| Course | COM 140 Managing Performance and Developing Teams |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Goal-setting plan |
| Length | About 1,036 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for COM 140 Module 2
Speed Without Shortcuts: Goals and Measures for a Distribution Center's Pick and Pack Team
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
COM 140: Managing Performance and Developing Teams
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Speed Without Shortcuts: Goals and Measures for a Distribution Center's Pick and Pack Team
Ridgeline Outdoor Supply promises online customers that orders placed before two in the afternoon ship the same day. At the Aurora distribution center, that promise depends on the pick and pack team: twenty-four people who walk the aisles with handheld scanners, pull items, pack them and send them to the shipping dock. The team currently ships 91% of eligible orders the same day and makes about six picking errors per thousand items, which become returns and unhappy customers. This paper sets goals and measures for the team, explains the reasoning and plans how to keep the goals from causing harm.
How Goals Affect Performance
Locke and Latham (2002) summarized thirty-five years of research on goal setting. At its core, the research found that people given a precise and demanding target outperform those given an easy one, a fuzzy one or a simple request to try hard. Goals work through four mechanisms: they direct attention toward goal-relevant activities, they energize effort, they increase persistence and they lead people to discover or use relevant strategies. The effect is stronger when people are committed to the goal, when they receive feedback on progress and when the task is not so complex that a performance goal crowds out learning. For complex tasks, they found that learning goals, such as mastering a set of strategies, can work better than outcome goals at first.
For the pick and pack team, this means replacing the current instruction, "move as fast as you can," with a specific target and regular feedback.
When Goals Go Wrong
Ordóñez et al. (2009) argued that goal setting had been overprescribed. They described systematic side effects: goals that are too specific narrow attention so that people neglect important parts of the job that are not measured; targets set out of reach push people toward gambles and dishonesty; goals can reduce learning and cooperation; and goals can erode intrinsic motivation. They recommended asking whether goals are too specific or too challenging, whether they include ethics and quality, and whether the time frame is right.
A same-day shipping target alone would invite exactly these effects. Pickers could rush and grab the wrong size, skip scanning to save seconds or lift unsafely.
Rewarding What We Hope For
Kerr (1975) documented how reward systems routinely pay for behavior A while the people who designed them were hoping to get behavior B. His examples included universities hoping for good teaching but rewarding research, and managers hoping for teamwork but rewarding individual effort. People respond to what is rewarded. At Aurora, the monthly recognition board currently lists the fastest individual pickers, which rewards speed and individual effort even though the company hopes for accuracy and teamwork.
The Goals
The goals are team goals, because same-day shipping depends on the whole team, not one fast picker. The cross-training goal is a learning goal in Locke and Latham's sense: it builds the flexibility the team needs to cover busy periods.
| Goal | Measure | Baseline | Target by end of quarter | Guardrail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship online orders same day | Share of eligible orders shipped same day | 91% | 98% | No more than 4 picking errors per thousand items |
| Pick accurately | Errors per thousand items | 6 | 3.5 | Same-day share stays at or above 95% while accuracy improves |
| Work safely | Lost-time injuries | 1 last quarter | 0 | Lifting rules followed in weekly spot checks |
| Build flexibility | Team members cross-trained on packing and receiving | 9 of 24 | 16 of 24 | Training time scheduled in slow hours only |
Involving the Team
Locke and Latham found that commitment strengthens the effect of goals, and one way to build commitment is to involve people in setting them. The supervisor presented the baseline figures at a team meeting and asked what target was realistic for the quarter. The team suggested 96%; after discussing the busy holiday weeks and the new scanner software arriving in month two, the group agreed on 98% as a stretch target with the guardrail attached. Pickers also proposed the cross-training goal, because they saw that a packer's absence slowed the whole line. Goals the team helped set are more likely to be pursued when the supervisor is not watching.
When a Goal Is Missed
Missing a stretch goal is not failure. Locke and Latham's research shows that difficult goals raise performance even when they are not fully met. If the team reaches 96% rather than 98% without losing accuracy, the supervisor will treat that as progress and ask what got in the way. Missed goals lead to problem solving, not blame, which keeps people from hiding errors to protect the numbers.
Linking Rewards
The recognition board will show the team's same-day and accuracy results each day and recognize individuals for accuracy streaks and for training others, not for speed alone. A quarterly team bonus requires both the shipping target and the accuracy guardrail. This closes the gap Kerr described: the behaviors that earn recognition and money are now the same behaviors the company hopes for, so a picker who helps a slower teammate or stops to fix a mislabeled bin is rewarded rather than penalized for losing a few minutes.
Feedback and Review
A screen near the dock shows the day's same-day share and error rate, updated hourly, giving the feedback Locke and Latham found essential. Each shift opens with the supervisor and team spending five minutes on yesterday's numbers and today's plan. Once a month, the supervisor and team review the goals themselves. If error rates rise as speed improves, or if people report pressure to skip safety steps, the goals will be adjusted. The supervisor also watches for quieter signs of the side effects Ordóñez and colleagues described, such as scans skipped at the end of a shift or items marked out of stock that are actually on the shelf, which would mean people are meeting the numbers by gaming them.
Conclusion
Locke and Latham explain why specific, difficult goals with feedback should raise the team's performance, Ordóñez and colleagues show what such goals can damage and Kerr shows why rewards must match. Paired targets and guardrails, team recognition and monthly review give the team goals that improve speed without shortcuts.
References
Kerr, S. (1975). On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Academy of Management Journal, 18(4), 769-783. https://doi.org/10.2307/255378
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705
Ordóñez, L. D., Schweitzer, M. E., Galinsky, A. D., & Bazerman, M. H. (2009). Goals gone wild: The systematic side effects of overprescribing goal setting. Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(1), 6-16. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2009.37007999
Reading the COM 140 Module 2 assignment instructions
Module 2 in COM 140 commonly covers goals, expectations and measures, asking students to set goals for an employee or team and explain the reasoning behind them. Follow the Module 2 instructions in your course; this example continues the composite distribution center. Explain how goals affect performance. Identify the risks of poorly designed goals. Set specific goals with measures. Add guardrails that protect what the main goals might push aside. Explain how goals connect to the organization's strategy. Plan how progress and the goals themselves will be reviewed, and what will happen when a goal is missed. Cite research in APA 7 form.
How the COM 140 Module 2 example is put together
The pick and pack team currently ships 91% of online orders the same day and makes about six picking errors per thousand items. Locke and Latham's American Psychologist article summarized decades of research showing that specific, difficult goals raise performance through direction, effort and persistence, especially with feedback and commitment. Ordóñez and three coauthors cataloged the harm goals can do, from tunnel vision and ethical shortcuts to stalled learning. Kerr's Academy of Management Journal article gave examples of reward systems that encouraged the opposite of what managers wanted. The goals table sets a same-day shipping goal of 98% with a guardrail of no more than four errors per thousand, a safety guardrail of no lost-time injuries and a learning goal for cross-training. The team's supervisor reviews progress weekly with the team and the goals themselves monthly.
COM 140 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks
Goal-setting plans earn credit when goals are specific and challenging and the plan anticipates what the goals might damage. This example applies Locke and Latham's findings, uses Ordóñez and colleagues to identify side effects and uses Kerr to check that rewards match the behavior wanted. The goals table pairs targets with guardrails, and the review plan treats goals as tools to adjust. Showing how the team's goals trace back to the company's same-day shipping promise connects the plan to the strategy work in Module 1. Involving the team in setting targets, and planning for a missed goal, show an understanding of commitment that goes beyond writing the numbers down.
COM 140 Module 2 help: mistakes that cost marks
Goal papers often list goals without measures, baselines or deadlines. State where performance is now, where it should be and by when. Another weakness is setting a single goal that the team can meet by cutting corners; add guardrails for quality, safety or ethics. Check that rewards and recognition match the goals. Include learning goals where people need new skills before they can reach performance goals. Involve the team in setting goals where you can. Finally, plan how you will notice and fix a goal that is causing harm. Say what happens when a stretch goal is missed, because a team punished for honest misses learns to hide problems.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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COM 140 Module 2 questions, answered
What does COM 140 Module 2 usually ask for?
Aspen's COM 140 commonly covers goals, expectations and measures in this module, so a goal-setting plan for an employee or team is typical. Check your classroom prompt.
Why do specific, difficult goals work?
Locke and Latham found that they direct attention, raise effort and increase persistence, especially when people receive feedback and are committed to the goal.
Can goals do harm?
Ordóñez and colleagues warned that narrow or excessive goals can encourage cheating, risky behavior and neglect of anything not measured.
Where can I find a free COM 140 Module 2 sample paper?
The example above sets goals and guardrail measures for a distribution center's pick and pack team.
What is the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B?
Kerr's term for reward systems that pay for one behavior while managers hope for a different one, so people do what is rewarded.