Assignment:
Subject: Managing people at work
Assessment Task 1: Individual Essay and Reflective Piece
1) Assessment Details Individual 1000 word essay and 500 word reflection piece
2) Task Assessor Tutor/ Lecturer
3) Suggested time to devote to this task A suggested minimum of ten hours
4) Submission details Week 5 via Moodle
5) Feedback and return of work. Within three weeks of submission via Moodle
Details of task:
This assessment piece requires students to complete two parts:
1) an individual essay on how values affect individual and organisational behaviour; and
2) a reflective piece on how the student's values affect his/her behaviour and his/her understanding of other people's behaviour.
1. Conduct a study on differences in individual and group values. Write an essay about how values affect individual and organisational behaviour. Explain how OB scholars and leaders should apply this knowledge in organisations. (approximately 1000 words)
You should research the construct values and should not only be able to define values, but also explain the relevance of different values. Collect information from academic sources such as academic peer reviewed journals and edited book collections. Once this information has been collected, you should define values, provide examples of differences in values and explain the relevance of values for directing individual and organisational behaviour. Lastly explain how understanding differences in values could be applied by OB scholars and leaders to manage and motivate people more effectively.
The aim of this assignment within the context of BUMGT2606 is to develop research and analytical skills as well as critical thinking skills. You are to present this section in an essay format and include a word count. Please refer to the Federation University Australia General Guide to Writing (p.30).
2. Based on the essay, write a reflective piece discussing your own values and how they affect your behaviour and/or your understanding of other people's behaviour. (approximately 500 words)
A reflective piece of writing requires you to think about how theory relates to your own experiences. Being reflective means linking your own experiences of values (for example, your own personal values and beliefs) to the theory of organisationalbehaviour (for example, what did you learn about values in OB? What purpose do values serve in helping us understand behaviour? How do your values affect your behaviour towards work? How do your values affect how you think about and respond to people who do not hold the same values as you.). Reflective writing requires you to think about what the theory means to you, and/or whether the theory represents your experiences.
In developing your reflective piece, think about your findings from the essay and ask yourself: "what does this theory actually mean to me?" or "how has this theory helped me understand my own and other people's behaviour better?" You have to describe how your experience has influenced your understanding of values and how you think your own values might impact on your attitude at work or how you behave at work or towards other people.
The aim of the second section of the assignment is to apply theories discussed in the first section to personal experiences; that is, to develop an understanding of individual differences and how they affect the way we approach work and life. Additionally, it provides the student with an opportunity to connect theory to practice by reflecting on actual real-life events within the context of the theory they have learnt. Further information on reflective writing will be available on Moodle.
Additional Guidance for Assignment 1
1. Academic third person writing style should be used for the first task
2. First person writing style can be used for the second task. However, it needs to be used appropriately. For example, both tasks should include the characteristics of successful writing as outlined in the FedUni ‘General Guide to Writing and Study Skills' Manual, ‘Writing as a Skill' section (pp. 58-61).
3. The reflective writing task is not an opinion piece. Rather, it is an application of the theory to personal experience; it should only represent the experiences and interpretations of the individual author.
4. Presentation: Word processed in size 12 font, 1 ½ line spacing. Please ensure that you check the grammar and spelling in your assignment before submitting it. If you are submitting online please use a word format (unless your tutor specifically requests PDF versions) as this allows assessors to provide comments on your script.