| Course | LDR-4350 Leadership Practicum |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Module 1 module paper: deciding on your leadership project |
| Length | About 586 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for LDR 4350 Module 1
Almost Half Gone in Ninety Days: A Statement of Intent for a Leadership Project on New-Hire Turnover
Student Name
Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Thomas Edison State University
LDR-4350: Leadership Practicum
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Almost Half Gone in Ninety Days: A Statement of Intent for a Leadership Project on New-Hire Turnover
The Problem
I am the assistant manager of a composite hardware and home store in Toms River, New Jersey, one of eleven stores in a family-owned regional chain. Our store employs about 60 people, half of them part-time. Last year we hired 48 people. Twenty-two of them, 46 percent, left within their first 90 days, most without notice. The pattern is worst in spring, when we hire for the garden center.
The Evidence
I compiled the figures from payroll records for the past two years and confirmed them with our district human resources partner. Exit conversations, when they happened, and a short survey of current employees hired in the last year pointed to three causes. New hires were scheduled alone on the floor within their first week, often before they knew where products were. Training consisted mainly of online modules on safety and the register. And new hires rarely spoke with a manager after their first day. Bauer et al. (2007) found in a meta-analysis that new employees who understand their role, trust their own ability and feel accepted are more satisfied and more likely to stay, which matches what our new hires described lacking.
Why It Matters
Each departure costs the store recruiting time, training hours and lost productivity. Our district estimates the cost at about $2,500 per departure, so last year's 22 early departures cost roughly $55,000, close to the pay of a full-time department lead. Turnover also burdens experienced employees, who repeatedly train people who leave, and customers, who meet staff unable to answer basic questions. Hom et al. (2017) reviewed a century of turnover research and noted that turnover is costly not only in replacement expense but in lost knowledge and disrupted teams.
The People Involved
This is a leadership project because I cannot solve the problem alone. I must influence the store manager, who controls schedules and budget; three department leads, who supervise new hires daily; and experienced associates, who would serve as peer mentors. I also need the support of the district HR partner for any change to training. None of these people reports to me except the department leads, and only partly.
The Goal and the Approach
My goal is to reduce 90-day departures from 46 percent to 25 percent for hires made during the coming spring season. Cohen (2005) presents the heart of change as a see-feel-change process: people change when they see something that makes them feel the need, not only when they are told. I will begin by helping the managers and leads see the problem: the departure figures and the comments new hires made. I will form a small guiding team with two department leads and a respected associate. Together we will design a 30-day onboarding plan with a peer mentor for every new hire, a protected first week before solo shifts and check-ins with a manager at days 7, 30 and 60.
How Success Will Be Judged
The primary measure is the 90-day departure rate for spring hires compared with last spring. Secondary measures include new hires' confidence in their jobs, measured with a short survey at day 30, and mentors' willingness to continue.
Conclusion
Almost half our new hires leave within three months, and the causes lie in how we bring people in. This project asks me to lead people who mostly do not report to me, using evidence and a shared plan rather than authority.
References
Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 707-721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.707
Cohen, D. S. (2005). The heart of change field guide: Tools and tactics for leading change in your organization. Harvard Business School Press.
Hom, P. W., Lee, T. W., Shaw, J. D., & Hausknecht, J. P. (2017). One hundred years of employee turnover theory and research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 530-545. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000103
Reading the LDR 4350 Module 1 assignment instructions
LDR-4350 is the capstone of the leadership studies area. Students carry out a leadership project that involves working closely with other people to bring about positive change, and analyze it in three module papers, worth 30 percent together with 15 percent more for peer reviews, and a final project paper. The first paper is a statement of intent: describe the problem, the evidence for it, why it matters, the people you will lead and influence, your goal and your approach. Projects that do not involve other people, such as a solo report, do not qualify. Use evidence from your organization and the course text. Your mentor approves the project, so be specific enough for a clear yes or no.
Inside the LDR 4350 Module 1 example
The paper begins by describing the workplace and how large the problem is. An evidence section presents payroll figures and three causes from new hires, supported by meta-analytic research on newcomer adjustment. A section on why it matters estimates the cost and draws on turnover research. A section names the people the writer must influence and his limited authority. The approach applies the course text's see-feel-change process, and the final sections set a measurable goal and secondary measures. The cost estimate turns a staffing complaint into a business problem the store manager can weigh against other priorities. Every claim about causes rests on data the writer gathered, which classmates can critique in peer review.
LDR 4350 Module 1 rubric: what earns full marks
Mentors grade module papers on a clearly defined problem with real evidence, a project that requires leading other people, a plan grounded in the course text and clear writing. Statements of intent that quantify the problem and its cost, and that name the people involved, meet the rubric's expectations. A measurable goal with a baseline shows the project can be evaluated. Research that explains the problem's causes strengthens the case for the chosen approach and shows the writer has looked beyond the workplace. Peer reviewers and mentors alike look for a project whose scope fits one term. A plan that names its first steps, such as forming a guiding team, shows the writer is ready to begin. Correct APA citations for the field guide and research complete the paper.
LDR 4350 Module 1 help from the desk
Students lose points by choosing a project they can complete alone, by describing a problem without evidence or by setting goals that cannot be measured. Others choose projects too large for a single term. Pick a problem you can affect with the people around you. Gather data before writing. Name the people you must influence. Give your goal a starting figure and a deadline. Ask your supervisor to confirm the project is acceptable at work before you submit the statement. Keep copies of the data you gather; the final analysis will rely on those records. A free first sample on your own LDR-4350 statement of intent is available on request.
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 Thomas Edison State 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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LDR 4350 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free LDR 4350 Module 1 sample paper?
A hardware store assistant manager's statement of intent to cut new-hire turnover is the module paper above.
What kind of project does LDR-4350 require?
A project that involves working closely with other people to effect or initiate positive change, such as influencing, motivating or coordinating them.
What textbook does LDR-4350 use?
Cohen's The Heart of Change Field Guide, published by Harvard Business School Press.
What is see-feel-change?
The idea that people change when they see evidence that makes them feel the need for change, not only when given analysis.
How long is the LDR-4350 final project paper?
Ten to twelve pages, 2,500 to 3,000 words.