is general in nature with only one or two specific examples.
7 Review of problem-solving process used addressed some of the sections and is more general in nature without specific conclusions about process used.
0-6 Review of problem-solving process did not exist or addressed in general terms
- Learning – The final section to this paper is not a typical conclusion. Do not summarize your paper. That is not necessary. This section is an opportunity to reflect on you personal learning. Write a brief statement about what you learned about service management from completing this assignment. (up to 5 points)
Grading rubric for learning section:
5 Clear, thoughtful statement included that addresses the requirement.
3 Reflective thoughts are part of a more traditional conclusion to a paper..
0 Reflective thoughts are not identifiable.
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Weaknesses of past papers have included not addressing each of the required areas (points are earned on each one so not addressing a section means the points are lost). Do not organize your paper differently from what is required. The papers are graded section by section. If you place information in a different location it will detract from that section’s requirements and may not be counted. The form of this paper is specifically intended to foster a discipline of systematically using concepts to frame analysis rather than description. Using a different organizing structure inevitably leads to a more superficial, descriptive paper rather than the required analytical treatment. It is to your benefit to make it easy to find the required material.
Also, occasionally students do not state, in the problem statement, the question they wish to answer in the paper. As a reminder, failure to state the open-ended question in the first section of the paper will result in an immediate loss of 10 points. The concept section is where you prepare yourself for your analysis. Do not integrate this section with the analysis section. This means you do not talk about the organization in the concept section. Your recommendations are expected to address your question with practical actions. A final word, if you are unsure about these requirements, ASK QUESTIONS for clarification.
Formatting
This paper is a business communication rather than an academic paper. This means that other than the format for references, this is not to be an APA formatted document. Think about the form you would want to use to communicate with the CEO of the organizations.
Formatting requirements:
1) This paper should be double spaced, 12 point, one inch margins
2) Use APA standards for citing articles and the form for references
3) Make sure you have your name in the document. Putting your name in the footer next to the page number complies with these requirements.
4) Use the following format for the name of the document: (your family name) paper.doc (e.g., roger_paper.doc).
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