Gather information from people in an organization through direct contact or your personal experience.  You may supplement this information with data from the media, the organization’s literature, and other secondary sources.  You should identify two relatively recent problems to analyze (i.e. this should not be an historical account of a problem and the company’s solution).  You should focus your analysis by applying the concepts from the course.  While it is acceptable to incorporate several concepts from the course, please aim for depth regarding the use of course concepts.  Your goal is to diagnose the mechanisms that are causing the problems or issues of concern in the organization. Initially, you may notice many symptoms (for instance, high turnover, seemingly low morale, low commitment, motivation etc.), but your task is to get to the underlying reason for these symptoms. And beware, sometimes the initial symptoms we think we see are not what they appear to be. 

There are two broad goals for this assignment:

1.  One goal of this assignment is obviously to take the initiative to make a positive contribution to an organization.  

2.  Another major goal is to provide an opportunity for you to learn more about organizational behavior first hand and to use your critical thinking and reflection skills to link your experience with this organization to your learning in relation to organizational behavior theory.

To meet these broad goals, you should answer the following questions in the assignments detailed below.

a)  What are the issues or problems facing the organization (identify 2 problems)?

b)  What course concepts can be applied to understand why this problem is occurring?

c)  What recommendations can you offer to help improve organizational functioning (Develop 2 recommendations for each problem; a total of 4 recommendations)?

The Report  

a)  Company or organization’s background (including Mission/Vision Statement) (p. 1)

b)  What are the issues or problems facing the organization (2)? (p. 1)

c)  What course concepts can be applied to understand why this problem is occurring? (p.2)

d)  What recommendations, based on these course concepts, can you offer to help improve organizational functioning and address the problem you identified (4)? (p.2)

**Note: Paper must be formatted in APA Style, and should include the following: 

 Cover Page. 

 Abstract is NOT required

 In-text citations.

 Reference Page listing at least two references (1 reference must be our textbook).