Diagnosis Paper: Guidelines for the Assignment

Diagnosis Paper:   Guidelines for the Assignment

This assignment is intended to help you begin to apply organizational behavior concepts, models and theories outside of the classroom.  You will identify a problem you have observed or experienced in an organization of your choice.  You may choose a department in your workplace, a work team, student organization, club, church group or any other organization of which you have been a member.  You will prepare a diagnosis paper (7 – 10 pages).  Be sure to include the following: 

§  Briefly describe the organization (the context for the problem.) 

You might include, for example, number of members or employees, the type of organization (business, non-profit, etc.), its purpose,  the work it does, products and services it provides, its customers (or the people it serves, location, profitability, culture, etc. 

§  State the problem and its impact (or potential impact) on the organization.   Since this is a problem you have observed, describe what you have seen or experienced.  Consider impact on people, quality of products or services, work processes, efficiency and effectiveness.

§  Based on what you have learned in this class, identify factors that might have contributed to the problem.  Draw upon what you have learned, but also learn more about the issue by reading 2-3 relevant articles in business publications to help you gain a deeper understanding of the problem.   (provide a bibliography at the end of the paper)

§  Discuss how concepts, models and theories you have learned in this class could have helped you (or the organization) deal more effectively with the problem.  Summarize your recommendations of actions the organization could take to address the problem. 

Format for the Paper

Your paper should include a cover page and it should be written in Times 12 point, double-spaced.  Since these documents are designed to reflect your professional capabilities, be sure that all writing is error-free.  (Points will be deducted for typos and grammatical errors.)