CMGMT 3469 Organizational Behavior and Ethics Assignment- Lesley University
The purpose of this Organizational Behavior project is to give your team an opportunity to apply what has been learned in the course to problem(s) in an organization of your team's choice. Each group (of 3-4 students) will produce a written paper analyzing an actual organizational problem that either exists in an organization that you are familiar with (i.e., one of you works there!) or one that has been in the news or discussed in some other reporting context.
If you chose one based on a member's experience be sure that the issue can readily be explained and understood by all team members. If you analyze an organization and its issue(s) that have been in the recent news then research and include information from the media, the organization's literature, and any other secondary sources.
The issue that you chose to address should be sufficiently complex and intricate to provide interesting data for analysis. Your paper/analysis should encompass:
I. A succinct description of the problem, including relevant history,
II. Decide what course concept(s) can be applied to understand why this issue is occurring,
III. Provide a detailed analysis of the situation using these course concepts,
IV. Present well-reasoned recommendations for action in order to improve organizational functionality.
It may simplify your approach to consider yourselves consultants for the organization you are discussing and write your paper as if it were a presentation to the decision-makers at that firm.
This should not be an historical account of a problem and the company's solution. Rather you will strive to focus your analysis by applying the concepts from the course. While it is acceptable to incorporate several concepts from the course, your goal should be to aim for depth rather than breadth regarding the use of course concepts. Your goal is to diagnose the mechanisms that are causing the problem or issue of concern in the organization. Initially, you may notice many symptoms (for instance, high turnover, seemingly low morale, low commitment, motivation etc.), but your task is to get to the underlying reason for these symptoms. Beware that sometimes the initial symptoms we think we see are not what they appear to be.
The body of the paper should total approximately 8 double-spaced pages (assuming 12-point font and 1" margins). Remember that concise content always trumps length! So 6 pages of clear, concise, articulate work is preferable to 10 or more pages of extraneous "fluff"!
Your paper should include the use and citation of relevant sources, including the textbook and any relevant readings from the course's modules.
Format your assignment according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the assignment, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.