Management and Organisation Behaviour BMO1102
ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: ASSESSMENT 2a COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH ESSAY PLAN WITH JOURNAL ARTICLE SUMMARIES
Semester 1, 2014 PREPARED BY: Alan McWilliams
ASSIGNMENT TITLE
Comprehensive Essay Plan with Journal Article Summaries
This assessment accounts for the following proportion of marks for this unit
10 %
LEARNING OUTCOMES BEING ASSESSED 1. Critically analyse management practices in the Australasian context. 2. Understand organisational behaviour and management theory. 3. Critically analyse the underlying values of these theories. 4. Demonstrate knowledge of management theories and evaluate their impact on practical management decision making in the Australasian context (See the unit of study guide for the full list of learning outcomes for BMO1102).
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Essays must be submitted electronically as a Microsoft Word document file via the VU Collaborate Assignment Submission process. The file name for your essay must be in the format of Given Name_Family Name Student_ID_Number_Assignment. For example Alan_McWilliams_s1234567_Essay Essays submitted with any other file name format will not be accepted. Requirements for Plan: The comprehensive essay plan should be submitted in “dot point” form with major paragraph themes and sub-themes of the essay clearly identified (e.g. Introduction, Background, Conclusion etc.) and indicating, using the Harvard Referencing system, where it would be appropriate to refer to each of your reviewed articles. The plan section should be 250 words. Requirements for summary and review of journal articles: The review of 3 refereed journal articles should be completed according to the template (the template to be used and a model of an annotated bibliography are provided below). The template and model for reviewing sources plus assessment criteria are also available on this subject’s VU Collaborate page. Each article review should be 250 words. DO NOT just “cut-and-paste” section from the journal article. Use your own words (paraphrase) to fill in the summary template.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
Week 3 (Midnight, Friday 14/3/14)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
The assignment is to be presented as a written comprehensive plan for an essay supported by your review of three relevant articles. (The essay itself requires at least a review of the relevant chapter from the prescribed text and use of at least three refereed management journal articles relating to the set topic. The use of additional references is encouraged. See Recommended References in the subject guide.) Topics will be allocated in the first tutorial of the semester by your tutor. The topic assigned to you will be from the topics listed on VU Collaborate. In-text referencing showing where you will be using the textbook and article material PLUS a reference list for the essay plan you are preparing MUST be included at the end of the plan. NOTE: ‘Wikipedia’, ‘answers.com’ and other non-peer reviewed online sources of information are not acceptable references. The Harvard system must be used for the in-text references and the reference list.

Essay Topics 1 Employees might resist change because of self-interest, misunderstanding and distrust, and a general intolerance for change. How can companies manage resistance to change? Outline the five ways to manage resistance to change that are outlined in your textbook. (Chapter 7) 2 Define what is meant by Global Business. Identify the stages in the phase model of globalisation and explain the level of risk inherent in each. (Chapter 8)
3
Job Specialisation uses standardised work procedures to have workers perform repetitive; precisely defined and simplified tasks. Explain why companies use this approach to job design. Using the Job Characteristics model, describe how specialised jobs can be modified to eliminate the boredom and low job satisfaction associated with them. (Chapter 9)
4
Define motivation. Use a personal example to explain how reinforcement theory works. Include in your essay a discussion of Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Punishment and Extinction. (Chapter 12) 5 Define leadership. What is the path-goal theory of leadership? Identify the four leadership styles of path-goal theory and explain when they are most appropriately used. (Chapter 13) 6 What are the steps of the Control Process? Describe the elements of the Control Process and explain how assignment assessment works at your university in terms of the Control Process. (Chapter 15)

Assessment Criteria Grid for Summarising and Evaluating Journal Articles
Criteria 3 2 1 0 Source 1 / 20%
Source 2 / 20%
Source 3 / 20%
Grand total / 60% Harvard Referencing Perfect form Almost perfect Imperfect form Not done Article Selection Source relates to topic and from refereed journal. Source relates to topic but not from refereed journal Source is not from refereed journal and does not relate to topic Accuracy of student comments for descriptive criteria: method of data collection and analysis All accurate Generally accurate Inaccurate Not done
Accuracy of student comments for descriptive criteria: Findings of research
All accurate Generally accurate Inaccurate Not done
Significance of article in relation to: your topic and other articles used. Clearly drawn relevance of article to topic and other annotations
Most annotations have link to topic and other annotations.
Some attempt to draw out relevance of article to topic or other annotations
No attempt to relate to topic or other literature
Students comments on the Strengths of article Succinct and clear, demonstrating understanding of the work
Clear and mainly relevant
Too general and not always clear
Incomprehensible
Students comments on the Limitations of article (weaknesses) Succinct and clear, demonstrating understanding of the work
Clear and mainly relevant
Too general and not always clear
Incomprehensible

CRITERION HD D C P Refer / FAIL Mark (40%) Presentation & Style
Presentation of essay plan (5%)
Shows a well-developed and imaginative approach to the topic
Carefully and logically organised
Shows organisation and coherence
Shows some attempt to organise in a logical manner
Disorganised / incoherent
Clarity of expression (incl. accuracy, spelling, grammar, punctuation (5%)
Meaning apparent with a clear style appropriate to document. Grammar and spelling accurate.
Meaning apparent, language clear Grammar and spelling accurate
Meaning mostly apparent, language mainly clear Grammar and spelling mainly accurate
Meaning mostly apparent, but language not always clear Grammar and/ or spelling contain errors
Meaning unclear and / or grammar and / or spelling contain frequent errors
Academic Integrity Referencing (in-text and reference list) (5%)
Referencing is consistently accurate Referencing is mainly accurate Some attempt at referencing.
Referencing is absent / unsystematic
Content and knowledge
Content and range (15%)
Shows a detailed knowledge of topic with areas of specialisation covered. Appropriate terminology used.
Shows a good broad knowledge of topic. Appropriate terminology used.
Shows a narrow knowledge of the topic. Appropriate terminology used.
Evidence of superficial knowledge of topic and some use of appropriate terminology
Lacks evidence of knowledge relevant to the topic and / or significantly misuses terminology
Use of literature / evidence of reading (10%)
Has used a wide range of appropriate sources which have been thoroughly analysed and appropriately applied.
Has used a range of appropriate sources which have been thoroughly analysed and appropriately applied.
Has used a range of appropriate sources which have been adequately analysed and applied.
Minimum range of appropriate sources used. Literature is presented uncritically in a purely descriptive way and indicates limitations of understanding
Either no evidence of literature being consulted or irrelevant to the assignment set
TOTAL: Comment:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Mark for plan: ………………/40%
Overall Mark for this assessment: ………………/100%………… Marker: ………………………………………………
TEMPLATE FOR SUMMARISING AND EVALUATING ARTICLES FROM SCHOLARLY JOURNALS Title and Article Reference Full reference details of article in the Harvard format (as it would appear in your reference list)
Aim / Purpose of article Stated purpose of article
Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis
Method, if a research article Approach if other type
Findings/Interpretations reported in the article
Summary of findings if research article Summary of conclusions or interpretations if other type
Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic
Significance/ contribution to the topic at hand or relationship to other articles on the topic (this may be an article that adds to a theme repeated in several articles or it may be a ‘seminal’ article that started a theme for further research).
Strengths of the article Your evaluation of the positive aspects
Weaknesses of the article Your evaluation of the negatives of the article. Limitations could be that it is (for example) based in only one geographical location, a study based in only one industry, theoretical without field research findings etc. Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
MODEL FOR SUMMARISING AND EVALUATING ARTICLES FROM SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
Title and reference of article
Pelled, L. H., Eisenhardt, K. M. and Xin, K. R. (1999) Exploring the black box: an analysis of work group diversity, conflict, and performance, Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 1, p.p.1 - 13.
Aim/purpose of article
To investigate the relationship between work group diversity and performance by developing and testing a process model/theory.
Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis
Sample - 45 teams from three major corporations in USA. Each team averaged ten members. Surveys produced data on diversity, conflict, task and performance. Analysis - Statistical (quantitative).
Findings/Interpretations reported in the article
The suggestion that diversity in groups increases conflict which influences group performance is found to be more complex depending on the type of diversity and conflict. Diversity variables that drive task conflict differ from those that drive emotional conflict. Task conflict has more positive performance consequences than emotional conflict. However there was no evidence that emotional conflict impaired performance. Overall, diversity of race, tenure, and age influenced emotional conflict but this did not affect performance.
Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic
The findings differ from the common view that diversity in groups affect group performance and that emotional conflict has a negative effect on performance.
Strengths of article
Well researched with strong background in the literature and exploration of prior research.
Weaknesses of article
North American sample may contain biases not found in other countries.
Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
“The term demographic diversity refers to the degree to which a unit (e.g., a work group or organization) is heterogeneous with respect to demographic attributes” (Pelled and Eisenhardt, 1999, p.1)
Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
“While any type of diversity may trigger task conflict, some are more likely to do so than others, based on the relevance of their corresponding belief structures” (Pelled and Eisenhardt, 1999, p.2).
Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment
“While task conflict is largely shaped by the job-relatedness of diversity, emotional conflict is shaped by a more complex set of forces. One key factor is categorization, the subconscious tendency of individuals to sort each other into social categories, often on the basis of demographic attributes” (Pelled and Eisenhardt, 1999, p.4).