A Large Project Engineering Company Assigns Engineering, Purchasing, Marketing and Support

question 18

Essay

A large project engineering company assigns engineering, purchasing, marketing and support staff to client-based projects, which last anywhere from four months to one year. These project staff report to both the project leader and the manager of their functional specialization. For example, a marketing employee in Project Z would receive day-to-day instructions from the Project Z manager, but would receive career development guidance from the company's director of marketing. The functional manager also places employees in future projects. In the past, project staff were evaluated by the employee's project leader at the time of the annual performance evaluation. However, some employees complained that they had just started the project, so the project leader didn't know their performance. The company wants to introduce a 360-degree feedback process to overcome this and other problems with the performance evaluation system. Describe the specific characteristics of a 360-degree feedback process for project staff at this company and identify two problems that the company should know about 360-degree feedback systems.

---

Definitions:

Flashbulb Memories

Type of automatic encoding that occurs because an unexpected event has strong emotional associations for the person remembering it.

Events

Broad term that encompasses occurrences or happenings that are significant to the individual or group observing them.

Vividly Remembered

Memories that are recalled with exceptional clarity and detail.

False Memories

Distortions in memory or the creation of fabricated recollections, often influenced by suggestion, stress, or other factors, which are believed to be true by the individual.