three part BUS318 week 5

Required Resources

Text

Schermerhorn, J., Osborn, R., Uhl-Bien, M., & Hunt, J. (2012). Organizational behavior. (12th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 9780470878200  

• Chapter 10: Conflict and Negotiation
• Chapter 15: Organizational Culture and Innovation
• Chapter 16: Organizational Goals and Structures
• Chapter 17: Strategy, Technology, and Organizational Design

Article

Kotter International (2012, September 27). The key to changing organizational culture. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2012/09/27/the-key-to-changing-organizational-culture.

DISCUSSION 1

 Changing Organizational Culture

1st Posting Due by Day 3.  Based upon a review of the article presented by Kotter International titled The Key to Changing Organizational Culture (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., how is organizational culture usually formed? Who’s ultimately responsible for how or if it changes? Why do change attempts typically fail? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.

DISCUSSION 2

Organizational Controls

1st Posting Due by Day 3.  Describe some of the side effects of organizational controls in a large mechanistically structured organization, such as the United States Postal Service. Identify at least one other large mechanistically structured organization that could have the same problems. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

Week 5 - Final Paper

Final Paper

Due by Day 7.  The purpose of the Final Project Paper is for you to culminate the learning achieved in the course by describing your understanding and application of knowledge in the field of Organizational Behavior. The Final Paper should also focus on real life, real time application of topics covered in this course; the uses you have seen and the uses you can envision.

Focus of the Final Paper

Select a topic of interest in organizational behavior that you would like to explore with additional research (must use at least five references).  Some suggested topics for your paper are: 

• Personality
• Stress
• Attitudes
• Motivation
• Attribution
• Performance Management
• Team building
• Leadership
• Decision Making Process 
• Communication
• Organizational Goals

Your paper must:

• Apply the research to your personal working environment, or an environment you have previously experienced. 
• Describe how will you use the knowledge you have gained in this course to change the way you interact and do business in the future?

Writing the Final Paper

• Must be six to eight double-spaced pages in length, exclusive of Appendix, References, Exhibits, etc.
• Formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide (including title page and reference list).
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must conclude with a restatement of the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
• Must include at least five appropriately documented, academic sources.
• Must include, on the final page, a Reference Page that is completed according to APA style as outlined in the student guide.