...Running head: ALLSTATE INSURANCE Allstate Insurance Company February 5, 2011 Strayer University 1. Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. Allstate established ways to improve performance throughout their corporation to achieve goals for their employees. In doing so, the internal diversity focus and the external diversity focus were closely analyzed. Employees were provided with resources and tools that would allow them to ascertain the goals needed to succeed. Experiences and sensitivities were examined to ensure the work force met the needs of the market it serves. The managers at Allstate viewed diversity not as a goal but as a process that is integrated into the daily life of the company, according to Hellriegel and Slocum (2011), authors of Organizational Behavior, (para. 1). The company determined that awareness by way of education and training would be the best way to assist their employees; however this was not their business strategy. A challenge was created to observe the individual’s ability and goal commitment. Feedback was expected from the workforce and the difficulty of the task was significant. Equally important were the goals; the goals were to be clear and the individual’s own ability to perform a specific...
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...Allstate Insurance Company Professor: Thomas Schaefer Brittiny Roseberry Leadership and Organizational Behavior April 27, 2011 Allstate Insurance Company has defined itself as being more diverse, affordable, and personable with consumers. Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate's goal setting process to determine whether Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. The goal-setting program incorporated into Allstate's policy and procedure is great. According to the text there are five elements of efficient goal setting that should come together in order obtain the many benefits of the program. The first element is determining if the employee has the knowledge and ability to attain the goal. The employee has to be confident in knowing that they can actually reach the goal. An employer cannot ask an employee who lacks self-efficacy to perform high sales volumes that would be considered a stretch for that particular employee. The employer needs to understand and know what their employees are capable of doing effectively. Influencing an employee to go beyond their capabilities can lead to them becoming unethical in order to please their employers, which can lead to problems for the organization. Allstate has incorporated this element through employee development. Employee development is a process in which each employee is evaluated on his or her current job skills. Then Allstate creates a progress plan for each employee so that employees can develop the necessary...
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...| A More Diverse Allstate | Lenora Gumbs | | Petrina ShatteenLeadership and Organizational Behavior | October 29, 2011 | This paper describes a successful goal setting model and how to effectively implement the model to increase productivity. It also describes Allstate insurance and their mission to have a diverse company and the measures they put in place in order to achieve that mission. | Introduction Goal setting is absolutely essential to having a successful business. In order for a company to have effective goals they have to make sure the goals are clearly understood by the managers and the employees. The company should also provide incentives for meeting and exceeding expectations. Allstate provides a model of how they are creating a more diverse company. Their ultimate goal is to have a company that is diverse internally and can reach the diverse culture that surrounds us. Goal Setting Model The goal setting process starts with the challenge phase. When a company decides to set goals for their organization, the goals need to be clear and concise and provide an opportunity for the employee to be challenged to achieve the goal and create a better company. Hellriegel and Slocum states that, “Employees with unclear goals or no goals are more prone to work slowly, perform poorly, exhibit lack of interest, and accomplish less than employees whose goals are clear and challenging” (2011). “The two key attributes of challenging goals are: Goal difficulty...
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...“Allstate Insurance Company” Shirley Foster Dr. Udoh Udom Leadership and Organization Behavior-BUS 520 July 20, 2010 Allstate Insurance Company pg 1 Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. The goal setting process is important for success in today’s competitive global business environment. It’s also one of the most essential motivational tools for affecting the performance of employees in any organization. Allstate Insurance Company challenging goal is to bring a diversity workforce together so it can have an impact on its business results. Therefore, it’s critical that every Allstate employee understand the importance of diversity. Allstate’s diversity program is effective at removing understated barriers to advancement. To meet their goal Allstate emphasizes on diversity education. These skills will allow employees to relate more effectively with customers and each other’s. The company diversity strategy is use to gain a completive advantage. Allstate’s main objectives are to expand career and advancement opportunities for women and minorities; and focusing on customer growth, retention and satisfaction. The succession planning ensures that qualified candidates is identified and developed for key positions. After training the employee go through a feedback process to determine if they are practicing what they’ve learned. Allstate diversity program is also...
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...with the performance levels required to attain a certain goal. Allstate has determined that their goal is to be as diverse as possible in order to use it as a weapon against competition. They have stated that their diversity goals are not politically or legally motivated, but instead are essential in “leveraging differences in order to create a competitive advantage.” This strategy is broken down into two major points, one internally focused and one externally focused. The internal focus is dedicated to “unlocking the potential for excellence in all workers by providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities to succeed.” This means that the company is willing to use whatever they can to ensure that their employees are performing at the highest possible levels and may include special programs to help with personal issues (such as extended leave or back-up childcare) or performance issues (such as training sessions and workshops for employees that may need that extra lesson on how to). Their external focus is about making sure that their employee structure reflects the experiences, backgrounds, and sensitivities of the markets that they serve. This is very important for cultural diversity reasons. People feel most comfortable with people that they can relate to, and are more likely to patronize a company that offers a range of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. In this aspect, Allstate uses diversity as an integral part of daily company life instead...
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...Allstate Insurance Company Lolitta McGhee Strayer University In partial fulfillment of Bus 520 Professor Danette O’Neal 04/28/2011 Abstract Finding a company that is open to diversity is rare, so when you find a company such as Allstate insurance that has change their way of thinking for the purpose of improving the overall quality of customer service. As well as keeping their employees well trained, highly skilled, motivated, and trying to keep a balance between their employee’s person life as well as their work life is rare. It is not often that you find a company where they motivate their employee as well as maintaining diversity among its staff. In today’s society most companies are just beginning to scratch the surface on how to make their company work well in such a diverse society as we have today. Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. Before you take a closer look at Allstate goal setting process, one must compare this company to another company that may have or have not been as successful in achieving the same type of goals. Although some of these companies may not be in the same industry as Allstate, it is whether their mission is as successful. According to (Porter, 1985) Southwest's success is also dependent on its organizational capabilities that enable it to convert some of the value created for employees to customer and...
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...Allstate Insurance Company SM Jones BUS 520 July 19, 2011 Strayer University Abstract Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck & CO., and became publicity traded company in 1993 on June 30, 1995, it became a totally independent company after sears diversed its remaining shares to Sears stockholders. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, Allstate is the nations largest publically held personal lines insurer and one of the nations leading insurers in urban areas. Allstate has found that through diversity they have improved their performance in today’s competitive environment. Allstate defines inclusive diversity as the collective mixture of all of the differences in the workplace, marketplace and community (www.allstatenewsroom.com). Allstate has four specific steps that combines workplace differences that will impact business results; succession programming, development, measurement accountability and reward. The first step is succession programming identifies and develops key position for each employee. Second step is development, management gives each employee an assessment of their current jobs skills and a road map for developing the critical skills needed to advance in the company. Twice a year employees are given the diversity index survey and a feedback process called Quarterly Leadership Measurement System (QLMS), this is the third step measurement. Accountability and reward is the fourth step which links the accountability with rewards. ...
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...also interesting and meaningful. They also reward their employees’ efforts based on a pay for performance approach (Allstate Culture, 2011). Question #1: Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. Goal setting is simply the process of establishing specific objectives which employees, teams, departments, and organizations will strive to meet to help the organization as a whole be efficient and successful; Allstate’s diversity strategy is to bring together employee differences in order to create a competitive advantage. Allstate has taken the following four steps in order to take their workforce of differences and bring them together in a more powerful way so that it can impact business results (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). Those steps are succession programming, development, measurement, accountability and reward. Allstate uses succession programming to track and measure the key components of career development and opportunities for all of its employees. By do this they want to continue to run a company that is diverse at all levels. Allstate has a development process for all employees where they are assessed in their current job skills and provided with an outline for their continued development of the skills they need in order to advance. Allstate conducts a survey every two years call the Diversity Index, which is part of a larger employee survey process called...
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...Allstate Insurance Company Kenner Erin Chestang Professor T. Bowen Leadership and Organizational Behavior July 27, 2010 Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. Allstate’s design appears to have a good goal setting in place. Their challenge is to keep the company as diversified as possible in various areas. In doing so the goal that they have created is not that difficult to achieve and is very clear to understand. Next is the moderators, which in this case is the management which communicates the results from the Diversity Index question through the company’s intranet to gain feedback from their employees. By allowing their employees to give their feedback on various situation can influence changes in the departments that are needed as well as related those individuals that are perceived as being the high spirited in the company for a reward. Next we have the mediators which are the over 36,000 employees that give their feedback on the situations and comments. With the goal difficulty being at a low level the effort should be high from the employees taking the time to give their feedback. By giving the employees rewards even as simply as a pat on the back could make a difference in that individual’s life. They could have been having a bad day a that one little reward could have pulled them through it thus giving them the satisfaction of...
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...ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY USING THE MODEL FOR GOAL SETTING, EVALUATE ALLSTATE’S GOAL SETTING PROCESS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ALLSTATE HAS AN EFFECTIVE GOAL-SETTING PROGRAM. Setting a goal provides structure to direct actions and behaviors to improve the unsatisfactory performance. Locke and Latham (2002) found a direct linear relationship between goal difficulty, level of performance, and effort involved. Their goal setting theory states that several conditions are particularly important in successful goal achievement. These include goal acceptance and commitment, goal specificity, goal difficulty, and feedback (O'Neil & Drillings, 1994). These conditions have been extended and edited by other researchers, such as Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson's Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-based (SMART) goals, which are conditions that need to be met to make goals effective. Allstate’s goals are specific. Specific goals answer what to do, where to do it and how to do it. That is, employees must have the ability and knowledge to attain the goal. Allstate achieves this through its assessment of current job skills, a roadmap for developing skills for advancement, educational training, coaching, and mentoring. These provide employees with a roadmap for developing critical skills necessary for advancement. Again, the goal-setting program of Allstate makes it measurable and assignable respectively. A measurement will give a feedback on the progress of...
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...Allstate Insurance Company Leadership and Origination behavior- BUS520 October 30, 2011 Allstate Insurance Company Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program? “Goal setting is the process of specifying desired outcomes towards which individuals; teams, departments, and organizations will strive and is intended to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness” (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, pg 192). Many companies, individuals and even cultural groups use goal-setting to decide what, how, and when to complete tasks or to achieve objectives. Although goal setting is useful to keep your performance and skills in check, it is also great to motivate the employees. The main purpose of goal setting is to foster self motivation in employees by enabling them to achieve goals they have set to increase performance and job satisfaction (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). One particular goal that Allstate emphasizes on which makes them stand out amongst their competition is focusing on diversity. Allstate provides their employees with a road map to succeed by executing the goal setting definitions. The employees are given tools and resources to become better. Allstate provides quarterly leadership measurements as well as surveys to get feedback from employees. Allstate views diversity as a strategy for leveraging differences in order to create a competitive...
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...Allstate Insurance Company. Mohammed Baba Strayer University Dr. Yemer.H Bus 520: Leadership and Organizational Behavior 04/27/2011 Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal setting program. Goals are future outcome or result that both the individual and organizations desire and strive to achieve. Goals setting is the process of specifying desired outcomes toward which individual or organization will strive and is intended to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency.(Don Hellriegel and John W. Sloucum, Jr). Some key elements to consider in an effective organizational goal setting are; Goal direct attention. That is basically focusing on all attention on what is relevant and important. Goal regulate effort, this is putting motivational tools in place foe employees and management to work towards achieving the desire goal. Goal increase persistence, this is the effort extended on a task over an extended period of time, and last but not the least is fostering a goal strategy. Allstate define inclusive diversity as the collective mixture of all of their differences in the workforce, marketplace and community. It defines who they are and what they believe in, holding each other personally and professionally accountable to welcome all as they strive to win in a diverse, global marketplace. As a result of these efforts, Allstate...
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...Running head: BUS520 Assign 2 Allstate Insurance Company Allstate Insurance Company Myrna L. Hunt-Young In Partial fulfillment of BUS520 Professor Danette O’Neal 04/28/2011 Abstract This paper will discuss the strategy that the Allstate Insurance Company, located in Northbrook, Illinois uses for motivating their employees. There will be a discussion of the advantage that Allstate has by using the Diversity Index and Quality Leadership Measurement System (QLMS) program. Furthermore, there will be list of options that Allstate could use to motivate their employees to meet the goals set by the company. Lastly, I will discuss whether or not Allstate’s Diversity Index and QLMS program would motivate me to work for the company. Background The human resource team at Allstate started an affirmative action program during the late 1960’s. This program was considered innovative. The program consisted of 4 steps: Succession, Programming, Development, Measurement, and Accountability and Reward. Each step takes into affect the employee, managers, and the company. Allstate is an Insurance company located in Northbrook Illinois. This is a suburb located north of Chicago, Illinois. Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal-setting program. Goal setting is documented in the book Organizational Ethics, by Hellriegel and Slocum (2010, page 194), “Goal Setting is the process of specifying...
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...Using the model for goal setting, evaluate Allstate’s goal setting process to determine whether or not Allstate has an effective goal setting program. As Allstate seeks to stay competitive by improving performance and achieving their goals, their focus has been mainly on their diversity strategy. The company’s vision statement, which has internal and external goals, uses diversity as the foundation for their success. Their goal setting process is broken down into four steps: Succession Programming, Development, Measurement, and Accountability and Reward. Step one is succession programming which involves selecting a diverse slate of candidates and developing them for key positions (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2011). This process is easily tracked as management makes sure that the company will be diverse at all levels. Allstate also has a minority recruitment program to where they focus on colleges that show the most diversity. Step two’s focal point rests on development. Allstate’s employees all receive a job skills assessment and a blueprint for improvement so they can advance throughout the company. This can take the form of education, coaching and mentoring, or classroom training (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2011). The instructors are also evaluated so that Allstate can revamp this step if needed. Step three focuses on measurement. Allstate has incorporated a bi-annual survey that feeds into their Quarterly Leadership Measurement System. The questions asked of this survey are to determine...
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...Assignment #2 – Case: “Allstate Insurance Company” October 30, 2011 The goal setting seems in line for managers to create and foster a diverse employee arrangement to complete all the company missions. Allstate is a company with a diverse clientele and therefore requires a diverse workforce. One reason is to get a full understanding or appreciation for cultures and people they service and to be able to connect with them on a more personal level. This is the goal for management to achieve. It is the employee’s goal to penetrate their respected market segments. Allstate accomplishes their goals by understanding the strength and importance of a diverse work force. Allstate’s workforce is a multi cultural and multi lingual company which gives them the competitive advantage they need to remain successful. By applying the model for goal setting, we see the companies challenge is to be able to reach a wide and diverse market. The goal is clear for management; they are to assemble a diverse group, penetrate market areas, and complete company objectives. To reduce the difficulty of this, mangers will recruit and hire direct matches for the objectives at hand. The ability of the assembled group to penetrate the market segment solidifies the goal commitment and can reduce the task complexity. With the continued feedback from employees, mangers can assess how they are reaching these markets and how effective their groups are in reaching those goals. Managers can also...
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