Group Assignment
Assignment Overview
The group assignment is to develop a case study that analyses and applies relevant OB theory and concepts to a 'mythical business'. You will work in groups of 4 to 5 students per group (subject to your workshop facilitator's approval) to complete the assignment. You will be assigned the details of your mythical business in class and on the LMS, and you will be provided with a series of questions throughout the semester to guide your analysis.
Instructions
A mythical business is an idealised and fictitious business, but it is based on a real and specific context. Your group will use OB theories and concepts to create a mythical business. The context and guidelines for your mythical business will be provided in class and on the LMS (see Draft 1 Instructions).Your group assignment must develop and analyse a mythical business within the assigned context. Failure to do so will result in a significantly lower or even failing mark on Assessment.
The final report should apply OB theories or concepts from four different modules covered this semester to your mythical business. You must refer to four specific and distinct OB theories or concepts, but your group's overall analysis should be integrative and cohesive. Your group will need to work together throughout the term to maintain this integration and cohesion across the report. Guiding questions and suggestions will be posted on the LMS and discussed in workshops. Your group is expected to draw on these to help focus the content of your analysis. You are expected to use feedback on your drafts, or feedback provided to the class as a whole, to improve your answers and final report.
Working in Groups
Groups and teams are an integral part of organisational behaviour, and the ability to work effectively in a team is an important skill to take into the workplace. You are expected to work collaboratively in small groups (4 to 5 students per group) to complete this assignment. There will be some time in workshops to meet with your groups, and you are expected to complete some activities early to help develop cohesiveness and maintain accountability within your group.
The first activity is to select your group and name your group, using the Group Self-Selection Tool. You will have a formal group number (e.g., BU1, CB3), but your group's name can be creative and representative of your unique group personality. Take some time to get to know other group members and decide on a group name. This step can help to foster identification with your group and cohesion.
The second activity is to form a Group Charter outlining the roles and responsibilities, how to maintain accountability, and how to resolve conflict within your group. Your group is expected to develop strategies to work within your group, and you are expected to follow the guidelines that have been set out in your group charter. Your workshop facilitator and subject coordinator are also available to provide support and mediation, when necessary and consistent with guidelines of your group charter. The group charter step is important for planning and can help reduce social loafing or free riding within your group.
The third and fourth activities are to submit drafts of your work (see Required Milestones below). This step can help you to identify areas of strength within your group, as well as areas that require improvement. To maintain accountability, all group members should contribute to the required drafts. You may also want to revisit and update your group charter (e.g., you may find that the person assigned to a particular activity would be better suited to another role).
You are encouraged to use a collaboration and cloud-based program to coordinate your group's work. La Trobe students all have access to Office 365 and Zoom, which you are encouraged to use. Saving documents to a shared folder in Office 365 allows your group to maintain a central record of contributions and edits, as well as store documents (e.g., drafts, ideas, articles) for all group members to easily access. Note that you are expected to submit all written work in Word format. Additional tips for using Office 365 and Zoom for collaboration are provided on the LMS.
Required Milestones -
Please note these required milestones (Please refer to the LMS for exact dates; all times refer to AEST):
- Module 1, Week3: Form groups and decide on a group name. Use the Group Self-Selection Tool in the Assessments section of the LMS to indicate your group membership. All changes to group membership after this date are at the discretion of your workshop facilitator or subject coordinator.
- Module 2, Week4: Finalise groups and complete the Group Charter. One group member will need to submit a copy of the charter via the relevant link in the Assessments section of your LMS. Tip: use this milestone to practice working on a shared document in Office 365.
- Module 3, Week 5: Submit Draft 1. Refer to Draft 1 questions posted under the Assessments section of the LMS. These questions give you the context for this term's mythical business. The questions prompt you to describe your mythical business and begin your analysis of OB concepts. This draft should be approximately 500 words and is worth 5% of your overall marks on this assessment. One group member will need to submit a copy of Draft 1.
- Module 5, Week 9: Submit Draft 2. Submit a draft of your analysis of at least one OB concept from a previous module. This analysis should draw on the guiding questions for your mythical business that were provided in workshops and on the LMS. This draft should be approximately 500 words and is worth 5% of your overall marks on this assessment. One group member will need to submit a copy of Draft 2.
The final report should include the following information:
Title page - Include the report title, students' names and ID numbers, subject code, workshop time, workshop facilitator name, due date
Contributions - List names and id numbers of all group members who contributed to the assignment. Include a brief description of each group members' specific tasks/contributions (e.g., wrote specific sections, researched relevant articles, edited specific sections, etc.).
Table of contents
List of illustrations and List of tables (if applicable)
Introduction - Include the purpose, scope and outline of your report.
Main body -Use appropriate headings/sub-headings for different sections, and include at least the following information:
- Background - Provide an overview of your mythical business. Briefly describe your mythical business (e.g., approximate size, what service or product is provided, where it is located, major competitors, etc.). This section should be relatively short as you will provide further detailed information as you apply OB concepts to aspects of your business.
- Analysis and application of OB topics from four different modules - Apply OB concepts to manage and improve your mythical business. Draw on the guiding questions and suggestions provided in workshops and on LMS. Develop coherent, logical arguments that are supported with relevant academic literature and other high quality evidence.
- Use in-text citations throughout your report. Refer to Research and Referencesbelow for more information about research sources and referencing style.
Conclusion - Summarise and integrate your findings. Identify any limitations within your report.
References - Include the full reference information for all sources cited in your report.
Appendix- Include a copy of your Draft 1 and Draft 2 as an appendix at the end of your report.
Note that the title page, table of contents, list of illustrations/tables, references, and appendices are not included in the 4000 word count.
Note that this report should not include an executive summary or separate recommendations section. Please do not include these items as they will take unnecessary space away from your main analysis Inclusion of these sections will likely result in a lower overall mark.
Assignment Files -
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6z9vhonc2j6biqr/Assignment%20Files.rar?dl=0