Prepare a case study. The case must involve some organization. The case may come from an academic journal, a compilation of case studies, a situation reported in the local newspaper supplemented by discussion with someone involved, personal experience or some other relevant and meaningful source. The preferred sources are personal experience and a real situation reported in the newspaper. With any case, the conclusion must be yours and not the regurgitation of the author's thoughts.
The analysis should state what happened, why it happened, what you would do differently and what lessons can be learned from that particular case which could be applied to other situations. Students must provide the instructor with an outline of their presentation and cite their source. Acting as an organizational consultant, you will apply the tools from the course to assess an organizational issue of your choosing (e.g. motivation, leadership, team dynamics, communication).
Identify an organizational problem of interest to you and in 10-12 typed and numbered pages, using double spacing and Times Roman font size of 12 with the following headings (deduction taken if headings are missing/combined):
Background :
Should acquaint the reader with the organization and specific division/department of interest
Present key facts that are important in understanding the
problem/issue of interest. Include an organizational chart.
Statement of the Problem :
What are the key problems/challenges/issues?
Are these surface problems (symptoms) or root causes? Identify the basic problem and the
purpose of the research. Make a compelling case that these are indeed fundamental issues.
Literature Review :
Address what you discovered in your search of the literature. Review theories, concepts, and studies discussed in your text or in class and review what other writers/researchers may have to say about the subject of your analysis. You should talk about the concepts, ideas, or insights that have the most value for helping you make sense of your project. What theories can you use? Which writerssay something of value and why?
Which models are the most helpful and why? What concepts will you challenge or criticize because your findings are different? Begin your review in broad terms, painting an overview of the field of interest. Then gradually narrow your focus until you zero in on the key issues of concern. Include a minimum of 10 separate sources. Must cite references within the body of the paper.
Problem Analysis:
Provide a detailed analysis of the causes of the problems or issues you identified. Clearly illustrate how you are applying Organizational Theory concepts plus what you've learned from your literature review to better understand the causes of the problems/issues.
Possible Solutions :
Offer Solutions appropriate for the situation considering those who must implement them. Analyze pros and cons and prioritize the options.
Solution and Its Implementation:
Outline your recommended solution to the problems/issues from the previous section. Specifically state what should be done, by whom, with whom, and in what sequence. Thus, include not only what should be done but how it should be done. Focus on solution implementation, long and short term.
Justification :
Using course concepts, tell why your solution and implementation will work. Support with referenced facts, quotes, and readings.
References :
All citations in the paper must appear alphabetically in the reference list. Citations identify the source for readers to locate information. Ensure all quotes, ideas, or conclusions not your own are given proper acknowledgement in your text. Minimum source citations.