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Important assessment information
Aims of this assessment
This simulated workplace assessment activity is conducted to the standard expected in the workplace in order to demonstrate consistent performance of routine activities experienced in the management profession.
This assessment focusses on real-life scenarios where organisations were faced with challenges in management. Three different assessments focus on a range of management issues. You have to thoroughly read and understand the case studies and answer the questions that follow the case studies. The Key areas of focus include management and functions, what managers do in challenging situations and managing the performance of employees. You are required to respond to the questions by simulating that you are the manager responsible for identifying and implementing solutions to the problems faced.
Marking and feedback
This assignment contains three assessment activities containing specific instructions.
This particular assessment forms part of your overall assessment of the following units of competency:
BSBMGT605
BSBINM601
BSBHRM604
Grading for this assessment will be deemed “competent” or “not-yet-competent” in line with specified educational standards under the Australian Qualifications Framework.
What does “competent” mean?
These answers contain relevant and accurate information in response to the question/s with limited severe errors in fact or application. If incorrect information is contained in an answer, it must be fundamentally outweighed by the accurate information provided. This will be assessed against a marking guide provided to assessors for their determination.
What does “not-yet-competent” mean?
This occurs when an assessment does not meet the marking guide standards provided to assessors. These answers either do not address the question correctly, or are wrong from a legislative perspective, or are incorrectly applied. Answers that omit to respond to any significant issue (where multiple issues must be addressed in a question) may also be deemed not-yet-competent. Answers that have faulty reasoning, a reduced standard of expression or include plagiarism may also be deemed not-yet-competent. Please note, additional information regarding Monarch's plagiarism policy is contained in the Student Information Guide which can be found here: http://www.monarch.edu.au/student-info/
What happens if you are deemed not-yet-competent?
In the event you do not achieve competency by your assessor on this assessment, you will be given one more opportunity to re-submit the assessment after consultation with your Trainer/ Assessor. You will know your assessment is deemed ‘not-yet-competent’ if your grade book in the Monarch LMS says “NYC” after you have received an email from your assessor advising your assessment has been graded.
Important:
It is your responsibility to ensure your assessment resubmission addresses all areas deemed unsatisfactory by your assessor. Please note, if you are still unsuccessful in meeting competency after resubmitting your assessment, you will be required to repeat those units.
If you have concerns about the assessment decision, then you can refer to our Complaints " Appeals process also contained within the Student Information Guide.
Expectations from your assessor when answering different types of assessment questions
Knowledge-based questions:
A knowledge-based question requires you to identify and cover the critical subject matter areas raised in the question in full as part of the response.
Skill-based questions:
Where you are asked to write as though you were the manager, your answers must show your ability to:
understand the problem and address the situation
take responsibility for your actions
display a professional response
explain ideas clearly and simply
Good luck
Finally, good luck with your learning and assessments and remember your trainers are here to assist you J
Assessment Activity
Workplace Simulation 1
Case Study 15.1 Page 456 – The perfect opportunity "
Case Study 15.2 Page 457 – The evaluation conference
Activity instructions to candidates
This is an open book assessment activity.
You are required to read this assessment and answer all five questions that follow.
Please type your answers in the spaces provided.
Please ensure you have read “Important assessment information” at the front of this assessment
Estimated time for completion of this assessment activity: 3-4 hours
Required
First, you are to read the case study 15.1 on page 456 – The perfect opportunity carefully.
Second, you are then required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
1.1.1 Was the formal performance discussion the perfect opportunity to begin the termination of the employment process? Why or why not?
The formal performance discussion was the perfect opportunity to begin the termination of the employment process. This is because the manager had a sound and accurate knowledge of the employee's deliverables and work performance before the performance discussion. The manager accepted the employee as a person, distinct from her performance. The manager was positive and constructive and found ways to make the employee's job easier, improve performance, and develop skills and job interest. The manager made sure he gained the employee's active participation in the discussion. The manager thoroughly prepared for the discussion and encouraged the employee to do the same. These are some of the best ways of helping performance review to go well.
1.1.2 What mistakes did Peter make with Samantha’s performance discussion?
Peter made these mistakes with Samantha’s performance discussion.
1. He did not put Samantha at ease because she was not relaxed and never spoke freely. This is because Peter did not explain to Samantha how he was going to guide the meeting.
2. Peter did not review the discussion form and listen to Samantha’s thoughts. He needed to have explained his perspective. He needed to have discussed specific behavioural examples of Samantha or refer to objectives, measurable standards, such as agreed targets met or not met.
3. Peter should have looked for ways of making continuous improvements and improve Samantha’s job before initiating the termination process.
4. They did not agree on the goals and targets to drive performance for the next period before discussing the termination.
5. Peter needed to have agreed on development goals and development plan with Samantha.
6. Peter did not ask Samantha to provide feedback on the discussion.
7. Samantha was not given an opportunity to ask questions.
1.1.3 What should Peter have done before the meeting? What should he do now? Should he have dealt with Samantha’s performance shortfall before?
Peter needed to have set an agenda for the performance discussion before the meeting. The agenda should have followed a timetable that included, putting the employee at ease before the meeting and reviewing the discussion form and listening to the employee’s thoughts. The framework for the discussion should have ways of making continuous improvements and improve the employee’s job. There should have been an agreement on the goals and targets to drive performance over the next period. There should have also been an agreement on the goals and a development plan. An opportunity should have been provided for Samantha to provide feedback. Finally, Peter should have given Samantha the opportunity to ask questions.
Peter needed to have followed the five ways of helping performance reviews go well. These five ways include having a sound and accurate knowledge of the employee’s deliverables and work performance, accepting the employee as a person distinct from their performance, and be confident and constructive by finding ways of making the employee's job performance easier. He also needed to have gained the employee's active participation in the discussion. Finally, Peter needed to have thoroughly prepared for the discussion and encouraged the employee to do the same.
Required
Please read the case study 15.2 on page 457 – The evaluation conference carefully.
You are required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
1.2.1 What mistakes did Harry Chan make in this evaluation?
Harry Chan made the mistakes in the evaluation by having information take the push direction. Harry should have used “could” instead of “should” to create less guilt about something Regan did that cannot be changed and give him a choice for next time. For instance, the issue of the loan application. Harry seemed to have been commenting on the character Regan rather than on the consequences of his actions with regards to the beard hair. Harry never referred to a mistake as a valuable lesson for Regan to learn from his actions. In overall the manner in which Harry did the evaluation was shoddy. Harry should have delivered constructive or corrective performance feedback accompanied by the positive emotional signals of nods and smiles for Regan to feel better about his performance.
1.2.2 How would you rate this evaluation conference? Why? How would you have handled it?
This evaluation conference was based on the hot stove principle. The reason is that the hot stove principle is used on three types of employees. Employees who are testing rules to see how far they can go, newer employees who inadvertently break a rule and skilled and experienced employees who know better. Regan, the employee, seems to be a newer employee who inadvertently broke a rule.
There are better ways of handling evaluations without forcing people to change. Bring out an issue to an employee’s attention and point out what he could do to improve his performance. A manager needs to think of evaluation as sharing ideas and information rather than giving orders or advice. Work out how to make the information useful to the receiver and choose words that portray you are both on the same side. Choose the time too and make sure the job-holder has the time to listen and is in the right frame of mind.
Assessment Activity
Workplace Simulation 2
Case Study 5.1 – Page 148: Exciting Times "
Case Study 5.2 – Page 148 – 149: On the move
Activity instructions to candidates
This is an open book assessment activity.
You are required to read this assessment and answer all five questions that follow.
Please type your answers in the spaces provided.
Please ensure you have read “Important assessment information” at the front of this assessment
Estimated time for completion of this assessment activity: 3-4 hours
Required:
Please read Case Study 5.1 on page 148: Exciting Times.
You are required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
2.1.1 Has Murray approached ‘working smarter’ sensibly? Now that he has worked out his key result areas and measures of success, what should his next steps be?
Murray has approached working smarter very sensibly. Once he has worked out his key result areas and measures of success, he needs to determine his development needs. He needs to assess his competencies against his organisation’s competency standards for his position level or the position he aspires. Assess competencies against the requirements listed in his performance plan or position description. Compare his results against his measures of success and observe others performance. He needs to assess feedback from his manager, colleagues, clients and his team members. Carry out performance reviews and have a personal reflection
2.1.2 How could Murray increase his work efficiency in order to gain the time he needs to learn the new computer system?
For Murray to increase his work efficiency, he needs to follow these skills and knowledge through:
1. Murray needs to continually ask questions about the things he does not understand well.
2. He needs to ask other people for their thoughts on how he could improve his performance.
3. He needs to be coached and mentored regularly.
4. He needs to develop formal and informal learning programs such as in-house, off-the-job or public.
5. He needs to attend both internal and external training workshops, seminars and conferences.
6. He needs to build more effective networks.
7. Join professional association or industry group to extend his networks and support group, and reading journals to keep his thinking and knowledge up to date.
8. Join physical and virtual learning communities and knowledge exchanges.
9. Learn from his manager, his peers, reports and others he admires whose strengths are different from his own.
Required:
Please read the Case Study 5.2 on page 148 - 149: On the move.
You are required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
2.2.1 Analyse Sue’s influence as Jocelyn’s mentor.
Sue influenced Jocelyn’s working life positively. Sue had the life and work experience and skills necessary to help Jocelyn deal with work issues that concerned her. Sue acted as an excellent listener to Jocelyn, continually helping Jocelyn's to uncover her solutions to problems. Sue acted candidly with Jocelyn continually providing her with both the positive and constructive feedback needed. Sue is well respected, and Jocelyn trusted her with their conversation confidentiality.
2.2.2 Discuss Jocelyn’s skills at building effective working relationships, strengthening her experience, skills and knowledge, and building her professional reputation.
Jocelyn needs to have the skills to understand herself and others. To be an effective leader-manager she needs to understand herself. The motives and values that drive her behaviour and strength and limitations. Be aware of her mindsets and develop empowering mindsets. This helps to boost emotional intelligence, resilience and the ability to achieve goals. Helps in building a successful career. Self-knowledge opens the door to understanding others, making it easier to develop productive working relationships and bring out the best in people.
Build trust and confidence
Trust helps to develop a good working relationship. Customer loyalty, employee attraction, retention and morale, leadership effectiveness, profitability and gaining the benefits of diversity all depend on trust. Trust is considered the lubrication that makes it possible for an organisation to work. As a manager she needs to trust her employees to do their jobs responsibly and correctly
Establishing and sustaining networks
Networks are relationships between people who share similar aspirations and interests. Networking helps in expansion and sharing of information, knowledge, perspectives and skills and extends an individuals sphere of influence. The wider the variety of people you network include, the more full the range of advice, help, information and support an individual can draw on.
Navigating Organisational Politics
The political side of the organisation that consists of the unspoken alliances and coalitions of influence, and the often hidden norms and networks of relationships. Politics is a reality in every organisation. Political intelligence is required in order to know who is what to whom, what people want, need and why, and the patterns of loyalty are crossing the organisation. Political intelligence gives the ability to read and understand the undercurrents of relationships and build good working relationships with the people around a person, without being seen as self-serving or labelled as political.
Turning conflicts into an agreement
Have the skills of avoiding conflicts by being courteous and providing clear communication. Other conflicts are inevitable because are bound to have different opinions and want different outcomes. Understand the differences that are merely minor irritations that people can quickly and quickly forget, while others are more serious and can do lasting damage when not handled promptly and skilfully. Conflicts are verbal and non-verbal disagreements expressed between individuals and groups.
2.2.3 Now that Jocelyn has been promoted to a team leadership position, what do you recommend she do in order to quickly understand the demands of her new role and ensure she meets them?
Jocelyn needs to quickly understand her roles as her leader by establishing her mandate to the team. She needs to understand that she is faced with a task of aligning people together, bringing a new perspective and challenging the status quo, creating change, creating ideas and innovation, encouraging experimentation, empowering and supporting, and focusing on people. She needs to then focus on the long-term, give purpose and meaning to the team, help in developing, lead by example, inspire, push boundaries, set the direction and live values, vision and mission, tap into people's strengths and use interpersonal skills.
As a manager she is expected to organise people, ask how and when, protect the status quo, work to establish procedures, control and administer, promote stability, give direction, use formal authority and focus on results. Also, she needs to focus on the short term, plan and coordinate, solve problems, delegate, work within the boundaries, adhere to direction, monitor and focus on the task.
Assessment Activity
Workplace Simulation 3
Case Study 9.1 – Page 283 -284: Bob’s organic Ozzie burgers "
Case Study 9.2 – Page 284 - 285: Management by filing cabinet
Activity instructions to candidates
This is an open book assessment activity.
You are required to read this assessment and answer all five questions that follow.
Please type your answers in the spaces provided.
Please ensure you have read “Important assessment information” at the front of this assessment
Estimated time for completion of this assessment activity: 3-4 hours
Required:
Please read the Case Study 9.1 on page 283 - 284: Bob’s organic Ozzie burgers.
You are required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
3.1.1 What leadership qualities do you see in Robert Nicosia? Are they qualities that would be effective in a fast-food outlet? In running a small business?
Robert shows leadership qualities that are effective for running a small business. These qualities comprise visioning, inventing and relating. Sensemaking quality is vital for Robert to understand his work environment regarding how changes occur in the society, new technologies and the worsening labour shortage that can hinder the organisation growth. Robert needs to collect relevant information about his competitors, customers, employees and suppliers. Robert has visioning qualities because he creates a compelling and reassuring picture of the future. Visioning helps in deciding how to use this understanding to create and describe a desirable future. Robert explains his vision and what it can achieve in a way that inspires others using stories, metaphors and images. Inventing involves is about executing and implement a vision, but it also has the dimension of creatively developing new ways to achieve the vision. Robert has inventing qualities. Robert has built effective working relationships in his previous career, a necessary virtue for a lead manager to succeed.
3.1.2 Choose two leadership theories presented in this chapter and use them to analyse Robert’s leadership style as he described it.
The two leadership theories presented are the task readiness theory and style definition theory. Task readiness theory compares each employee’s readiness to do a particular task. An employee’s task readiness level is made up of two factors. The first factor is competence which is the ability to do a particular task. Competence is the skills, knowledge and experience of doing a particular task. The second factor is the willingness to take responsibility for doing the task which is a combination of motivation and self-confidence. The theory of task-readiness relates to each task an employee does, and not an employee’s overall competence for the job as a whole. The style definition and focus theory are measured based on the high directive about the low relationship behaviour. Robert’s leadership style relates to the task readiness theory basing on his previous work experience. Robert’s style definition and focus theory takes a high directive and high relationship behaviour by definition and, coaching, encouraging and participating focus definition.
Required:
Please read the Case Study 9.2 on page 284 - 285: Management by filing cabinet.
You are required to answer the following questions in the context of the information you have learnt in Module 1.
3.2.1 Based on the material in this case study and the ‘Theory to practice: Leading knowledge workers’, on page 408, relate three of the approaches to leadership considered in Section 1 of Chapter 9 to Professor Andrews’ leadership, giving examples to support your thinking.
The approaches to leadership depend on the monitoring qualities of a leader. These monitoring qualities include deciding what to delegate, select the delegate, delegate, monitor results and inform others as necessary. Professor Andrew has decided to delegate tasks based on recurring and routine tasks to his employees. Every member of the team is knowledgeable and skilled in the tasks they carry out. Professor Andrew has planned on whom to do tasks decided upon, whom to train to do the job and who benefits from the learning how to do the job. This is seen in the Wednesday scientific presentation where the prolific scientific writer is delegated to do the journal review. Professor Andrew delegates assignment based on why the task is important, why a task is delegated to a particular person, quality, quantity, safety and time.
3.2.2 Is the Professor's leadership style more similar to the ‘old fashioned' leadership styles or the 21st-century Aussie leader-manager considered in Section 3 of Chapter 9? Provide examples that illustrate your opinion.
The professor’s leadership styles are similar to that of the 21st century Aussie leader-manager because of the characteristics presented. The 21st-century leader-manager focuses on long-term goals, give purpose and meaning, help people to develop, involve, lead by example, inspire, push out the boundaries, set direction and live values, vision and mission, tap into people's strengths and use interpersonal skills. All these
Characteristics are evident in the leadership of Professor Andrew.
3.2.3 Which of the quadrants in Figure 9.6: Four Australian leadership styles, would you place Professor Andrews in and why?
Professor Andrews leadership styles qualify for quadrants four and two that explains Australian leadership styles because they emphasise on building teams, building trust and confidence, coaching, communicating, displaying self-awareness, motivating people, turning conflicts into agreements and using emotional intelligence.
