Organizational Behavior(Organizational Culture)

Term Paper
You will write a 2,500-word (9-10 page, double-spaced) term paper for this course, which will be comprised of two parts:

• Part 1: Reflection on key learning – (500 words)
  During the course, we will have worked on 14 topics. You are required to select the topic of which you think learning will be most relevant for your future career. In explaining the importance of this topic and how it will benefit your career, you need also to refer to relevant theories on the topic and your own perspective with critical analysis (i.e., in what ways do you think this topic will benefit your future work, and it what ways do you think it is not particularly relevant for your future work? Are there critics of the theory? Why or why not?)

Part 2: The Essay – (max 2000 words)
You are to choose one of the session topics and make a critical case study on this topic using a real organization. Ideally, this will be an organization you currently work for or have worked for in the past. If you have never worked, choose an organization you have a lot of knowledge about or can easily access.

The requirements for Part 2 of the essay are:

1. the topic was covered in one of the 10 weeks this term.
2. you use an organization you know well (you have worked there, or still work there, or a company contact there). The point is that it is easy for you to get information about this organization
3. your case analysis should develop towards a critical discussion of the theories that are relevant to your organization. You should demonstrate which aspects of your organization DO and DO NOT ‘fit the model’ (i.e., what can or cannot be explained by the theories we discussed with reference to your organization)
4. any sources used must be referenced in the Appendix using the title “References.” Understandably, you will be using information you have from personal experience or from relations working in the organization you are analyzing. In these cases, simply put an in-text reference like (personal experience) or (personal conversation). You can vary the way you do this, but the requirement is that you give some indication as to where or how you acquired this information.
5. your submission will not be made public. However, if you feel that you are using information that might be too sensitive for the organization, you may anonymize the organization and/or persons. In any case, please set the context for your chosen organization by briefly describing what the organization does, where it is based, how big it is, etc.
6. your grade will be determined by the following criteria: Focus (setting up a clear essay question to address, staying on topic), Synthesis (bringing together relevant literature in a significant manner), Soundness (demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the topic, providing a critical discussion), Clarity of Structure (well organized and logically constructed), Mechanical Soundness (clearly written, spell checked, referenced appropriately)
7. please use Times New Roman (12-point font), double-spaced, 1” margins

Tips for writing a solid term paper:

1. You must provide a full description of your chosen topic (including definitions, theoretical foundations, its antecedent conditions (i.e., why and how it exists in organizations), its relation to organizational outcomes (e.g., job performance, citizenship behavior, commitment, identification, counter workplace behavior, etc.), its relation to other organizational theory concepts or ideas.
2. You must discuss the ways in which this theory fits (aligns) with the organization you have selected
3. You must discuss the ways in which you do not think this topic is particularly relevant to your chosen organization
4. You should explain critics of the theory (i.e., research that challenges the theory/topic you have selected). Why or why not?
5. You will need to incorporate readings from the course and independent research to inform a thorough response
6. The structure of your paper should include the following:
   1. an introduction
   2. a description of the context of the organization (i.e., size, industry, location, culture, performance details, etc.) as well as how you are connected to the organization
   3. a complete description of your chosen topic (see tip 1 above) and why it is relevant to your organization and your specific experiences with the topic
   4. an analysis of your topic as it relates to your organization and your experiences within the organization (see tips 2, 3, and 4 above)
   5. a summary – where you “bring it all together”
   6. references (see tip 5 above).