Case study on APPLE CORPORATION

Course Paper 200 points

Prepare a case study. The case must involve some organization. The case may come from an

academic journal, a compilation of case studies, a situation reported in the local newspaper

supplemented by discussion with someone involved, personal experience or some other relevant and

meaningful source. The preferred sources are personal experience and a real situation reported in

the newspaper. With any case, the conclusion must be yours and not the regurgitation of the

author’s thoughts. The analysis should state what happened, why it happened, what you would do

differently and what lessons can be learned from that particular case which could be applied to other

situations.  Students must provide the instructor with an outline of their presentation and cite their

source. Acting as an organizational consultant, you will apply the tools from the course to assess an

organizational issue of your choosing (e.g. motivation, leadership, team dynamics, communication).

Identify an organizational problem of interest to you and in 10-12 typed and numbered pages, using

double spacing and Times Roman font size of 12 with the following headings (deduction taken if

headings are missing/combined):

Background (10 points):

Should acquaint the reader with the organization and specific division/department of interest

Present key facts that are important in understanding the

problem/issue of interest. Include an organizational chart.

Statement of the Problem (10 points):

What are the key problems/challenges/issues?

Are these surface problems (symptoms) or root causes? Identify the basic problem and the

purpose of the research. Make a compelling case that these are indeed fundamental issues.

Literature Review (40 points):

Address what you discovered in your search of the literature.  Review theories, concepts, and studies

discussed in your text or in class and review what other writers/researchers may have to say about

the subject of your analysis. You should talk about the concepts, ideas, or insights that have the

most value for helping you make sense of your project. What theories can you use? Which writers

say something of value and why?

Which models are the most helpful and why? What concepts will you challenge or criticize because

your findings are different? Begin your review in broad terms, painting an overview of the field of

interest. Then gradually narrow your focus until you zero in on the key issues of concern. Include a

minimum of 10 separate sources. Must cite references within the body of the paper.

Problem Analysis (40 points):

Provide a detailed analysis of the causes of the problems or issues you identified. Clearly illustrate

how you are applying Organizational Theory concepts plus what you’ve learned from your literature

review to better understand the causes of the problems/issues.

Possible Solutions (30 points):

Offer Solutions appropriate for the situation considering those who must implement them. Analyze

pros and cons and prioritize the options.

Solution and Its Implementation (30 points):

Outline your recommended solution to the problems/issues from the previous section. Specifically

state what should be done, by whom, with whom, and in what sequence. Thus, include not only

what should be done but how it should be done. Focus on solution implementation, long and short

term.

Justification (10 points):

Using course concepts, tell why your solution and implementation will work. Support with referenced

facts, quotes, and readings.

References (10 points):

All citations in the paper must appear alphabetically in the reference list. Citations identify the

source for readers to locate information. Ensure all quotes, ideas, or conclusions not your own are

given proper acknowledgement in your text. Minimum source citations: 8.

Presentation (20 points):

Using applicable visual aids, brief your applied research to the class.

• Plan for 10-15 minutes and be prepared to field questions.