Group Assignment #1 – Strategic Plan

Weight: 10%
Submission: via the Dropbox tool
Due: Week 3

Instructions
Group Enrollment
For the Group Assignments, you have been auto enrolled into groups, organized at random. To find out which group you
belong to, go to the Groups tool in CourseLink (Navbar > Tools > Groups), and look for “Assignment and Chapter
Topic Presentation Groups.” You will need to know your group in order to join the corresponding breakout room during
class. You will stay in the same group for all three Group Assignments and the Chapter Topic Presentations (you will be in
different groups for the HR Planning Company Group Project). The instructor reserves the right to adjust groups as
necessary during the course to maintain balance.
Part A
You recently joined an organization and quickly learn they lack a Strategic Plan.
Assume you are a competitor to Starbucks and Tim Horton’s. Your market positioning and value proposition is
somewhere between the two big coffee chains.
What actions would you take to convince the organization on the value of creating a strategic plan?
The key reference for Part A of this assignment is Chapter 1 of the textbook. Using the Strategic Planning Process (Fig
1.2 in Chapter 1), in step one provide the Mission; in step two identify three objectives; and for steps 3 through 7 indicate
your perspective for each step.
Part B
Your coffee organization now has a strategic plan, but it is not linked to HR in any manner. What steps can you take to
ensure HR links to the Strategic plan?
Sales are not achieving planned targets; employee engagement is lower (employee surveys) than coffee competitors and
exit interviews indicate a lack of feedback, development and communications. Managers are feeling overwhelmed and
turnover is on the rise. What HR strategies will address sales, employee engagement, manager turnover and link to the
strategic plan?
The key references for Part B of this assignment are Chapters 2 and 3 of the textbook.

Submission
Select one group member to submit your completed assignment to the corresponding folder in Dropbox (found under the
Tools menu on the course website navbar).

Grading Expectations
Your assignment will be evaluated out of 40 points using the following rubric. All group members will receive the same
grade, but the instructor reserves the right to adjust individual grades in the Grades tool.
Group Assignment #1 Rubric
Criteria Exemplary Accomplished Developing Beginning

Proposed actions to Thoughtful and Solid actions Some actions Few actions
convince the persuasive actions proposed; fairly proposed, but with a proposed; extremely
organization of the proposed; several detailed discussion of fairly general general references to
value of a strategic specific benefits/values. discussion of benefits/values.
plan benefits/values (4 points) benefits/values. (2 points)
identified and (3 points)
discussed in detail.
(5 points)
Use of Strategic Thorough and Use of the strategic Use of the strategic Use of the strategic
Planning Process accurate use of each planning process with planning process with planning process with
step of the strategic some minor errors or some significant steps missed and
planning process. gaps in application. errors or gaps in several significant
(15 points) (11 points) application. errors in application.
(10 points) (7.5 points)
Criteria Exemplary Accomplished Developing Beginning

Proposed steps to Several appropriate Several steps Some steps A few steps proposed
ensure HR links to the steps proposed that proposed; most are proposed; significant in extremely general
strategic plan are likely to be highly likely to be effective;gaps or issues that terms; it is unclear
effective. some gaps or minor cast doubt on whether whether and how
(5 points) issues. the proposed steps most of these would
(4 points) would fully ensure HR ensure HR links to the
links to the strategic strategic plan.
plan. (2 points)
(3 points)
Strategies to address Proposed strategies Proposed strategies Proposed strategies Proposed strategies
sales, employee comprehensively address the identified address all or most of are not fully
engagement, address the identified issues and reflect a the identified issues developed and/or do
manager turnover and issues and reflect an solid understanding of and reflect a basic not address many of
link to the strategic in-depth theories, concepts understanding of the identified issues.
plan understanding of and main course theories, concepts, The strategies
theories, concepts ideas with few gaps and main course proposed are
and main course or misunderstandings. ideas with some significantly lacking in
ideas. (11 points) significant gaps or theories, concepts,
(15 points) misunderstandings. and main ideas from
(10 points) the course.
(7.5 points)