EC

Write an Internal Proposal Report arguing for a change/improvement in the workplace. This requires that you create a report in APA format. (The standard length of a proposal report is 8-10 pages). Create a visual presentation of your argument. This requires you to transfer your argument into a different genre and target a different audience. Trifold, Video, or Infographic. (You will learn to do all these and you can choose)

Definition: An Internal proposal is written by a current employee to some other office or entity in a company. The writer acts as an insider sharing an idea or argument that is intended to benefit the firm.

Topics: Choose from the list of scenarios at the end of this document. It is possible that you adapt these If you have an alternative idea that applies to the workplace, see me for approval.

Details:

The main objective of this assignment is to demonstrate that you can effectively use research and critical thinking to draw conclusions and issue recommendations to a body of decision makers using the accepted conventions of professional writing.

This project requires that you:

· make an argument that is informed by your research, rather than simply reporting your research findings. You will use example reports to layout and structure the proposal report, applying basic design theory to your persuasive aim.

· incorporate useful visuals into the report; and cite and label them according to the conventions of formal research.

Sources/research, etc…You will need a minimum of EIGHT sources for your project. These MUST include a variety of sources.

You will need to use the Collecting data and information from credible web sources.

In the scenarios, I have linked to some research—you may use these sources in your project.

Scenarios for Formal Internal Proposals

Each one of these topic areas contains a short write up of a scenario based on a current issue or conversation in corporate America. They are ideal for the Formal Business Proposal project because they

· are relevant topics in the professions today,

· center on a problem and solution(s) framework,

· require research on the problem, alternatives and/or solutions

Each scenario below includes a “Call” or “Calls” This is a corporate term for what you are being asked to do.

Instituting a Workplace Wellness Program

Increasingly, large companies are creating “wellness programs” to help their employees lose weight, become more fit, and to make healthier lifestyle choices. Some employers offer more extensive health benefits, including physician house calls, paid gym memberships, at-work perks like recreation rooms, gyms, massages, diet and nutrition counseling, etc. The University of Toledo has a wellness program that you can read learn more about by clicking here.

Studies of wellness programs have shown that these have benefits to the employees and the employer, but also that they are not “cost effective.” Other studies have shown that there are no benefits. Here are some items to help you learn more: Infographic: Workplace Wellness Matters (note the list of sources at the end of the graphic. Also see Study on Work Wellness and 8 Things You Need to Know about Workplace Wellness

Your CALL: The large corporation you work for has asked you to research wellness programs and to write a proposal for instituting one at your workplace. You will need to show the benefits of wellness programs, look at various models of wellness programs, and develop your own concept of what you think your employer should offer to its employees.

Some of the research you will find shows that these programs are not always effective—you may want to look at WHY, and offer a solution that can help your company make its program more effective. In order to present an effective proposal, you will need to develop an argument that a wellness program would be beneficial to your firm. You should assume that your employer will not care that the program is “cost effective,” but instead, hopes to improve employee health and benefit in other ways.

The scope of your program could be just regular health monitoring and screening etc. or it could include more expansive things, like the addition of a fitness center, lunchtime walk groups, a ban on sodas and processed foods in the cafeteria. You decide!

Reducing plastics in packaging of your company’s products:

Single use plastic packaging is a significant issue around the globe. Until recently, China purchased the majority of our plastics and recycled them, last year, the country bought 1% of what they used to take. According to an article in The Atlantic magazine, “tons and tons” of recyclable plastic is accumulating in the US, and what citizens think they are recycling is ending up in landfills.

This has sparked a movement to reduce the use of single-use (disposable) plastics, and large corporations are beginning to look at packaging alternatives.

In response to a Proctor and Gamble has committed to reducing plastic in its laundry-care brands by 2025.

Choose one of these related CALLS:

CALL 1: You are a team leader in packaging design at a Hair-Care/Beauty Products firm (like Loreal, Revlon, Neutrogena…that produces shampoos, lotions, other plastic packages); Write a proposal for reducing the use of single-use plastics in your products. This can include alternative packaging like those listed in the link above and other ideas that you may read about and invent.

You will need to fully explain the plastic problem, the need for a solution, your company’s obligation to find a solution, and the benefits to making changes. Then, you will need to present details about the changes you are proposing.

CALL 2: You are a team leader in packaging design at a (Food or beverage manufacturing firm that uses plastic containers (orange juice, iced tea, Bai drinks, any yogurt company, cream cheese or butter in tubs, etc…)

Write a proposal for reducing the use of single-use plastics in your products. This can include alternative packaging like those listed in the link above and other ideas that you may read about and invent. (See this story on seaweed pods, which are an alternative).

You will need to fully explain the plastic problem, the need for a solution, your company’s obligation to find a solution, and the benefits to making changes. Then, you will need to present details about the changes you are proposing.

Creating diversity in product branding and advertising:

The report, Diversity Matters, presents the results of studies that show a linear relationship between gender, racial and ethnic diversity and better financial performance of a business.

The large corporation you work for prides itself on its diverse workforce and in creating an inclusive work environment. And rightly so—the employees are happy and praise their employer for being a safe and welcoming workplace.

However, you have noticed that the company’s product lines and or advertising don’t necessarily reflect this diversity. You not only feel this is wrong, but also recognize that your employer could make a change and increase profits. According to the US Census, 40% of the U.S. population is non-white (Black/AA, Hispanic/Latinx, or Asian), and according to Nielsen, multi-cultural consumers have a  spending power of $3.2 trillion.

Choose one of these CALLS:

CALL 1: You work for a large corporation that makes personal care products for men and women. You realize that your product lines for people of color are limited or non-existent. You decide that your employer needs to consider this. (For instance, you notice that the bandages are all flesh toned, or that your clothing line could be expanded to market to different groups).

Write a proposal to expand the consumer reach to cater to a wider, more diverse audience. You can decide what products you want to expand, or add, or change to better serve the US population, AND to increase your company’s financial power.

You will need to explain your observations, give specifics about the product lines you would like to see expanded, and why, and persuade the company that it is in its best interest to do so.

CALL 2: You work for a large corporation that (you decide what the products and/or services are) and you notice that despite the emphasis on diversity at work, the advertising and marketing campaigns do NOT use a diverse range of models, actors or narrators. You decide that your employer needs to change this and create advertising campaigns that are more representative of different groups, and that market the company to wider audiences. (This does not have to center on gender and ethnicity alone. People of different ages, sexual-orientation, religions, etc.. might be under-represented in your advertising. You decide what approach you want to take).

Write a proposal that argues that your employer needs to create more diverse marketing campaigns for several product lines. You will need to explore the Importance of Diversity in Advertising/ As the Guide to Inclusion and Diversity points out, you don’t want to pander, or mis appropriate a culture for your gain, but work to better represent the people who might use your products and or services.

Zero Waste Grocery Store

A February 2019 article in Smithsonian Magazine shares the concept of the “zero waste” grocery store, where customers bring their own containers and shop in bulk, reducing the waste.

Your CALL: You manage a mid-size grocery store that is part of a locally owned chain. You recently read the story above in Smithsonian, and did a bit of research on Zero-Waste Grocery stores. Your store is near a university and attracts a customer base that ranges from college-students to the retired, all with average incomes.

Customers of all ages are pretty open to your No Plastic Bag policy, and shop at your store because you offer a range of organic produce and free-range meat, so it is safe to assume that they may be receptive to a lower-waste or zero waste store.

Write a formal proposal to the board of trustees of your firm, persuading them to try the zero waste concept at the store you manage. You will need to explain the problem this solves, the benefits, your research and ideas about how it would work, etc.

This list of zero waste stores and their offerings might give you ideas.

A Four-Day Work Week

In an attempt to reduce worker stress and burnout, a company in New Zealand experimented with cutting the work week from the traditional five days to four without cutting paychecks. Perpetual Guardian asked researchers to study the effects on employees. The result was a more productive staff. See the New York Times story here. The full study of the effect of a reduced work week on the company’s 240 employees is also published online.

CALL1 : You read about the experiment at Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand and are interested in trying it at your company. Write a formal proposal to the CEO of your firm, persuading them to try the four-day work week concept at your office You will need to explain the problem this solves, the study that shows it has benefits , your research and ideas about how it would work, etc..

CALL 2: You work for an engineering firm. Write a formal proposal to your firm’s administrators persuading them to try the four-day work week concept for the engineers you employ. See the article “ Engineers, it is time for a thirty-hour workweek,” and Burnout and stress lead companies to try a Four-Day Workweek.

CALL 3: You are working for a Pharmacy firm. Write a formal proposal to your firm’s administrators persuading them to try the four-day workweek concept for the pharmacists you employ. See the article “ Pharmacist Burnout and Stress (uspharmacist.com)and Pharmacists Examine Risks, Remedies for Burnout - ASHP and possibly Burnout and stress lead companies to try a Four-Day Workweek.

CALL 4: Investigate the stresses to those in your chosen major/career field and write your proposal arguing for a four-day workweek in that field.

Unlimited Vacation Time

Most employers offer a PTO or “paid-time off” on a schedule. For example, after one year, employees earn one-week off. After two years—two weeks…Most have a maximum weeks paid –four to six weeks max. Some employers offer more flexible vacation to their employees.

“The Case for Vacation,” in The Atlantic Magazine explains that studies have shown that vacation can lead to more productivity, As HRToday reports, it may be in an employer’s

best interest to encourage workers to take time off.

An article in The Financial Times explains that some firms, like Netflix, have a “work hard and take time off as you need it” policy. This list of companies that offer flexible vacations shows how it is administered.

“Making Unlimited Vacation Work” a podcast transcript published in the Harvard Business Review, explains how a company might implement the policy and the logic behind it.

Your CALL: You are a mid-level manager for a firm (you can invent a company, or just pick one!) Your company has a lot of unfilled job openings, and your current employees are working extra-time and seem overstressed. After reading about the concept of unlimited vacation, you decide to propose it to your company’s CEO and board of trustees.

Write a proposal arguing in that offering unlimited vacation time would not only would be good for morale and would improve productivity, but that it could attract talent to fill open positions.

OR You may write a recommendation against unlimited vacation time, arguing that it would counter productivity.

Gender Equity in the Workplace: The Consquences of Invisible Work

  Research published in the Harvard Business Review found that women get 44% more requests than men to volunteer for “non-promotable” tasks at work. Non-promotable tasks are those that benefit the organization but likely don’t contribute to someone’s performance evaluation and career advancement. They are often referred to as “Invisible Work” or “Invisible Labor.”

These types of activities are vital to maintaining company culture and strengthening team connections and improving diversity and Equity, but are not valued as strategic — and therefore come with little to no recognition, appreciation, reward, or career advantage.

An October 2021 article in the Harvard Business Review explains that the situation has worsened since the onset of the pandemic.

Performing invisible labor in the workplace on top of paid work leads to fatigue, overwhelm, and burnout for women — especially since women then go home to provide more hours of domestic labor and care than men. Women in the Workplace 2022

Working women take on a “second shift” at home in which they spend more than one extra hour a day on housework compared to working men. It’s no surprise that women leaders are “ more likely to be exhausted and chronically stressed at work, compared to men in similar roles.”

Your CALL: Write a report to inform your workplace leaders and workers of the issues and repercussions of Women and Invisible Work in the Workplace. Share the consequences and problems that result. Present recommendations for change. (You may find some ideas in the 2022 Report on Women the Workplace .

Remote Work

The Covid-19 pandemic forced a Work-from-Home (WFH) business structure on many businesses. Many businesses are now reconsidering requiring their workforce be present in an office.

According to Global Workplace Analytics, 56% of jobs in the US could be at least partially done remotely. A two-year study by Stanford University showed an “astonishing boost in productivity” when employees worked remotely, among a list of many other benefits to workers and businesses. “The Impact of The Remote Workforce” in Forbes Magazine discusses five changes that a remote workforce will have on business, workers and society—most positive. But there are many negatives, too, as the article “The “Disadvantages of Remote Work” and “The Pros and Cons of Working Remotely,” point out. The 2022 Report on Women the Workplace shares expanded data on remote working.

Your CALL: You work for a company considering shifting at least some of its workforce to remote word from home. You have been asked to investigate data on remote work, and issue a formal recommendation to your firm telling them what you think that they should do. Write a formal proposal presenting your argument.