Purpose:

• To recognize and better understand the effect of individual characteristics and behavior (individual level of analysis) on organizational performance and effectiveness.

Related to the following course objective:

• Maximize individual contributions to the organization based on an understanding of individual behavior

Deliverable:

Three to four-page paper, in addition to a cover page containing your name, the course name, the date, and the professor’s name, and bibliography.

Introduction to Assignment

For this assignment, you will read and analyze Case Study 1: Reach for the Stars—Developing Salespeople, Achieving Organizational Success. The case describes information and key observations concerning manager and worker behavior. You will identify and—to evidence critical thinking skills—analyze the critical incidents (problems, situations, issues, and consequences) in the case influencing individual and organizational performance and effectiveness, and make appropriate recommendations to improve problems, meet challenges, and take advantage of opportunities.  Overall, your analysis should include:

• Identification and explanation of all relevant OB concepts and theories, using examples where appropriate
• Explanation of the specific case characteristics, incidents and/or situations that addresses the concepts or theories
• Analysis of the relevance of identifying and better understanding individual characteristics
• Analysis of pros and cons of key incidents or situations (i.e., what are the drawbacks and/or positives associated with the situation as it related to individual performance and/or organizational productivity and effectiveness?)
• Specific recommendations to address problems, challenges, and opportunities, and a proposed follow-up or evaluation

Read and follow all the Instructions carefully.  The paper must clearly demonstrate your ability to understand how and why individual characteristics and behavior influence organizational performance and effectiveness.  Demonstrate critical thinking, as described under higher thinking levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy (find through Google). Strive to be original along with applying data, information, and ideas from the required reading and outside research.  Use examples and research information to support claims.  Use American Psychological Association (APA) format for in-text citations and the reference list.  Use the comprehensive outline format described in Instruction 9 to present your research findings, analysis, recommendations, and significant personal learning.

Instructions

1)         Review the assignment purpose, course objective, and introduction above and the Assignment Grading rubric.  

2)         Read the case below, Reach for the Stars—Developing Salespeople, Achieving Organizational Success.  This case was created for BMGT 464-6380.  Your analysis must evidence understanding of the case’s specific characters, context, and circumstances. Avoid generalizations that might apply to similar cases available on the Internet or in previous courses.

3)         Compose a brief abstract (no longer than a paragraph) synthesizing case highlights, putting the characters and incidents in context, and generally setting the scene for the detailed analysis to follow.

4)         Identify and analyze at least three critical incidents (problems, situations, issues, and consequences) in the case that influenced individual and organizational performance and effectiveness.  Explain how and why you think the incidents influenced individual and organizational performance and effectiveness.  Discuss the pros and cons of key incidents or situations (i.e., what are the drawbacks and/or positives associated with the situation as it related to individual performance and/or organizational productivity and effectiveness?)

5)         Make appropriate recommendations to address problems, meet challenges, and take advantage of opportunities, and propose follow-up or evaluation.

6)         Draw data, information, and ideas from at least six required resources (at least two from each of Weeks 1, 2, and 3) listed in the weekly Schedules, plus at least two credible, authoritative, relevant outside sources for a total of at least eight references. Your outside references should show a mix of scholarly and applied/practical sources, largely drawn from UMUC’s Information Library System (ILS), and including classic writings. Review APA citation materials and Tips on Research Sources in Course Content.  Cite research sources within the paper’s body using APA in-text formatting.  Include a Reference list with complete source information at the end of the paper.  See specific formatting and heading template instructions below in Instruction 9.  Alphabetize references under each subheading. Please note my preference for including publication date within in-text citations. You are expected to paraphrase, using quotes only when the source’s verbatim statements uniquely enhance meaning and understanding. Deductions will be taken when quotes are overused and found to be unnecessary.  See examples below:

In-text citation:

(Casey, 2002, p. 50). [Include publication date]

Reference citation:

Casey, C. (2002). Critical Analysis of Organizations: Theory, practice, revitalization. London: Sage.

7)         Identify and present in bold font at least six different OB concepts, theories, methods, strategies, or practices in your analysis. Demonstrate through context and/or endnotes your understanding of the terms’ definition and meaningfulness to the meet the assignment’s purpose and course objectives.

8)         Determine what significant learning and understanding you gained from your research and analysis.  Identify and evaluate at least three valuable take-aways you learned from your organization change analysis, and how you envision specifically applying them to your job or career.

9)         Use the outline below for headings and subheadings.  Your deliverable will use a comprehensive outline format with expository content under each heading to present your analysis, evaluation and recommendations in standard composition style. Feel free to add other headings, subheadings or make modifications as your findings, ideas, and assertions dictate. Use examples and cite support sources as presented above.

I.          Title page (your name, the course name, assignment, the name of the organization, the date, and instructor’s name)

II.        Case abstract

III.       Critical incidents (occurrence, fact, change, e.g., product diversification and market growth as reflected by “expanded its product line from aging-related to sports injury-related medical supplies and equipment” in the case study)

Critical incident 1 

Critical incident 2 

Critical incident 3 

[and so forth]

IV.       Recommendations (e.g., offer workshops or individual coaching with personality tests to more effectively identify, validate, share, and utilize personality traits, preference strengths, job-fit methods, and interactionist perspectives—see Saylor/OB section 3.1)

1. V.        Follow up (or evaluation—this is an area in which outside research and resources would be a plus; e.g., how will management determine if the intervention recommended above actually worked?  Perhaps assessing personality trait-based problem behavior during performance refers could work, or including manager reports from the personality tests referred to, say, three and six months after the intervention would provide useful results…?)

1. VI.       Significant learning (see Instruction 8 for details about take-aways)

Learning or Take-away 1

Learning or Take-away 2

Learning or Take-away 3:   

and so forth

VII.     References (required course materials and outside research sources)

10)       Use Microsoft Word for your text documents.  Use the following file title:  your last name_Assignment 1_464_date.  Try to be concise and keep your paper at three to four pages in length (plus cover page and references), but rest assured that substance is more important than length.  Again, APA reference format is required.