Assignment 3: Organizational Assessment Scenario As The Huma
Assignment 3: Organizational Assessment Scenario As the human resources
As the human resources (HR) manager for a public organization, you are conducting a New Hire Orientation session for all new employees. As research for your orientation, you are writing a report about the functions of the organization, its strengths and weaknesses, and its mission, vision, goals, and objectives.
Choose a public organization where the necessary information is publicly available and easily accessible. Using research from at least three sources, develop a comprehensive report that:
- Identifies the organization’s mission statement, vision statement, goals, objectives, and tactical plans.
- Explains how each of the four functions of management impacts the organization’s goals and objectives.
- Discusses the ethical implications of the organization’s policies and strategies concerning market expansion, human capital management, and environmental considerations.
- Conducts an internal and external assessment:
- Performs a SWOT analysis to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Illustrates the organization’s product portfolio using a BCG Matrix.
- Analyzes internal and external environments through environmental scanning, including organizational structure, relationships among employees, management, and shareholders, market competitors, industry, national, and macroeconomic factors.
Support your responses with scholarly research from the Argosy University online library resources. Present your report in a clear, concise, organized manner, demonstrating ethical scholarship with proper APA attribution, correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The report should be 5–7 pages in length, formatted in Word.
Paper For Above instruction
In the contemporary landscape of public organizations, comprehensive organizational assessments are fundamental to fostering effective human resource management and strategic planning. This report examines a selected public organization—specifically, the United States Postal Service (USPS)—by analyzing its mission, vision, goals, management functions, ethical considerations, SWOT profile, product portfolio via BCG Matrix, and environmental factors. Drawing on scholarly sources, this analysis aims to deliver insights into the organization’s operational strengths and challenges, while offering a blueprint for strategic alignment and ethical stewardship in a complex macro environment.
Introduction
The United States Postal Service (USPS), an independent establishment of the federal government, holds a unique position in providing essential communication and logistics services across the nation. As a public organization, USPS operates under specific mandates to serve the public interest, ensuring universal access, affordability, and reliability. This report footlights its strategic framework, internal and external environments, ethical considerations, and management functions influencing its overall performance and mission fulfillment.
Organizational Mission, Vision, Goals, and Tactical Plans
The USPS’s mission centers on providing postal services that are accessible, affordable, and reliable, thereby connecting citizens and businesses across all regions. Its mission statement emphasizes service excellence and public accountability (US Postal Service, 2020). The vision strives for continuous improvement in delivery services, leveraging technological innovations to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction (US Postal Service, 2020).
Its strategic goals include expanding service offerings, modernizing infrastructure, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and promoting environmental sustainability. Tactical plans involve investing in automated sorting facilities, adopting sustainable packaging practices, reducing carbon footprint, and expanding digital services to complement traditional mail services (USPS Annual Report, 2022).
Impact of the Four Functions of Management
Management functions—planning, organizing, leading, and controlling—are critical in steering USPS towards its objectives (Daft, 2018). The planning function involves setting strategic priorities such as service modernization and financial sustainability. Organizing entails structuring roles, departments, and processes to facilitate operational efficiency, including logistics management and customer service (Daft, 2018).
Leading focuses on motivating employees, fostering a culture of innovation, and ensuring effective communication across divisions. The controlling function ensures adherence to quality standards, regulatory compliance, and financial discipline through performance measurement and feedback mechanisms (Daft, 2018). Collectively, these functions influence the organization’s capacity to meet its goals amidst evolving technological landscapes and customer expectations.
Ethical Implications
USPS confronts several ethical issues related to market expansion, human capital management, and environmental stewardship. Its policies must balance fiscal sustainability with providing universal access, avoiding monopolistic practices, and ensuring fair employee treatment. In terms of human capital, USPS emphasizes fair labor practices, equitable pay, and diversity, which foster organizational trust and reputation (Kellough & MacIntosh, 2017).
Environmental strategies involve adopting eco-friendly practices—reducing emissions, recycling, and utilizing sustainable materials—aligning with corporate social responsibility. Ethical considerations include maintaining transparency, resisting political pressures that could compromise service neutrality, and ensuring data privacy for customers (Kellough & MacIntosh, 2017).
Internal and External Assessment
SWOT Analysis
Strengths: Extensive network coverage, established brand reputation, commitment to service reliability, and capacity for innovation. Weaknesses: Financial deficits, aging infrastructure, and bureaucratic procurement processes.
Opportunities: Digital transformation, e-commerce growth, and sustainability initiatives. Threats: Competition from private courier companies, declining traditional mail volumes, legislative constraints, and macroeconomic uncertainties.
BCG Matrix
Within USPS’s product portfolio, parcels and express services function as "Stars" with high growth and high market share, especially due to e-commerce expansion. Traditional mail services are classified as "Cash Cows," providing steady cash flow despite declining volumes. The development of digital communication platforms represents "Question Marks," with potential for growth if strategically managed. Limited or declining services are "Dogs," requiring restructuring or discontinuance.
Environmental Scanning
Analyzing internal and external environments reveals a complex landscape. Internally, organizational structure comprises hierarchical units with centralized decision-making, which may hinder agility but ensures control. Externally, rapid technological changes, shifting consumer preferences towards digital modes, and regulatory environments pose significant challenges and opportunities. Understanding the macroeconomic factors such as inflation, labor costs, and legislative policies assists USPS in strategic planning (Johnson & Scholes, 2020).
Conclusion
The USPS’s strategic assessment underscores the importance of aligning management functions, ethical considerations, and environmental factors to achieve its mission amidst challenges. Embracing technological innovation, sustainable operations, and ethical management can enable USPS to serve the public efficiently while adapting to the dynamic macro environment. Continued focus on internal strengths and external opportunities, coupled with responsible management, will be essential for the organization's resilience and success in the future.
References
- Daft, R. L. (2018). Management (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Johnson, G., & Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring Corporate Strategy (12th ed.). Pearson.
- Kellough, B. J., & MacIntosh, R. (2017). Managing Human Resources in the Public Sector. Routledge.
- US Postal Service. (2020). About USPS. https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/mission-and-viewpoints.htm
- US Postal Service. (2022). Annual Report Fiscal Year 2022. https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2022.pdf