RECENT ASSIGNMENT

Assignment 2 – Written assignment
Task: ? Task 1: 500 word (max) scenario
? Task 2: 1,500 word essay exclusive of appendices, diagrams, tables, list of references
? Task 3: 1-2 page table of recommendations
Weight: Marked out of 100 and worth 45% of total assessment
Relevant Modules: Module 1 to Module 4
Due date: 28 April 2014 (this is a Monday )
Task 1 (up to 500 words)
Think of a story/scenario about an incident/event/problem which has occurred or is currently occurring in your working life and/or organisation and in which the concepts of individual behaviour, motivation and teams are relevant.
Write this story/scenario down (in no more than 500 words or one page). Be sure to include the titles/descriptions of key people/actors and descriptions of relevant situational variables (who?, what?, where?, why?, how?).
Guidelines to write the scenario
The scenario should commence with an opening statement which sets the scene in terms of the relevance of the scenario to you.
The attitudes and perceptions of people involved in this scenario must have been affected by what happened in the event/scenario.
The scenario must describe an event/problem which could be analysed from a motivational perspective.
The scenario must describe an event/problem which could be analysed from a group dynamics perspective.
The story/scenario should be concrete (about real people, actions and events); familiar to a work setting and believable to those who read it.
Structurally your story should involve a setting, a build-up (trouble’s coming!) and a crisis, problem or climax.
Task 2 (1500 words)
Analyse the scenario/event/problem by critically discussing the following organisational behaviour issues as they pertain to the scenario:
1. Critically discuss what impact the events/incidents/problems in this scenario are likely to have on the attitudes and perceptions of the people identified in the scenario. (Module 1 and 2) . (500 words )
2. Choose two motivational theories which are relevant to your scenario and critically discuss what impact the events/incidents/problems in this scenario are likely to have on the motivation of the people identified in the scenario (Module 3) . (500 words )
3. Draw on the content in module 4 to critically discuss group dynamics in the scenario (module 4) . (500 words )
Task 3 (1-2 page table)
Make recommendations: Draw up a table (1-2 pages) and summarise what actions could be taken to manage the (1) attitudes and perceptions and (2) motivation of the people identified in the scenario and what actions could be taken to improve the (3) group dynamics/ functioning in the scenario. See the ‘Example of a previous assignment 2' on the home page for this course.
Structure of the assignment
This assignment should be prepared in three parts.
Part 1 containing task 1: An opening statement and the description of the scenario/telling the story (no more than 500 words).
Part 2 containing task 2: An analysis of the scenario/story according to the guidelines above. Use three sub headings to reflect the three main themes (ie: attitudes and perceptions; motivation; and group dynamics) (1500 words in total).
Part 3 containing task 3: Recommendations in table format according to the guidelines above (1-2 pages)
An example of a scenario and its analysis will be posted on the USQStudyDesk for this course during the first week of the semester.
Formatting requirements for Assignment 2
Referencing
? You are required to find and cite within your essay a minimum of ten (10) sources.
? The emphasis should be on refereed journal articles to support your arguments, however you are also to refer to your study book and text book as two distinct sources. Other sources may be relevant books.
? Private web pages such as pages of study notes from other university courses are not acceptable. If you elect to use a website it must be of a scholarly and credible nature that clearly displays the sponsoring organisation, and if available, the author of the article.
? These sources must be published from the year 2000 to the present. However if you do use older sources, you may be requested to provide evidence of a hard copy of the source.
? Use Harvard referencing throughout your paper. You can refer to the USQ Library at http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/harvard.htm for help on Harvard referencing techniques.
? Include a list of references at the end of your paper using the Harvard referencing style.
Presentation
? Your paper must be presented with standard page margin sizes.
? Your paper must be presented in 12 pt Times New Roman.
? Your paper must be presented in single spacing since assignments are being marked online.
? Your assignment must fall within the required length guidelines: +/- 10% of the word count indicated for each question.
? You may be requested by the course teaching team to submit a 'turn-it-in' report.
Assignment submission
? All assignments need to be submitted online through EASE accessible on the USQStudyDesk for this course.
General comments in relation to assignment 2
? The aim of the assignment is to test your understanding of some of the key concepts in the material covered in the study modules, examine your ability to critically analyse a particular behavioural and organisational situation and to demonstrate how the concepts, ideas, suggestions, content, theory and research results can be applied in a practical situation.
? A further objective of the assessment task is to draw you into questioning of the current organisational practice evident in the case/scenario and to facilitate reflection, selfawareness and a better (critical) understanding of others and yourself.
? Don’t be put off by the terms ‘critically discuss’ or ‘develop a sound argument’. In simple terms, they involve the process of analysis. You might think that an essay is automatically about critical discussion. Unfortunately, over the years, many students don’t quite understand what an analytical approach to assignment questions mean. Instead, they present an answer to an assignment question in very descriptive terms – that is, they just define terms and describe or repeat what the text and associated materials present. Every essay has an amount of description but the analytical aspect of essays is when you identify the issues in the material, the arguments and results that are apparent in the material and the differences of opinion expressed by various authors on the topic under discussion. You answer the question by presenting and analysing the ‘facts’ contained in the relevant material, and presenting an answer as a supported and logically presented argument – a critique. Your support comes from the authoritative references you present. I will say more about the issue of critical discussion on the discussion board
? Don’t close the textbook and think ‘I will think about it’. You need to DO something after reading every module, chapter and article. What do you need to do now?
? Get out your computer or your notebook. Start the assignment now. Map it out in the form of a structure. Then put into this structure that you create for this assignment, your notes from the material you have just read. Make notations on what is missing and what you need to do as soon as possible. Of course, the structure will follow closely the questions you have to answer.
? Make sure you refer to the marking criteria sheet used for each assignment.
? As far as the material is concerned, go back over the material on definitions and make notes. Identify what you see are the issues between the definition and the reality of describing the workplace pictured in the assignment.
? With each module, we refer you to various materials within the study book for enrichment. The textbook supplies the basics to support you in understanding the topics prescribed. You are also expected to seek out additional material and use it where appropriate.
? You will have access to the Wiley internet site in relation to the text. The site address is set out within the preface of your text.
? The word limit is always an issue. It acts as a guide to the quantity required. First impressions are that the requirements are significant. However, what generally happens is once students start to get their teeth into the essay, the word count becomes a limiting factor. Please do not go over the limit.
? Students can get bogged down in the reading to a point where they believe they are reading too much and have lost the plot. There is a general amount of reading at the outset that is suggested in the study notes. This is to understand and absorb the thrust of each topic. These initial stages of reading promote general learning. You get to understand the concepts. You start to see how it does and can apply to your work specifically and to the organisation in general. Once you have achieved this general understanding, you then start to look at how you are going to approach the assignment questions. These questions are set to test your understanding of the key topic areas. Reading from this point is quite specific. You are looking for material to support your assignment and make your case.
Please check the electronic discussion board on a regular basis for answers to frequently asked questions on the assignments. ENJOY!
Marking criteria for Assignment 2
The content is the most important regarding the relative contribution of each of the dimensions. ‘Understanding and interpretation of assignment questions’, ‘critical analysis’, ‘research’ and ‘interpretation and application of theory’ account for 80% of the final grade on the assignment. Technical and academic care such as ‘presentation’, ‘written expression’, ‘structure’ and ‘academic referencing protocols’ account for 20% of the final grade on the assignment.