Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Your group will access and study a local organization (either a small firm or non-profit, or a department/subunit of
a larger organization) and conduct a fieldwork project investigating some aspect of this organization that connects
with themes in the course such as, for example, the organization’s culture, the structure and functioning of groups
within the organization, its reward systems, or its relation to its local or national environment.
Your group will gather first-person data from people in a variety of positions in the organization (from executives
to regular employees) as well as other stakeholders (e.g., existing or potential customers, suppliers, competitors,
etc...). You will need to visit the organization on-site, attend meetings and/or corporate events (if feasible).
Additionally, you’ll need to obtain and study archival materials that describe the organization and the
organizational phenomena that are the focus of your project. These materials might come from the organization as
well as other outside sources (e.g., the press, analysts, consultants, etc...).
1. Description/overview of the company and the dimension on which you are focusing
2. Description of your inquiry (data collection procedures)
3. Findings (from research); analysis of organizational phenomenon under consideration
4. Recommendations for improvements or, if successful, analysis of why
Your “deliverable” will be a report that you will give to the class. Your class presentation will be made as if the
students were the top executives/managers in your firm. You will need to distribute an “Executive Summary” in
advance of your presentation so that your fellow students can question you about your analysis.
Option B. Issue Analysis: Archival and limited field work (if possible)
Your group will choose an issue connected to the themes in the course and of importance to multiple
organizations; this issue may be inspired by something in the headlines of the business press or something in your
own experience. You will need to examine the nature of this issue and analyze in detail how 3-5 diverse companies
have addressed and/or experienced the issue. Based on your research, you will describe different approaches to
and outcomes of the issue in question at the different organizations under consideration. The issue you choose
might be, for example, one related to the organization’s culture; the structure and functioning of groups within the
organization; its reward systems; or its relation to its local or national environment.
Your “deliverable” will be a report comprised of these components. Your class presentation will convey the most
important aspects of each of these components. You will need to distribute an “Executive Summary” in advance of
your presentation so that your fellow students can question you about your analysis.
The aims of this project are (1) to enrich and deepen your understanding of organizational behavior; (2) to provide
you with an opportunity to apply what you have learned throughout the course; (3) to assess your ability to define
and analyze an organizational problem and recommend actions, and (4) to help you develop interpersonal and
teamwork skills.
The final grade for this project is based on a written report and upon an in-class presentation. The written
report may be up to 10 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point times-roman font, 1-inch margins on all
sides). The group project will be evaluated according to quality of analysis, appropriate use of course
concepts, logic and substantiation of conclusions, and clarity and appeal of your class presentation.
You should draw on material covered in the course. A range of concepts from the course can be used
effectively to diagnose your organization and suggest recommendations. Your group should construct
what you collectively determine to be the best way of analysis and recommended plan of action based on
available data and relevant ideas from the course and the business scandal you choose. You should draw
on publicly available resources such as annual reports, newspaper articles, the Internet, and electronic
databases.
Be sure to include with your report a cover page, which is exempt from the page limit. The cover page
should include team members’ names, your instructor’s name, your section number, and your section’s
time. Don’t bother with fancy covers or binding; just staple the report together.
Paper Format:
The attached annotated outline (exhibit 1) should give you an idea of the main points to include in your
report. You should include an executive summary in your written report (for an idea of what an executive
summary looks like, see attached sample, exhibit 2).
How the paper is written is integral to a good finished product. In addition, appropriate headings and
subheadings can make your report much easier to follow.
Some suggestions on process (exhibit 3) may be useful in planning and managing the project. To help you
develop your report and presentation, our guidelines for evaluating the written report are also included
(exhibit 4).
This report highlights our comprehensive analysis of the Nuclear Tubing Room at American
Radiatronics Corporation (ARC). The Tube Room has recently witnessed beneficial
transformational change in the areas of output, labor efficiency, cost cutting measures, and group
cooperation, but it continues to strive to maintain its relative position in an increasingly
competitive market. We identified three major problems and offer five recommended solutions
in the present report.
In the course of our research, we identified three major problems related to the Nuclear Tubing
room:
We recommend that one short term and four long-term measures be undertaken in order to
ensure ARC’s future prosperity:
Short Term:
1. Stage a mass meeting to highlight department interdependencies and prepare for change
Long Term:
2. Implement two monthly meetings to provide forums for voicing concerns
3. Start a company newsletter and quarterly social events to forge inter-departmental bonds
4. Elicit Langley’s input in pre-planning for possible restructuring
5. Develop formal production and testing procedures for Tube Room processes
This strategy will allow ARC to capitalize on the strengths of the Tube Room, while trying to
enhance Tube Room and inter-department relations. We are confident that the recommendations
outlined in this report will help American Radiatronics maintain its competitive market position.
At every meeting:
• assign someone to coordinate the meeting (think about doing this in advance) and to
keep the team on track and aware of time during the meeting; this role should rotate
from meeting to meeting
• agree on a rough agenda and duration of the meeting (possibly in advance)
• at the end of the meeting, be sure that assignments for the next meeting are clear
• at the end of the meeting, discuss what you liked and disliked (feedback)
• if anyone is absent, assign someone to call that person and give an update
• schedule your next meeting
I. Quality of Analysis
Prioritization of Issues
is there a focus on the key issues? does the report explain how these were determined?
Validity of Recommendations
are the recommendations realistic? creative? practical? are they grounded in data from
the case? are there short-term and long-term recommendations? have you prioritized
them? do you consider the process for implementation of the recommendations?
Persuasiveness
overall, does this seem to be a sound way to address the situation? do the
recommendations follow logically from the analysis?
Executive Summary
does it make the reader want to read further? does it provide an accurate sense of the
content? is it well structured, smooth, consistent, and complete?