Critical Evaluation of the research methodologies

Critical Evaluation of the research methodologies 1. Introduction: In this report I have critically reviewed the methodologies which are used by Chevrier in her research paper. In this paper I have revealed whether she has used the correct methodology for her research or not, whether her evidence support her findings or not and I have mentioned an alternative methods to improve her conclusion. Chevrier paper aims at better understanding the dynamics of international project groups and she focuses on how project leaders manage the cultural differences to overcome and to use national cultures, ethnic diversity efficiently and effectively in the multinational project team. In her research she has depict three kinds of cross-cultural practices which were implemented by the project leaders. With these findings she has proposed a strategy to enhance the functioning of cross-cultural projects. I think the methodology which she has used in this research i.e. Case study is largely fine but not an effective one instead of this if she had used Grounded theory methodology for this research it would have been much more better research. I argue that the three case studies which she has chosen is not a typical one of all the multinational project groups. I argue that the Data collection technique which she has used in this research i.e. informal discussion is not a good technique to collect the data from participant. I argue that the strategy which she has proposed doesnt hold good for all types of cross-cultural project groups. 2. Literature review: Research can be a tricky, fascinating, awkward, tedious, annoying, hilarious, confusing, disturbing, mechanical, sociable, isolating, surprising, sweaty, messy, systematic, costly, draining, iterative, contradictory, open-ended process (Anthias, 2002) Methodology is identical to a research model employed by a researcher in a particular project, including basic knowledge related to the subject and research methods in question and the framework employed in a particular context (Sarantakos, 1998 cited Lather, 1992:87). Sarantakos (1998) relates the nature of Methodology to a theoretical and more abstract context, and perceives it in conjuction with distinctive, unidimensional, and mutually exclusive theoretical principles. Methodologies offers the research principles which are related closely to a distinct paradigm translated clearly and accurately, down to guidelines on acceptable research practices. Methodology is determined not by the research model but rather by principles of research entailed in a paradigm. Case-study research involves studying individual cases, often in their natural environment, and for a long period of time and employs a number of methods of data collection and analysis. (Sarantakos, 1998 cited Kromrey, 1986:320) 3. Critical Analysis of her Methodology: In this research the Methodology which is used by Chevrier is Case study. I think to do this research survey studies or experimental strategies will be too complex to implement, this is the main reason for Sylvie to choose Case study as the Methodology for this research. Generally case studies are done by a researcher when he/she is interested in the structure, process and outcomes of a single unit. (Sarantakos, 1998) Case studies are done by a researcher when he/she wants to extract data from a single field of study. Here Chevrier has chosen Engineering (i.e. three Project groups) as a field of study in which she has extracted the data and processed into information in which it will fit into the research topic. But this research topic demands to do study on all different kinds of field; but Sylvie hasnt done it, this is the main drawback of this research paper. In this research Chevrier focuses on how project leaders deal with cultural differences to surmount and even benefit from the variety of national cultures in their team. They have studied three cross-cultural practices that the project leaders explicitly or implicitly use to manage their international team and also studied the related outcomes from these practices. I think some methods and techniques which are used by Chevrier in her research paper doesnt holds good to the research topic. I think the samples(case studies) which she has chosen for this research doesnt sounds well because she has chosen only three international project groups to study the cross-cultural practices which are implemented in the team and moreover all these three project groups has the same background i.e. engineering. I believe just three project groups of the same background will not give a good weightage to her research paper. This is mainly because other than these three project groups there are different types of multinational project groups in which they are directly related to the cross-cultural management which I think she should have taken into this research paper. This research paper is pointing towards Multinational groups but the project groups which she has chosen has only people who are from European countries and Brasil, it misses out people who are from Asia, Africa and Australia. In this field work data is collected from Formal interviews, attendance to their meetings as a participant observer and informal discussions. I think the Primary data obtained from the formal interviews with project leaders and project members will be useful to analyse the data in this research and this data is important because the members of the project groups are the one who will be following cross-cultural practices and they will be knowing whether these practices are useful or not . In her research she has used participant observer as a data collection technique. I think it is a good technique for collecting the data in this research. Since her team will be a part of the cross-cultural group so they can observe easily how the team members/managers will behave and whether they are following the cross-cultural practices or not. They have attended even meetings to collect the data I think this is the place where they might have got a good data because this is a place where they can observe whether the managers and leaders are following cross-cultural practices or are they giving any importance to it or not. Chevrier and her team was also present daily among the project groups particularly for project 1(for 2 project weeks) and project 2(for 2  ½ months), I think daily presence in a project group is important because generally people wont behave same way in every time/day and also we cant judge their behaviour on cross-cultural practices in a single day. So daily presence in a project group will give a good data for the researcher but interesting point in her data collection is she or her team was not present daily for project team 3 but they were present only in project team 1 2 and that to in project team 1 they were present daily with team for just 2 ‘project weeks, so I dont think within these 2 weeks they have collected a strong data because in just 2 weeks it is less practical to summarize their behaviour. I think the primary data which they have collected in project team 2 will be useful because for 2  ½ months they were daily present with the team so with this time they will be in a better position to judge their behaviour with respect to cross-cultural. I also think that the Informal discussion which she has used in this research is not an effective technique. I agree this technique partially and I also disagree partially. I think this technique should be used depending on the situation in the working environment; if the working environment is not so good then there is no use of having discussion with them because the interviewee may give answers simply just to pass time. I think they should use only when the team members are in a good mood and moreover this discussions will take place mainly during lunch time of the employees, this is the time where most of the employee will relax, spend time with their colleagues and chat with them, if Chevrier and her group starts to discuss with these employees then most of them wont be interested and they will just say something or they will give less answers so that the discussion will be over fast. She has analysed the collected data by Cutting of Tran scripted interviews and meeting notes by theme. She has prepared a monograph for each and every theme which I think its a good idea and it will be useful for comparing all the themes. This type of comparison will help to find out the common and uncommon features of all the cases 4. Will her evidence support her findings? I think the evidence which she has used in Case 1 will support her findings. This is a project group of European consortium set up to make RD in the telecommunication industry. The contract which is signed by these companies designates one company as a primary contractor which will appoint a project leader among its engineers. We know that the newly appointed project leader has no hierarchical authority over the other partners due to this he/she cannot demand anything from other partners, infact he/she cant expect that other partners will involve totally (100% commitment) in this project and there is also a possibility that this may also lead to lack of institutional management with the other partners. In this project the leader has to take some technical decisions in which sometimes it may not be accepted by the other partners as she found this from Northern Europe and especially from Scandinavia that they only speak up when they disagree with what is being said. These project groups were not totally involved in the project. In this case the project leader has no choice he has to tolerate with these kinds of partners. This is what Chevrier has found that the leader explicitly or implicitly relies on tolerance of team members to surmount difficulties. The project group (RD consortium) has people from different countries; definitely all of them will have different opinion on Cross-cultural activity. Some may tolerate the diversity and some may not. Chevrier has found out different opinions from the interviewees e.g. In multinational teams some team members tend to forget the nationality of their colleague to focus on technical issues. Oppositely, the second part of interviewees says that they make their best to struggle against prejudices, stereotypes and ethnocentrism. In the 2nd case of Chevrier it is said that the greatest difficulty for the project manager is to make the work required for his own project a priority for team members who are very much in demand. If this is the case most of the manager tries to protect his team members to work in his project because every manager will have some task to complete, so to do this task without skilled workers in his team it will be difficult for him to complete it. If the manager couldnt maintain these workers in his team then there is every chance of showing less interest in the project. This is what happened to Swiss manager as it is told in Chevrier paper that â€Å"Swiss manager straightforwardly declared he did not want to make any difference and was careful to manage all team members the same way.† Chevrier has also backed up this argument by giving the reference of Laurent (1998), â€Å"we observed that when managers encounter cross-cultural differences, they often do nothing and consider that it is legitimate not to talk about them.† In case 1 the main job of the project leader is to maintain a strong institutional management with the other partners. Since the leader doesnt have the hierarchical authority over the other partners it will be difficult to manage all the other partners. His main job is to get the task done, since he doesnt has the upper hand over other project members it will be difficult for him to give orders for other groups to complete the job. In chevriers research, for this problem she has founded that â€Å"developing personal relationship with one another in a team will set up working arrangements more easily. If they know each other very well, it will help them to become acquainted with one other†. This strategy will suit only for RD consortium project group because in this project all its partners doesnt know each other so this strategy may enable effective mutual agreements between all the partners. But it doesnt suit for Electrical engineering project infact it can reinforce negative stereotypes and polarization between cultural groups. This is true because in this project the Swiss manager straightforwardly declared that he did not want to make any difference and was interested to manage all team members the same way, if this strategy (developing personal relationship) is implemented in this project group it may result in other way because due to less involvement by Swiss manger there is a more chance of negative stereotypes and polarization between cultural groups. This may lead in such a way that project may not complete. The strategy which is proposed in this paper by Chevrirer (cultural mediator) suits good for some multinational project groups but for some project groups it doesnt. Since in this strategy cultural mediator has to invite the project members quite regularly to find out the exact problem, this is possible only when all the project members are meeting together quite regularly at some place but this strategy cannot be applied to some multi-national groups where the project members wont meet regularly. However, in a multi national group most of the time the project groups will be from different countries so it is not practical to implement this strategy because all groups are from different countries and also it will be difficult for all the members to attend the meeting if it is put up by cultural mediator. As we can see in RD consortium group all the team members meet each other only four or five times a year. During these weeks all the project members will be busy with other partners about their plan and objectives in their project. So if this strategy is applied to this group then cultural mediator will not find sufficient time to spend with the team members to talk about their problematic situations which have encountered. I think this strategy can be applied to the project team in electrical engineering because this team is composed of a project manager, engineers who are all located in a single building but in a different floor. In this team cultural mediator can easily set up a meeting with the team members and find out the problematic situations which have encountered. Even in the product development project have subsidiaries which are located in different countries such as Germany, France, Belgium and Italy and co-ordinating the development process is in charge by ‘‘central group which is located in the French subsidiary. So even in this project group cultural mediator will find difficult to set up a meeting to talk about their problematic situations which have encountered. I think she has not justified all the problems which will occur in the multinational group. For e.g.— Race can be a problem in the group. Merriam et.al. in their research has found that â€Å"Racism was the specific dominating factor in cross cultural groups†. Color As an issue of concern amongst Blacks, colorism is examined and debated in Black communities in a less than open manner. This intraracial discrimination among Blacks gives preferential treatment to those who have lighter skin shades. (Merriam et.al) 5. Alternative Methodology: I think Grounded theory analysis will be a better approach for this research because in this research topic we need to analyse more number of case studies, interviews and observation so I think grounded theory will be the best methodology for this research. Another reason for using grounded theory techniques is â€Å"Grounded theorising is well suited to capturing the interpretive experiences of owner/managers/employees and developing theoretical propositions from them.† Rowlands B. (2005 cited from Strauss Corbin 1990) From the above reason we can say that, Since Chevriers research is related to the cross-cultural practices which are followed by Leaders, Managers, and Team members, so this methodology will be very useful in gathering and analysing the data. Similarly, Grounded theory has been effectively used in recent Information System research to develop theory of Information System practice. Rowlands B. (2005 cited from Urquhart et.al., 1997) In choosing the International project groups Chevrier has chosen the groups in which all groups has the same background i.e. Engineering. Instead of choosing three project groups from a single background she could have chosen three project groups from different fields. Because choosing a sample project group which is typical to that environment is very important and the data collected from this typical one will bee much stronger than the data which she has collected from the three Engineering project groups. I think Ethnographic interview will be useful to get valuable data from the interviewee. The main aim of this type of interview is to study the Culture of the people and to find out how it will impact on the people behaviour. â€Å"It aims to discover or understand the culture of people in their social environment and of explaining the social justification of their role and position in that culture.†(Sarantakos, 1998). This interview would have helped her in finding the culture of the project members/leaders and based on her understanding on their culture she could have compared with the Cross-cultural practices which were implemented by the management and she could have got a better result. If Chevrier had used all the above methodology in her research, I think this would have improved her research conclusion. 6. Conclusion: In this paper I have revealed that the methodology which is used by chevrier for her research is not a good one. I have shown that some of her methodology which she has used is not effective with respect to the research. The three case study which she has chosen in her research is not a typical one because all the case studies had the same background i.e. Engineering, instead of that she could have chosen case studies which are from different background and I also showed that the data collected from participant observation in project group 2 was strong. I showed that the data collected from informal discussion technique was not good. This paper reveals that Ethnographic interview and Grounded theory would have helped her to collect the strong data and to analyse the data which she has collected. I have shown that up to what extent of her evidence will support her findings. In this paper I have also concluded that her proposed strategy will holds good only if all the project members/g roups are in the same company or at least in the same country, it doesnt suit if all the project members/groups are in a different countries. 8. Bibliography: Sarantakos S.,(1998).Social reseach, 2nd edition, Macmillan Education: Australia, Chapter 8, pp 33,191,251. Floya Anthias,( 2002) Where do I belong?: Narrating collective identity and translocational positionality, [Online] Accessed from: http://etn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/4/491 [Accessed on: 05/11/07] Merriam S., et.al., Power and Positionality: Negotiating Insider/Outsider Status in Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Research, [Online] Accessed from: http://merriamsetal1-final.pdf [Accessed on: 05/11/07] Rowlands B., (2005), Grounded in Practice: Using Interpretive Research to Build Theory, [Online] Accessed from: http://v3-i1-art7-rowlands.pdf [Accessed on: 03/12/07]

Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

CHAPTER ONE The Nature of Negotiation 4-2 Introduction Negotiation is something that everyone does, almost daily 4-3 Negotiations Negotiations occur for several reasons: †¢ To agree on how to share or divide a limited resource †¢ To create something new that neither party could attain on his or her own †¢ To resolve a problem or dispute between the parties 4-4 Approach to the Subject Most people think bargaining and negotiation mean the same thing; however, we will be distinctive about the way we use these two words: †¢ Bargaining: describes the competitive, win-lose situation †¢ Negotiation: refers to win-win situations such as hose that occur when parties try to find a mutually acceptable solution to a complex conflict 4-5 Three Important Themes 1. The definition of negotiation and the basic characteristics of negotiation situations 2. Interdependence, the relationship between people and groups that most often leads them to negotiate 3. Understanding the dy namics of conflict and conflict management processes which serve as a backdrop for different ways that people approach and manage negotiations 4-6 Characteristics of a Negotiation Situation †¢ There are two or more parties †¢ There is a conflict of needs and desires between two or more parties Parties negotiate because they think they can get a better deal than by simply accepting what the other side offers them †¢ Parties expect a â€Å"give-and-take† process 4-7 Characteristics of a Negotiation Situation †¢ Parties search for agreement rather than: – – – – Fight openly Capitulate Break off contact permanently Take their dispute to a third party †¢ Successful negotiation involves: – Management of tangibles (e. g. , the price or the terms of agreement) – Resolution of intangibles (the underlying psychological motivations) such as winning, losing, saving face 4-8 Interdependence In negotiation, parties need eac h other to achieve heir preferred outcomes or objectives †¢ This mutual dependency is called interdependence †¢ Interdependent goals are an important aspect of negotiation †¢ Win-lose: I win, you lose †¢ Win-win: Opportunities for both parties to gain 4-9 Interdependence †¢ Interdependent parties are characterized by interlocking goals †¢ Having interdependent goals does not mean that everyone wants or needs exactly the same thing †¢ A mix of convergent and conflicting goals characterizes many interdependent relationships 4-10 Types of Interdependence Affect Outcomes †¢ Interdependence and the structure of the situation hape processes and outcomes – Zero-sum or distributive – one winner – Non-zero-sum or integrative – a mutual gains situation 4-11 Alternatives Shape Interdependence †¢ Evaluating interdependence depends heavily on the alternatives to working together †¢ The desirability to work together is better for outcomes †¢ Best available alternative: BATNA (acronym for Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) 4-12 Mutual Adjustment †¢ Continues throughout the negotiation as both parties act to influence the other †¢ One of the key causes of the changes that occur during a negotiation †¢ The effective negotiator needs to understand how eople will adjust and readjust and how the negotiations might twist and turn, based on one’s own moves and the other’s responses 4-13 Mutual Adjustment and Concession Making †¢ When one party agrees to make a change in his/her position, a concession has been made †¢ Concessions restrict the range of options †¢ When a concession is made, the bargaining range is further constrained 4-14 Two Dilemmas in Mutual Adjustment †¢ Dilemma of honesty – Concern about how much of the truth to tell the other party †¢ Dilemma of trust – Concern about how much should negotiators believe wh at the other party tells them 4-15Value Claiming and Value Creation †¢ Opportunities to â€Å"win† or share resources – Claiming value: result of zero-sum or distributive situations where the object is to gain largest piece of resource – Creating value: result of non-zero-sum or integrative situation where the object is to have both parties do well 4-16 Value Claiming and Value Creation †¢ Most actual negotiations are a combination of claiming and creating value processes – Negotiators must be able to recognize situations that require more of one approach than the other – Negotiators must be versatile in their comfort and use of both major strategic approaches Negotiator perceptions of situations tend to be biased toward seeing problems as more distributive/competitive than they really are 4-17 Value Claiming and Value Creation Value differences that exist between negotiators include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Differences in interes t Differences in judgments about the future Differences in risk tolerance Differences in time preferences 4-18 Conflict Conflict may be defined as a: â€Å"sharp disagreement or opposition† and includes â€Å"the perceived divergence of interest, or a belief that the parties' current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously† 4-19 Levels of Conflict Intrapersonal or intrapsychic conflict – Conflict that occurs within an individual †¢ We want an ice cream cone badly, but we know that ice cream is very fattening †¢ Interpersonal conflict – Conflict is between individuals †¢ Conflict between bosses and subordinates, spouses, siblings, roommates, etc. 4-20 Levels of Conflict †¢ Intragroup Conflict – Conflict is within a group †¢ Among team and committee members, within families, classes etc. †¢ Intergroup Conflict – Conflict can occur between organizations, warring nations, feuding families, or within splintered , fragmented communities – These negotiations are the most complex -21 Dysfunctions of Conflict 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Competitive, win-lose goals Misperception and bias Emotionality Decreased communication Blurred issues Rigid commitments Magnified differences, minimized similarities Escalation of conflict 4-22 Functions and Benefits of Conflict 1. Makes organizational members more aware and able to cope with problems through discussion. 2. Promises organizational change and adaptation. 3. Strengthens relationships and heightens morale. 4. Promotes awareness of self and others. 5. Enhances personal development. 6. Encourages psychological development—it helps eople become more accurate and realistic in their self-appraisals. 7. Can be stimulating and fun. 4-23 The Dual Concerns Model 4-24 Styles of Conflict Management 1. Contending – Actors pursue own outcomes strongly, show little concern for other party obtaining their desired outcomes 2. Yielding – A ctors show little interest in whether they attain own outcomes, but are quite interested in whether the other party attains their outcomes 3. Inaction – Actors show little interest in whether they attain own outcomes, and little concern about whether the other party obtains their outcomes 4-25 Styles of Conflict Management . Problem solving – Actors show high concern in obtaining own outcomes, as well as high concern for the other party obtaining their outcomes 5. Compromising – Actors show moderate concern in obtaining own outcomes, as well as moderate concern for the other party obtaining their outcomes CHAPTER TWO Strategy and Tactics of Distributive Bargaining 4-27 Three Reasons Negotiators Should Be Familiar with Distributive Bargaining 1. Independent situations require knowing how this works in order to do well 2. Need to know how to counter the effects of the strategies 3. Every situation has the potential to require kills at the â€Å"claiming-valueâ₠¬  stage 4-28 The Distributive Bargaining Situation †¢ Goals of one party are in fundamental,direct conflict to another party †¢ Resources are fixed and limited †¢ Maximizing one’s own share of resources is the goal for both parties 4-29 The Distributive Bargaining Situation Situation includes: †¢ Starting points (initial offers) †¢ Target points †¢ Resistance points (walkaway) †¢ Alternative outcomes 4-30 The Distributive Bargaining Situation Party A – Seller Walkaway Point Initial Offer Party B – Buyer Target Point Target Point Asking Price Walkaway Point 4-31 The Role of Alternatives to aNegotiated Agreement †¢ Alternatives give the negotiator power to walk away from the negotiation – If alternatives are attractive, negotiators can: †¢ Set their goals higher †¢ Make fewer concessions – If there are no attractive alternatives: †¢ Negotiators have much less bargaining power 4-32 The Distribut ive Bargaining Situation Party A – Seller Walkaway Point Target Point Alternative Initial Offer Party B – Buyer Asking Price Alternative Target Point Walkaway Point 4-33 Fundamental Strategies †¢ Push for settlement near opponent’s resistance point †¢ Get the other party to change their resistance point If settlement range is negative, either: – Get the other side to change their resistance point – Modify your own resistance point †¢ Convince the other party that the settlement is the best possible 4-34 Keys to the Strategies The keys to implementing any of the four strategies are: †¢ Discovering the other party’s resistance point †¢ Influencing the other party’s resistance point 4-35 Tactical Tasks of Negotiators †¢ Assess outcome values and the costs of termination for the other party †¢ Manage the other party’s impressions †¢ Modify the other party’s perceptions †¢ Manipula te the actual costs of delay or termination 4-36Assess the Other Party’s Target, Resistance Point, and Costs of Terminating Negotiations †¢ Indirectly – Determine information opponent used to set: †¢ Target †¢ Resistance points †¢ Directly – Opponent reveals the information 4-37 Manage the Other Party’s Impressions †¢ Screen your behavior: – Say and do as little as possible †¢ Direct action to alter impressions – Present facts that enhance one’s position 4-38 Modify the Other Party’s Perceptions †¢ Make outcomes appear less attractive †¢ Make the cost of obtaining goals appear higher †¢ Make demands and positions appear more or less attractive to the other party – whichever uits your needs 4-39 Manipulate the Actual Costs of Delay or Termination †¢ Plan disruptive action – Raise the costs of delay to the other party †¢ Form an alliance with outsiders – Involve (or threaten to involve) other parties who can influence the outcome in your favor †¢ Schedule manipulations – One party is usually more vulnerable to delaying than the other 4-40 Positions Taken During Negotiations †¢ Opening offers – Where will you start? †¢ Opening stance – What is your attitude? †¢ Competitive? Moderate? †¢ Initial concessions – Should any be made? If so, how large? 4-41 Positions Taken During Negotiations The role of concessions – Without them, there is either capitulation or deadlock †¢ Patterns of concession making – The pattern contains valuable information †¢ Final offers (making a commitment) – â€Å"This is all I can do† 4-42 Commitments: Tactical Considerations †¢ Establishing a commitment – Three properties: †¢ Finality †¢ Specificity †¢ Consequences †¢ Preventing the other party from committing prematurely – Their co mmitment reduces your flexibility 4-43 Ways to Create a Commitment †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Public pronouncement Linking with an outside base Increase the prominence of demands Reinforce the threat or promise 4-44 Commitments:Tactical Considerations †¢ Ways to abandon a committed position – – – – Plan a way out Let it die silently Restate the commitment in more general terms Minimize the damage to the relationship if the other backs off 4-45 Closing the Deal †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Provide alternatives (2 or 3 packages) Assume the close Split the difference Exploding offers Deal sweeteners 4-46 Dealing with Typical Hardball Tactics †¢ Four main options: – Ignore them – Discuss them – Respond in kind – Co-opt the other party (befriend them) 4-47 Typical Hardball Tactics †¢ Good Cop/Bad Cop †¢ Lowball/Highball †¢ Bogey (playing up an issue of little importance) The Nibble (asking fo r a number of small concessions to) 4-48 Typical Hardball Tactics †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Chicken Intimidation Aggressive Behavior Snow Job (overwhelm the other party with information) 4-49 Summary Negotiators need to: †¢ Set a clear target and resistance points †¢ Understand and work to improve their BATNA †¢ Start with good opening offer †¢ Make appropriate concessions †¢ Manage the commitment process CHAPTER THREE Strategy and Tactics of Integrative Negotiation 4-51 What Makes Integrative Negotiation Different? †¢ Focus on commonalties rather than differences †¢ Address needs and interests, not positions Commit to meeting the needs of all involved parties †¢ Exchange information and ideas †¢ Invent options for mutual gain †¢ Use objective criteria to set standards 4-52 Overview of the Integrative Negotiation Process †¢ Create a free flow of information †¢ Attempt to understand the other negotiator’s real n eeds and objectives †¢ Emphasize the commonalties between the parties and minimize the differences †¢ Search for solutions that meet the goals and objectives of both sides 4-53 Key Steps in the Integrative Negotiation Process †¢ Identify and define the problem †¢ Understand the problem fully – identify interests and needs on both sides Generate alternative solutions †¢ Evaluate and select among alternatives 4-54 Claiming and Creating Value 4-55 Identify and Define the Problem †¢ Define the problem in a way that is mutually acceptable to both sides †¢ State the problem with an eye toward practicality and comprehensiveness †¢ State the problem as a goal and identify the obstacles in attaining this goal †¢ Depersonalize the problem †¢ Separate the problem definition from the search for solutions 4-56 Understand the Problem Fully— Identify Interests and Needs †¢ Interests: the underlying concerns, needs, desires, or fe ars that motivate a negotiator Substantive interests relate to key issues in the negotiation – Process interests are related to the way the dispute is settled – Relationship interests indicate that one or both parties value their relationship – Interests in principle: doing what is fair, right, acceptable, ethical may be shared by the parties 4-57 Observations on Interests †¢ There is almost always more than one †¢ Parties can have different interests at stake †¢ Often stem from deeply rooted human needs or values †¢ Can change †¢ Numerous ways to surface interests †¢ Surfacing interests is not always easy or to one’s best advantage 4-58Generate Alternative Solutions †¢ Invent options by redefining the problem set: – – – – – – – – Compromise Logroll Modify the pie Expand the pie Find a bridge solution Cut the costs for compliance Non specific compensation Subordinat ion †¢ Generate options to the problem as a given: – Brainstorming – Surveys – Electronic brainstorming 4-59 Evaluate and Select Alternatives †¢ Narrow the range of solution options †¢ Evaluate solutions on: – Quality – Objective standards – Acceptability †¢ Agree to evaluation criteria in advance †¢ Be willing to justify personal preferences †¢ Be alert to the influence of intangibles in selecting options Use subgroups to evaluate complex options 4-60 Evaluate and Select Alternatives †¢ Take time to â€Å"cool off† †¢ Explore different ways to logroll †¢ Exploit differences in expectations and risk/time preferences †¢ Keep decisions tentative and conditional until a final proposal is complete †¢ Minimize formality, record keeping until final agreements are closed 4-61 Factors That Facilitate Successful Integrative Negotiation †¢ Some common objective or goal †¢ Faith in one’s own problem-solving ability †¢ A belief in the validity of one’s own position and the other’s perspective †¢ The motivation and commitment to work together -62 Factors That Facilitate Successful Integrative Negotiation †¢ Trust †¢ Clear and accurate communication †¢ An understanding of the dynamics of integrative negotiation CHAPTER FOUR Negotiation: Strategy and Planning 4-64 Goals – The Focus That Drives Negotiation Strategy †¢ Determining goals is the first step in the negotiation process †¢ Negotiators should specify goals and objectives clearly †¢ The goals set have direct and indirect effects on the negotiator’s strategy 4-65 The Direct and Indirect Effects of Goals on Strategy †¢ Direct effects – – – – Wishes are not goals Goals are often linked to the other party’s goalsThere are limits to what goals can be Effective goals must be concrete/specific †¢ Indirect effects – Forging an ongoing relationship 4-66 Strategy versus Tactics †¢ Strategy: The overall plan to achieve one’s goals in a negotiation †¢ Tactics: Short-term, adaptive moves designed to enact or pursue broad strategies – Tactics are subordinate to strategy – Tactics are driven by strategy †¢ Planning: The â€Å"action† component of the strategy process; i. e. how will I implement the strategy? 4-67 Approaches to Strategy †¢ Unilateral: One that is made without active involvement of the other party Bilateral: One that considers the impact of the other’s strategy on one’s own 4-68 The Dual Concerns Model Avoidance: Don’t negotiate Competition: I gain, ignore relationship Collaboration: I gain, you gain, enhance relationship Accommodation: I let you win, enhance relationship 4-69 Strategic Options †¢ Per the Dual Concerns Model, choice of strategy is reflected in the answers to two questio ns: – How much concern do I have in achieving my desired outcomes at stake in the negotiation? – How much concern do I have for the current and future quality of the relationship with the other party? 4-70 The Nonengagement Strategy:Avoidance †¢ If one is able to meet one’s needs without negotiating at all, it may make sense to use an avoidance strategy †¢ It simply may not be worth the time and effort to negotiate †¢ The decision to negotiate is closely related to the desirability of available alternatives 4-71 Active-Engagement Strategies †¢ Competition – distributive, win-lose bargaining †¢ Collaboration – integrative, win-win negotiation †¢ Accommodation – involves an imbalance of outcomes (â€Å"I lose, you win†) 4-72 Key Steps to an Ideal Negotiation Process 4-73 Key Steps to an Ideal Negotiation Process †¢ Preparation – What are the goals? How will I work with the other party? †¢ R elationship building – Understanding differences and similarities – Building commitment toward a mutually beneficial set of outcomes †¢ Information gathering – Learn what you need to know about the issues 4-74 Key Steps to an Ideal Negotiation Process †¢ Information using – Assemble your case †¢ Bidding – Each party states their â€Å"opening offer† – Each party engages in â€Å"give and take† †¢ Closing the deal – Build commitment †¢ Implementing the agreement 4-75 Getting Ready to Implement the Strategy: The Planning Process †¢ Define the issues †¢ Assemble the issues and define the bargaining ix – The bargaining mix is the combined list of issues †¢ Define your interests – Why you want what you want 4-76 Getting Ready to Implement the Strategy: The Planning Process †¢ Know your limits and alternatives †¢ Set your objectives (targets) and opening bids (whe re to start) – Target is the outcome realistically expected – Opening is the best that can be achieved †¢ Assess constituents and the social context of the negotiation 4-77 The Social Context of Negotiation: â€Å"Field† Analysis 4-78 Getting Ready to Implement the Strategy: The Planning Process †¢ Analyze the other party – Why do they want what they want? How can I present my case clearly and refute the other party’s arguments? †¢ Present the issues to the other party 4-79 Information Needed to Prepare Effectively for Engaging the Other Party †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Resources, issues, and bargaining mix Interests and needs Walkaway point and alternative(s) Targets and opening bids Constituents, social structure, and authority to make an agreement †¢ Reputation and negotiation style †¢ Likely strategy and tactics 4-80 Getting Ready to Implement the Strategy: The Planning Process †¢ Define the protocol t o be followed in the negotiation – – – – – – – What is the agenda? Who will be there?Where will the negotiation occur? What is the time period? What might be done if the negotiation fails? How will we keep track of what is agreed to? How do we know whether we have a good agreement? 4-81 Summary on the Planning Process â€Å"†¦ planning is the most critically important activity in negotiation. † CHAPTER FIVE Perception, Cognition, and Emotion 4-83 Perception, Cognition, and Emotion in Negotiation The basic building blocks of all social encounters are: †¢ Perception †¢ Cognition – Framing – Cognitive biases †¢ Emotion 4-84 Perception Perception is: †¢ The process by which individuals connect to their environment. A â€Å"sense-making† process 4-85 The Process of Perception The process of ascribing meaning to messages and events is strongly influenced by the perceiver’s current state of mind, role, and comprehension of earlier communications People interpret their environment in order to respond appropriately The complexity of environments makes it impossible to process all of the information People develop â€Å"shortcuts† to process information and these â€Å"shortcuts† can create perceptual errors 4-86 Perceptual Distortion †¢ Four major perceptual errors: – Stereotyping – Halo effects – Selective perception – Projection 4-87Stereotyping and Halo Effects †¢ Stereotyping: – Is a very common distortion – Occurs when an individual assigns attributes to another solely on the basis of the other’s membership in a particular social or demographic category †¢ Halo effects: – Are similar to stereotypes – Occur when an individual generalizes about a variety of attributes based on the knowledge of one attribute of an individual 4-88 Selective Perception and Projection â₠¬ ¢ Selective perception: – Perpetuates stereotypes or halo effects – The perceiver singles out information that supports a prior belief but filters out contrary information †¢ Projection: Arises out of a need to protect one’s own self-concept – People assign to others the characteristics or feelings that they possess themselves 4-89 Framing †¢ Frames: – Represent the subjective mechanism through which people evaluate and make sense out of situations – Lead people to pursue or avoid subsequent actions – Focus, shape and organize the world around us – Make sense of complex realities – Define a person, event or process – Impart meaning and significance 4-90 Types of Frames †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Substantive Outcome Aspiration Process Identity Characterization Loss-Gain 4-91 How Frames Work in Negotiation Negotiators can use more than one frame †¢ Mismatches in frames b etween parties are sources of conflict †¢ Parties negotiate differently depending on the frame †¢ Specific frames may be likely to be used with certain types of issues †¢ Particular types of frames may lead to particular types of agreements †¢ Parties are likely to assume a particular frame because of various factors 4-92 Interests, Rights, and Power Parties in conflict use one of three frames: †¢ Interests: people talk about their â€Å"positions† but often what is at stake is their underlying interests †¢ Rights: people may be concerned about who is right† – that is, who has legitimacy, who is correct, and what is fair †¢ Power: people may wish to resolve a conflict on the basis of who is stronger 4-93 The Frame of an Issue Changes as the Negotiation Evolves †¢ Negotiators tend to argue for stock issues or concerns that are raised every time the parties negotiate †¢ Each party attempts to make the best possible case for his or her preferred position or perspective †¢ Frames may define major shifts and transitions in a complex overall negotiation †¢ Multiple agenda items operate to shape issue development 4-94 Some Advice about Problem Framing for Negotiators Frames shape what the parties define as the key issues and how they talk about them †¢ Both parties have frames †¢ Frames are controllable, at least to some degree †¢ Conversations change and transform frames in ways negotiators may not be able to predict but may be able to control †¢ Certain frames are more likely than others to lead to certain types of processes and outcomes 4-95 Cognitive Biases in Negotiation †¢ Negotiators have a tendency to make systematic errors when they process information. These errors, collectively labeled cognitive biases, tend to impede negotiator performance. 4-96 Cognitive Biases †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Irrational escalation of commitment Mythical fixed-pie be liefs Anchoring and adjustment Issue framing and risk Availability of information †¢ The winner’s curse †¢ Overconfidence †¢ The law of small numbers †¢ Self-serving biases †¢ Endowment effect †¢ Ignoring others’ cognitions †¢ Reactive devaluation 4-97 Irrational Escalation of Commitment and Mythical Fixed-Pie Beliefs †¢ Irrational escalation of commitment – Negotiators maintain commitment to a course of action even when that commitment constitutes irrational behavior †¢ Mythical fixed-pie beliefs – Negotiators assume that all negotiations (not just some) involve a fixed pie 4-98Anchoring and Adjustment and Issue Framing and Risk †¢ Anchoring and adjustment – The effect of the standard (anchor) against which subsequent adjustments (gains or losses) are measured – The anchor might be based on faulty or incomplete information, thus be misleading †¢ Issue framing and risk – Frames ca n lead people to seek, avoid, or be neutral about risk in decision making and negotiation 4-99 Availability of Information and the Winner’s Curse †¢ Availability of information – Operates when information that is presented in vivid or attention-getting ways becomes easy to recall. – Becomes central and critical in evaluating events and ptions †¢ The winner’s curse – The tendency to settle quickly on an item and then subsequently feel discomfort about a win that comes too easily 4-100 Overconfidence and the Law of Small Numbers †¢ Overconfidence – The tendency of negotiators to believe that their ability to be correct or accurate is greater than is actually true †¢ The law of small numbers – The tendency of people to draw conclusions from small sample sizes – The smaller sample, the greater the possibility that past lessons will be erroneously used to infer what will happen in the future 4-101 Self-Serving Bi ases and Endowment Effect †¢ Self-serving biases People often explain another person’s behavior by making attributions, either to the person or to the situation – There is a tendency to: †¢ Overestimate the role of personal or internal factors †¢ Underestimate the role of situational or external factors †¢ Endowment effect – The tendency to overvalue something you own or believe you possess 4-102 Ignoring Others’ Cognitions and Reactive Devaluation †¢ Ignoring others’ cognitions – Negotiators don’t bother to ask about the other party’s perceptions and thoughts – This leaves them to work with incomplete information, and thus produces faulty results †¢ Reactive devaluation The process of devaluing the other party’s concessions simply because the other party made them 4-103 Managing Misperceptions and Cognitive Biases in Negotiation The best advice that negotiators can follow is: †¢ Be aware of the negative aspects of these biases †¢ Discuss them in a structured manner within the team and with counterparts 4-104 Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation †¢ The distinction between mood and emotion is based on three characteristics: – Specificity – Intensity – Duration 4-105 Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation †¢ Negotiations create both positive and negative emotions †¢ Positive emotions generally have positive onsequences for negotiations – They are more likely to lead the parties toward more integrative processes – They create a positive attitude toward the other side – They promote persistence 4-106 Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation †¢ Aspects of the negotiation process can lead to positive emotions – Positive feelings result from fair procedures during negotiation – Positive feelings result from favorable social comparison 4-107 Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation †¢ Negative emotions generally h ave negative consequences for negotiations – They may lead parties to define the situation as competitive or distributive They may undermine a negotiator’s ability to analyze the situation accurately, which adversely affects individual outcomes – They may lead parties to escalate the conflict – They may lead parties to retaliate and may thwart integrative outcomes – Not all negative emotion has the same effect 4-108 Mood, Emotion, and Negotiation †¢ Aspects of the negotiation process can lead to negative emotions – Negative emotions may result from a competitive mind-set – Negative emotions may result from an impasse – Negative emotions may result from the prospect of beginning a negotiation †¢ Effects of positive and negative emotion Positive feelings may generate negative outcomes – Negative feelings may elicit beneficial outcomes †¢ Emotions can be used strategically as negotiation gambits CHAPTER SIX C ommunication 4-110 Communication in Negotiation Communication processes, both verbal and nonverbal, are critical to achieving negotiation goals and to resolving conflicts. 4-111 What is Communicated during Negotiation? †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Offers, counteroffers, and motives Information about alternatives Information about outcomes Social accounts – Explanations of mitigating circumstances – Explanations of exonerating circumstances Reframing explanations †¢ Communication about process 4-112 Communication in Negotiation: Three Key Questions †¢ Are negotiators consistent or adaptive? – Many negotiators prefer sticking with the familiar rather than venturing into improvisation †¢ Does it matter what is said early in the process? – What negotiators do in the first half of the process has a significant impact on their ability to generate integrative solutions with high joint gains †¢ Is more information always better? – Th ere is evidence that having more information does not automatically translate into better outcomes 4-113 How People Communicate n Negotiation †¢ Use of language operates at two levels: – Logical level (proposals, offers) – Pragmatic level (semantics, syntax, style) †¢ Use of nonverbal communication – Making eye contact – Adjusting body position – Nonverbally encouraging or discouraging what the other says 4-114 How People Communicate in Negotiation †¢ Selection of a communication channel – Communication is experienced differently when it occurs through different channels – People negotiate through a variety of communication media – by phone, in writing and increasingly through electronic channels or virtual negotiations Social bandwidth distinguishes one communication channel from another. †¢ the ability of a channel to carry and convey subtle social and relational cues from sender to receiver 4-115 How to I mprove Communication in Negotiation Three main techniques: 1. The use of questions 2. Listening 3. Role reversal 4-116 How to Improve Communication in Negotiation †¢ Use of questions: two basic categories – Manageable questions †¢ cause attention or prepare the other person’s thinking for further questions: – â€Å"May I ask you a question? † †¢ getting information – â€Å"How much will this cost? † †¢ generating thoughts â€Å"Do you have any suggestions for improving this? † 4-117 How to Improve Communication in Negotiation †¢ Use of questions: two basic categories – Unmanageable questions †¢ cause difficulty – â€Å"Where did you get that dumb idea? † †¢ give information – â€Å"Didn’t you know we couldn’t afford this? † †¢ bring the discussion to a false conclusion – â€Å"Don’t you think we have talked about this enough? † 4-118 How to Improve Communication in Negotiation †¢ Listening: three major forms 1. Passive listening: Receiving the message while providing no feedback to the sender 2. Acknowledgment: Receivers nod their heads, maintain eye ontact, or interject responses 3. Active listening: Receivers restate or paraphrase the sender’s message in their own language 4-119 How to Improve Communication in Negotiation †¢ Role reversal – – Negotiators understand the other party’s positions by actively arguing these positions until the other party is convinced that he or she is understood Impact and success of the role-reversal technique †¢ Research suggests that role reversal is a useful tool for improving communication and the accurate understanding and appreciation of the other party’s position 4-120 Special Communication Considerations at the Close of Negotiations Avoiding fatal mistakes – Keeping track of what you expect to happen – Systematically guarding yourself against self-serving expectations – Reviewing the lessons from feedback for similar decisions in the future †¢ Achieving closure – Avoid surrendering important information needlessly – Refrain from making â€Å"dumb remarks† CHAPTER SEVEN Finding and Using Negotiation Power 4-122 Why Is Power Important to Negotiators? Seeking power in negotiation arises from one of two perceptions: 1. The negotiator believes he or she currently has less power than the other party. 2. The negotiator believes he or she needs more power than the other party. -123 A Definition of Power †¢ â€Å"an actor†¦has power in a given situation (situational power) to the degree that he can satisfy the purposes (goals, desires, or wants) that he is attempting to fulfill in that situation† †¢ Two perspectives on power: – Power used to dominate and control the other– â€Å"power over† – Power used to work together with the other–â€Å"power with† 4-124 Major Sources of Power – How People Acquire Power †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Informational sources of power Personal sources of power Power based on position in an organization Relationship-based sources of power Contextual sources of power 4-125 Informational Sources of Power Information is the most common source of power – Derived from the negotiator’s ability to assemble and organize data to support his or her position, arguments, or desired outcomes – A tool to challenge the other party’s position or desired outcomes, or to undermine the effectiveness of the other’s negotiating arguments 4-126 Power Based on Personality and Individual Differences †¢ Personal orientation †¢ Cognitive orientation – Ideologies about power †¢ Motivational orientation – Specific motives to use power †¢ Disposition and skills – Orientation t o cooperation/competition †¢ Moral orientation – Philosophical orientation to power use -127 Power Based on Position in an Organization Two major sources of power in an organization: †¢ Legitimate power which is grounded in the title, duties, and responsibilities of a job description and â€Å"level† within an organization hierarchy †¢ Power based on the control of resources associated with that position 4-128 Power Based on Position in an Organization Two major sources of power in an organization: †¢ Legitimate power is derived from occupying a particular job, office, or position in an organizational hierarchy – Power resides in the title and responsibilities of the job itself and the â€Å"legitimacy† of the office holder Legitimate power is the foundation of our social structure and may be acquired by birth, election or appointment or promotion 4-129 Power Based on Resource Control †¢ People who control resources have the capac ity to give them to someone who will do what they want, and withhold them (or take them away) from someone who doesn’t do what they want. 4-130 Power Based on Resource Control †¢ Some of the most important resources: – – – – – – – Money Supplies Human capital Time Equipment Critical services Interpersonal support 4-131 Power Based on Relationships †¢ Goal interdependence – How parties view their goals †¢ Referent power Based on an appeal to common experiences, common past, common fate, or membership in the same groups. †¢ Networks – Power is derived from whatever flows through that particular location in the structure (usually information and resources) 4-132 An Organization Hierarchy 4-133 An Organizational Network Isolated Dyad Star Gatekeeper Liaison External Environment Linking Pin Isolate 4-134 Power Based on Relationships †¢ Key aspects of networks: – Tie strength †¢ An i ndication of the strength or quality of relationships with others – Tie content †¢ The resource that passes along the tie with the other person – Network structure The overall set of relationships within a social system 4-135 Power Based on Relationships Aspects of network structure that determine power include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Centrality Criticality and relevance Flexibility Visibility Membership in a coalition 4-136 Contextual Sources of Power Power is based in the context, situation or environment in which negotiations take place. †¢ BATNAs – An alternative deal that a negotiator might pursue if she or he does not come to agreement with the current other party †¢ Culture – Often contains implicit â€Å"rules† about use of power †¢ Agents, constituencies and external audiences All these parties can become actively involved in pressuring others 4-137 Dealing with Others Who Have More Power †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Never do an all-or-nothing deal Make the other party smaller Make yourself bigger Build momentum through doing deals in sequence Use the power of competition to leverage power Constrain yourself Good information is always a source of power Ask many questions to gain more information Do what you can to manage the process CHAPTER EIGHT Ethics in Negotiation 4-139 What Do We Mean by Ethics and Why Do They Matter in Negotiation? Ethics: †¢ Are broadly applied social standards for what is right r wrong in a particular situation, or a process for setting those standards †¢ Grow out of particular philosophies which – Define the nature of the world in which we live – Prescribe rules for living together 4-140 Resolving Moral Problems 4-141 Questions of Ethical Conduct that Arise in Negotiation †¢ Using ethically ambiguous tactics: It’s (mostly) all about the truth †¢ Identifying ethically ambig uous tactics and attitudes toward their use – What ethically ambiguous tactics are there? – Is it all right to use ethically ambiguous tactics? 4-142 Questions of Ethical Conduct that Arise in Negotiation †¢ Deception by omission versus commission

Motivating Employees Simulation Essay

Attrition is something that a company may experience at any time with or without notice. The company must be prepared when such a situation arises within their organization. During the interview process, key questions can be asked in order to understand the thought process of the interviewee. These questions can be related to future plans, past employment and details about specific duties the job requires. Questions relating to future plans will give the company a general idea on how long the potential employee plans on staying with the company. If they have other goals that do not meet the company expectations, this could be a sign of them using the position as a stepping stone to a better opportunity. Past employment details can show loyalty to a company. If the interviewee has moved from job to job in a short amount of time, this may display a lack of commitment and potential issues within the workplace. When asking about past employment, talk about reasons for leaving each company. This will give insight to their leaving and whether they may be a good fit. The last topic to discuss would be about specific job duties that the employee will be executing. This will give them a glimpse into the working environment and how the operation of the company works. The employee and the company will then be able to use this information and decide whether they feel each party will be satisfied with the position. During the interview and hiring process, the company will need to decide on whether they will use selection tests and other techniques to get information about the candidate. From the simulator, it did not appear that Magic Graffix was using reference checks during the hiring process. The use of reference checks, preferably professional, will allow for the company to get information from previous employers about the job performance of the candidate. It can provide information about rewards, promotions and whether  or not the performance was satisfactory. By utilizing this tool, Magic Graffix can differentiate between strong and weak candidates. Another test that can be used is a job skills test. Given that the company will be hiring for a new sector, they will want to hire experienced employees that require little or no training. Software development is a highly skilled job and a job skills test will allow the company to consider highly qualified candidates. Training can be an additional cost to the company; therefore, limiting the amount needed at time of hire will add money to the bottom profit line. In a company, it is important to provide feedback to the employees about how their job performance has been over an extended period of time. This feedback will allow for the company to share the positives and negatives regarding work related performance. There are many different ways to provide this information to the employees. Two methods that can be used are behavior-oriented rating methods and results-oriented rating methods. â€Å"Behavior-oriented rating methods focus on employee behaviors, either by comparing the performance of employees to that of other employees or by evaluating each employee in terms of performance standards without reference to others. Results-oriented rating methods place primary emphasis on what an employee produces; dollar volume of sales, number of units produced, and number of wins during a baseball season are examples.† (Cascio, 2005) Within each of these methods, there are different appraisal techniques that can be used. Work planning and review will help the company identify goals attained, problems encountered and the need for training over the given time period. This method will allow the company to set goals for their employees and accountability can be more accurately measured. Although this can be a time consuming method, it will ensure proper follow up and can set guidelines for training programs. Training opportunities will be easily identified through attainability of measurable goals. A behavioral checklist can be used to give a clear comparison across the employees. Scores will be given based on performance and job analysis. These scores can then be compared with their peers to see where opportunities can be addressed. If employees are scoring low, training can be delegated to improve performance. Questions can be asked on specific job requirements and answers will be given in the form of either always, very often, fairly often, occasionally and never. Each category will hold a numerical value and then the total number will give the employee their rating. Another form of appraisal is ranking. â€Å"Simple ranking requires only that a rater order all employees from highest to lowest, from â€Å"best† employee to â€Å"worst† employee.† (Cascio, 2005) This form can be good for making comparisons; however, it will provide very little feedback on a given individual. The best tool for Magic Graffix to use would be work planning and review. Although this will require intense and repeated follow-up, it will give the company an opportunity to identify training and development opportunities. Through the results of the Employment Satisfaction Survey, training concerns were high among all groups of workers. By setting attainable goals and properly measuring output, the company can identify the needs and have a faster resolution time. Magic Graffix is looking to expand their company and hire new talent to help them achieve this goal. Proper interview and recruitment techniques will need to be used in order to make sure only the highly qualified candidates get hired. Development of a performance appraisal plan will need to be implemented. This will allow for proper follow up and help identify opportunities in training and development. Magic Graffix is on track to succeed in their new venture as long as they continue to keep morale high and attrition low. References Cascio, Wayne F. (2005). Managing Human Resources. Chapter 9: Performance Management. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HRM/558 website. ISBN: 9780072987324

Brief Guide to the Architecture of Chicago, Illinois

Chicago, Illinois is known for its architecture and has long been connected with some of architectures most important names—Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, and Holabird Root. Follow these links for a virtual tour of must-see architecture in Chicago. Must-See Buildings in and around Chicago: Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower)Auditorium Building, Adler SullivanThe Manhattan BuildingFarnsworth House (near Chicago)The Old Colony Building The Marquette Building Leiter Building (II) (Sears, Roebuck Company Building)The Robie HouseThe Rookery The Arthur Heurtley HouseFrank Lloyd Wright HomeFrank Lloyd Wright StudioFrank Lloyd Wrights First Prairie Style House, the Winslow House, 1893Frank Lloyd Wright Pre-1900 Queen Anne Style HousesFrank W. Thomas HouseNathan G. Moore HouseWilliam Winslow ResidenceJay Pritzker Music Pavillion by Frank GehryAqua Tower by Jeanne Gang, 2010 Famous Chicago Architects: Daniel BurnhamBruce GrahamWilliam HolabirdWilliam Le Baron JenneyLudwig Mies van der RoheLouis Henri SullivanFrank Lloyd WrightJeanne Gang Chicago Before the Internet: Today we think nothing of shopping online. Ever hear of Amazon.com? What Amazon offers is a catalog of things to buy that can be shipped to your home. Before the digital revolution, the catalog of things was printed on paper, mailed to homes, and family members would circle items and turn down page corners for the treasures that they wanted. The Wish List in the Wish Book was the old Shopping Cart. Chicago was at the hub of the American Industrial Revolution—skyscrapers were being built and a great network of rail lines converged in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. The US Postal Service delivered mail by rail to remote and rural locations. Sears, Roebuck Co., based in Chicago, delivered everything else—including jewery, farm equipment, groceries, and the precut supplies to build entire homes. Browse our reproduced catalog pages from Sears and other mail order companies in Bungalows by Mail, Index to Selected Floor Plans. The competition became fierce, and marketing tactics became familiar to what we know today. Through these pages, we begin to see how modern Chicago became so quickly. Learn More About Architecture in Chicago: What is the Chicago School? Skyscrapers with StyleChicago Architecture FoundationSite includes a virtual walking tour past famous skyscrapers.Chicago Architecture and Design by Jay Pridmore and George A. Larson, Abrams, 2005Chicago Architecture and Design, 1923-1993: Reconfiguration of an American Metropolis, edited by John Zukowsky, Prestel, 2000Chicago Architecture: 1885 to Today by Chicago Architecture Foundation (C.A.F.), 2008Chicago (America the Beautiful), Firefly, 2009AIA Guide to Chicago by Alice Sinkevitch, 2004A View from the River: The Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise by Jennifer Marjorie Bosch and Hedrich Blessing, 2008Lost Chicago by David Garrard Lowe, University Of Chicago Press, 2010Cool Chicago by Kathleen Maguire, Pavilion, 2014The Encyclopedia of Chicago edited by James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff, University Of Chicago Press, 2004 Plan Your Chicago Architecture Visit: For excellent tours of Chicago architecture, visit the National Register of Historic Places. Youll find maps, photographs, historical information, and travel recommendations. Choose a Historic Chicago Hotel: If youd like to stay in a historic landmark building, youll be interested in the following hotels. Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel. Built in 1927, the centrally-located 14-story hotel is known for its lavish Crystal Ballroom.Deer Path Inn. Located 30 miles north of Chicago in Lake Forest, this stately Tudor is modeled after a 15th-century English Manor House.The Burnham Hotel has taken over the historic Reliance Building, one of Chicagos early skyscrapers, completed in 1895 and fully remodeled in the 1990s Look for Special Offers in Chicago: For special offers and helpful visitor information, explore the goChicago pages here at About.com.