ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION
Due Date
Monday March 6 20179:00 AM
Students please view the Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment in the Student Center.Instructors training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.
Assignment 2: Problem SolvingDue Week 9 and worth 150 points
When faced with a problem what do you do to solve it? This assignment asks you to apply a six-step to problem solving process to a specific problem scenario. You will write a paper that presents a synthesis of your ideas about solving the problem using this systematic approach. As Voltaire said No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.
Choose one (1) of the problem scenarios as a topic choice for your paper (Note: Your professor must approve your topic choice before you begin work on the assignment.)
Scenario 1: You have worked at your company for eleven (11) years. You have returned to college to earn a Bachelors degree in order to increase your chances for a promotion. You are nearly finished with your degree when a supervisors position in a competing company becomes available in another state. The start date is in two (2) weeks during your final exam period for your courses. The position offers a $15000 per year salary increase a car allowance and relocation expenses. Your former supervisor works for the company and is recommending you for the position based on your outstanding job performance; if you want the job its yours. All of the other supervisors at this level in the company have Masters degrees so you know that you would be expected to earn your Bachelors degree and continue on to a Masters degree. Your present company offers tuition reimbursement but the new company does not.
Scenario 2: Your child comes home from school with an assignment sheet for a school project. He / she is very excited about the project and begins work immediately doing research on the Internet and gathering materials. You read over the assignment sheet and notice that your child is not including all of the required items in the project and you have some ideas for how to improve the quality of the presentation. You recently read an article in a parenting magazine about the importance of a child developing responsibility for his/ her own learning. You recall the many ways in which your parents took over your school projects. You on the other hand want to encourage your childs confidence in his / her ability to complete a project independently. The next day you are at the grocery store when you see a parent of a student in your childs class. That parent has spent over $30 in supplies for the science project and is taking a day off of work to put the pieces of the project together.
Scenario 3: You have two jobsone during the week from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and one on Saturday from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm. You are taking two classesone that meets from 6:00 to 10:00 pm and one class online. You have two kidsone who plays soccer and one who is in band. You have two elderly parents who no longer drive. You have two siblingsone who lives two (2) miles away and one who lives in another state. You have two (2) papers due in your classes the same week that one (1) of your children has a soccer tournament and the other child has a band concert. You are coaching the soccer team and you are in charge of fundraising for the band. You have a goal to complete your degree in two (2) years. Your doctor tells you that your blood pressure your cholesterol and your weight are too high and recommends several medications that cost you nearly $200 per month after your insurance co-pay.
Scenario 4: You are a sales representative for a company that encourages staff to log time in the field and away from the office. You are expected to begin and end your day at the office. You notice that each day when you arrive and return another co-worker is already there and you wonder whether this person spends most of his / her time at the office. At your weekly sales meeting you are informed of your co-workers outstanding sales performance. You suspect that this co-worker is spending more time flattering the boss instead of working leads in the field and as a result is getting the best client referrals. Your own sales numbers have steadily decreased since this other sales representative was hired.
Scenario 5: Professors Choice problem scenario presented by your professor.
Scenario 6: Students Choice Problem scenario presented by you.
Review the six-step problem solving process outlined in the webtext based on the article The Problem Solving Process located athttp://www.gdrc.org/decision/problem-solve.html:
Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:1. Define the problem in the scenario that you have chosen.2. Analyze the problem in the scenario.3. Generate options for solving the problem in the scenario.4. Evaluate the options for solving the problem.5. Decide on the best option for solving the problem.6. Explain how you will implement the decision made and reflect on whether this option was the most effective.
The paper should follow guidelines for clear and organized writing:
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Clickhereto view the grading rubric..
