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.

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Definitions:

Disaster Relief

Assistance provided to individuals, businesses, and communities affected by natural or human-made disasters, aiming to help them recover.

Crop Insurance

Insurance that farmers can purchase that will pay out if crop selling prices or crop revenues fall below predetermined values.

Moral Hazard

A situation where one party takes greater risks because they do not have to bear the full consequences of their actions.

Subsidized

Financial support provided by a government or organization to reduce the cost of producing goods or services, often to encourage consumption or investment.