Course Project

The Week 3 assignment is considered a major assignment that might take more than one week to complete.

Using the same organization, you identified in Week 1, assess the root causes of organizational problems using OD themes. (Note: Organizational development represents all OD and change themes presented in the course and readings. Since you are looking at the organization as a whole, these themes will include those studies in previous courses such as MGT7100 and MGT7105. Use your cumulative knowledge to maximize your effectiveness in diagnosing your organization.).

Now that you have done an initial assessment and done some background research (i.e., the Week 1 paper), consider the following question: Who do you need to ask, what do you need to ask, and how will you gather the data needed to support or reject your initial assessment about the organizational problems? Because you have been studying additional OD and change concepts since your Week 1 work, be sure to consider all you have studied in the first three weeks as you frame problems.

In preparation for your Week 3 paper, design a data-gathering plan that addresses the who, what, and how questions noted in the previous paragraph. Consult your instructor for guidance as needed. Consider all levels of OD and change (individual, group, and organizational). Additionally, your paper must include two different cited resources that support the research process you are designing and conducting. For example, if you decide to use surveys, include supportive citations on why the surveys or the way you are using them is appropriate. Or if you choose to use interviews, include supportive citations that inform and support the way you are conducting the interviews. Implement as much of your plan as possible and gather some data.

Note: The course project for MGT7200 shares processes and deliverables similar to those of MGT7100 and MGT7105. However, the project in MGT7100 and MGT7105 asked you to conduct your organizational diagnosis through the lens of specific themes of individual organizational behavior and team behavior. In contrast, the MGT7200 project asks you to conduct your analysis through a broader lens, at the organization level. You are to view the organization holistically, as an open system. Being able to operate at different levels of analysis (e.g., individual level, team level, and organizational level) is an important skill for the organizational behavior expert. Additionally, your paper in this course should demonstrate doctoral-level growth and development in your data-gathering, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.

In your paper, address the following:

Summarize the key details about your organization (what its name is, what it does, etc.).

Summarize your initial assessment of organizational problems: What are the symptoms, what is the evidence, and what are the organization development themes? Include new themes that have emerged in your studies throughout the course.

Justify your data-gathering plan, including details about who, what, and how you will ask. Focus on the data needed to confirm whether your proposed, team level themes are the possible root causes of the organizational difficulties. For example, if you are proposing some types of organization structure theme, then you will need to collect specific data on structures. Your data-gathering plan needs to reflect doctoral-level development. You must provide at least two different cited sources that support your design and implementation of research.

Assess the information gleaned from implementing your data-gathering plan. What did you learn? Did your findings support or refute your initial assessment? What do your findings tell you about the symptoms of the problem versus the root causes? Use appropriate academic peer-reviewed literature to support your argument. You may also use documentation and interviews from the organization to support your perspective.

Summarize a self-assessment of your framing process. Why do you see the symptoms, problem, evidence, themes, or other patterns in the situation the way that you do? Do you have biases, relationships, or other factors that might influence your research and analysis in the scenario addressed in the paper?

Synthesize your work to date into a succinct statement of the organization’s team issues. At this point in your work, what do you think are the organization’s problems or gaps that need to be addressed? Illustrate your assessment as a model with variables.

Submission Details:

Complete your analysis in a 6- to 8-page Microsoft Word document.

Name your document SU_MGT7200_W3_ LastName_FirstInitial.doc.

Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.

Use APA format and style for your paper.