Assignment Project: Applying OB Theory to Problem Analysis"

(1) The Week 3 assignment is considered a major assignment that might take more than one week to complete.

(2) Using the same organization you identified in Week 1, assess the root causes of organizational problems using individual OB themes.

Now that you have done an initial assessment and done some background research (i.e., the Week 1 paper), consider the following questions: who do you need to ask, what do you need to ask, and how will you gather the data needed to support or reject your initial assessment about the organizational problems? Because you have studied additional OB concepts since your Week 1 work, be sure to consider all you have studied in the first three weeks as you frame problems.

In preparation for your Week 3 paper, design a data-gathering plan that addresses the who, what, and how questions noted in the previous paragraph. Consult your instructor for guidance as needed. Keep your focus on individual OB themes. Implement as much of your plan as possible and gather some data.

"In your paper, address the following:"

• Summarize the key details about your organization (what its name is, what it does, etc.).

• Summarize your initial assessment of organizational problems: what are the symptoms, what is the evidence, and what are the relevant individual OB themes? Include new themes that have emerged in your studies throughout the course.

• Justify your data-gathering plan, including details about who, what, and how you will ask. Your data-gathering plan needs to reflect doctoral-level development. Focus on the data needed to confirm whether your proposed, individual OB themes are possible root causes of the organizational difficulties. For example, if you are proposing some type of motivational theme, then you will need to collect specific data on motivation.

• Assess the information gleaned from implementing your data-gathering plan. What did you learn? Did your findings support or refute your initial assessment? What do your findings tell you about symptoms of the problem versus the root causes? Use appropriate academic peer-reviewed literature to support your argument. You may also use documentation and interviews from the organization to support your perspective.

• Summarize a self-assessment of your framing process. Why do you see the symptoms, problem, evidence, themes, or other patterns in the situation the way that you do?

• Synthesize your work to date into a succinct statement of the organization's issues. At this point in your work, what do you think are the organization's problems or gaps that need to be addressed?