Suppose that the chairperson of an academic department is engaged in a discussion with an admission clerk tasked with handling all paperwork associated with student applications for admission to the department. In explaining the causes underlying the issues at hand, the admission clerk asserts that the office manager has failed to provide explicit instructions on the job responsibilities, as well as neglected to offer assistance or provide feedback on performance. In addition, the office manager delegated the task of answering phone calls to the admissions clerk, a responsibility that she believes should be fulfilled by their designated office receptionists. Moreover, she frequently finds herself compelled to traverse the entirety of the office premises in order to transmit duplicate copies of admission forms to the administrative office of the university, thereby consuming a significant portion of her time. In addition, the academic staff frequently request her assistance in reproducing textbook materials. Whenever such requests are made, she promptly sets aside her ongoing tasks to prioritise the completion of the copying task.

3.1 Identify and describe the types of performance problems apparent in the clerks statement. (10)

3.2 Make recommendations on an appropriate performance intervention to deal with these human performance problems. How would you select your intervention? Justify the intervention you have selected. (10)

4. Identify a performance problem in your organisation. If you are not currently employed, you can use a fictitious scenario. Apply phases 1 and 2 of the Swanson model of performance management to the performance problem that you described. (Consult your e-reserves source: Swanson, RA. 2007. Analysis for improving performance: Tools for diagnosing organisations and documenting workplace expertise.) Discuss how you will adjust these two phases of the model to better fit and solve the problem that you identified. (15)