Doug is on the phone with the vice president of marketing, pitching to him the benefits of the new Web-based
performance appraisal system that HR wants to implement throughout the company. "It will simplify things for you. More importantly, it will boost your department's performance," Doug says.
The marketing VP leads a department of four managers (residential sales, trade sales, business intelligence, and customer service and installation) and seven executives. The marketing department also controls and directs sales representatives and dealers across the country and internationally.
"What exactly will it do, Doug, that we are unable to do now?" the VP asks.
"Well, let's see," Doug says, browsing the open software on his computer. "The system has a feature called manager's journal, which allows managers to take notes on their subordinates' performance. The system reminds managers and executives of upcoming deadlines to submit appraisals. It provides links to employees' past appraisals, performance goals, and compensation history. It's linked to HR's Web site on the Intranet. Finally, we can customize the system for your department."
"I don't know, Doug," the VP says. "My guys are busy every day increasing revenues and beating the competition. I'd rather they had a simple form to fill out."
"I'm for simplicity, too, but the present system isn't working," Doug says. "Miguel and his team spend a lot of time just organizing the forms. Sometimes, the forms are not there when we need them, and we must get departments and individuals to send them ASAP. Even when forms are there, issues related to promotion and compensation require a lot of going back and forth between dozens of scattered documents, resulting in slower work and more errors."
"I see your point, Doug," the VP says. "Why don't you send Miguel and his team to give us a small presentation on the new system? I'm already on board, but your presentation will help me get others to accept the system as quickly as possible."
"Sure. We will be glad to come and talk," Doug says.
After Doug ends his call, Miguel enters Doug's office. "How soon can we go and talk to them?" Doug asks Miguel, who was brought up-to-date before the phone call.
"I'll find out when they would like us to come," Miguel says.
As Miguel prepares to call the marketing department, Linda is already scouring the administrator's manual accompanying the Web-based performance appraisal system for potential benefits to use.
Based on the information given above and your reading of Chapter 2, perform an audience analysis for Miguel and Linda.
•Begin by determining who their primary and secondary audiences are.
•Next, answer the six "audience-analysis" questions given in the chapter.
•Finally, identify three benefits that meet the criteria of good audience benefits as the chapter explains them.
•To sharpen your analysis, you may want to do a quick Internet research on Web-based performance appraisal systems.
Present your findings in a memo to Miguel and Linda.