MHRM 6801 Week 2 Process Observation Memo Example

Course	MHRM 6801 Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership
Week	Week 2
Paper type	Observation memo
Length	About 560 words, 4 pages
Format	Memo, APA 7 citations
School	Walden University
Program	MS in Human Resource Management
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for MHRM 6801 Week 2

Memorandum

To: Operations Director, Bellamy Moving & Storage

From: HR Analyst

Date: February 23, 2026

Re: How one move travels through the company

Purpose and Method

This memo records how Bellamy actually runs by following a single household move, a three-bedroom house in Aurora moving to Littleton in late January, from the first phone call to the claims desk. I observed the in-home estimate, sat with dispatch on the scheduling days, rode with the crew on load and delivery days and read the file afterward. Harrison (2005) recommends that diagnosis begin with a description of how work flows before any judgment is made, and Schein (1999) cautions that an observer's early interpretations shape what is noticed afterward. Nothing in this memo is presented as a problem. It records what happened, who decided and where the move waited.

What this page is doingThe memo states that nothing in it is a problem yet, because diagnosis begins with description.

The Move, Step by Step

Table 1

Handoffs, Decisions and Waiting Points for One Move

Step	Who acts	Decision made	Handoff to	Wait before next step \|
Customer calls	Sales coordinator, Aurora	Book an in-home estimate	Estimator	4 days \|
In-home estimate	Estimator	Volume estimated at 820 cubic feet; one truck, three movers, one day	Sales coordinator	1 day \|
Booking	Sales coordinator	Price quoted from estimate; date set	Dispatch	19 days \|
Crew assignment	Dispatcher	Crew chosen two days before the move	Crew chief, by text at 6 a.m. on move day	2 days \|
Load day	Crew chief and two movers	On arrival, volume judged larger than estimate; crew chief decides to load everything on one truck	Driver	Overnight \|
Delivery	Same crew	Two items found damaged on unloading; noted on inventory	Customer	6 days \|
Claim filed	Customer, online	Claim for a dresser and a lamp	Claims desk	11 days \|
Claim settled	Claims specialist	Repair payment approved	Accounting	9 days \|

Composite organization; times from the job file.

What the Record Shows About Structure

Four features of how Bellamy runs are visible in this one move.

First, the volume estimate is made by one person and passes, unchanged, through three further hands before anyone compares it with the actual load. The loaded volume, recorded by the crew chief, was about 1,010 cubic feet.

Second, the crew chief is the first person to see the house after the estimator, and makes the loading decision alone at the house, usually within the first half hour. No step in the process sends that decision back to the depot.

Third, the crew learned which job it had at 6 a.m. on the day of the move. The dispatcher assigned the crew two days earlier but sends assignments the morning of the move as a standing practice.

Fourth, the claims desk and the estimator never communicate. The claims specialist's file does not record the estimate, and the estimator was not told of the claim.

Mintzberg (1979) described how organizations coordinate work through direct supervision, standardized processes, standardized outputs or mutual adjustment. In this move, coordination after the estimate relied almost entirely on standardized handoffs, with little mutual adjustment between the people involved.

What this page is doingObservations are grouped by structural feature, still without evaluation.

Limits

One move cannot show what is typical, and the move observed was in January, when depots are quieter than in summer. The next step is to compare this pattern with Bellamy's records across many moves and seasons, which is the work of the next memo.

References

Harrison, M. I. (2005). Diagnosing organizations: Methods, models, and processes (3rd ed.). Sage.

Mintzberg, H. (1979). The structuring of organizations: A synthesis of the research. Prentice-Hall.

Schein, E. H. (1999). Process consultation revisited: Building the helping relationship. Addison-Wesley.

MHRM 6801 Week 2 instructions, in plain terms

Week 2 asks you to describe how work actually flows through an organization, without evaluating it. Choose a single unit of work, such as one order, case or move, and follow it from start to finish. Record every handoff, who made each decision and how long the work waited between steps. Present the sequence in a table. Then describe the structural features the sequence reveals, still without calling anything a problem. Use a framework for how organizations coordinate work. Be clear that one case cannot show what is typical, and say how you will test the pattern next. A single table usually carries the observation, followed by a short list of structural features.

How this MHRM 6801 Week 2 example is built

The memo opens with its method: observing an estimate, sitting with dispatch, riding with the crew and reading the file, with Harrison and Schein on describing before judging. A table lists eight steps from the customer's call to the claim settlement, with times drawn from the job file. A section records four structural features, including an estimate of 820 cubic feet against a loaded volume of about 1,010 and claims that never reach the estimator. A paragraph applies Mintzberg's coordination mechanisms. A limits section notes that one January move cannot show what is typical in summer. Times between steps come from the job file rather than memory, so the waiting points are recorded exactly.

Reading the MHRM 6801 Week 2 rubric

Observation memos are graded on descriptive discipline. Following one unit of work from start to finish earns credit. A table recording handoffs, decisions and waits shows careful observation. Describing structural features without judgment is weighted heavily, since the assignment tests whether the writer can see before evaluating. Using a coordination framework to name what is observed shows conceptual grounding. Acknowledging that one case is not representative, and planning the next step, demonstrates method. Memos that slip into blaming a department, or describe the organization chart instead of the actual flow of work, receive lower marks.

Common MHRM 6801 Week 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them

Choose one piece of work your organization handles regularly and follow it through every step. Write down who touched it, what they decided, who they handed it to and how long it sat before the next step. Do not write whether anything was good or bad. When you finish, read your notes and list features of how the work is structured, such as where information is not passed on or where one person decides alone. Many memos describe the process as it is supposed to work rather than as it did. If you want help turning your notes into a table, send them to us and we will show you how to organize them. Two pages is usually enough.

Get a MHRM 6801 Week 2 example written to your instructions

Send the Week 2 memo instructions, the rubric, and a few lines on the organization you settled on in Week 1. A finished observation memo returns in 24 to 48 hours, first one free, traced through one real unit of work. Colleagues appear only by role, and nothing from inside your company's own files is needed or used.

More MHRM 6801 papers and MS in Human Resource Management samples

MHRM 6801 Week 2 questions, answered

Where can I find a free MHRM 6801 Week 2 sample paper?

See the full observation memo below, free.

What does the MHRM 6801 Week 2 memo follow?

One household move from the first call and estimate to the settled claim.

Why does the memo avoid judgment?

Because diagnosis should begin with description, and early judgments shape what is noticed.

What structural features does it record?

An unchecked estimate, a crew chief deciding alone, assignments sent at 6 a.m. and claims never reaching the estimator.

Which framework names the coordination pattern?

Mintzberg's coordination mechanisms.