WFED585:

Lesson 3: The Business Case for Conducting OD Evaluation and Appraisal

Course Requirements and Assignments (1 of 11)

Course Requirements and Assignments

Read the syllabus. The syllabus contains important information about the course, including course objectives, course materials, technological requirements, grading requirements, and reading and activity schedules. Make sure that you read it carefully and ask questions if you need the instructor to clarify any points.

Important: As you work through the course, you will notice that some lessons contain assignments within the lesson commentary, not just at the end of the lesson. Be sure to complete the assignments as you come upon them, rather than waiting until the end of the lesson. It's important to begin your lessons early in the week (around Wednesday) in order to engage in dialogue in the discussion forums. Be sure to check back to add comments and read your classmates' posts throughout the week.

Introduction Video

Please take a moment to share some information about yourself with your instructor and your fellow classmates. It's important to get to know them better so that you can communicate with some level of comfort.

Blog Application Assignments

Blogs can “improve student learning by providing a structure for students to reflect systematically over time on the learning process and to develop the aptitudes, skills, and habits that come from critical reflection” (Zubizarreta, 2004, p. 15).

Throughout WFED 585, you will systematically reflect on, organize, and elaborate on what you have learned in each module and on what you have done in your career in the Blog Reflection assignments. Each Blog Reflection is worth 30 points, and your performance will be evaluated based on the elements defined for each of the specific blog, analytical thinking skills, and information seeks and connection with OD evaluation.

Specifically, you will use the blog to apply the concepts from the modules to a case study. The case study is based on a real-world organization and tailored to your professional needs. You will build on this case study during the semester, adding layers to your knowledge of evaluation and evaluating OD efforts. The blog applications will ask you to work through each OD evaluation process in a safe environment, where you can get feedback and make revisions.

You may write your assignments or record your reflections in a video and upload it. Further instructions on how to post and upload appear in each Blog Reflection assignment. Some assignments require written documents, but you may use video to supplement these.

Online Discussion and Participation

During multiple weeks, you will engage with your classmates in a discussion. The discussion questions will relate to topics in the course and ask you to stretch your knowledge. The conversation should be engaging, helping you explore issues from a variety of perspectives based on a variety of experiences. This assignment is active, requiring you to answer peers' questions, pose questions to peers, and provide support for your assertions.

Lesson discussions are based upon the assigned readings, lesson content, and your own research. You should post your initial response to the discussion board by Thursday night, returning to the discussion to answer questions and make comments on (at least) two peer posts by Sunday night. You will need to make an initial post before seeing other students' responses to the discussion prompt.

Comments and posts will be evaluated based on demonstrated understanding of the lesson, quality, engagement with others, the critical thinking demonstrated, and citations.

Interview Project: Interviewing an OD Change Agent

The objective of the interview is to determine the outcome of a specific OD change effort: What were the objectives? What was the protocol? What were the outcomes? Were the objectives met? In this context, change means a move from the status quo to something else. It is a move from a pre-change to a post-change state. The key purpose of the assignment is to research how OD and change outcomes are measured. How do you know that the OD change effort has succeeded? The interview should take about one hour. You should plan to record the interview and then transcribe the recording following your interview protocol and questions. (You can purchase digital audio recorders or mobile-device apps to translate audio into print.)

The interview assignment has four parts:

the interview protocol (including the interviewee bio and interview plan/questions), due at the end of Lesson 4;
a transcript and an analysis, due at the end of Lesson 8;
a PowerPoint summary of the interview findings, due at the end of Lesson 10; and
the class discussion (comparing, contrasting, and evaluating), due at the end of its designated week.

You may interview someone within your own organization (such as the CHRO or CEO), but if you do, you must investigate a change effort that did not directly involve you or your department. In this case, only organization-wide change efforts (rollout of a new benefits or compensation plan, corporate reorganization, etc.) should be considered.

As you conduct the interview, focus on using active listening, avoiding listening blocks while actively echoing and paraphrasing what you hear. Listen in order to see the world the other person sees. Your job is to be aware that the person is describing their own truth. Plan to spend around 45 minutes to one hour interviewing your subject.

Background

The key purpose of the assignment is to explore how OD and change outcomes are measured. How do you know that an OD change effort has succeeded? What steps were taken to assure that questions about impact or benefit could be answered?

Who to Interview?

Identify an internal OD/change/consulting sponsor. This is someone who works within the organization; they could be a leader in HR, learning, or operations, or in the C-suite. Your subject should have been heavily involved in the change event and should know how it was evaluated.

Resources

A note about the resources below: Some of them are very in-depth, with a deeper research focus. Review them all to get a broad understanding of the interview process. The protocol is there to create a structure for your interview and to maintain consistency. That being said, in qualitative work, you are expected to adjust the protocol when new information enters. The protocol should include a history of those kinds of adjustments so that you can monitor their impact. Even though, for our purposes, you will interview just one person, you should be designing a well-crafted protocol that can work for interviewing two or more.

Note: Resource files removed. You will have access to the files in the actual course.

Interview Assignment Instructions

Submit an interview protocol that includes the interviewee's name and biography, along with your interview questions (due at the end of Lesson 4).

Schedule an interview time of 45 minutes to one hour. It is difficult to anticipate the actual time needed for the interview, as each person will respond to the questions differently. Keep track of how far you have gone in the interview, making sure that you get all the key questions answered before the time is up.
Develop a list of questions to ask your subject (minimum 10). Here are some examples to get you started:
- How was evaluation included in the change event?
- What KPIs and/or dashboard criteria were used?
- What did you learn from the event?
You are permitted to send the questions to the interviewee in advance, but do not have them simply write answers and email them back to you. An oral interview should be conducted face to face or by phone.
The interview protocol should include the following elements:
- interview details: List your subject's name, role, and organization and provide biographical information about them. Identify who is conducting the interview and the interview's time and place.
- introduction to the interview: Your introduction tells the subject who is conducting the interview, the purpose of the interview (what you hope to gain from it), and how they were selected. Ask for the subject's verbal consent to take part in the interview and for you to record it for transcription purposes.
- interview questions, with probes: Along with your main questions, list follow-up questions intended to gain more information if the subject does not provide all the details or needs more clarity on the original question.

Conduct the interview, transcribe it, and analyze it (due at the end of Lesson 8).

Conduct the interview.
1. Read your introductory paragraph, explaining the purpose and process of the interview, as well as how the data will be used. (Use the information from Part 1 to create your paragraph.)
2. Conduct the interview, recording the audio.
Transcribe and analyze the interview.
- Using the recording, write down what each person said, word for word. For this assignment, you will not need to include the “um”s and “uh”s. Transcriptions typically look like this:
  
  Joe: How did you get the executive leadership to agree to such an extensive evaluation process?
  
  Kate: We spent a lot of up-front time working with, well—the folks at the top needed some additional education to really get it. You know what I mean?
- Return the transcribed interview to the interviewee and invite any corrections or elaborations that the person wishes to make (called member checking).
  - Revise the transcribed interview to reflect the suggested changes made by the interviewee.
- Analyze the transcript for themes.
- Thank the interviewee by email or with a card.

Prepare an interview summary and findings in the format described below. In your report of findings, critique the evaluation and appraisal process (due at the end of Lesson 10).

Prepare a PowerPoint presentation to report on the interview answers via Zoom. You are encouraged to be creative in this assignment. In your presentation, make specific recommendations for improvement in measuring or determining the success of OD change efforts in the organization you investigated.

Your presentation should include the following things:

a brief overview of and impetus for the OD effort, including a brief description of the organization and the OD need/challenge;
a review of the OD effort, process, participants, and other relevant details;
a review of the formal and informal assessments of the OD effort;
the interview summary of the effort and appraisal process, including
- the challenges in evaluating or measuring success and
- ways you will overcome or work around these challenges in your appraisal efforts; and
your own appraisal methodology, which the organization could use to accurately determine
- specific outcomes accomplished as a result of the effort and
- whether the objectives of the change effort were accomplished.

Rather than being a complete rehash of the interview, the presentation should focus on the most important and most interesting issues. Consider your audience (your classmates and instructor) and tailor the presentation accordingly.

The presentation will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

quality of slides, clarity of the ideas presented, and creativity of the presentation;
demonstration of an in-depth understanding of the course material and the interview; and
adherence to the assignment instructions and defined deliverables.

Work with your classmates to compare, contrast, and evaluate the OD evaluation processes in the interviews (due a week before the end of Lesson 13).

You need to review one of your classmates' presentations from Part 3 of the interview assignment.
Then, reply to that presentation based on the following prompts:
- compare the change efforts in the presentation under review and your own presentation, identifying similarities and differences;
- discuss how, in the presentation under review, the project team/organization handled the project closure and/or separation if internal or external consultants were used;
- explain what tips and tools you will use in your next evaluation effort; and
- identify takeaways from the presentation under review.

You will be evaluated based on how well you prepare for this class discussion:

You should know the interviews/change efforts well from the PowerPoint summaries you were provided.
You should be able to critically analyze the efforts and discuss the points listed above.
Your engagement in the discussion should be active (i.e., asking questions, looking for clarification, and expanding the conversation with your comments and questions).

Financial and Non-financial Performance Indicator Paper

Non-financial performance indicators are any number of quantitative measures of an individual’s or organization’s performance that are not expressed in monetary terms. These could include quality, customer satisfaction, employee learning, or market share.

With this assignment, you will write a paper adhering to the following guidelines:

Answer the following questions:
- What are the examples of non-financial performance indicators in the article and video? Provide your thoughts on these examples. Which non-financial performance indicator should be added or excluded as an example? (30 points)
- How does your current organization evaluate organizational effectiveness and performance? Briefly introduce your organization’s key performance indicators (both financial and non-financial) and then provide suggestions to your organization in terms of non-financial performance indicators. (30 points)
Follow document and analysis expectations (15 points):
- The paper should be a single-spaced Word document with a maximum of two pages, 12-point font, and one-inch margins.
- The paper should be edited for grammar, spelling, transitions, and readability.
- The paper should include headings using the items from the list above. Headings should be boldfaced. You may use bullet-point lists as long as the explanation is clear.

Feeding Back Results Presentation

A critical part of any OD effort is feeding back results. This is often something an OD practitioner will need to convince an organization to do, showing the advantages inherent in taking the time to hear this sort of feedback. It takes time to arrange these kinds of opportunities, but the benefits are numerous. One of the main benefits of feeding back results is the opportunity for a group to agree on data collected, problems, challenges, or priorities.

For this presentation, please follow the instructions below:

Record a three-minute presentation via Zoom.
- Your audience is the executive team or change-event sponsor; you are convincing them to include feeding back results in their change efforts.
- This is an executive presentation, so dress and present accordingly.
Consider the following questions in your presentation:
- How often should you provide feedback? Cite evidence for your rationale.
- What are the most creative ways to look at the feedback's data, observations, and analysis? Share a minimum of three ideas, including your rationale for them (at least one citation). Why do you think they are good ideas? Make sure to really sell your ideas to the sponsor.
Engage the audience so that they want to participate. This may require some creativity.

Citation of Sources

The required style for all assignments is APA. Use The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (seventh edition). Other resources for APA guidelines can be found using the Library Resources link in the Course Navigation Menu.

The Workforce Education and Development program does not view Wikipedia as a valid source for information cited in academic work. It can be a useful tool for quickly finding general information on a subject or for starting research. However, you should not cite Wikipedia as a source in papers, reports, assignments, and the like.

Notes

Some of your assignments will include group work. Please read the following information on working in teams and groups. Note that members of the same group may receive different grades according to the level and quality of their participation.

As a Penn State student, you have access to LinkedIn Learning, your one-stop shop for video tutorials on Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and hundreds more topics—all free to active Penn State faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students. Take tutorials to help with coursework, learn techniques for your own projects, and build tech skills to boost your résumé. (Tutorials are not required or graded.)

Reference

Zubizarreta, J. (2004). The learning portfolio. Anker Publishing.

Lesson 3 Overview (2 of 11)

Lesson 3 Overview

Organization development efforts are often complex, time- and resource-consuming efforts involving intricate planning and execution. In the simplest sense, you evaluate OD and change efforts essentially to know if the effort worked—or more important, because you want to know if the effort was effective, efficient, and/or achieved its desired objectives.

So how do you know if it worked? To determine whether your efforts have been successful, first define a few terms in the context of program evaluation:

Inputs are resources used to achieve OD or change objectives. Examples could include time, staff, materials, equipment, and money. An OD effort uses inputs to support programs, efforts, or activities.
Activities are what an organization or OD practitioner does with inputs to achieve its goals. Examples are training programs, giving presentations to increase awareness, or creating a new infrastructure. Activities result in outputs.
Outputs are products of an OD effort’s activities, such as the number of workshops staged, participants served, printed materials distributed, and so on. An OD or change effort’s outputs should produce desired outcomes for the organization or participants.
Outcomes are the benefits or results affecting the organization or participants after their involvement with an OD effort. Outcomes may relate to knowledge, skills, attitudes, culture or behaviors. Ideally, outcomes should result in sustained impact on the organization.
Impact is the extent to which outcomes lead to long-term and sustained changes.

It is essential for OD practitioners to understand why you conduct appraisals of organization development and change efforts. In this lesson, you'll explore why you evaluate OD and consulting efforts.

Lesson 3 will begin a conversation about measurement through a review of the importance of Key Performance Indicators or KPIs. Key Performance Indicators are critical success indicators, proof that your strategies are on the right path, and that your goals have been achieved. They are the “scorecard part” of a balanced scorecard (discussed later in Lesson 10): quantifiable measurements used to analyze organizational performance. KPIs are aligned with organizational goals and strategies and can be used to measure wide range of factors from business performance to employee effectiveness, customer satisfaction, health and safety, security, and more. Key Performance Indicators will be the foundation of your business case as they provide the “evidence” that the change effort is beneficial to the organization. The other key role of KPIs is to share when things are not going well—they alert you to a the need for a shift, revision, or pause. This is just as important because a large percent of change efforts fail. If you are monitoring the process all along you should be in a position to avert a delay or failure all together.

Lesson Objectives

After successfully completing this lesson, you should be able to

define the philosophy of OD evaluation,
identify ethical issues associated with OD evaluation,
explain the value and focus of an evaluation,
identify key decision-makers and stakeholders in OD evaluation,
identify popular evaluation methods and approaches,
define key performance indicators (KPIs) and the benefits of using them,
develop and apply effective KPIs, and
explain why an organization would agree to evaluating an OD effort.

Lesson Readings and Activities

By the end of this lesson, make sure you have completed the readings and activities found in the Lesson 3 Course Schedule.

The Philosophy of Organization Development (3 of 11)

The Philosophy of Organization Development

The Philosophy of OD Evaluation

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, philosophy can refer to “the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group.” For an OD practitioner, it refers to beliefs about what is worth valuing—and what is not. When evaluating an OD or change effort, the OD practitioner must decide whether the focus is on what is (reality), what is perceived (perceptions), what is planned (target), what has been achieved (outputs or outcomes), or some combination, and make decisions about how to conduct the evaluation.

Before beginning any OD or change evaluation project, it is important to determine who wants to know, what they will do with the results. Is the purpose of the evaluation to “prove,” “persuade,” or “provide information”? Or is there some other purpose?

OD Evaluation and Ethics (4 of 11)

OD Evaluation and Ethics

It’s also important that the OD practitioner maintain the highest ethical and professional standards. There are several sources of ethical dilemmas that can challenge an OD evaluation effort, including those that arise while doing an evaluation, those that are created by the evaluator, and those inherent in the context.

Examples of Ethical Dilemmas

Examples of ethical dilemmas encountered when doing an evaluation include whether

the evaluation is dumbed down by an advocacy of weak measures or low standards;
information is withheld, distorted, or hidden;
evaluation information is used as ammunition by one stakeholder against other stakeholders;
promises of confidentiality to stakeholders are breached; and
the subject of the evaluation itself entails inherent ethical dilemmas because of its explicitly moral content.

Ethical Dilemmas in Evaluation

Ethical dilemmas introduced by the evaluator (intentionally or unintentionally) include a(n)

personal or financial interest in the subject of the evaluation;
lack of knowledge or skill in technique or method;
lack of cultural sensitivity;
lack of respect for local cultures and values;
ideological positions that predetermine the evaluation outcome;
propensity to deliver positive evaluations to increase job security;
making promises evaluators cannot deliver on; and
making decisions without consultation with appropriate stakeholders.

Ethical dilemmas in the context may include

illegal activities;
malfeasance; and
immoral behavior.

Guiding Principles for Evaluators

The American Evaluation Association (AEA) strives to promote ethical practice in the evaluation of programs, products, personnel, and policy. AEA has developed these principles to guide evaluators in their professional practice:

Systematic Inquiry: Evaluators conduct systematic, data based inquiries about whatever is being evaluated.
Competence: Evaluators provide competent performance to stakeholders.
Integrity/Honesty: Evaluators ensure the honesty and integrity of the entire evaluation process.
Respect for People: Evaluators respect the security, dignity, and self-worth of the respondents, program participants, clients, and other stakeholders with whom they interact.
Responsibilities for General and Public Welfare: Evaluators articulate and take into account the diversity of interests and values that may be related to the general and public welfare.

There are, however, limitations to ethical codes that must be understood and acknowledged. Ethical codes represent a common professional vocabulary, but ethical decisions are not simple applications of a rule, mostly involve conflicts between right and right, and are contextual.

Reference

American Evaluation Association (2011). Guiding Principles. Retrieved from https://www.eval.org/Portals/0/Docs/AEA_289398-18_GuidingPrinciples_Brochure_2.pdf

Value and Focus of OD Evaluation (5 of 11)

Value and Focus of OD Evaluation

Evaluation is a critical skill set for the OD practitioner. Evaluation of OD and change efforts is important and may

lead to improvements in change efforts before the change is implemented;
help ensure that the change effort is directed appropriately;
assess how well participants are achieving or have achieved pre-established objectives;
determine how much participants enjoyed the change effort;
demonstrate the value of change efforts to managers and other stakeholders or decision-makers based on what each group values; and
help judge the economic effect of training efforts on the organization.

"A great starting point for talking about program evaluation is to get a better understanding of the concepts of efficiency, effectiveness and impact:" (Wikimedia Resource Center, 2022, para. 2).

For the purpose of understanding these terms, put them in context with this example (Brookins, n.d.)

"A small business interested in improving the way projects are managed by employees might use organizational development to map out a plan for creating, or finding, a project management system. With a project management system in place, employees may be able to work smarter, handling tasks in sequential order, identifying which tasks are dependent upon others and outlining which resources are necessary to take projects from start to completion. As a result, customers may receive a better-quality product or service in less time, than if the company hadn't instituted a project management system" (para. 2)

All three concepts should be measured later on, and once you and your classmates have established how you define and use these terms, you will share a common language for everything else that follows (Wikimedia Resource Center, 2022).

Program Efficiency

Program efficiency relates to an analysis of the costs (money, people, time, materials, etc.) that are expended as part of a program in comparison to either their benefits of their effectiveness (Boulmetis and Dutwin, 2011, p. 5). What does this mean in this context? Consider two project management (PM) workshops executed by A and B. Both staged their workshops as one-day events and both had 30 participants attending their events. A asked five trainers to train the participants, whereas B needed 10 to do the same task.

Now, assume that both PM workshops have the same outcome. Every single participant's level of knowledge increased significantly; by the end of the day, every participant was able to understand and apply the principles of project management. Determining the efficiency in those two cases is easy: A's PM workshop was twice as efficient as B's workshop. A only needed half the number of people to achieve the same result as B, whatever the reason for this might have been. Maybe the PM workshop that A organized had a better agenda that enabled a smaller number of trainers to cover the same amount of content. Rather than getting further into the details here, move on to the next term instead.

Program Effectiveness

Program effectiveness relates to the level by which the activities of a program produce the desired effect. Consider a C who receives money for creating online project management training materials. Those training materials introduce employees to the basic concepts of project management. As the materials are freely available online and many people can access them, C has achieved a high level of efficiency. Why's that? C can reach a much larger audience with her online training than A and B, so the PM materials prove to be more cost-efficient (let's just assume that C's investment was not bigger than that of B). But are those online materials that C created also as effective as the trainings that A and B executed?

As it turned out (this is also a hypothetical example; online training can be as efficient as in-person trainings), after measuring the results, C finds out that her online course was not as effective as she'd hoped. Only 10% of the participants who took the online course learned and understood how to apply the principles of project management. Thus C's program was not as effective as A's and B's programs.

So when you examine the effectiveness of your program, you are asking whether the activities did what they were supposed to do. Therefore, a program's effectiveness “is measured in terms of substantive changes in knowledge, attitudes, or skills on the part of the program's clients” (Boulmetis and Dutwin, 2011, p. 6).

Program Impact

Program impact is the extent to which long-term and sustained changes occur in a target population (Boulmetis and Dutwin 2011, p. 7). This is really what doing OD is all about. Consider that one of our OD objectives is to help people improve performance, and align with and contribute to the strategic goals of the organization. Thus, the impact of our programs can be measured by looking into how many people actually improve their performance. To explain this further, go back to the previous example. 6 months after executing their programs, A, B, and C decide to measure the effect of their project management programs. They looked at the participants who went through their workshops (A, B) or used their online materials (C) and counted the number of people whose performance has improved. As it turns out (this is still hypothetical), out of the 60 people who attended A's and B's workshops, 20 saw improvements in performance. C had a different outcome: More than 1,000 people took her online course, yet only 10% of those saw improvements in performance. That's 100 who saw improvements in performance for C's program, whereas A's and B's effort resulted in 20. Although C's program was less effective, it had a bigger long-term impact.

Additional Evaluation Measures

In addition to efficiency, effectiveness, effect, and depending upon the focus of the OD effort, evaluation measures could also focus on

quality;
legal compliance;
the change effort’s contribution to business results;
improvements in customer satisfaction; and
comparisons of change objectives to results.

References

Wikimedia Resource Center (2022). Learning and Evaluation/Efficiency, effectiveness and impact. Retrieved from https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Learning_and_Evaluation/Efficiency,_effectiveness_and_impact

Brookins, M. (n.d.) Organization Development Examples. CHRON. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/organizational-development-examples-11959.html

Boutlmetis, J., & Dutwin, P. (2011). The ABCs of Evaluation: Timeless Techniques for Program and Project Managers. 3rd edition. Joseey-Bass.

Who are the Key Decision-Makers and Stakeholders? (6 of 11)

Who are the Key Decision-Makers and Stakeholders?

Who Are the Key Decision-Makers and Stakeholders?

Decision-making is the process of choosing between alternate courses of action, and may take place at an individual or organizational level. The process may involve establishing objectives, gathering relevant information, identifying alternatives, setting criteria for the decision, and selecting the best option. The nature of the decision-making process within an organization is influenced by its culture and structure, and a number of theoretical models have been developed.

A decision maker is someone with the responsibility and authority to make decisions within an organization, especially those that determine future direction and strategy. Decision makers can include those individuals within an organization who personally and directly participate in or influence a decision.

Stakeholders are parties with a vested interest in firm's success, a person or organization with a legitimate interest in the successful operation of a company or organization. A stakeholder may be an employee, customer, supplier, partner, or even the local community within which an organization operates.

For the purpose of OD and OD evaluation, decision markers could include senior leaders in the C-suite, board of directors, owners or stockholders, and HR, with decisions influenced by operations, employees, suppliers, and customers.

Measuring Results (7 of 11)

Measuring Results

Measurement is influenced by the following elements:

The time available: Consider that if time is limited and data is needed for decision-making, simple measures or easily available data may be required.
Management’s willingness to devote the time to conducting evaluation: Again, with limited time, it may be necessary to measure results using easily accessible data.
Management’s willingness to devote the staff to conducting evaluation: Staff availability, like time, has value (cost) and may result in limited access to data.
Management’s willingness to devote the financial resources necessary to conduct evaluation: Like time, the financial resources to fully measure results of an OD effort may exceed the value of the results.
What else?

Popular Evaluation Methods

Nobody knows which evaluation methods are used most often in OD change interventions, but popular approaches include the following:

Attitude/climate surveys

Managers and leaders are usually concerned about the overall attitudes and opinions of their employees and often make ongoing assessments to measure it. Consequently, they usually resort to Organizational Climate Surveys (also known as Employee Attitude Survey) to measure the opinion and views of employees in the organization and its various units. Most researchers agree that organizational surveys provide a more direct and comfortable tool for communicating with department or unit management. Research also indicates that employee attitude surveys can be a powerful tool to demonstrate to employees that management desires their input for integration into the decision-making process. Such beliefs can be associated with increased morale, motivation, and productivity (Knapp & Mujtaba, 2010).

Observations

When you conduct observational studies, the individuals are observed the exact way in which they appear in real life. All the necessary measurements are made to study only those aspects that are of interest to the analyst. All measurements take place without imposing influence on the sample responses. The individuals do not know that they are being observed. Observational studies do not intend to monitor the effects of treatments on the individuals, and they do not impose any form of intervention. The observational units are fixed, and, therefore, cannot be modified. The sample must be disturbed as little as possible while you gather information.

An observational study is a poor source of information on the effects of an active intervention. In real life, there are factors like time constraints, cost, and inconvenience, which often forbid us from inspecting the entire population for a particular characteristic.

Role Plays

Role play simulation is a learning method that depends on role playing. Learners take on the role profiles of specific characters or organizations in a contrived setting. Role play is designed primarily to build first person experience in a safe and supportive environment. Role play is widely acknowledged as a powerful teaching technique in face-to-face teaching and role play online is also powerful, with some added benefits (Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, n.d.).

Surveys

A survey is a way of collecting information that you hope represents the views of the whole community or group in which you are interested. Surveys collect information in as uniform a manner as possible by asking each respondent the same questions in the same way so as to ensure that the answers are most influenced by the respondents' experiences, and not by how the interviewer words the questions.

There are three main ways of going about this (Community Tool Box, 2022, Chapter 13)

Case study surveys, which collect information from a part of a group or community without trying to choose them for overall representation of the larger population. Case study surveys only provide specific information about the community studied.
Sampled surveys ask a sample portion of a group to answer your questions. If done well, the results for the sample will reflect the results you would have gotten by surveying the entire group.
Census surveys, in which you give your survey questionnaire to every member of the population you want to learn about. This will give you the most accurate information about the group, but it may not be very practical for large groups. A census is best done with smaller groups—all the clients of a particular agency, for example, as opposed to all of the citizens of a city.

Interviews

An interview is a series of questions a researcher addresses personally to respondents. The purpose of the research interview is to explore the views, experiences, beliefs and/or motivations of individuals on specific matters (e.g., factors that influence their attendance at the dentist). Qualitative methods, such as interviews, are believed to provide a “deeper” understanding of social phenomena than would be obtained from purely quantitative methods, such as questionnaires. An interview may be structured (where you ask clearly defined questions) or unstructured, where you allow some of your questioning to be led by the responses of the interviewee (Gill, Stewart, Treasure, & Chadwick, 2008).

Focus groups

Focus groups share many common features with less structured interviews, but there is more to them than merely collecting similar data from many participants at once. A focus group is a group discussion on a particular topic organized for research purposes. This discussion is guided, monitored, and recorded by a researcher (sometimes called a moderator or facilitator). (Gill, Stewart, Treasure, & Chadwick, 2008).

References

Knapp, P. R., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2010). Designing, Administering, and Utilizing an Employee Attitude Survey. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 2(1), 1–14.

Shreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence. (n.d.). Role-Play Exercise. Retrieved from https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/alex/role_play.pdf

Community Tool Box. (2022). Section 13. Conducting Surveys. Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/conduct-surveys/main

Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2009). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: interview and focus groups. British Dental Journal, 204, 291–295.

What are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)? (8 of 11)

What are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?

What Are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a set of defined, quantifiable measures that help organizations, departments, and managers understand how they are performing by measuring progress towards a goal. Just like an individual golfer’s scorecard and the leaderboard at a golf tournament, measurement and communication are essential to understanding performance. Continuing this analogy, for the average golfer, par may represent the goal—for top athletes the goal may be an even lower score. For either, however, the players’ actual score becomes the measure. Just as golfers measure and compare their performance to par, organizations use KPIs to gauge and compare performance in terms of meeting their strategic goals and objectives.

Key performance indicators, sometimes referred to as key success indicators (KSI), are quantifiable measures and can be expressed in either financial or non-financial terms reflecting the nature of the business. They essentially show a snapshot of progress towards something that can be measured and reflect the critical success factors of an organization. By observing the right KPIs and business metrics, managers gain valuable insight into the performance of their business and, more importantly, gain the strategic awareness needed to make informed decisions at the right time.

KPIs exist for individuals, teams, departments (like HR), projects, OD interventions, divisions, or organizations. They will vary between companies and industries, and even projects within companies, depending on their priorities or performance criteria, but generally speaking, KPIs are often the same across an industry. For example, if an online retailer’s goal is to have the largest growth in their market segment, the main KPIs might include unit sales, market share, service quality, and return on investment. These measures allow for comparisons with competitors. A second example, “cost per square foot,” allows companies in the commercial construction industry to benchmark against their peers.

Linking KPIs to Strategy and Organizational Goals

It’s important to understand the strategic objectives and goals of the organization, business unit, or department when selecting the right KPIs. Key performance indicators must be linked to the organization's strategy and goals, be key to the organization’s success, and be quantifiable (measurable). An organization must first establish its strategic and operational goals and then choose the KPIs which best reflect those goals. A very common way to choose KPIs is to apply a management framework such as the balanced scorecard. But, it is critical to limit KPIs to those factors that are essential to the organization reaching its goals.

Key performance indicators are usually long-term considerations, meaning that the definition of what they are and how they are measured does not change often. However, the goals (or target for a particular KPI) could change as the organization's goals or objectives change. This might also occur due to shifts in the economy, changes within an industry, or as an organization gets closer to achieving its goals. Key performance indicators should stay with the same definition from year to year to allow for consistent, longitudinal comparisons (i.e., repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time).

It’s important to note that what’s important (what gets measured) depends upon who’s measuring performance. For example, the KPIs used by customer service will be significantly different from HR or operations.

Another way to think of key performance indicators is as an actionable scorecard that keeps an organization’s strategy on track, enabling you as a leader to manage, control, and achieve your desired business results. Therefore it’s important for an OD practitioner to understand various techniques to assess the present state of the business and its key activities. These assessments often lead to the identification of potential improvements, so performance indicators are routinely associated with performance improvement initiatives.

Defining KPIs and Objectives (9 of 11)

Defining KPIs and Objectives

SMART Goals: Specfic, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely

In 1981, George T. Doran defined S.M.A.R.T. as a way to write goals and objectives. Doran discussed the importance of objectives and the difficulty in setting them, noting that, ideally speaking, each corporate, department, and section objective should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-specific. The S.M.A.R.T. mnemonic applies when establishing KPIs too. It’s important to ensure that your KPI objectives are specific—are they stated in a way that is precise about what you are hoping to achieve? Are they measurable—can you quantify each objective? Are they achievable—are your objectives reasonable in terms of what you can actually accomplish? Are they realistic—do you have the needed resources to achieve your objectives (if not, then they’re likely unrealistic)? And last, are they time-specific—what time frame has been set for completing your objectives?

But just because something is measurable, doesn’t make it key to the organization's success. There must be a way to define and accurately measure a key performance indicator for it to have value. For an online retailer, “Grow domestic adult sales, age 25-35, by 12%” is a useless KPI if there isn’t a way to distinguish sales by age and geography. Similarly, “To be the most popular manufacturer of kids toys” won’t work either because there’s no easy way of measuring “most popular” as it compares to other toy manufacturers.

After the key performance indicator has been defined, it’s necessary to set targets for each KPI. If the KPI is “increased sales,” the targets could include the dollar value of sales, units sold, or both. You’ll also need to determine how “dollar value of sales” will be defined. Will it be at list price (MSRP) or take discounts into consideration? Will it consider returned merchandise, coupons or promotional discounts? For universities, an important KPI is academic progress and graduation rate. But how will you consider (measure) students that transfer to another institution? Questions like these must be addressed when defining KPIs.

It is also important to limit the number of KPIs to a small, manageable group. This helps to keep everyone's attention focused on achieving the same KPIs. This doesn’t mean that the organization should only have three or four KPIs. Although it might, each department or business unit will also have its own supporting set of KPIs that support the overall goals of the organization.

Once you have defined good key performance indicators, you can use them not only as a performance management tool, but also to motivate performance. KPIs should communicate a clear picture of what is important to the organization, and for employees, what they need to do to achieve strategic goals and corporate objectives. This can be used manage performance, making sure that everything the people in your organization do is focused on meeting or exceeding those key performance indicators. Organizations also use the KPIs as motivation—showing what the target is for each KPI and the progress toward that target. By doing so, people will be motivated to reach those KPI targets.

Reference

Doran, G. T. (1981). There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review. 70(11): 35–36.

Developing KPIs (10 of 11)

Developing KPIs

The 5 steps of KPI's: Step 1 confirm the outcome required, Step 2 establish goals and test, Step 3 Develop KPI's and test, Step 4 Establish KPI accountibility framework, and step 5 launch of KPI system. — Figure 3.1 Five-Step Process in Developing KPIs.

Development Steps

Developing KPIs can be accomplished using the following five-step process:

Step 1: Confirm the outcomes required.

Given that “what you measure is what you get,” it is critical that the selected KPIs support the outcomes you want to achieve. If you get these wrong, everything that follows will be out of alignment.

Step 2: Establish goals and test.

The requirements identified in Step 1 are used to create a suite of specific goals. The general test for the comprehensiveness of these goals is “If these goals are achieved, will we be seen as completely successful by customers and all our major stakeholders?”

Step 3: Develop KPIs and test.

Ask how the goals (Step 2) will be measured. The KPI system used is based on:

Establishing KPIs as outcomes and drivers of these outcomes. This enables managers to act on relevant performance drivers when performance outcomes are not satisfactory.
Establishing a balance between lead and lag indicators of performance.
Measuring the “big” elements of each goal, not all elements, thus keeping KPIs to a reasonable number.
Modifying KPIs to suit the existing management information system, and deciding where this system needs to be improved to generate better KPIs in the future.
The outcome is tested through a “gaps and gluts” analysis. That is, when all KPIs are assembled, the management team judges where there are too many or too few measures.

Step 4: Establish KPI accountability framework.

Each KPI should be allocated single point accountability. This requires special attention, especially if the outcome is the result of cooperative effort between different people, teams or organizational divisions.

Step 5: Launch of the KPI system

This step has three major phases:

Goals down/plans up: This requires the high level KPIs to be cascaded down to each operational team. As its name implies, the process presents the high level KPIs as “goals” and allows teams to develop their relevant KPIs through the “plans” they create to achieve these goals.
Develop individual performance plans: On the basis of the new suite of plans, the CEO, divisional, section, and team leaders create their personal performance plans by selecting the most critical KPIs from the relevant organizational plan. Once developed, they are signed off at the appropriate level.
Training in hard and soft skills: To support all staff in their effort to achieve the KPIs for which they are accountable, it is essential that comprehensive training options be made available. These should be broken into group training (where corporate-wide development is needed) and individual training (from which individuals can select as required). Training should cover technical/functional performance (hard issues) as well as behavioral performance (soft issues).

Resources requirements

The resources required for the task of developing a comprehensive KPI framework will vary according to the magnitude of the task: is the system is to apply to the whole organization or a team? For most KPI efforts, an internal project leader will be required, and could be either full- or part-time. This person will plan the process, and coordinate internal and consulting resources. In selecting this individual, a key objective is to blend expertise with ownership.

What are the potential problems?

Despite their value, problems do exist. The most common is “data overload.” Once organizations realize the value and importance of KPIs, it is not uncommon for them to begin measuring and tracking absolutely everything that can be measured. Although this effort will provide some very important data, it will also produce a lot of noise—excessive and irrelevant data. The organization must therefore carefully consider which indicators they choose to measure.

Another common problem is the lack of monitoring. As previously stated, an organization can’t simply identify KPIs and measure them once. Doing so will not provide useful data. Instead, KPI monitoring is an ongoing process meant to provide important longitudinal data. If an organization is measuring average revenue per customer, it should be recording this on a weekly or monthly basis. This will help identify trends —and determine whether or not sales are on track to achieve the stated objectives.

Examples

An organization that has a goal of “providing the best customer service in the industry” will have key performance indicators that measure customer satisfaction, wait time, problem resolution, and other factors that measure customer service performance. However, financial measures such as pre-tax profits and shareholder equity will probably not be used as KPIs and will be viewed as irrelevant to the goal. Every industry, and for that matter, every organization, business unit, department (and maybe employee) will have its own KPIs.

KPIs for retailers could include same-store sales, inventory turns or the percentage of its income that comes from return customers. For manufacturing, KPIs could include inventory levels, production cycle times, and quality. For universities, important KPI applications, predicted GPAs of incoming students, diversity of the student body or faculty, and retention and graduation. For customer service departments includes percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute. A key performance indicator for a social service organization might be number of clients assisted during the year.

Video: Best Practice Tips for Creating Key Performance Indicators

This video explains what the benefits of using KPIs are and how you can create effective KPIs.

Best Practice Tips for Creating Key Performance Indicators Transcript

SPEAKER 1: Best practice tips for creating key performance indicators-- what are key performance indicators? Key performance indicators, KPIs, are critical success indicators. In other words, they are the proof that your strategies are on the right path and goals are achieved. However, this alone would be a rather oversimplified definition.

Key performance indicators are quantifiable measurements used to analyze organizational performance. The KPIs are aligned with organizational goals and strategies and are used to measure wide range of factors, from business performance to employee effectiveness, customer satisfaction, health and safety, security, et cetera.

Here at www.winningkpi.com, we have an extensive record of KPIs, covering diverse business types and business factors. Just take a minute or two to browse through our list. And in case you do not find what you're looking for, feel free to post a quick request. One of our KPIs experts will respond to you in no time. You may also get some help from our community of business experts.

What are the benefits of using key performance indicators? Moving on, let's identify why KPIs are a useful tool for your business.

First and foremost, your KPIs will be aligned with your strategic goals. And the results will show you the progress and success of your business strategies. Based on your KPIs, you can carry out business analysis and gain knowledge and understanding of your current position. This is a priceless asset for your business.

KPIs are used for competitive analysis. And if used strategically, it can give you the competitive advantage. KPIs also help you focus your business actions on strategic goals. Through these indicators, you can measure success rather than results. Let us take the following example.

You build a strategy to expand your business next year. You make the calculations and set the goals. The business growth can only take place if you increase your customer base by 20%, which is likely to help achieve sales growth of 40%. Along with other factors, which you may influence in order to get this growth, these two factors together-- and real business will have a lot more factors-- will help achieve your critical goal, business expansion.

Now, at the end of the year, you only increase sales by 10% and sales growth by 18%. You may celebrate the success. But your KPIs are showing you that you may not have met your success targets. However, you do not need to wait till the end of the year. You can monitor them monthly or quarterly. If you do not see the growth going up to your desired number, you can take action then.

This is the beauty of KPIs. They give you knowledge and understanding of your business processes. Knowing if something is going wrong helps you take action and fix it. In addition, knowing that helps your business grow and help you make better decision and become more successful. How do you create effective KPI performance indicators?

Now, let's move on to the basics of setting and measuring KPIs. Creating KPIs is very important. Do not rush through the process. Take your time and make those indicators your own. If you get inspired from the web, such as our wide range of KPIs here at www.winningkpi.com, that's fine. However, do not just copy and paste. Read and understand the KPI, and then adapt it to your business needs. Make sure it's relevant to your strategies, it answers your questions, and it brings overall benefit to your business. It may only bring knowledge and understanding. But do not underestimate that. Knowing where you are and understanding what makes your business work can set you way ahead of your competitors.

Here are some important steps to define when you create your KPIs. One, strategic goals, success indicators. Two, measurement period. Three, measurement unit. Four, result interpretation.

Number one, strategic goals, success indicators. The first step in setting your KPIs is to make a list of your strategic goals. You probably already have that. Now, sit down with that list and your strategies and ask yourself a few questions, such as if my goal is to increase employee motivation or any other goal you may have, how do I know when I got there? What are the critical success factors of my business and strategy? What critical actions do I want my employees to take? What results do I want to achieve?

Feel free to add as many questions to this list as your business needs. The more the better, as it will help you create KPIs tailored to your exact business needs.

Two, measurement period. Choose a period that is representative of what you are measuring. If there is a period in your business strongly affected by other factors, consider those or avoid measuring during that period. For example, if you want to measure employee performance or work-per-hour ratios, measuring around the Christmas period may not be a good idea. The working month is smaller, and you're probably not going to have such engaged employees as during the rest of the year.

Three, measurement unit. It is imperative to choose carefully the unit of measurement. The unit you use will depend on the measurement you're making. It will also depend on whether or not you're measuring against other factors. For instance, if you measure the amount of your sales increase, that will be a matter of recording the figure in your currency, e.g. $2.5 million. However, if you want to see how much your sales increased from last period, that will be a percentage of your previous sales figure, e.g. 20% increase.

Four, result interpretation. Pay attention to what your KPIs are showing you. A good tip is to trial and error with hypothetical results before implementing your KPIs. In other words, when setting up your KPIs, take scenarios and work with them. If you set a KPI for sales growth, look what a 20% sales growth will show you.

Join in your strategy team or even share it with the organization and get inputs in this. The better you define your KPIs, the most benefit you are going to get out of them. In order to be able to make the most of your KPIs for your business, you need to make sure that the results are readable and easy-to-understand. Make sure that the results are not just pure numbers, but they bring meaning to your organization.

Also, consider who is doing the KPI analysis and whether the results are simple enough. Best practice tip-- make them great and simple and share them with your entire organization. This is one huge step in getting the organization engaged into working towards the vision and strategic goals. Train and motivate your employees to use KPIs in their day-to-day business.

Standardized-- you need to make them standardized so that you can easily relate them to each other and obtain more in-depth analysis. Note that here at www.winningkpi.com, we often give indication to what KPIs can be joined together.

Relevant-- if you set your KPIs at the beginning of the year for your two-year strategy, it is not usual that you may have to review, change, remove some of them in the process. Your KPIs need to be relevant to your current business position, as they are a measure to show you current progress and success. Refer back to the time frame and adapt it is needed in order to keep your indicators relevant.

Do's and don'ts of KPI performance indicators.

Do-- align KPIs with your strategic goals. Measure strategy success through KPIs. Make your KPIs transparent across the organization. Monitor, manage, and update your KPIs. Keep them as a live document rather than a historic report. Make your KPIs measurable, relevant, and easy-to-interpret. Create employee objectives based on organizational KPIs. Make your employees' work part of a bigger picture.

Don't-- set KPIs that are not relevant to your business goals. Set too many KPIs which may lead to confusion and inaccurate analysis. Keep KPIs secret to yourself-- share them with your team and organization. Copy KPIs from another company or from the web-- get inspired and adapt them to your business needs. Be too brief or too descriptive with your KPIs-- keep the detail relevant to your need, measure as much as you need to know. Choose any time frame for your KPIs, regardless of external factors. Be too narrow about your measurement spectrum. Create KPIs which will give you the bigger picture for your organization's progress and success.

KPIs at winningkpi.com-- browse our broad records of KPIs here at www.winningkpi.com. Under each KPI category, we have comments and examples. Also, if you do not find what you're looking for, just post a new request here at www.winningkpi.com/post-kpi.htm. One of our KPI experts will offer you support, and you could get some help from fellow business users as well. To offer you even more support, under each category, you can find an article to help you make the most of our KPIs and use them to benefit your business.

Remember, do not just copy and paste. Adapt the KPIs to your business needs. If the KPIs are exactly what you're looking for, that's great. Use our exact formulas. However, if you need to amend them, do so, as the more tailored the KPIs are to your business the more indicative the results will be. If you feel unsure how to go about doing this, post a request or a comment under a specific KPI, and we'll happily offer our support.

Good luck with using KPIs.

Lesson 3 Activities (11 of 11)

Lesson 3 Activities

Lesson 3 Discussion

Overview

Think about an organizational change effort you were involved in, either as a participating member of the organization or as a change leader. Now, make the business case for evaluating that change effort. Your goal is to convince the executive team that evaluating the change effort is worth the time and labor. Use your readings and other sources to support your ideas, making sure to cite them.

Instructions

Make your initial post by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. (ET). You must make your initial post before seeing other classmates' posts.

Respond to other classmates' posts (with questions, if possible). You need to reply to two peers' responses (at least) by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. (ET). Avoid saying things like “I like that idea”; instead, analyze your classmates' ideas, ask questions to further the discussion, and engage with your teammates (when applicable).

Return to the discussion multiple times during the week to answer questions, read new posts, and ask questions/make comments.

Posting Timelines
Day	Task
Monday–Thursday	Post initial reply.
Friday–Sunday	Review fellow learners' posts and respond to at least two.

Show Discussion Rubric +

Discussion Rubric (30 Points Possible)
Criteria	Description	5 pts Advancing (5–4 pts)	2 pts Intermediate/Evolving (3–2 pts)	0 pts Beginning Awareness / Needs Development (1–0 pts)
Frequency of Discussion (5 Points Possible)	In order for a full conversation to occur that deepens the knowledge base and understanding of the students each member of the group needs to participate fully.	Initial Post/Comment is complete on day and time required (if one designated). Subsequent posts occur on multiple days during the discussion. Posts include replies to peer questions, questions/clarification of ideas based on peer posts, and response to peer posts in a timely manner during the discussion.	Initial Post/Comment is complete on day and time required (if one designated). Subsequent posts occur on multiple days during the discussion. Posts include replies to peer questions, questions/clarification of ideas based on peer posts, and response to peer posts in a timely manner during the discussion.	Initial post/comment is not provided on the day and time required (If one is designated). No replies, questions, or clarifications to peer posts. Only chooses “like” for other student posts. Does not engage and fails to communicate with the faculty with a reason prior to or at the beginning of the assignment. Student made initial post but no discussion, regardless of the quality of the initial post as this is a discussion not a paper = 0 POINTS
Analytical Thinking (5 Points Possible)	Developing a deeper understanding of a situation, issue, or problem by breaking it down or tracing its implications step-by-step. It includes organizing the parts of a situation, issue, or problem systematically; making systematic comparisons of different features or aspects; setting priorities on a rational basis; and identifying time sequences, causal relationships, or if-then relationship.	Demonstrates, through writing, a grasp of the identified concepts for the assignment. The writing clearly shows the student has read the material and is able to consider/apply it in light of the questions asked by the faculty and other students. The posts do not just summarize the material but rather synthesize them, breaks down problems, makes causal links, analyzes relationships, uses several analytical techniques, draw conclusions, provides application, and/or utilize concepts in context to better extrapolate the issue(s). The posts, when appropriate, are supported by citing applicable material in current APA format and provide support for the student’s assertions. Replies to peers are thoughtful, share a deep critical analysis of the issues/topics, and provide comprehensive discussion of the topics while advancing the conversation.	The student provide a superficial demonstration, through writing, that they grasp the identified concepts for the assignment. The writing does not convey they have fully understood the material and is able to consider it in light of the questions asked by the faculty and students. The posts mostly summarize the material and lack the evidence of synthesis, identification of cause and effect, drawing of conclusions, analyzing relationships, application, and/or utilization of concepts in context to better extrapolate the issue(s). The posts, when appropriate, are supported by citing applicable material in current APA format and begin to support assertions but lack support when needed. Replies to peers lack a deep critical analysis that is thoughtful, comprehensive, and advances the conversation. The responses show emerging abilities in this area.	Initial post/comment is not provided on the day and time required (If one is designated). No replies, questions, or clarifications to peer posts. Lacks demonstration, through writing, of the identified concepts for the assignment. The writing clearly shows the student has not thoroughly read the material and was unable to translate that to the questions asked by the faculty and students. The posts either simply summarize or do not answer the questions posed. There is a lack of synthesis, conclusions, application, and/or any evidence they can utilize concepts in context to better extrapolate the issue(s). The posts are not supported by citing applicable material in current APA format. Replies to peers do not exists or lack the thoughtful, comprehensive, and advanced nature required in the conversation.
Communication (5 Points Possible)	The ability to use written communications in formal and informal situations to convey meaning, build shared understanding, and productively move agendas forward.	Uses generally accepted English grammar. It is clear the work was edited as no or 1–2 errors exist. Skillfully (demonstrated through impact in the discussion) and persuasively uses a variety of communication techniques: Brainstorming, consensus building, root cause analysis. group problem solving, conflict resolution, etc. Actively and respectfully posts responses to peer and instructor questions/postings. “Actively” means the student will provide their individual responses to questions AND then post replies to other group member’s posts during the session, week, and/or conversation.	Grammar is not proper nor edited well leaving multiple errors. Shows some skill and variety in communication techniques: Brainstorming, consensus building, root cause analysis, group problem solving, conflict resolution, etc. Did not reply to other student’s posts, or replied so infrequently or at a late timeframe that a discussion could not be complete (Back and forth conversation). Student interactions are intermittently argumentative, abrasive, condescending, dismissive, or ignorant. If you only “like” other posts, rather than providing critical/analytical/synthesis type response, you will not earn the total possible points in this criteria.	Grammar contains many errors. Is singular in their approach to communicating the information to the group. Lacks evidence to demonstrate assertions and persuasive ability. Inappropriate student interactions—argumentative, abrasive, condescending, dismissive, or ignorant.
Impact and Influence (5 Points Possible)	The ability to persuade, convince, influence, or impress others (individuals or groups) in order to get them to go along with or to support one’s opinion or position. The “key” is understanding others’ interests and motivations, in order to have a specific impact, effect, or impression on them and/or convince them to take a specific course of action.	Uses direct persuasion. Writings show an appeal to reason, data, and/or translation of information to solve problems. Posts and responses take multiple approaches to persuade and shows careful preparation for presentation that includes multiple arguments and points of view. Messages are tailored to the interest and needs of the audience, while making the most efficient and targeted impact. Uses an in-depth understanding of the interactions within a group to move toward a specific position (e.g., changing approaches to different individuals to have specific effects).	Uses persuasion with some efficiency. Writings sometimes provide evidence that the student was able to translate information to solve problems using data and reason. Posts and responses use minimal or ineffective approaches to persuade such as simply stating the assertion with no support. Preparation is lacking as demonstrated by superficial arguments and limited points of view. Posts and responses show minimal tailoring to the interest and needs of the audience resulting in diminished impact. Has some ability but not a sophisticated in-depth understanding of the interactions within a group to move toward a specific position (e.g., changing approaches to different individuals to have specific effects) resulting in discussion stagnancy.	Shows minimal to no ability to use direct persuasion. Writings show the beginnings of an appeal to reason, data, and/or translation of information to solve problems but lack the evidence to help solve problems or answer the questions posed. Posts and responses use very superficial or no effective approaches to persuade. Preparation is difficult to identify as demonstrated by no or superficial arguments and limited points of view. Posts and responses do not take into consideration any of the variables needed to answer the questions posed or reply to other’s ideas. Messages do not persuade or impact the audience and do little or nothing to move the conversation forward. Posts and responses create distraction, negativity, or are hostile in nature that might cause a breakdown of the group.
Interpersonal Understanding (5 Points Possible)	The ability to accurately hear and understand the unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings, and concerns of others, especially those who may represent diverse backgrounds and very different worldviews. Levels of proficiency relate to the increasing complexity and depth of understanding, as well as openness to perspectives very different from one’s own.	Provides robust evidence of their commitment to understanding other’s points of view during the discussion—takes time to get to know people and understand their thoughts/positions/background beyond merely the superficial in their responses to posts and questions. Genuinely seeks to understand people as individuals and their points of view; Uses insights gained from the knowledge of others to know “where they are coming from” or why they act in certain ways. Displays tactfulness and support in conversations that are sensitive to anyone in the group. Displays sensitivity to diverse backgrounds in the words they use in the discussion.	Provides some evidence of their commitment to understanding other’s points of view during the discussion - Takes time to get to know people and understand their thoughts/positions/background beyond superficial in their responses to posts and questions. Genuinely seeks to understand people as individuals and their points of view; Uses insights gained from the knowledge of others to know “where they are coming from” or why they act in certain ways. Displays tactfulness and support in conversations that are sensitive to anyone in the group. Displays sensitivity to diverse backgrounds in the words they use in the discussion.	Lacks any evidence of commitment to understanding other’s points of view during the discussion. Posts show no interest in understanding peers as individuals and their points of view. Lacks a tactful nature in responding to posts they feel may be inconsiderate and does not enhance support and may actively seek to diminish the groups conversation/experience by using words that are disrespectful, demeaning, or ignorant. Shows no sensitivity to diverse backgrounds in the words they use in the discussion. These actions will be shared with Program Director and may result in further actions at the Program, Department, College or University level in accordance with University Policy. See resources here: http://equity.psu.edu/
Information Seeking (5 Points Possible)	An underlying curiosity and desire to know more about things, people, and issues, including the desire for knowledge and staying current with health, organizational, industry, and professional trends and developments. It includes pressing for more precise information; resolving discrepancies by asking a series of questions; and scanning for potential opportunities or information that may be of future use, as well as staying current and seeking best practices for adoption.	Provides evidence that they consulted available resources, in responding to initial questions and peer posts, to support their ideas. Provided written evidence that they investigated beyond the routine thoughts, practices, and questions as related to the topics/questions posed. The responses provide probing questions that get to the root of a situation, enhance the discussion, and show contemplation beyond the superficial. Does not stop with the first answer; finds out why something happened; Seeks comprehensive information, including expecting complexity.	Provides some evidence that they consulted available resources, in responding to initial questions and peer posts, to support their ideas. Provided some written evidence that they investigated beyond the routine thoughts, practices, and questions as related to the topics/questions posed. The responses lack an in-depth set of probing questions that get to the root of a situation, enhance the discussion, and show contemplation beyond the superficial. Lacks complexity in describing their responses and/or in developing questions for further consideration.	Provides little to no evidence that they consulted available resources, in responding to initial questions and peer posts, to support their ideas. Provided little to no written evidence that they investigated beyond the routine thoughts, practices, and questions as related to the topics/questions posed. The responses lack an in-depth set of probing questions that get to the root of a situation, enhance the discussion, and show contemplation beyond the superficial. Lacks complexity in describing their responses and/or in developing questions for further consideration.

Lesson 3 Blog Application: Developing the Business Case for your Case Study

“Understanding is the beginning of approving.”

—André Gide

Overview

Using your case study, which you had built the foundation/background in Lesson 2, create the business case for why you should evaluate the change effort. Be specific about why this challenge is perfect for the change project in your case study. This blog post should outline the change project so you can then start to layer in evaluation metrics over the course of the semester.

This is a slightly different application of the business case because some projects have already happened (or will happen); with that in mind, know that it will be used to determine whether a project should go forward, view it with some flexibility, and know that it is a great exercise to use in any industry.

Is a project worth doing? Consider these questions as you decide (or look back):

What is your goal?
What’s stopping you from reaching the goal?
How much change is needed to overcome the problem?
Are you certain this will solve the problem?

Instructions

Be sure to specify the outcomes of the change effort if you have not done so already. Share what makes this case study an area that needs to be assessed for how evaluation would apply to it.

Include the following in your business case description:

Define the problem or opportunity: What were the objectives or outcomes?
How does (or did) the project align with the strategic goals of the organization?
Describe the benefits of this change project to the organization.
Who is the sponsor or the person in charge of this project?
Are there resources defined for the project?
Explore and list the potential risks involved in implementing the change project.
What is the scope of the project? Are there any concerns that the scope will expand (scope creep)? How will you address them?
What associated costs are included in implementing this change project?
What is the timeline for the project (as it happened or will happen)?
What key performance indicators will be monitored during the project?
What was (or will be) the impact on operations, human resources, quality, and employees?
What is (or was) the organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes?

Writing Guidelines for All of the Blogs in the Case Study

Your audience is the executive team.
Be concise while clearly and completely answering the prompts.
Eliminate conjecture and minimize jargon.
Demonstrate the value and benefits the project brings to the business in each evaluation component as you move forward.
Provide supplemental material from the course or elsewhere to support your decisions. Use APA style for citations and references.
Edit your work.
Use headings to define what you are addressing in each section; you can often use the ones in the assignment instructions.
Use bullet points when you want to list something.
Tell a story. Be engaging and specific at the same time to get the audience interested.

Deliverables

Complete your blog post and add the link to your blog in the assignment submission space by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

Show Lesson 3 Blog Rubric +

Lesson 3 Blog Rubric (30 Points Possible)
Criteria	Description	10 pts Advancing (10–9 pts)	7 pts Intermediate (8–7 pts)	5 pts Evolving (6–5 pts)	0 pts Beginning Awareness / Needs Development (4–0 pts)
Blog Elements and Blog Guidelines (10 Points Possible)	Defined the elements of the specific blog: Define the problem or opportunity—what were the objectives or outcomes? How does or did the project align with the strategic goals of the organization? Describe the benefits of this change project to the organization. Who is the sponsor or in charge of this project? Are there resources defined for the project? Explore and list the potential risks in doing the change project. What is the scope of the project? Are there any concerns that the scope will expand (or scope creep) and how will you address it? What associated costs are included in implementing this change project? What is the timescale or timeline for the project (as it happened or will happen)? What are the key performance indicators that will be monitored during the project? What was or will be the impact on operations, human resources, quality, and employees? What is or was the organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes? Followed these guidelines when writing the blog: Audience—your audience is the executive team. Clear and concise while clearly and completely answering the prompts. Eliminate conjecture and minimize jargon. Demonstrate the value and benefits the project brings to the business in each evaluation component as you move forward. Provide supplemental material from the course or elsewhere to support your decisions—use APA formatting. Edit your work. Use headings to define what you are addressing in each section—can often use the ones in the instructions. Use bullet points when you want to list something. Tell a story—be engaging and specific at the same time to get the audience interested.	Defined the blog elements with thoroughness, specific details, and appropriate support. The elements provided a clear understanding of the content and were formatted in a way that it was easy to follow and understand. This was accomplished for 95–100% of the document. The document was so well written and so through it left minimal to no questions.	Defined the blog elements with thoroughness, specific details, and appropriate support. The elements provided a clear understanding of the content and were formatted in a way that it was easy to follow and understand. This was accomplished for 90–95% of the document. The document was well written but left a few questions.	Defined the blog elements lacked thoroughness, specific details, and appropriate support. The elements did not provide a clear understanding of the content and were formatted in a way that it was difficult to follow and understand. This was true for the majority of the document. Some of the document was well written but left many questions.	Defined the blog elements lacked thoroughness, specific details, and appropriate support. Some elements were missing all together. The elements did not provide a clear understanding of the content and were formatted in a way that it was difficult to follow and understand. This was true for the majority of the document.
Analytical Thinking (10 Points Possible)	Evaluates and demonstrates application of the evidence supporting statements and findings. Evaluates implications, conclusions, and consequences.	Clearly articulates and rigorously evaluates all important evidence that support assertions using course materials and additional sources as needed, but also provides new data and proposes new information for consideration. Identifies and thoroughly discusses implications, conclusions, and consequences, considering all relevant assumptions, contexts, data, and evidence.	Verbalizes/Identifies all important evidence to support assertions using course material and additional sources as needed and rigorously evaluates it. Identifies and briefly discusses implications, conclusions, and consequences considering most but not all the relevant assumptions, contexts, data, and evidence.	Successfully identifies data and information that counts as evidence to support assertions but fails to thoroughly evaluate its credibility/validity. Should provide evidence from course materials. Suggests some implications, conclusions, and consequences, but without clear reference to context, assumptions, data, and evidence.	Fails to identify data and information that counts as evidence to support assertions and fails to evaluate its credibility/validity. Should provide significantly more evidence from course materials. Fails to identify implications, conclusions, and consequences of the issue. Should share connections between assertions and conclusions and consequences by sharing supporting evidence.
Information Seeking (10 Points Possible)	An underlying curiosity and desire to know more about things, people, and issues, including the desire for knowledge and staying current with health, organizational, industry, and professional trends and developments. It includes pressing for more precise information; resolving discrepancies by asking a series of questions; and scanning for potential opportunities or information that may be of future use, as well as staying current and seeking best practices for adoption.	It is clearly evident that the student consulted available resources and other sources identified on their own to accurately and completely develop the deliverable The student moved beyond the superficial or basic level of understanding to delve deeper into the issues to develop the deliverable.	It is partially evident that the student consulted available resources and other sources identified on their own to accurately and completely develop the deliverable The student partially moved beyond the superficial or basic level of understanding to delve deeper into the issues to develop the deliverable.	It is rarely evident that the student consulted available resources and other sources identified on their own to accurately and completely develop the deliverable The student minimally moved beyond the superficial or basic level of understanding to delve deeper into the issues to develop the deliverable.	There is lacking or no evidence that the student consulted available resources and other sources identified on their own to accurately and completely develop the deliverable The student did not move beyond the superficial or basic level of understanding to delve deeper into the issues to develop the deliverable.

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