MGM1 Task 1 Human Behavior in Organizations PA GE 1

MGM1 Task 1: Human Behavior in Organizations
PA GE 1
Keepsake Technology Case Study
A BIG CATCH: USING A NEW HOOK TO TRANSFORM
PERSONAL LEGACY (the story of an entrepreneur’s
successful launch)
How did it begin?
Carlos Vasquez moved from Puerto Rico and spent 20 years in
Silicon Valley while companies such as
IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft were growing. He enjoyed
building computers, and refreshed his
skills every six months to keep up with the learning curve. It
was an environment in which the mantra
might have been, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Having
that entrepreneurial spirit, he consistently
recorded big ideas into his computer and carried around more
thoughts in his head that never entirely
made it to the screen.

In a recent conversation with his niece, Emily, about notes from
Grandma and how precious they were
to Emily, he recognized a potential gap. How will the current
generation of children house notes from
their grandmas? If grandparents connect on social media (e.g.,
Facebook, Instagram, etc.) in order to
flex to the communication methods used in the 21st century, is
that data able to be captured? Or is it
only seen when an anniversary of the original post comes up on
the phone’s screen? Will a
grandmother, who is less familiar with technology, bother to
learn how to go through multiple steps to
save a memento, or will she throw up her hands in frustration?
If we want to intentionally save a
message or text from a close friend, do we have a user-friendly
way to do this?
Recognizing that important items like these might be lost,
Vasquez thought to himself, “Could this be
offered in an app?” When someone needs to remember a fact or
see a kind word they believed was
special, where do they keep that information? A potential new
app could be a cross between a
scrapbook and a diary of sorts.

As a smile crossed Vasquez’s face, his background in graphic
design was sparked. He grabbed the napkin
from across the table and scribbled a quick sketch of a
fisherman’s handheld net alongside the word
“MemoryNet.” [See Attachment A for the sketch.]
His mind began to reel with the possibilities, and niece Emily
chimed in.
The Main Idea for the Application
What could the app do?
●Act as a secure platform to share and save comments, tweets,
kind words, and news to the
cloud
MGM1 Task 1: Human Behavior in Organizations Keepsake
Technology Case Study
PA GE 2
●Scrapbook things you send to it from other apps such as
Facebook and LinkedIn, allowing
categorization by topic or by person
●Allow the user to generate a collage of ideas and phrases by
topic or person and send privately

to another user
●To connected apps, show a fish icon if the MemoryNet app
believes the words indicate you
may want to “catch” that comment or memento (based on your
previous usage and/or settings)
●Provide a recording feature for a 15-second “label” to
anything you net (as you might caption a
photo in a scrapbook or on other social media platforms)
Carlos coined the name “Keepsake Technology” for the new
company and began to assemble a small
team of like-minded architects and software developers. First,
he reached out to Miguel Acosta with
whom he had worked previously. Almost daily, they discussed
the parameters for the prototype,
hardware, software, and coding needs. Pieces or parts may have
existed, but they had headroom for
growth and expansion. In conversation, he asked Miguel to
suggest a couple of other people who were
respected in the industry and who might be interested in joining
the organization. Miguel suggested
Samantha DeSanto and Aditya Patel, a previous IT manager and
a former college roommate,
respectively. Both agreed to join the group. Once structural
support and specifications were identified,

execution began.
When met with naysayers who told the team all these
functionalities already exist, the team simply
replied with a few questions: Aren’t there several makers of
cars? Don’t they have multiple models
available under each brand? If we bundle ideas in a new way
and deliver value to our customers—
maybe new customers who haven’t seen the need before—then
our efforts are well worth the
investment.
Speaking of investment, the group secured funding from a
venture capitalist in the amount of $500,000.
Ultimately, approximately $5 million was needed for the initial
launch in April.
Among the details they shared with potential investors were the
following items:
Name of the App with tagline: MemoryNet…Catching life’s
moments so you can keep them close.
Logo: small fishnet, with the word memory coming out of the
top so that all letters can be seen; the
word “net” ends up on the handle; a heart is hanging into the net
from the “M”.
Mission: to strengthen and preserve bonds by saving important

mementos for individuals and as part of
their legacy to loved ones.
Values: integrity, innovation, balance, diversity, service [See
Attachment B for more detail about the
values.]
PA GE 3
Target Market: people with young children (ages 18 to 45);
middle generation, those contemplating
downsizing, retirement, or legacy (ages 46 to 65); older
generations, those who are wanting to pass
along stories, notes of care, concern, and love that will live
beyond their years (66 and beyond).
Casting a Net for the Best Talent
To approach funders, Carlos hired a banker to assist with
relationship building and raising funds. Along
with the funding goals, one of the most essential staffing goals
was to hire a technical recruiter and
software developers. [See Attachment C: brief job descriptions.]

As Carlos discussed the job descriptions and minimum
qualifications with Miguel, they considered not
only education but that a segment of IT technicians and even
coders may have gained knowledge or
skills through experience. Some may have abilities that were
self-taught. Certainly, certifications would
be important considerations once the hardware and software
decisions for the app were made. They
realized that the qualifications they established in the job
descriptions aided in proper selection and
would relate directly to the pay that candidates might expect.
After Carlos worked with a human resources (HR) consultant on
forecasting staffing for year one, a
recruiting plan was developed. They were in clear agreement
that professionals interested in IT roles
and technical recruiting would be most likely to frequent
Dice.com, Monster.com, and Indeed.com, as
well as LinkedIn and Facebook. These websites constituted the
main methods of outreach to find
qualified applicants. Recruiting messages at Dice.com resulted
in twice as many highly technically
qualified applicants than found on Monster.com or Indeed.com,
directly impacting the return on our
recruiting dollars. With low awareness of the Keepsake name

and modest starting compensation, it was
difficult to predict the results of their efforts. Marketing
messages needed to stress the unique benefits,
the opportunity for growth, and the dynamic nature of the
company. The interest generated by
Facebook and LinkedIn was evident by checking analytics
(views and clicks). However, few formal
applications were received as an outcome.
Carlos had maintained a close relationship with his alma mater
and decided to approach them about an
internship program through which both IT and marketing
students could gain experience. The company
benefited from short-term bursts of fresh ideas and low-cost
talent. Board members agreed to approach
several additional colleges in the area about similar possibilities
and to network with known associates
for connections to their universities. Within three months,
Carlos secured four interns: two in IT, one
pursuing a Marketing degree, and an HR student who expressed
interest in helping him create the
employee handbook for the company as part of her requirements
for one of her courses.
As Keepsake progressed to year three and as labor demand
grew, an HR director, April Smith, was hired.

Since Google had utilized college job fairs successfully, April
established a series of job fairs as a pilot
measure. It was not unusual for the team to see more than 100
students and provide screening
interviews for twenty people per day. As a result, April was
able to generate not only sufficient leads to
fill current positions but also to establish a talent community.
Through the community, candidates got to
know the Keepsake mission and culture. They submitted data
about their interests and qualifications.
The resulting database was used to generate candidates for
internships and other opportunities.
Quarterly in-services were created to keep Keepsake at the top
of the mind for these interested parties
PA GE 4
and to provide an opportunity for interaction with company
employees and management. If the app
was meant to build family relationships and legacy, the talent
community mirrored that relationship-

building within Keepsake.
Adapting to Changing Tides, Year 3 and Beyond
When thinking about employees, both current and prospective,
April realized they would have a variety
of needs and preferences. Total rewards needed to include
options that catered to a younger, tech-
savvy pool of applicants who focused on monetary and non-
monetary compensation (perks). Two
options resulted: one that offered benefits and one that offered
straight pay. The first option was a
traditional base pay plus benefits (ten paid vacation days, three
sick days, a 401k, and incentives). The
second option was non-traditional: 25% greater base pay with
only three sick days.
When it came to employee benefits, April wanted to make sure
the company could supply not only
standard options but also compete with other start-up tech
companies in the area, by adding
excitement to the mix for those employees who chose the
“traditional” benefits option. On their first
day, employees’ medical and dental coverage started, and they
began accruing vacation and sick
days. The 401k plan was offered to each new employee from his
first day of employment for those

who did not select a “straight compensation” plan. The plan
provided a 3% company matching
component for the first 6% the employee contributed and
multiple levels of risk from which to
choose. The vesting schedule was set to 100% at three years.
When the target candidate market
and current employees were examined, it seemed that most of
them were not only tech-savvy but
socially conscious as well. For this reason, April included
benefits like “election duty leave” and “paid
volunteer work,” among other options.
In discussion with Carlos, April commented, “Our prospective
employees are characteristically creative,
so we got creative with the incentive offerings as well. While
we have to be mindful of our budget, we
know our employees need options that fit their personal
preferences. We identified a unique set of
incentives that employees with the traditional compensation
package are able to choose, some free and
others at a discounted rate through payroll deduction.” Below
are some of the unique offerings
Keepsake provided.
*Food Truck Fridays: Monthly, the company invited a variety of

food trucks to the parking lot.
Employees were provided a “meal ticket” worth $15. The food
truck vendors collected the tickets,
submitting them back to Keepsake for reimburse ment. When
weather permitted, the company set up
tables and chairs for a casual atmosphere and gathering.
*Date Night: Quarterly, the company brought childcare
professionals into the office on a Friday evening
to cover babysitting for two hours, so employees had the
opportunity to take a friend or significant
other out for the night, free of babysitting fees.
*Onsite health clinics: Employees could see a doctor or nurse
practitioner for standard health
appointments, such as flu shots, general health check-ups, etc.
Since the appointments were onsite,
they often occurred during an employee break or lunchtime.
PA GE 5
*Tuition Reimbursement: Keepsake offered tuition
reimbursement for employees seeking an education

(degree or certification) that was relevant to their jobs. The
employees had to earn a B or higher for
reimbursement. Further, the employees were required to pay
back the reimbursement if they left the
organization before a designated length of time had passed.
*Chore Help: This benefit included discounted laundry and
cleaning services (contracted with other
businesses in the building), allowing employees to rest or
redirect additional time to family or hobbies.
More than anything, Keepsake desired to create a culture of care
that offered not only work-life
balance, but meaningful work-life balance.
Angling to Make Exceptional Choices
Speaking of a culture of care, the interview process would be
based on Keepsake’s values as the guide to
craft situational and behavioral interview questions. In this way,
only individuals who fit the desired
environment were hired. For example, one of the interview
questions for a technical recruiter was,
“What you would do if a friend who runs a recruiting agency
asks for preferential treatment?” For
software developer, on the other hand, one of the questions used
was, “Tell me about a time when you

solved a problem in a unique or clever way.” Using these
questions, a panel of interviewers—which
included the hiring manager, HR representative, and a team
member—assessed candidates. The results
were calibrated, and a consensus decision was made. Any
material disagreements required discussion
until the group reached a decision in order to create team buy-in
and a positive work environment.
Within a year, Keepsake Technology had 50 employees and beat
its projected launch timeline. It
operated somewhat loosely, with a free flow of ideas. This was
both exciting and at times frustrating
when details hadn’t been captured on paper. Just as with most
start-ups, specific controls and
parameters were secondary considerations. Collaboration was
second nature for some of the team,
whereas others were highly competitive and, at times, secretive.
Although Carlos operated with a
servant leadership style, a couple of the other leaders could be
“pushy,” regarded results as more
important than relationships, and needed some coaching to
create change through vision and
inspiration rather than compliance. As the company grew,
consistent leadership would be critical.

April, the HR director, was aware that the company size
impacted more than just costs and leadership. It
now increased the chances of conflicting ideas, potential power
struggles, and more. At her
recommendation, onboarding was bolstered with three new
training modules, as follows:
*Respecting differences (diversity and inclusion; anti -
harassment policies, practices, and grievance
procedure)
*Professional workplace behavior—a cut above (ethics; values-
driven culture)
*Social emotional learning: balanced decision-making in a
complex world (self-management; self-
awareness; social awareness; relationship skills; and responsi ble
decision-making).
April recounted to the Keepsake leaders, “Research shows that
workplace cultures that generate good
feelings also result in higher employee performance, more
creativity, and improved physical and mental

PA GE 6
health. If we get this part of things right, we save money, make
money, and have engaged employees.”
It was expected that managers at Keepsake could utilize these
important concepts to create a
competitive advantage over less creative or less culturally savvy
companies to secure and retain
employees. [See Attachment D for additional details that April
recorded in her work journal regarding
emotional intelligence.]
Setting and Adjusting Course--Managing Performance
Carlos knew that it was one thing to aspire to create a company
and another thing to sustain success
over time. High performance as Keepsake grew would be
critical. Drawing on his previous experience,
Carlos implemented a performance management system for all
employees. Performance management
feedback was provided twice a year. During this process,
managers rated their direct reports on meeting
established goals, using a five-point scale, from a “5 role
model” to a “0 missed.” During each review
period, a specified percentage of each department’s employees
was required to be assigned to each

rating. Afterward, a calibration meeting was held, where higher -
level management modified the
employee scores up or down. Compensation and even
employment depended on these scores.
In Carlos’s view, this process had paid off. He stated, “Our
performance management process
encourages friendly competition, which fuels creativity and a
feeling of ownership. This is critical to
ensure our continuous success. Differentiation is not something
to be feared, but rather needs to be
understood. Harsh? No—just the opposite. With its honesty and
transparency, our process provides
dignity and creates a winning company.”
The performance management process wasn’t perfect, according
to April. The calibration process was
full of personal bias. April pointed to a manager’s comment
during calibration that one individual should
be rated lower because, “He just annoys me.” April had
concerns that manipulation of the rating system
permitted employment decisions, including terminations, to be
made on the basis of stereotyping. This
was especially true when some employees in a team needed to
be given poor reviews to match the
rating method. April believed that many employees were not

fans of the existing performance appraisal
process, which defeated the purpose. In her experience,
dissatisfaction with, and perceived unfairness
about, the appraisal system could have serious implications on
employee morale, engagement, and
turnover.
Widening the Net--Plans for the Near Future
As senior leadership considered additional target markets for
the future, the team held a brainstorming
session about what companies may have an adjacent service or
product. Would a greeting card
company want to collaborate so that people could take a
memento from the Memorynet app and
import it to their designs (to make a card for someone)? Is there
a point in the business lifecycle where a
merger opportunity might present itself? Carlos also pondered
if, within the next 15 years, he would
groom another leader to take over Keepsake leadership, at
which point he would join the board of
directors to continue to serve the company.
One way or the other, Carlos had a heart for helping people who
needed a “leg up” not a “hand out”. His
vision included being able to expose younger generations to

strong work ethics and the exciting world of
https://jackwelch.strayer.edu/winning/candor-beats-s-p-500/
PA GE 7
IT. To this end, he and his team planned to submit grant
applications for funding such a program. The
initial proposal was to serve ten Hispanic males, between the
ages of 17 and 28. If successful, Keepsake
would pursue additional funding, research populations in need,
and create a 501c3 non-profit side to
the business. This long-term plan not only supported the
Keepsake company’s values but acknowledged
that, in some way, we are all swimming in one large pond: as
individuals, but together.
PA GE 8
ATTACHMENT A

Picture of napkin, logo of original idea, February 27
PA GE 9
ATTACHMENT B
Additional Detail on Company Values
Value Base definition
Integrity Displays honesty and operates with strong ethics
Innovation Able to generate unique or clever ideas about a
given topic or situation;
creativity in problem-solving
Balance Able to appropriately distribute time, talents, and
weight to achieve
goals (work/life balance; lead and follow; listen and speak; use
of

competition and collaboration, assertiveness, utilizes emotional
intelligence (feelings/thought), etc.
Diversity Acts with respect and appreciation for, and in
consideration of,
differences among people (thinking style, personality, socio-
economic
status, education, race, color, national origin, sex, religion,
gender
identity, gender preference, disability, veteran status, age, etc.)
Service Actively looks for ways to assist others (team,
department, company,
community and globally)
PA GE 1 0
ATTACHMENT C
Excerpts of Job Descriptions

Software Developer
General tasks: Develop, create, and modify general computer
applications. Design or customize software
according to user needs, efficiency, and ability to interface with
other platforms. Work individually and
collaboratively with systems analysts, programmers, and others
to identify design and define project limitations
and capabilities.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Software
Engineering; OR 7+ years of experience in doing
development in software and hardware
Knowledge Groups: Computers and electronics, engineering and
technology, English language, mathematics,
design.
Skills: Programming, systems analysis and evaluation, judgment
and decision-making, complex problem solving.
Abilities: Deductive and inductive reasoning, problem
sensitivity, oral expression and comprehension, information
ordering.

Work Styles and Context
Integrity-job requires being honest and ethical
Working well within group or team
Face-to-face discussions to receive and provide information
*****************************************************
********************************
***********************
Technical Recruiter
General tasks: Work with hiring managers and internal
recruiters to identify staffing needs and establish effective
strategies to find, select, and retain global talent. Bal ance
practical and creative sourcing through high engagement
and passion for product and people. Build and share knowledge
with managers. Utilize HRIS to track candidate
pipeline and internal human capital. Ensure compliance with
applicable law, ethics, and social-emotional learning.
Minimum Qualifications

PA GE 1 1
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business or
similar field; OR 2+ years of experience with
recruiting (either in-house or agency)
Knowledge Groups: Personnel and human resources, clerical,
administration and management, English language,
customer and personal service.
Skills: Excellent communication (speaking, listening,
documentation), critical thinking, service orientation, social
perceptiveness, judgment, and decision-making.
Abilities: Oral comprehension and expression, deductive
reasoning, problem sensitivity, speech clarity and
recognition, inductive reasoning.
Work Styles and Context
Relationship building and maintenance
Updated knowledge of legal and regulatory environments
Face-to-face discussions to receive and provide information

PA GE 1 2
ATTACHMENT D
April’s notes about emotional intelligence
Whenever you encounter a situation that triggers strong
feelings…
Understand your Feelings
How do I feel about this situation?
Where does that feeling coming from?
Have I experienced this feeling in this situation before?
Understand the Feelings of Others
Based on the other person’s actions and comments and other
clues (facial expression, tone of voice),
what are they feeling?
Have I noticed them feeling this way previously, perhaps in a
similar situation?
What might be causing them to feel this way?

Manage your Feelings
Accept your feelings: they are yours and they are valid.
Process your feelings: feel them and then deal with the
situation.
What can I do to help me process my feelings? What steps can I
take?
Give yourself permission to feel better, more positively, and
optimistically about the situation.
Work with the Feelings of Others
Accept their feelings. They are theirs and they are valid. Other
people’s feelings are not “wrong” or
“inappropriate”; they are just feelings.
What can I do to help the other person process their feelings?
What steps can I take?
Take some time to help them work through their feelings before
dealing with the situation.

MGM1 Task 1 Human Behavior in Organizations PA GE 1

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MGM1 Task 1 Human Behavior in Organizations PA GE 1