Background

Clear organizational goals can drive employee efforts throughout the organization. So can the organization’s values. SAS was named number 2 in Fortune Magazine’s 2014 rankings for 100 Best Companies to Work For in America. Why? In part because it is a values-driven firm with strong corporate goals that translate into how work gets done on a daily basis.

Required Reading

Read about SAS in the article found on the following Web page:

100 Best Companies to Work For. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2014/snapshots/2.html?iid=BC14_fl_list

Now check out SAS’s website to get a look at the company from an inside point of view:

SAS The Power to Know. (2014) http://www.sas.com/en_us/home.html click the links under “About SAS,” as well as “Corporate Social Responsibility.”

Assignment

In a 4- to 5-page essay, answer the following questions:

1. How do SAS’s corporate values and goals concerning employees, customers, and the business combine to create job satisfaction and motivate the people who work there?
2. Is this a model every business should adopt?

The following may help you address these questions:

From the OPN Website, Organizational Goals Can Be Powerful Energizers. (2000). U.S. Office of Personnel Management. http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/2000/apr00-7.asp

Energizing Goals. In their strategic plans, many government agencies outline goals and outcomes they expect to achieve. Examples of some of those goals are:

• We strive for clean air, and clean and safe water (Environmental Protection Agency).
• Reduce the rate of highway-related fatalities and injuries (Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation [DOT]).
• Restore the capability of disabled veterans to the greatest extent possible and improve their quality of life and that of their families (Department of Veterans Affairs).
• Improve the safety of the national and international aviation system (Federal Aviation Administration, DOT).
• Restore and maintain the health of the land (Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior).
• Provide significantly improved short-term warning and forecast products and services that enhance public safety and the economic productivity of the Nation (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce).

Goals such as these can inspire employee performance. Many federal employees choose public service, not for the pay or glamour of the job, but for the missions and ideals for which their agencies stand. For example, many National Aeronautics and Space Administration employees work there because they believe in space exploration; many research scientists at numerous research laboratories throughout government believe in the good effects their research can have; and many who work at customer service agencies believe in helping the people they serve. By communicating clear goals, the organization is confirming some of the reasons the employees work there in the first place. Clearly communicating organizational goals, in and of itself, can help engage employees in their work.

Communicating Goals. Most agencies publish their strategic and annual performance plans in hard copy and several ensure that each employee receives one. Most agencies’ goals and objectives also appear on their websites. Formal publications and websites should be only one way of communicating organizational goals. The most effective way of communicating these goals is through direct communication between first-line supervisors and their employees. While developing employee performance plans, supervisors and employees can discuss how employee efforts support organizational goal achievement. By aligning employee performance plans with organizational goals, and by discussing organizational as well as employee goals, supervisors maximize the powerful effect organizational goals can have on employee performance. Organizational goals become real to the employee.

For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reengineered itself. In doing so, it revised its mission and strategic goals. Now, FEMA’s strategic plan includes objective performance measures that emphasize results rather than activities. (For instance, one of FEMA’s goals is to reduce by 20 percent the time taken to provide individuals with disaster housing assistance, which results in improved customer satisfaction.) To communicate its goals, the agency uses a strategy that has made significant improvements in its communication with Congress, state and local officials, disaster victims, the news media, and particularly with its own employees. FEMA also has reorganized its structure so that sub-units and individual employees derive their responsibilities from its mission, and employees have decision-making authority that matches their responsibilities. FEMA reports that its mission, measures, and recent track record contribute heavily to its employees’ intrinsic motivation.

The point is that supervisors can energize their employees’ performance by communicating their agencies’ goals.

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:

• Define the problem: What are SAS’s key goals and values?
  • Do additional research about working at SAS to get more than just the company’s view from its website. (Note: Do not use Wikipedia as a cited source. It is acceptable to use Wikipedia as a starting point to get background information, but always verify the information from a more reliable source.)
• Analyze the cause: To analyze the effect of SAS’s goals and values on job satisfaction and motivation, use the Employee Satisfaction Model, and/or the Job Characteristics Model (from the Background materials) in formulating your answer.
• Propose a solution: Be sure to defend your answer in terms of the model you selected in Question 2 of the assignment. The “why” is more important than the “what.”

Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated using the following five (5) criteria:

• Assignment-Driven Criteria (Precision and Breadth): Does the paper fully address all Keys to the Assignment? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
• Critical Thinking (Critical Thinking and Depth): Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
• Business Writing (Clarity and Organization): Is the paper well written (clear, developed logically, and well organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
• Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy and References): Does the paper demonstrate that the student has read, understood and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality (library?) sources? Do additional sources used in paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
• Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?

Tips and Suggestions

Please note the following tips and suggestions:

• Include a cover page and reference page in addition to the 4–5 pages of analysis described above.
• You are expected to demonstrate that you have read, understood, and can apply the required background readings for this module in your answer to this case. Be sure to read the required readings carefully, and use the theories and arguments you learn from them to support your analysis.
• Include headings for all papers longer than two pages (basically all papers).
• Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and include citations for information that you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for well-written papers. (If you are unsure of what those guidelines are, see The Elements of a Well Written Paper).