writing in buisness about motivation

BUS 260 | WRITING REFLECTION ASSIGNMENTS Each reflection involves writing a 200-word paragraph applying one specific concept from the course to understanding a specific and personal experience you or someone you know has had. Reflections are short, so best not to try to address too large or general a concept. Trying to apply a general concept (e.g., leadership, decision-making) will not result in a good grade. A good basic structure is to (1) introduce, define, and explain the concept of interest from the course, (2) describe a personal experience or situation, and (3) explain how the concept from the course allows you to understand or explain the real-world behavior observed. For example, you might write a paragraph on an acquaintance or friend who is highly conscientiousness, making them a consistently productive student or worker. If you need help or feedback on your assignments as you are writing them, please consult the resources PDF on UR Courses, or make an appointment to come and talk to me at any time! LENGTH: 200 words or less. Please include a word count at the bottom of the paragraph or page. Word counts include just your paragraph, not your name/title/course section, etc. If you go over the word count, or do not provide a word count, you will lose a mark. GRADING: Assignments will be marked out of 10. See marking rubric on next page for details. Your final writing reflections grade will be calculated from your best 9 of 11 submissions. SUBMISSION: Assignments must be submitted through UR courses in Word or PDF format. Submissions are due Sundays at midnight. Late assignments will lose 25% per day late. FEEDBACK: Reflections will not be returned in class, nor will you receive a marked-up hard copy. However, I am more than happy to go over assignment feedback in detail with you in person. If you’re interested in feedback on your reflection, please contact me and make an appointment. It’s best to come see me early in the semester for feedback so that you continually improve your writing. TOPICS: Each reflection will have a different unit topic, as shown below. If the assignment is not written about a relevant topic, you will be penalized 50%. Reflection 1 – Values, attitudes, and work behavior Reflection 2 – Personality Reflection 3 – Learning Reflection 4 – Perceiving and judging others Reflection 5 – Motivation in theory and practice Reflection 6 – Group dynamics and teams Reflection 7 – Socialization and culture Reflection 8 – Leadership Reflection 9 – Conflict and stress Reflection 10 – Decision-making Reflection 11 – Power, politics, and ethics

GRADING RUBRIC The following guidelines will be used to assign marks for your writing reflections. Each writing reflection is marked out of 10. Marks are awarded for completing the relevant components of the assignment, roughly as follows: concept definition (1); relevant personal example (2); depth of analysis (5); style (2). Marks will be deducted for word counts over 200 (-1) and/or for writing on a non-listed appropriate topic (-5). Marking standards are applied to all students equally.

9+ EXCEPTIONAL

(Well above average)

Clear, well-worded definition of specific OB concept Highly relevant personal experience, well summarized Exceptional depth of analysis – more than one facet addressed Exceptional writing style – no typos, grammatical errors, great flow Overall: Outstanding analysis and writing style

7-8 GOOD

(Average to above average)

Clear definition of specific OB concept Relevant personal summary of experience Good depth of analysis Good writing style – few to no typos/grammatical issues Overall: Average to above average analysis and writing style

5-6 SATISFACTORY

(Meets requirements)

Some definition of specific OB concept Some personal experience summarized Moderate depth of analysis Acceptable writing style – some typos or grammatical errors Overall: Acceptance analysis and writing style

1-4 NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

(Does not meet requirements)

Poor definition of OB concept, or concept too broad No personal example given, or example marginally relevant Little to no depth of analysis Generally poor writing style Overall: Poor analysis/writing, does not meet requirements