Assignment Guidelines MBA 701

The assignment should be an individuals work and have an approximate word count of 4000 words + or 10%. The pass mark is 50%. You should reference using the Harvard system. Plagiarism is not tolerated under University regulations.

Please ensure you name & save your work in the following manner:
Module_assignment_number_name_of_student EXAMPLE: MBA701_Assignment_1_Bill_Jones

Please format your essay in the following manner: Use a typeface that is large enough to be read easily. Although fonts vary, this usually means using at least 11-point or 12-point type.

Use sufficiently wide margins right and left, and top and bottom, to give the marker sufficient space to write any marginal comments. About 1 inches (2.75 cm 3 cm) is a suitable margin. Less than this is too little.

Do not single-space the text of your essay. Use either 1 line spacing or double-spacing. Single-spaced text can be hard to read, and may leave insufficient room for the marker to write comments.

Number the pages of your essay. (If using Word, you should be able to do this by going to the Insert tab, and selecting Page numbers.) Among the

advantages of numbering the pages is that it helps the marker to refer to passages of your essay when writing comments.

Assignment Objectives MBA 701

By the end of this module, you will be expected at threshold level to:

1. Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the substantive models, theories and research findings in organisational behaviour that relate to modern organisational functioning. 2. Critically evaluate current research findings and methodologies related to the discipline of organisational behaviour. 3. Apply various models and theories to systematically understand, assess and improve individual and group behaviour in their own workplaces. 4. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the importance of interpersonal, communication, and decisionmaking skills for effective individual, group and organisational performance. In satisfying this modules assessment criteria, you will have the opportunity to also improve certain practical and transferable skills.

For instance, you will be required to engage in effective two way communication and conduct research into organizational behaviour issues through data analysis, synthesis and reporting. You will also need to show an ability to identify appropriate management and leadership styles for different situations and understand their effect on workers motivation and performance management. You must appreciate the importance of corporate social responsibility and develop an awareness of various ethical dilemmas including issues relating to the environment. Finally, there will be certain activities (e.g. experiential exercises, case studies including ethical dilemmas) for which you may be required to work in small teams to submit a collective response together.

MBA 701 - ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSIGNMENT BRIEF You may choose to answer either Assignment A or Assignment B.

Assignment A You have just been hired as a top level manager of a large company that employs 2000 employees of a culturally diverse background. Most of the employees work at the company headquarters but 500 of them work at two branches away from headquarters. Although there is some use of teamwork, most tasks in this company are performed individually. The organizational chart displays 5 layers of management. The overwhelming majority of managers are men. Your limited presence with the company has not given you the opportunity to fully familiarize yourself with the companys culture. You have been hired to replace the previous manager who was laid off due to the poor financial performance of the company during the last few years. During this time, company sales and profits have fallen and employee turnover has risen. Although your medium to long term goal is to improve the companys financial performance, you understand that you must make decisions regarding what actions need to be taken now to introduce the necessary changes that will help to turn things around. Your immediate agenda is to determine the possible causes of the declining sales and profits and increasing levels of employee turnover. To this end, you are to prepare a comprehensive essay/report (synthesizing organisational theories and using micro and macro models) to thoroughly discuss the factors that influence individual, group and organisational performance critically examining the potential causes of the companys worsening performance. You are then required to recommend and explain specific measures that can be taken to improve individual, group and organizational performance, critically analyzing their potential effectiveness. Your proposed measures must take into consideration all aspects of organizational behaviour. This necessitates that all potential causes of inadequate performance are considered. In answering this assignment, you should make appropriate references to recent empirical evidence identifying any conflicting evidence that may exist in the literature. You are also encouraged to effectively challenge existing theory and its practical applicability to real life situations. Your essay should demonstrate confident, detailed and informed knowledge of organizational behaviour as well as comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the determinants and consequences of behaviour in organizations. Your work should be analytical in style and critical in interpretation displaying evidence of original thought and not merely reproducing theories without individual reflection, analysis and evaluation. (Please refer to the additional guidance note below.)

Assignment B Synthesizing organisational theories and using micro and macro models, you are to prepare a comprehensive essay/report to critically examine the factors that you believe influence individual, group and organisational performance at your workplace. You are then required to recommend, explain and justify specific measures that can be taken to improve individual, group and organizational performance, critically analyzing their potential effectiveness. Your proposed measures must take into

consideration all aspects of organizational behaviour as well as the characteristics of your workplace including organizational structure and culture. In answering this assignment, you should make appropriate references to recent empirical evidence identifying any conflicting evidence that may exist in the literature. You are also encouraged to effectively challenge existing theory and its practical applicability to real life situations and in particular to your workplace. Your essay should demonstrate confident, detailed and informed knowledge of organizational behaviour as well as comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the determinants and consequences of behaviour in organizations. Your work should be analytical in style and critical in interpretation displaying evidence of original thought and not merely reproducing theories without individual reflection, analysis and evaluation. (Please refer to the additional guidance note below.)

Guidance Note: In answering your chosen assignment, you should consider all the factors that could influence individual, group and organizational performance. You should consider all material, theories, models and research findings covered in each topic. When considering individual behaviour, you must refer to values, attitudes, perception, attribution, learning and motivation in determining the potential causes of individual behaviour and how to change it. Bearing these factors in mind, in considering group behaviour, you must reflect on the dynamics of groups and teamwork, including how they are assessed and rewarded. When organizations experience problems such decreasing profits and rising labour turnover, in addition to the above factors, one must also consider other issues such as decision making procedures, communication, leadership styles, organizational politics and power struggles, and organizational structure and culture. As you proceed through the learning material and activities for each topic, reflect on how they relate to this assignment and take notes appropriately. When you begin answering the assignment, try to organize your report in a structured way.