Assignment Details

I. This assignment has 4 parts:

Organizations today understand the need to change is ever present. If a company does not change, it will become stagnant and lose competitive advantage within the respective industry.

1. What do you believe the different viewpoints of change are within an organization?

2. Who are the change agents within an organization?

3. What are the pros and cons of change management?

4. How do you believe change will affect different levels of employees within the organization?

II. This assignment has 4 parts:

In the current business environment groups and teams are common. Understanding the differences not only between a group and a team but also the different types of teams will allow you to have a holistic view of how organizational change will affect the people.

1. How do you perceive the similarities and differences between a group and a team?

2. What different types of team structures have you been involved with or witnessed?

3. What effect will the group/team dynamic have on the organizational change initiative? Give an example.

4. What type of change strategy would you incorporate for an organization that uses work groups? Describe how that strategy would be affected if the organization used work teams.

III. This assignment has 4 parts:

1. Thinking about your favorite company, compile a list of at least 3 competitors within the same industry.

2. What organizational changes have the companies made in the last five years? What do you believe prompted those changes?

3. In looking back at the changes the companies made, what do you believe would have happened if the employees would have resisted the change?

4. What steps should a company take to minimize the risk of resistance to change by the employees?

IV. This assignment has 3 parts:

In 1943 Abraham Maslow proposed that individuals have five basic needs, arranged in a hierarchy from lowest to highest they are physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.

David McClelland focused on a needs-based theory which proposed that individuals have three basic needs: the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power. The needs described in both these theories are often used by managers during the motivation and goal-setting process with employees.

1. Why do you believe it is important to understand the needs of your employees? How will this benefit the organization?

2. As a manager what are the basic needs that could be fulfilled by the organization if the Maslow theory is used? What are the needs that fall in line with the McClelland theory?

3. How can the needs listed be turned into motivation to help the employee succeed?

V. This assignment has 4 parts:

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a common method of group decision making. The group members will meet to discuss their ideas and all parts of the problem and possible solutions and then the voting is done privately.

1. How can the NGT be a valuable tool for group decision making?

2. What possible outcomes will result from using the NGT method? How do these outcomes differ from those that could occur if the members voted while all together?

3. How can technology be integrated into the NGT to allow multi-site groups to work together?

4. Describe how the NGT can aid in the organizational change process.