Assignment
Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
• Textbook: Review all chapters
• Lecture: Review all lectures from Weeks 1-7
• File (PDF): Presentation (Pearson, 17e) Review all chapters (attached)
• Minimum of 5 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook, which are the pdf chapters attached)
Introduction
The summary paper allows for a deeper assessment of knowledge gained in this course. The paper provides the opportunity for you to present chosen topics from this course as each relates to Human Resources Management. Provide illustrations of applications, and your analysis of the topics and applications.
Activity Instructions
Present 3-4 academic concepts learned in this course and illustrate how to use each to more effectively manage human resources in an organization. Do not use a topic from the presentation. (Human resources in this context is not the department of HR, but it is the people in the organization.) Adhere to the following guidelines:
• The Title Page must include the following informationThe first paragraph of the paper must be an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
o Running header: SHORT TITLE IN CAPS with page number
o Name of paper - Only the first letter capitalized
o Student's name
o Date submitted
o Course number and name
• The body of the paper must include the following:The final paragraph of the paper must conclude with a summary of the paper, which includes a
o Three to four specific academic concepts discovered in the course must be discussed in great detail.
o Explains how each concept provides better management of human resources.
o Provide a context of experience where you observed this academic concept in operation.
o Provide your analysis of each academic concept and its application for better management of human resource.
• Re-statement of the thesis.
• The final page must be a Reference Page that is completed according to your Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) latest edition.
All writing assignments are to be in accordance with APA standards for writing. Reference to an article or a text must be properly cited in the text and listed on a reference page.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
• 6-8 pages (approx. 300 words per page), not including title page or references page
• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page with topic, name of student, course number and date of submission
• References page (textbook and a minimum of 5 scholarly sources)
• HERE ARE ALL THE LECTURES WHICH WILL BE READ;
What is Organizational Behavior?
This course is a study of the way the behavior of individuals and groups, as well as organizational structures, impact an organization's effectiveness. It is not just about management, but includes sociology, psychology, and communication. Organizational behavior is the actions and attitudes of individuals and groups toward one another and toward the organization. It is the understanding of the effect each of these components have upon the organization as a whole.
Diversity in Organizations
Most of us have an understanding of what diversity is. More important to our understanding is the benefit of a diverse workforce to an organization. After investigating this topic, we should begin to see that a diverse workforce may be more appealing to customers in our global world of business. There is also the benefit of various talents from a diverse group, and innovative thinking and problem solving, along with more creativity.
Lecture: Emotions & Moods
Review the following link on emotional intelligence, which addresses skills found in personal competence and social awareness. It should be evident that possessing these abilities can make one more aware of his or her own emotions and moods and the emotions and moods of those around him or her.
• Emotional Competence Framework
Personality & Values
Personality can have an effect an organization. Personality does not explain all behavior, but it is a starting point for understanding behavior. The five basic personalities generally recognized are:
• Extraversion: Comfort level with relationships.
o Extroverts tend to be gregarious, assertive, and sociable.
o Introverts tend to be reserved, timid, and quiet.
• Agreeableness: Individual's propensity to defer to others.
o High agreeableness people-cooperative, warm, and trusting.
o Low agreeableness people-cold, disagreeable, and antagonistic.
• Conscientiousness: A measure of reliability.
o A highly conscientious person is responsible, organized, dependable, and persistent.
o Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted, disorganized, and unreliable.
• Emotional stability: A person's ability to withstand stress.
o People with positive emotional stability tend to be calm, self-confident, and secure.
o Those with high negative scores tend to be nervous, anxious, depressed, and insecure.
• Openness to experience: The range of interests and fascination with novelty.
o Extremely open people are creative, curious, and artistically sensitive.
o Those at the other end of the openness category are conventional and find comfort in the familiar.
Values represent basic convictions. A person's set of values when ranked in intensity is the person's value system. Individuals enter an organization with one's own ideas about right and wrong. Values influence attitudes and behaviors. Organizations set their values, which are usually presented in the organization's mission and vision statements.
Lecture
Perception and Individual Decision Making
An individual's perception is his or her reality. Now, this does not mean that it is reality; it is just how that individual perceives a situation or individual. One's perception can make an individual judge others, take shortcuts in making judgements, and cause stereotyping. The link between perception and individual decision making is that perceptions drive decision making. Every decision requires interpretation and evaluation. The perceptions of the decision maker will influence the outcome.
Motivation Concepts and From Concepts to Application
It is important to understand what motivates individuals. Doing so can be a major component of organizational performance and ultimately organizational success. It is important to recognize the differences in employees. By doing so an organization can tailor jobs that work with the employee's strengths and areas of interest. This in turn can lead to increased productivity, a stronger commitment to work and organizational goals, and job satisfaction. The other part of this is to understand how organizational rewards to employees play a part in perhaps increasing employee motivation. Review the following Harvard Business article for some more thoughts on this topic. (At the site click on Go to HBR.org>.)
To Motivate Employees, Do 3 Things Well
Lecture
Foundations of Group Behavior
In addition to Chapter 9 of the textbook, the following video will enhance an understanding for group behavior. The success or failure of a group obtaining its objective is strongly influenced by the group's diversity, cohesiveness, and status hierarchies. Group think and group norms also impact the outcome.
• Video: Key Factors in Group Behaviour (4:22)
Understanding Work Teams
Teams need to be cooperative, share information confront differences and work for the good of the team. Team context, composition, and processes will play a strong role in the team's overall effectiveness. In addition to this week's textbook chapter (10), the following video will further enhance an understanding for work teams.
• Video: Belbin Team Roles Video Scribe (4:04)
Lecture
Communication
We communicate every day of our lives, but are our exchanges with others effective? Do we listen to ensure that we truly hear the message given? When we are the message giver, are we considering any difference in the receiver of the message that may cause a need to revise our delivery? Effective communication is a skill we can develop. As we have been reviewing the textbook, you may have noticed that there is a link between effective communication and employee satisfaction. It is, therefore, important to pick the correct communication mode; obtain feedback to determine that your message is clearly understood; be careful with written communication; use the correct communication strategy for your audience; and recognize barriers to communication such as gender and culture.
Review the following link on emotional intelligence, addressing skills found in personal competence and social awareness. It should be evident that possessing these abilities would enhance one's communication. These skills can be developed.
• Emotional Competence Framework
Leadership
A leader provides the vision and mission, the direction in which to proceed. The objective can only be reached with the cooperation of others. Leadership is collaborative in its nature. Leaders need to be able to influence others to perform, and, in order to do so, the leader must demonstrate behaviors that build follower support for the necessary actions. Effective leadership is found in the quality of the relationships between leaders and followers. Building those effective leader-follower relationships may lie within values held by leaders, which are cultivated through their actions with members of the organization. Credibility is found in leaders who establish trust and do so through actions that are consistent over time and are in line with what they say.
Lecture
Ethics: HR Policies and Behavior
Review the following link, which contains good information on the effect that ethical HR policies and procedures can have on employee behavior and the overall benefit of ethical HR policies and procedures. The references section at the end of the article contains links to additional information on this topic. Click on those links and review the information.
• Link: HR Practices That Can Contribute to Ethical Behavior
Effective Presentations
Developing the skills to provide effective presentations is essential in the careers of most individuals. Presentations aid in briefing others, solving problems, providing data, and training. Whether the result of the presentation is to persuade others, motivate, or propose an idea the presenter needs to know his or her audience and present ideas in a clear and enthusiastic manner. Font size should be easily readable. The use of color and graphics is advisable.
An effective PowerPoint needs to include an opening statement that clearly defines the purpose of the presentation (a thesis statement). The body of the slides should provide well-developed ideas based on the thesis statement. There should also be a conclusion slide. All key points of the presentation are to be presented with clarity and should be compelling to the audiences.
Lecture: Conflict Negotiation
Conflict to most individuals is unpleasant and is to be avoided. However, conflict can be necessary for change and growth. Conflict can be either destructive or constructive. Thus, to enhance organizational success it becomes necessary not to let conflict impair operations but to guide conflict situations for the improvement of the organization.
To effect a positive outcome for conflict, it is necessary to understand how to manage conflict. The following site provides some excellent insights for doing so. (At the site click on Go to HBR.org>.)
• Article: How to Manage Conflict
Organizational Culture
The following site provides information on the 10 best organizational cultures (2015). These include Zappos, Warber Parker, Southwest Airlines, Twitter, Chevron, Square Space, Google, REI, Facebook, and Adobe. Each of these companies havedeveloped an organizational culture that attracts new employees, retains curtain employees, and overall has created a climate that employees find pleasing to work in.