orgnizational behavior

Grammar / Writing Style

· Direct quotes

· Ex: “A month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a survey of Manhattan residents indicated that 8.5 percent were suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, most of a result of the attack” (Myers, 2007, p. 469).

· Use this sparingly (typically no more than one per page)

· Use this opportunity to practice paraphrasing, taking note of any potential plagiarism issues

· Non-Direct Quotes

· Ex: In the month following September 11, 2001, a small percentage of Manhattan residents suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (Myers, 2007).

· Secondary Citations – Try to use primary source if at all possible

· Ex: Zimbardo (1977) (as cited in Myers, 2007) showed the world how a situation can influence a rational, kind person to say and perform acts he never thought he could.

· You can get away with about one per paper. No more.

· Avoid passive voice – direct voice is more appropriate

· Incorrect: “Dinner is being cooked by Edna.”

· Correct: “Edna is cooking dinner.”

· Incorrect: “Over 60 songs have been written by Jimmy Buffett in the last 20 years”

· Correct: “Jimmy Buffett has written over 60 songs in the last 20 years.”

· Define pronouns

· Ex: it, he, she, they, theirs, others, etc.

· “This study…” – the one you just cited, or your study? Be specific. (noted ‘which’ or ‘give it a name.’)

· Define all acronyms the first time you use them

· Ex. General Motors Corporation (GM) is a leading supplier of vehicles in the automotive industry.

· Do not use contractions – spell out the whole word

· Ex. can’t = cannot; shouldn’t = should not.

· Avoid colloquial and slang phrases

· Ex. “to wrap up,” “stuff like that,” “didn’t have a clue,” “the ins and outs,”

· “it really hit the fan,” “blown away,” “a lot,”

· Improper word choice

· severe (not sever)

· their/there/they’re

· than/then

· gender role (not roll)

· affect v. effect (How Does the Effect Affect You?)

Assignment Specific

· Write in consistent tense (typically past tense)

· Avoid personal pronouns (Use “the analysts” or “the company” instead of “we” or “I”)

· If you have a citation in text, it should be in the references and vice versa

· Organization issues (a good intro paragraph goes a long way)

· Paragraphs should contain at least four sentences but not run on.

· Do not use page breaks between sections.

· Include your last name and first initial in the title of the paper AND the filename.

· Proofread

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