Situational Analysis
Purpose:
to recognize and better understand significant
organizational change encountered by existing, real-world companies
to reinforce OD concepts, strategies, and interventions
presented in the course
Course Outcome:
To apply management principles to support organizational
transformation and change.
Deliverable:
Approximately six-page paper, plus title page and
bibliography.
Introduction to Assignment
For this final assignment, you will draw from OD data,
information, and knowledge presented and discussed throughout the term. You
will examine a real-world organization that has undergone significant system
wide organizational change and/or transformation. You will choose among the organizations
listed below. Your research on, and subsequent analysis of, the organization
change and/or transformation will lead to the identification, and clearer
understanding, of significant management challenges encountered by the company.
Read and follow all the Instructions carefully. Bear in mind, the paper must clearly
demonstrate your ability to apply what you have learned in this course about
organization change. Demonstrate critical thinking. Strive to be original along
with applying data, information, and ideas from the required readings/resources
and your outside research. Use American Psychological Association (APA) format
for in-text citations and references.
Instructions
1) Review the
assignment purpose and the Research and Writing Grading Rubric
2) Select for
analysis one of the organizations identified below that has undergone—or is
undergoing—significant system wide organizational change and/or transformation.
Volkswagen
Uber
Marriott
Costco
Homeland Security
3) Research and
analyze the organizational change or transformation you identified in the
company you selected. Pay particular
attention to management challenges that you think the company encountered as a result
of the change. Specific points that should be addressed are:
a. Why do you consider this a transformational change?
b. What data/information did or should the organization have
collected to assess the need for change?
c. What interventions did or should the organization
implement?
d. How did or should they measure the success of the
intervention?
e. As a manager in the organization, what could you have
done to enhance the success of the transformation?
f. What environmental factors did and should they consider
(e.g., external laws and regulations, pool of applicants, needs of the
community, and so forth)?
4) Integrate and
present in bold font at least eight OD-related concepts, principles,
strategies, methods, and/or practices in your analysis. Demonstrate through context and/or endnotes
your understanding of the term meanings and application. You are encouraged to identify (use proper
citation) and/or create graphics and illustrations (e.g., concept maps, charts,
tables) to support your claims.
5) Seek and draw
data, information, and ideas from at least five weekly course resources and at
least three credible, authoritative, relevant outside sources relevant to the
company’s change or transformation for a total of at least eight references.
Your references should show a mix of scholarly and applied/practical sources,
largely drawn from ’s Information Library System (ILS), and including
respected media sources such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business
Week, or New York Times. Cite the course
resources and outside research sources within the paper’s body using APA
in-text formatting. Include a reference
list with complete source information at the end of the paper. You are expected
to paraphrase, using quotes only when the source’s verbatim statements uniquely
enhance meaning and understanding. Deductions will be taken when quotes are
overused and found to be unnecessary.
See examples below and in Content/Course Resources/Using
APA:
In-text citation (note inclusion of page number):
(Casey, 2002, p.50).
Reference citation:
Casey, C. (2002). Critical analysis of organizations:
Theory, practice, revitalization.
London: Sage.
6) Determine what significant learning and understanding you
gained from your research and analysis.
To do this, identify and evaluate at least three lessons learned from
your organization change analysis. Describe why these lessons learned are
valuable, and explain how you envision applying them to your job or career.
7) Use the headings and subheadings below. Under each heading or subheading present the
appropriate facts and ideas to describe, make assertions, and explain and
support those assertions. This means using expository writing style with full
sentences and paragraphs to create the paper’s content under headings. Use
examples and cite support sources as outlined above. Review instructions above to ensure all
requirements for each section are met.
A. Title page [your name, the course name, the name of the
organization, the date, and instructor’s name]
B. Organization selected for analysis: [name]
C. Summary of organization’s change and/or transformation
D. Change and
transformation analysis findings:
– Brief description of transformational change
– Rationale for considering this a transformational change
– Evaluation of data/information collected by the
organization
– Discussion of implemented or recommended interventions
Which interventions and why?
Measuring interventions’ success
E. Transformational success from a manager’s perspective
F. Environmental factors (see Instruction 3 f. above)
G. Significant learning
H. References
8) Use Microsoft Word for your text documents. Use the following title: _ [your last name] _Situational
Analysis_465. Try to be concise and keep
your paper at approximately six pages in length (plus cover page and
bibliography), but rest assured that substance is more important than
length.
9) Submit your paper in your Assignment Folder by the due
date.
