MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES
o conduct an analysis of an organization which you are interested in to determine how well management is meeting challenges to sustainability
of the company
at the current time.
This will include both research about the company itself and relevant
peer reviewed journal articles which help you underst
and the issues faced by the
company and best practices in human resources available to help the company towards
long term sustainability.
You will then
summarize your
research
findings
and
observations, as well as
recommendations
in a Report
that is
8
–
1
0 pages
in length
(approximately 3
00 words per page)
, not counting cover page, works cited or
bibliography
.
This assignment will comprise 30% of your total mark for this course.
General Approach to Assignment and Expected Content:
Reflect on an organi
zation that you know or research one that you wish to know
more about
. You may wish to choose one that appears to be in a highly successful
growth stage with no apparent problems looming, or one that is currently
undergoing a major crisis that challenges
its future and sustainability.
For
inspiration, look to news reports in prominent newspapers, business periodicals or the
many examples provided in our textbook.
You may also wish to analyze a company
that is known to you personally
–
such as a company o
wned and operated by your
family.
You are then expected to a
nalyze and describe the
current state of sustainability of the
organization
including
such factors as its
current s
tate
of
economic performance and
expectations for the
future
,
the company’s
tech
nological resources,
and how well it is
meeting global challenges. Then determine whatever you can find out about its current
human resources
practices and analyze what the company is doing right to support
sustainability, and what it may be doing wrong,
or what it may be overlooking that could
ensure greater sustainability of the organization. Conduct research on the issues that you
find, either to support your views or to help determine what the company is doing wrong
or could be doing to better support
sustainability
with emphasis on management of
human resources in the organization.
Then compare the
characteristics of the organization
you are discussing
with your research sources,
integrating and citing
theory and
references from
the various peer revie
wed
journal article
s
you have found,
and/or human
resources theory from our textbook.
Comparative areas for discussion and analysis could include the organization’s current
characteristics, stage of development and/or developmental transitions
, or probl
ems that it
is having that arise from human resource issues.
There are
many areas
you can choose to
include.
For example, the company may be having
serious problems with
recruitment,
or
be bogged down with
problems
of labour relations, innovation, ineffec
tive corporate
governance, or lack of HR leadership.
Alternatively,
the company could be doing very
well,
and poised for
impressive
grow
th. In either case, identify
and describe
the
company’s
situation
, present your research findings,
and conclude with
H
R related
recommendations
designed to ensure a
sustainable
future.
I
f you were a
n HR
consultant
advising this company,
how would you describe its current state
,
and
what human
resources practices would you r
ecommend be adopted, dispensed with, or
sustaine
d
for
the company
to
ensure organizational
sustainability and satisfaction for all stakeholders
that have an interest in the (e.g. employees, stockholders, the community, the
environment.)
Ethical Considerations
Interviews are not necessary for this
assignment. However, if you decide to conduct
in
terviews
,
ensure that you do no harm
through your enquiries
, either to the organization
or to the employees of the organization. Respect confidentiality issues and conduct
interviews
only
after first gaini
ng
permission from the owner
or senior management.
When asking permission to interview, advise the owner truthfully about the purpose of
your research. If an organization provides cooperation for your research, you are obliged
to write your findings in a
respectful way
using a solution
–
finding approach and tone
. If
you require any clarification about ethical considerations, be sure to speak to me before
proceeding.
Abstract:
An abstract briefly describing the topic you have chosen for the assignment is
required and should be submitted through the
Assignments Dropbox on our
SAKAI
course website
by midnight
November
7
, 201
4
.
The one
–
page abstract shall consist of no more than two short paragraphs identifying:
(1) the organization you have chosen to re
search and analyze; (2) which of the three key
competitive challenges it faces (sustainability, global and/or technological); (3) why you
chose to analyze this particular company, and; (4)
a
t least 3
highly credible
research
sources
located during your p
reliminary literature review.
(
List these initial resources in
bibliographic format.
)
Include at least one peer reviewed journal article or other primary
source in your total list of research sources. These can be about the company you are
researching or
about best practices in human resources or sustainability or another salient
topic linked to your research paper.
Required Format For Term Assignment:
Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation, referencing are required in both your
Abstract and your Or
ganizational
Sustainability Research
Report.
Yo
ur Report should be
8
–
10 pages in length,
double spaced, using
Times New Roman
12 Font
.
Use APA
standards for citations and references where they appear.
Your Report must contain a
bibliography (or
works
cited
)
page.
Your Report should include a front c
over sheet with
the title of your Report,
your name
and student ID number, course number and
the
date of submission.
Do not
enclose your
assignment in a folder of any
kin
d.
Submission Process, Deadlines
and Late Penalties:
Submission Process
: Submit your Abstract and Organizational
Sustainability Research
Report
as indicated and on
the due dates noted below.
Due Dates:
Abstract:
Submit
to the Assignments Dropbox of the
SAKAI course website
b
y
midn
ight
:
November
7, 2014.
Organizational
Sustainability Research
Report:
Submit in
hardcopy
to
Distance Studies
Office by 4 p.m.
November
2
8
, 201
4
,
and sub
mit
digital version
to
Turnitin.com
(using
the Assignments Dropbox section of the SAKAI course webs
ite)
by midnight
of the same
day.
Late Penalties
:
Abstract:
Failure to submit the required Abstract on time will result in a penalty of
5
%
off your final grade for the term assignment.
Failure to submit a late abstract well in
advance of the due date
of the assignment may result in a decision by your instructor not
to accept the actual assignment.
Report:
Penalty for late submission of your Organizational
Sustainability Research
Report is 5% for first day and 2% for each day thereafter including we
ekends.
Originality
Note that this assignment is subject to all the same terms and conditions stated in
University Policy
on
Cheating and A
cademic
M
isconduct contained in the
General
Information section of the
Course Outline. If you paraphrase research
information in
your own words, or quote information verbatim from any research source, you are
expected to cite such references accurately, using consistent and standard
ized
methods of
referencing throughout your report. You are also expected to know the
difference
between quoted or paraphrased information in your report, and how to cite each
accurately. Stating “I didn’t know” will not be accepted as an excuse for failing to cite
source information appropriately. Be very clear about where information cam
e from and
credit all sources where appropriate. In addition, submitting a paper previously written
by you (or portions thereof) and for which credit has been given or is being sought in the
University or elsewhere is unacceptable for credit in this cours
e, and is regarded as a
form of plagiarism.
Note that a short instructional Academic Integrity video is posted on
the course SAKAI/OWL website.
See
the Unive
r
sity
Policy
on
Cheating and Academic Misconduct in
General Information
section of
the Course Outline for more detail, as well as the Scholastic Offence Policy in
the Western Academic Calendar.
If
you have any questions or doubts about originality as you complete your term
assignment, speak to me personally. I can be reached most easily for clarification or an
appointment by e
–
mail at
[email protected]
. There are
also numerous resources available
on the
Western
library website and at
the Western
bookstore.
If you need help with this assignment:
If you wish to discuss resources or topics please make an appointment to see me. I will
be happy to help you find som
ething interesting to write about and to guide you in your
assignment. See the Course Outline for contact information and office hours. As noted
above, I am best reached by e
–
mail when making an appointment, and try to reply to such
messages promptly.
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