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ECO101
Selected Economic Glossary
SSC351--Improving Office Productivity Through TQM
SSC351--Work Measurement and Work Standards
SSC351--Promotion
SSC351--Managing Human Resources
SSC351--Communicating in the Office
SSC351--Administrative Office System
SSC351--Appraising The Office Worker's Performance
SSC351 Study Guide

You are required to complete two simple projects this semester.  The following is Project #2.  To help you complete the project, you are advised to refer to Chapter 7 (pages 120 - 15) of Quible's Administrative Office Management textbook
 
Like the first project, this is a group project of 3 members each.  You may choose your own group members and I strongly encourage you maintain your Project 1 group members. The project is officially assigned on Tuesday, 4th March 2003 for Group 6B and Wednesday 5th March 2003 for Group 6A.  The project report is due on 11th March 2003 for Group 6B and 12th March 2003 for Group 6A.  Late submission of the report is unacceptable and any received after the deadline will not be graded.
 

PROJECT #2 -- Zebat Corporation Case

Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Zebat Corporation is the largest chain manufacturer in the state.  The company manufactures a variety of chains, ranging from those used on bicycles to those used on ship anchors.

The company is known throughout the Chicago area as being one of the better companies in which to work.  Because of its favourable reputation, the company has been able to use walk-ins and unsolicited applications as its only recruiting sources.  The personnel manager believed until recently that walk-ins and unsolicited applications yielded results comparable to other recruiting sources.  An increasing number of department heads are now complaining that they have had to hire individuals whose qualifications do not exactly match the position requirements.

  1. Is the exlusive use of walk-ins and unsolicited applicants likely to be responsible for producing the situation about which the department heads complain? Explain.
  2. Identify the negative aspects of using only walk-ins and unsolicited applications.
  3. What other recruiting sources might the company investigate?
  4. Explain how the company might assess the effectiveness of the other recruitng sources it tries.

If the words or terms used in the above case are unfamiliar to you, please look up their meanings from a good dictionary first.  You must also read Chapter 7 thoroughly. 

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Project #1 is purposely left on this page for future reference.

PROJECT #1 -- Identifying System Concept in a College Registration System.

After a class discussion of the main concepts found in administrative office systems, your instructor asks you to observe the operating procedures of a "real-world" organization in order to understand better the functions of office systems.  As a practical and timely way of completing the assignment, you have selected the registration system of your college as you are about to complete your registration for five three-hour courses for your next and last semester in college.

After obtaining the apparent approval of your adviser, you take the required registration form to the registrar's office to complete your computerized registration.  The assistant registrar (A/R) takes your form, keys the information, and obtains feedback information on the computer screen.  Shortly thereafter, this conversation takes place:

A/R:  I'm sorry, but Advanced Cost Accounting 455 and Management of Change and Conflict 499 are both closed.

You:  But these are required courses for my major.  If I don't complete these courses by the end of the next semester, I'll have to stay in school an additional semester.  Isn't there anything I can do -- maybe put my name on a waiting list?

A/R:  I'm sorry.  All I do here is operate the computer and tell you whether you are registered or not.  The registrar has told me to tell students with this problem to contact their department advisers or check with the heads of the departments concerned.  Of course, if you want to go higher, you can always appeal your case to the dean of the college.  Maybe the department heads will waive the course requirements for you.  By the way, I noticed that your adviser failed to initial the five courses listed on your schedule, so they aren't officially approved.  You'll have to get these initialed before I can complete your registration on the computer.

Feeling frustrated and angry,  you leave the registrar's office.

1.  What is the systems structure (from total system to subsystems) involved in this administrative office system?

2.  What specific controls are built into such a system?  Using as a guide the general systems model, construct a registration model that includes all the phases of this operating system. Please refer to Figure 4-5 (page 88 -- 1996 Edition of Keeling & Kallaus) or Figure 19-3 (page 504 -- 1984 Edition of Keeling & Kallaus).

3.  How are human beings and human relationships an integral part of the system(s) issues raised here?