It 520 Module One Short Paper Guidelines And Rubric 645622

It 520 Module One Short Paper Guidelines And Rubric This course

This course includes five short business memos. These are designed to actively test your understanding and to apply that knowledge to potential real-world situations. These writing activities also provide practice in communicating your reasoning in a professional manner.

Prompt: Team Building and Collaboration (Module One) International Gadgets is a company with offices throughout the United States and in Europe. There has been a history of miscommunication within office departments, between offices, and, most importantly, between the company and its wide customer base.

You have been hired as a manager in the newly created communications department. The purpose of your position is to improve these problematic channels of communications. Company Background International Gadgets (IG) is a multinational company of 1,300+ employees and over $4 billion in revenue. Headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire, the company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports a variety of low- and high-tech business productivity tools. IG has manufacturing facilities in Detroit, Michigan, and Shanghai, China, and sources component parts from suppliers in Vietnam, China, Brazil, and the United States.

While IG maintains sales offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Paris, Moscow, and Brussels, its products are sold throughout the United States and all of Europe and in China through a partner firm. IG employs both a direct sales force targeting its top 1,000 customers as well as selling via its website. Sales offices also include service and support operations, managed separately from the sales teams. The company is considering expanding more directly into China and exploring the possibility of opening a sales office in Beijing. IG’s current top-selling product is the OfficeDrone, designed for workplace monitoring.

The OfficeDrone is a small unmanned aerial vehicle for indoor use that includes real-time video monitoring and a targetable built-in water pistol and reservoir. The OfficeDrone is marketed to management and security teams to break up water cooler conversations and other non-productive behaviors among groups of workers. IG has introduced several new products and experienced rapid growth during the past year with many new employees in all departments. The management team has greatly expanded as well, including several first-time managers, and is experiencing difficulties in functioning as effectively as in the past. Communications within and between all parts of the organization, external partners, and suppliers and customers, are at serious risk of completely breaking down.

In a recent example, Detroit Manufacturing was unable to meet a product delivery deadline because of parts shortages from supplies. The component parts originated in Brazil and had been seriously delayed due to a dockworker’s strike at U.S. West Coast ports. Manufacturing believed they had informed Sales of the delay, but Sales indicated they had never received that information and ended up losing the customer to a competitor. In another example, European sales were impacted when Switzerland unexpectedly devalued its currency, impacting IG’s profitability. Revised profitability forecasts were provided by several of the European sales offices, but others did not understand the request from the corporate office due to how it was worded, and the delay in response led to unnecessary costs.

Your first task is to hire a small team to address these issues. Write a report to management describing the makeup and roles of your proposed team, what attributes you will be looking for in team members, and what you hope to accomplish with your new team. Be sure to offer solid reasoning in all areas of your report.

Paper For Above instruction

Effective communication is the backbone of operational success, particularly in a multinational company like International Gadgets (IG). The recent issues of miscommunication across departments, offices, and with external partners underline the urgency for a dedicated team focused on enhancing communication channels. This paper proposes the formation of a specialized team responsible for assessing, developing, and implementing improved communication strategies throughout IG to mitigate misunderstandings, errors, and delays that impact productivity and customer satisfaction.

The proposed team will consist of individuals with diverse expertise, including internal communications, cross-cultural understanding, project management, and technology integration. Specifically, team members should include a Communication Specialist, a Cultural Liaison, a Project Manager, and a Technology Support Expert. Each member will play a critical role in diagnosing communication breakdowns, designing effective solutions, and ensuring the seamless integration of new processes and tools.

The Communication Specialist will focus on identifying gaps in existing channels and developing standardized communication protocols. Their background should include experience in corporate communications, excellent writing and verbal skills, and the ability to craft clear, concise messages suitable for diverse audiences. The role is vital in fostering clarity and consistency in organizational messaging.

The Cultural Liaison will bring cultural intelligence, especially given IG's operations across the US, Europe, and China. They will facilitate understanding of regional communication styles, business etiquette, and language differences, ensuring that strategies are culturally sensitive and effective. Attributes include intercultural competence, language skills, and adaptability.

The Project Manager will oversee the implementation of communication initiatives, coordinate among departments, and monitor progress. Strong leadership, organizational skills, and experience in managing change are essential for this role. They will ensure initiatives stay on track, meet deadlines, and deliver measurable improvements.

The Technology Support Expert will evaluate and recommend communication tools, such as collaboration platforms, internal messaging systems, and translation software. Technical proficiency, knowledge of enterprise communication solutions, and experience in digital transformation projects are critical attributes.

With this team, the goal is to establish clear, reliable, and efficient communication channels that bridge the gaps identified in recent errors like those in Detroit Manufacturing and European sales. These improvements aim to reduce misunderstandings, streamline information flow, and enhance coordination across all departments and regions. As a result, IG will benefit from improved product delivery timelines, better customer satisfaction, and increased operational efficiency.

By fostering an environment of open and transparent communication, supported by the right mix of skills and cultural understanding, IG can turn its communication challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. The team's efforts will also include ongoing training programs and the adoption of technological tools to sustain improvements over time.

References

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