Posted: May 13th, 2018

Davenport MGMt645 full course (all assignments + forums+ journals)

Assignment Overview
This
course project is designed to give you real life practical experience while
examining some of the key elements of organizational behavior as they apply to
a specific organization. Additionally,
the project offers you the opportunity to develop and create your own
recommendations for the organization.
Each
week, you will complete a weekly project (parts A – E) and, in week 7, you will
synthesize all of this into a final project that will be your recommendations. For
the weekly projects, you will be conducting research and presenting findings
related to the organization that you selected.
For the final project, you will develop a formal recommendations paper
based on your research. Consider the
weekly projects as a way to examine the current state of the organization. Consider the final project as a way for you
to provide recommendations to better the organization.
Timeline and Point Allocation
See the
course calendar for specific due date:
·
Topic Selection: Week 1 (30 points)
·
Part A: Week 2 (50 Points)
·
Part B: Week 3 (50 points)
·
Part C: Week 4 (50 points)
·
Part D: Week 5 (50 points)
·
Part E: Week 6 (50 points)
·
Project Recommendations: Week 7 (100 points)
Topic Selection:
One of the most critical steps in
this class is selecting an organization.
You will use this topic for each weekly project and the Project
Recommendations. An organization must be
submitted for approval before you can proceed to the next elements of the
assignment. Failure to submit your topic
selection by the due date will preclude you from completing the upcoming
project assignments. When selecting an
organization for purposes of these assignments, it’s best to select a mid-size
organization where you will be able to access the information needed to
complete these assignments. Selecting an
organization that is too large, like Wal-Mart or GE, will be too significant a
scope for these assignments. Selecting a
small organization of under 20 employees won’t provide the needed dynamic to
complete these assignments. When
considering what organization to select, you may select an organization where
you work or have worked. You might also
select an organization that is of interest to you but it should be an
organization where you have access to resources to complete the required
assignments. There are many scholarly
sources available within the Davenport University Library. Additionally, other great resources could be
leaders within the organization who you can interview. One word of caution, it’s important to maintain
objectivity. This will be demonstrated
by your scholarly research.
For the Project Topic, you will
submit a 2 page (body) APA formatted paper that will include the following:
·
Name of organization
·
Reason why you selected this
organization
·
Description of organization
that will include type of industry, number of employees, basic history, any
other pertinent information as to why this is a great selection for your
topic.
·
A minimum of 3 specific APA
formatted scholarly resources that you plan to use in your upcoming research.
The topic must be approved by
faculty before you can proceed.
General Guidelines for Parts A-E and Project
Recommendations
Projects must be completed using APA standards with the
inclusion of:Title pageAbstractIntroductionBody (with correct use of headings and sub-headings)ConclusionReference PageAppendices (as needed)
Projects must be completed in third person.Parts A – E as well as the Project Recommendations do get
submitted to Turnitin as a routine.These assignments require that you conduct and assess scholarly
research. A good place to start
your research is the online databases accessible through the Davenport
University Online Library. [Hint:
If you are unsure how to use the databases ask for help by clicking on the
Ask A Librarian link]. You can also use professional websites and
magazines, quality newspapers and journals. Yet another source would be
interviewing leaders within the organization. Note: References like Wikipedia
may be a good starting point but it is NOT considered academically
credible because the information can be edited by lay people who may not
input accurate and validated information. Parts A – E need to have a minimum of 4
scholarly sources outside of our class resources. With each week, you should be expanding
your reference list rather than using the same references repeatedly. The Project Recommendations needs to
have a minimum of 10 scholarly sources outside of our class resources.It is imperative that you tie your research and recommendations
to the course material. Be sure to
link your projects to the core concepts from the class.The body for each of the weekly projects will be 4 – 6 pages. The body for the final project will be a
minimum of 10 pages.The university’s policy on plagiarism and academic honesty
apply.

Part A: Reward and
Performance Practices
Conduct and present research that
evaluates the current reward structure in your selected organization. Be sure to examine both monetary and
non-monetary rewards. Write a word essay – Evaluate the
effectiveness of these rewards on performance.
Additionally, assess how this reward system motivates (or fails to
motivate) employees (Note: this is not
where you will make recommendations – that will come in the final project).
Part B: Decision-Making
Conduct and present research that
evaluates the decision making process within the organization. Be sure
to provide specific examples of
complex decisions that have been made. Discuss
and describe who is involved in the decision-making and who is impacted
by the decision-making. Write a word essay – Evaluate the effectiveness of this process,
without making recommendations.
Part C: Conflict
Conduct and present research that
evaluates how conflict manifests itself within the organization. Discuss both positive and negative
conflict. Be sure to provide specific
examples. Examine what stressors cause
conflict and what approaches are used to manage conflict
Part D: Leadership and
Organizational Structure
Conduct and present research that
evaluates the leadership style fostered in this organization. Provide examples of both its effectiveness
and ineffectiveness. Write a page paper – Describe how
leaders are (or are not) nurtured and developed. Analyze how the organizational structure also
manifests itself within the organization.
Part E: Organizational
Culture and Change
Conduct and present research that
evaluates the current culture of the organization. Provide examples of how environmental forces
have impacted the organization. As a
part of this, identify how the organization accepts or embraces change as a
force.

Project Recommendations
For this final element, you will
synthesize all of your research and create recommendations to the
organization’s leaders on ways that the organization can adjust and improve in
the following areas:
·
Reward and Performance
Practices
·
Decision-making
·
Conflict
·
Leadership and Organizational
Structure
·
Organizational Culture and
Change
·
You may include other
recommendation sections as appropriate for your organization.
Justify your research by including
scholarly research that has been conducted on comparable organizations. Be sure to include both the pros and cons of
your recommendations. As a friendly
reminder, this is a professional document and should be completed in third person.Due Week 1: Project Topic Selection PaperOne
of the most critical steps in this class is selecting an organization.
You will use this topic for each weekly project and the Project
Recommendations. An organization must be submitted for approval before
you can proceed to the next elements of the assignment. Failure to
submit your topic selection by the due date will preclude you from
completing the upcoming project assignments.When selecting an
organization for purposes of these assignments, it’s best to select a
mid-size organization where you will be able to access the information
needed to complete these assignments. Selecting an organization that is
too large, like Wal-Mart or GE, will be too significant a scope for
these assignments. Selecting a small organization of under 20 employees
won’t provide the needed dynamic to complete these assignments. When
considering what organization to select, you may select an organization
where you work or have worked. You might also select an organization
that is of interest to you but it should be an organization where you
have access to resources to complete the required assignments.There are
many scholarly sources available within the Davenport University
Library. Additionally, other great resources could be leaders within the
organization who you can interview. One word of caution, it’s important
to maintain objectivity. This will be demonstrated by your scholarly
research.For the Project Topic Selection, you will submit a 2 page APA formatted paper that will include the following:Name of organizationReason why you selected this organizationDescription
of organization that will include type of industry, number of
employees, basic history, any other pertinent information as to why this
is a great selection for your topic.A minimum of 3 specific APA formatted scholarly resources that you plan to use in your upcoming research.All forumsThe
first week of this course, you will learn and define organizational
behavior. Next, you will compare and contrast the four different views of
organizational effectiveness. You will further learn the historical
perspectives of organizational behavior and the importance of
understanding organizational behavior when leading and managing
individuals.

Post
DQI by Day 2,
your introduction to the class and then answer the following discussion
question: A friend suggests that organizational behavior courses are
useful only to people who will enter management careers. Discuss the
accuracy of your friend’s statement by utilizing research that you have
gathered from at least two sources other than your text.
Finally, be sure to cite your sources in APA formatting. Answer the
discussion question by Day 2, and respond to your peers no later than day 7.
Q2
you
will also explore learning organizations and gain understanding of acquisition
of new knowledge and how imperative it is for the continued viability of any
organization. One idea could be to inventory the knowledge within the
organization to determine who has the knowledge, what, and where the knowledge
is located and how to access it. This knowledge must be preserved and
worthwhile in order for this knowledge to remain valuable.

After
hearing a seminar on organizational learning, a mining company executive argues
that this perspective ignores the fact that mining companies cannot rely on
knowledge alone to stay in business. They also need physical capital
(such as digging and ore-processing equipment) and land (where the minerals are
located). In fact, these two may be more important than what employees
carry around in their heads. Write a word essay – Evaluate the mining executive’s comments.
Week 2
Post
DQI by day 2,
this week you will learn the differences between attitudes and emotions. You
will further recognize and how emotions influence job performance.
Emotional labor will be defined and the dynamics of masking emotions and its
implications. Many individuals in the service industry have to suppress
their emotions which may cause problems. This discussion will help you
determine how to respond to emotions in the workplace. You will further be able
to assess positive and negative emotions.

Two
recent college graduates join the same major newspaper as journalists.
Both work long hours and have tight deadlines for completing their
stories. They are under constant pressure to scout out new leads and be
the first to report new controversies. One journalist is increasingly
fatigued and despondent. This journalist has also taken several days of
sick leave. The other is getting the work done and seems to enjoy the
challenges. Use your knowledge of stress to explain why these two
journalists are reacting differently to their jobs. Write a word essay – Evaluate what an
organization can do to help maximize the potential of its employees in this
type of situation.

Read a selection of your peer’s
postings.
Q2
Post DQ 2 by day 4,Write a page paper – Describe a time when you
practiced self-leadership successfully to perform a task. With reference
to each step in the self-leadership process, describe what you did to achieve
this success.
Week 3

In week three discussion, you will evaluate communication in team and perceived
differences in communication. You will be able to understand how to
communicate in ways that celebrate similarity and ways that celebrate
differences. You will assess teams and team effectiveness, development and
cohesiveness. You will also assess individual versus team-based
incentives.

Post
DQI by day 2,
you have been hired as a consultant to improve communication between
engineering and marketing employees in a large high-technology company.
Use the communication model and the four ways to improve that process to devise
strategies to improve communication effectiveness among employees in these two
work units. Finally, be sure to cite your sources in APA formatting. Answer the
discussion question by Day 2, and respond to your peers no later than day 7.
Q2
Post DQ 2 by day 4,you have been assigned to a class project with three or four
other students, none of whom you have not met before (online course situation).
To what extent would team cohesiveness improve your team’s performance? What
actions would you recommend to build team cohesiveness among student team
members in this situation? How might a team contract help establish goals?What should be
included in a contract?
Week 4
Post DQI by day 2, A few years ago, the CEO of
Apple Computer invited Steve Jobs (who was not associated with the company at the
time) to serve as a special adviser and raise morale among Apple employees and
customers.

While doing this, Jobs spent more time advising the CEO on how to cut costs,
redraw the organization chart, and hire new people. Before long, most of the
top people at Apple were Job’s colleagues, who began to systematically evaluate
and weed out teams of Apple employees. While publicly supporting Apple’s CEO,
Jobs privately criticized him and, in a show of no confidence, sold 1.5 million
shares of Apple stock he had received.

This action caught the attention of Apple’s board of directors, who soon after
decided to replace the CEO with Steve Jobs. The CEO claimed Jobs was a
conniving back-stabber who used political tactics to get his way. Others
suggest that Apple would be out of business today if he had not taken over the
company. In your opinion, were Steve Job’s actions examples of organizational
politics?
Finally, be sure to
cite your sources in APA formatting. Answer the discussion question by Day 2,
and respond to your peers no later than day 7.
Post DQ 2 by day 4,How does networking increase a
person’s power? What networking strategies could you initiate now to
potentially enhance your future career success?
Reada selection of your peer’s postings.
Week 5
Post DQI by day 2,In Week 5, you will discuss leadership
competencies and in what way you can be an effective leader. In addition,
you will learn ways to effectively communicate and build relationship with the
team members. You learn about the elements of transformational leadership and
the elements of the path goal theory. Further, you will assess
organizational structure as it relates to span of control and its effect on
communications and duplication of activities in organizations.
Your employees are
skilled and experienced customer service representatives who perform
non-routine tasks, such as solving unique customer problems or meeting special
needs with the company’s equipment. Use path-goal theory to identify the
most appropriate leadership style(s) you should use in this situation. Be
sure to fully explain your answer, and discuss why other styles are
inappropriate.
Reada selection of your peer’s postings.
Q2
Post PDQ 2 by day 4,Administrative theorists
concluded many decades ago that the most effective organizations have a narrow
span of control. Yet today’s top performing manufacturing firms have a
wide span of control. Conduct research and share examples where this is
the case. Why is this possible? Under what circumstances, if any,
should manufacturing firms have a narrow span of control?
Reada selection of your peer’s postings.
Week 6
Post DQ I by day 2,this week you will assess
organizational change and its impact. You will assess why individuals
resist changes and discuss the step-by-step process that will lead
organizational change. Further, you will learn how organizational culture is
link to its leadership and processes. You will learn how the culture
created set the tone, provides direction, determine behaviors and
decision-making in the organization.
Web Circuits is a
Malaysian based custom manufacturer for high technology companies. Senior
management wants to introduce lean management practices to reduce production
costs and remain competitive. A consultant has recommended that the company
start with a pilot project in one department and, when successful, diffuse
these practices to other areas of the organization. Discuss the advantages of
this recommendation and identify three ways (other than the pilot project’s
success) to make diffusion of the change effort more successful.
Finally, be sure to
cite your sources in APA formatting. Answer the discussion question by Day 2,
and respond to your peers no later than day 7.
Post PDQ 2 by day 4,Superb Consultants has
submitted a proposal to analyze the cultural values of your organization. The
proposal states that Superb has developed a revolutionary new survey to tap the
company’s true culture. The survey takes just ten minutes to complete and the
consultants say results can be based on a small sample of employees. Discuss
the merits and limitations of this proposal.
Reada selection of your peer’s postings.
Week 7
Post
DQ I by day 2, Week
7, you will examine the reasons for resistance to change. Resistance can
be for numerous reasons including lack of rewards for change, loss of security,
or lack of trust. Incremental change in organizations can be less
threatening and easier to integrate into the existing culture.

Employee
resistance to organizational change initiatives is a symptom, not a problem.
What are some of the real problems that may underlie employee resistance to
change? How do organizations create an atmosphere whereby employee resistance
is reduced and/or eliminated?

Finally,
be sure to cite your sources in APA formatting. Answer the discussion question
by Day 2, and respond to your peers no later than day 5.
Post PDQ 2 by Day 4,Research has shown that
organizations are more likely to succeed when they have an adaptive culture.
What can an organization do to foster an adaptive culture?

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