Assignment 2 advice – Management and Organisational Behaviour
Assignment 2 advice – Management and Organisational Behaviour
Assignment 2 advice – Management and Organisational Behaviour (
This advice is in addition to the assignment brief – make sure you consider all of the points in the assignment brief carefully
Format
Executive summary (about 200 words)
A summary of the entire report (not an introduction – a summary)
Introduction (about 300 words)
An introduction ‘sets the scene’. By that I mean it introduces the topics and tries to engage the reader. Then the introduction should state the aim of the assignment and how it will be structured. If you read the assignment brief carefully, you will see there are three topics mentioned: 1. Work groups and teams 2. Power and politics and 3. Organizational culture. Briefly introduce each in turn.
Analysis (about 1,500 – 1,800 words)
Use sub-headings where appropriate
The question:
a) Identify from your research and academic theory, the following two topic areas from the module that apply to an organisations effectiveness.
1. Work groups and teams
2. Power and Politics
b) Using your organisation or one that you are familiar with as a case study, analyse and critically discuss the impact that your topic areas may have on the culture of the organisation.
This assignment has a more practical focus than assignment 1. It requires you to analyse your own organisation (or if you think that is not suitable, one you have worked for in the past) and critically discuss how work groups and teams and power and politics are affecting the organisation’s culture. PLEASE KEEP THE ORGANISATION CONFIDENTIAL. REFER TO IT AS COMPANY XYZ.
A good starting point would be to choose a model (or maybe two) to analyse the culture of your organisation (for example, Schein). Then critically discuss the impact the topic areas have on the organisation’s culture.
Conclusion (100 – 200 words)
Conclude by summarising the most important points from your analysis
Notes:
• I would like at least 10 references (with at least 3 from journal articles)
Further general advice – Consider the following:
• What am I expected to find out about – what is the question asking?
• What do I know about this topic? How much information has the tutor already given me?
• How much time can I give to this particular project?
• Must answer the question!
• It must be your own work
• Must provide an informed answer to the question – not opinions! i.e. arguments and explanations should be supported by reference to relevant evidence (literature)
• Demonstrate critical thinking
• Use examples
• Well referenced
• Always aim for a professional look and ‘feel’ to the report
• Use diagrams/tables etc. where appropriate – but apply them.