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Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action Objective Research shows that people learn effectively when working on real problems grounded in their work experience

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Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Action

Research shows that people learn effectively when working on real problems grounded in their work experience. To this end, the Course Project is designed to incorporate students' work experience into the learning process in this course.

The project is an opportunity to explore, in-depth, a topic related to the course objectives (COs) that is of significance to your organization (current or former).

You will be required to prepare an applied research paper, with a minimum of 15 pages but not to exceed 20 pages in length (excluding cover page, table of contents and appendices), on a specific issue related to leadership or organizational behavior. This research paper is to be individually completed.

Topic Selection

1. Weekly, select a specific organization/organizations of interest to you and identify a problem at the firm related to organizational behavior (OB).  This maybe an organization where you currently serve or one where you have served.
2. Think of yourself as an organizational consultant. Assume that a key manager has requested a thorough analysis and recommended course of action to resolve an actual organizational problem. Your goal is to develop recommendations that will make a positive difference to the performance of the organization.
3. Your research paper should address the following three course objectives, at a minimum:
   1. Course Objective A - Evaluate how organizational theories and practices can improve organizational operations.
   2. Course Objective B - Analyze how values, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and personality influence decision making in the workplace.
   3. Course Objective D - Analyze the impact of different structures and lines of authority on organizational strategy and culture.

APA FORMAT & PAPER

Paper Format

1. All papers should be double spaced, using an 11- or 12-point font. Refer to the APA Style Sheet for additional information.
2. The length of the paper is to be between 10 and 15 pages, not counting the cover page, table of contents, nor appendices.
3. The first page should include the title of the work, student name, course number and title, date, and professor name.
4. The second page should be a table of contents. It should, at a minimum, reflect the seven items listed in the Grading Rubric.
5. Follow APA style for general format and citations (see the APA Guidelines Tutorial in the Syllabus).
6. The paper sections must adhere to the guidelines below, and each section must be labeled in the text.
7. The language should be clear, concise, and precise.
8. The tone should be professional, consistent, and not filled with jargon.
9. Grammar and syntax (sentence structure) must be correct.
10. The report must be free of misspellings and typos.

Table and Figures

1. All figures and tables must be referred to in your text before they appear on the page.
2. Figures and tables should appear on the same page as, or the page after, the text that refers to them.
3. All figures and tables need captions. Captions go below figures and above tables.

Quotations and Citations

1. Quotations and citations are crucial components of a research paper and must be presen
2. Failure to properly cite research sources and borrowed ideas is plagiarism.
3. Refer to the APA style guide for assistance with properly citing quoted or borrowed materials and ideas.
4. Turnitin (see Turnitin.com) is used on all reports and projects. A report can be obtained for your review prior to submitting your final work. Make sure that you are in compliance with the University's 20/80 rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE PROJECT PAPER

1. Framework papers are research papers that are typically used as a basis for additional exploration of specific topics in a larger study. A framework paper introduces and further explains a specific aspect of the study while also furthering an explanation of the main research question. During week's 4, 5 and 6, you will be assigned specific topics to continue your research and to further explore. Your individual weekly papers should demonstrate an understanding of the background theories and concepts from within our course that are relevant to your topic.
2. How to get started? Research your topic - Research it a great deal using the DeVry Library and/or any other academic library. Further, review all of the course material as well as the relevant research (typically journal articles) that help explore and study the organizational research problem you are studying.
3. What is the overall purpose of a framework paper? Essentially, the purpose of a framework paper should be to explain the meaning and the challenges of the organizational problem as well as continue building on the body of knowledge as the beginning of plausible (and possible) solutions to ultimately help benefit the organization being studied.
4. Steps to consider when drafting your Framework Paper:
   • Review your (preliminary) research paper title and your research question.
   • Review all research articles and information that you have found, so far.
   • Review the course information paying particular attention to the relevant theories that address the week's topic/question.
   • Discuss and present the assumptions that relate to the theory or theories.
   • Include the relevance to your research and topic. Be sure to explain why and how this is important to consider and discuss.
5. For each weekly Framework Paper, include the following sections.
   • Introduction
   • Preliminary statement of problem
   • Detailed explanation of how this helps answer the stated research question
   • Discuss and present the assumptions that relate to the theory or theories.
   • Include the relevance to your research and topic. Be sure to explain why and how this is important to consider and discuss.
   • What additional research is suggested by this information? Which solutions are suggested? Why? Do they appear valid? Relevant? How can you tell?
   • Conclusions

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE PROJECT RUBRIC

Section	Points	Description
Title Page	5	Title of your applied research paper, course number and course title, professor name, and date.
Introduction	5	Provide an overview of the organization and your role in it. Provide enough information about the firm to acquaint an unfamiliar person (no matter how famous the company). Identify name, location, size, market segment (business line), and a brief history. Identify the essential issues, events, or actions to help frame the problem and subsequent discussion points.
Problem Statement	10	Identify and clearly state the problem (the leadership or organizational behavior issue that you have selected to research). The problem statement should be phrased in terms of a research question. For instance, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem statement might be "How can group performance be improved?" A well formed problem statement includes the following. Focus: The problem should be well defined and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the Organizational Behavior topic area and the direction of your study and research. Structure: If the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper.
Literature Review	25	You must include at least eight scholarly resources in this section. Approach this section as a mini book report on each of the reference sources that significantly informed your analysis and proposed solutions. Give the reader an encapsulated review of what information you found most relevant to your research. Be sure and explain why the information is important. You may have found conflicting opinions or theories related to your topic area. Identify and discuss any such contrasts or describe in detail significant agreement among your sources. Your literature review should be separate and distinct from your analysis section; it is a summation of your research. The goal should be a substantial paragraph containing a minimum of five to seven sentences per review.
Analysis	25	Explore the problem in depth and with scholarly rigor. Provide an identification and description of the root causes of the problem or issue. Be sure not to address only symptoms of your problem. Diagnose the problem and its origins. A critical element of this section is to apply leadership and organization concepts and models from our text, from class discussions, and from your literature review. Discuss the concepts, ideas, or insights that are most valuable in helping you make sense of the causes of the problem. Support your analysis with reference to appropriate research material. Refer to and appropriately include the information and ideas you developed in the two papers you researched and wrote in Week's 5 and 6. To reiterate, the topics of those previous papers included: a.) How organizational theories improve operations, b.) How values and attitudes influence decision making, and c.) Influence of various structures and lines of authority.
Solutions	20	Identify at least three (no more than five) potential workable solutions to your problem and identify the pros and cons of each alternative solution and its high-level implementation steps. Identify your preferred solution and describe exactly what should be done and how it should be done, including by whom, with whom, and in what sequence. Always explain your thinking behind your final solution set. It's important to be clear about why a particular alternative (solution) was chosen, as opposed to others.
Reflection	5	Think about this assignment and write a well thought out reflective statement about how this assignment influenced your personal, academic, and professional leadership and managerial development.
References	5	You must use no fewer than eight library resources outside of your textbook. All references must be cited in two places—within the body of your paper and on a separate reference list. Choose references judiciously and cite them accurately. Cite all sources using APA format. Please note that citing an author's work within your text documents your research, identifies the source for readers, and enables readers to locate the source of information in the alphabetical reference list at the end of the paper. To use the ideas or words of another person without crediting the source is plagiarism. Plagiarism in its purest form involves copying passages either verbatim or nearly verbatim, with no direct acknowledgment of the source. The most common form of plagiarism is to paraphrase information from your source material. Paraphrasing does not relieve you of the obligation to provide proper identification of source data. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to make sure all quotes, ideas, or conclusions that are not your own are given proper acknowledgment in your research paper.
Total	100