Course title: Managing Organizations; Organizational Behavior, Leadership and Change Management (combined module)
Deadline 25th to 27th April 2012
Number of pages 3
Assignment Instructions: To be ANALYTICAL (not descriptive please.)
Based on the Simmons A Case you have to (attachment 1 of 2)
a) A briefly introduction
b) Analyze the whole content and discuss the
1) the leadership style, vision and its performance and consequences for the team and to the organization.
2) Workforce vision
3) Management team
4) cultural aspect,
5) code of ethics,
6) formal and informal approaches and behavior,
7) the organizational structure
8) change management
9) Innovation
10) Values
11) and some others that are relevant too.
c) Analytically discuss the problems, difficulties and success found in the case.
d) Present some analytical and specific recommendations for the case by outline where exactly it should be applied.
e) Draw a conclusion based on the analysis
Please, consider discuss the case by focusing on this questions;
“It was clear that Simmons needed a change. The question was should they go for the conventional Fenway approach, a more predictable turnaround strategy, or Eitel’s unconventional, “soft” approach, which was largely untested, expensive, and hard to explain during a time of severe financial constraints? Even if they managed to persuade Fenway to go for a cultural revolution at Simmons, Eitel and his executive team wondered how they would make sure they got a positive return on their investment.”
From this analysis you have to present a table or graphic to visually structure some part of the arguments (appendix). This topic does have much visual communication. That is why need to use some of it.
Please, follow compulsory reading and add others references if necessary. And the outline below:
COURSE OUTLINE – To be used as reference in order to develop, structure and sustain your arguments in the assignment. Please, use this concepts while analyze and discuss the case.
Part 1
Introduction to Organizational Behaviour The Individual in the Organization
•Personality, work traits and job satisfaction
•Individual Perception and Decision Making
•Job Attitudes
•Basic and Applied concepts of motivation
•Moods, Emotions and Organizational Behaviour
Part 2
Groups in Organisations
•Defining and classifying groups and group decision making
•Teams (and teams compared to groups) and effective teamwork
•Interpersonal and organizational communication
Leadership
•Leadership fundamentals
•Characteristics of a leadership situation
•Reflection on students’ leadership experiences
•Historical development and contemporary leadership approaches
•Leadership styles and preferences
Part 3
Leadership practices
•Leadership practices
•Analysis of individual leadership preferences
•Case analysis and discussion: “Bob’s Meltdown”
•Leadership functions in organizations
•Stakeholder, power and resource based approaches to leadership
•The context of leadership: power, culture and structure in organizations
The organization System
•Structure and Organisational behaviour
•Organizational culture
•Creating and Sustaining culture
Part 4
Leadership simulation Organizational Change
•Types of change,
•Resistance and reactions to change
•Organisation of change and the key role of Leadership
•The reasons for failure in change leadership
Systemic Approach to Management of Change
• Introduction to the systemic approach
• Introductory case discussion
• Systemic change case
• Key contemporary challenges in change leadership
Compulsory reading (OB, Change, Leadership)
But not limited!
1) Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge, Essentials of Organizational Behavior (Global Edition), 11th edition, Pearson Education Limited, ISBN 978-0-2737-5266-0.
2) Gayle C. Avery, Understanding Leadership, Sage Publications, ISBN 978-0-7619-4289-4 (Paperback version)
3) Carrell, Michael R., Jennings, Daniel F. & Heavrin, Christina, Fundamentals of Organizational Behavior, Prentice-Hall Inc, New Jersey, USA, 1997, ISBN 0-02-319521-5.
Course Description and Aims:
The course emphasizes the concepts of human behavior in organizations at the individual level including the effect of organization structure on behavior. Organizational behavior concepts that help improve interpersonal skills as well as developing skills of explaining, predicting and controlling human behavior are discussed. Students will be able to relate management styles, organizational structures to employee performance and job satisfaction and use the aforementioned foundations to better understand needs for change and how its impact, in the life of every organization can be harmonized and integrated positively.
The organizational behavior module aims at developing participants’ knowledge of how organizations function on individual, group and organization levels. Students will learn how to combine concepts and models of analysis on different levels to enhance their understanding of organizational phenomena. They will develop an understanding of the most important managerial approaches towards motivating employees, managing groups and teams and analyzing organizations.
Building on the organizational behavior and some hints on leadership module, the module on change management aims at enabling participants to define and actively participate in change management initiatives in organizations. Students will learn about the major theoretical approaches to managing change, understanding and dealing with resistance to change, and designing and communicating change initiatives.
Aims of the course:
The primary objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the basic principles of Organizational Behavior (OB). The theories and practices taught in this course are applicable in a wide array of positions in all types of organizations in which students may eventually find themselves. The principal aims of the course are to:
• Provide students with a broad and critical understanding of the key issues and concepts in OB
• Stimulate both appreciation and critical consideration of current OB theory and research
• Allow students to reflect on their own experience, extrapolate and develop better people skills
• Prepare students for future roles in which they need to work with individuals and groups in organizations
The course also develops Leadership theories and current issues in Leadership as well as change management approaches.
At the end of the course, the students should have:
• A good overview and understanding of historical and current tendencies in OB, Leadership and Change Management
• Be able to build a critical assessment of practices in their own organizations in the 3 areas and propose improvements
• Be able to critically apply course taught concepts to their own work (and personal) environment
