Module Assessment 1- Part 1:
Assessment: Academic Essay
Word limit: 2,500 words.
The Assessment Exercise:
Students are required to write their academic essay on one of the following questions:
• Critically discuss those factors which shape the behavior of individuals within organizations
• Critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with working in groups and teams within organizations
• Critically evaluate the importance of organizational culture as a determinant of the structure of contemporary organizations
Indicative Answers:
Question 1
Critically discuss those factors which shape the behaviour of individuals within organizations
An answer to this question should demonstrate the following:
• A clear understanding of the role and importance of individuals within organizations
• A clear understanding of those factors which shape and influence individual behavior. Examples with which students might engage include attitudes, emotions, values, personality, perception and motivation
• An ability to support arguments through the use of appropriate organizational examples
• A critical engagement with an appropriate body of academic literature
• An ability to present a coherent, well written and properly formatted essay in answer to the question, appropriate to the level of study
Question 2
Critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with working in groups and teams within organizations
An answer to this question should demonstrate the following:
• A clear understanding of the nature and importance of group working and team working in contemporary organizations
• A clear understanding of the main advantages and disadvantages associated with group working and team working
• A clear understanding of the main differences between groups and teams, in terms of their nature, scope and operation within organizations
• An ability to support arguments through the use of appropriate organizational examples
• A critical engagement with an appropriate body of academic literature
• An ability to present a coherent, well written and properly formatted essay in answer to the question, appropriate to the level of study
Question 3
Critically evaluate the importance of organizational culture as a determinant of the structure of contemporary organizations
An answer to this question should demonstrate the following:
• A clear understanding of the nature and scope of organizational culture
• A clear understanding of the main defining elements of organizational culture
• An ability to discuss critically models and frameworks on organizational culture discussed within the academic literature. Examples with which students might engage include the Cultural Web,
• An ability to discuss critically the way in which organizational culture serves to shape organizational structure
• An ability to support arguments through the use of appropriate organizational examples
• A critical engagement with an appropriate body of academic literature
• An ability to present a coherent, well written and properly formatted essay in answer to the question, appropriate to the level of study
Module Assessment 1- Part 2:
Assessment: Group Presentation
The Assessment Exercise:
For the purposes of this assessment, students will be divided into small groups in the course of the tutorial programme. The assessment will consist of a group presentation of around 10 - 15 minutes in length on the following question:
• Outline the evolution of Organizational Behaviour as a subject of academic inquiry, and critically evaluate its importance in relation to the study of management
The presentation should be organized around the use of approximately 10 PowerPoint slides:
• One title slide, configured as follows:
• Around 7 substantive slides
• One Summary slide, which provides the main conclusions of the presentation
• One slide containing a list of references employed in the production and presentation of the work
Module Assessment 2- Part 1
Assessment: Academic Essay
Word limit: 2,500 words.
The Assessment Exercise:
At second diet, Students are required to write their academic essay on the following question:
• Critically evaluate the importance of one of the following within contemporary organizations:
o Individual motivation
o Leadership
o Managing change
Indicative Answer:
An answer to this question should demonstrate the following:
• A clear understanding of the nature and academic dimensions of the chosen topic
• A clear understanding of the importance of the chosen topic to contemporary organizations
• An ability to support arguments through the use of appropriate organizational examples
• A critical engagement with an appropriate body of academic literature
• An ability to present a coherent, well written and properly formatted essay in answer to the question, appropriate to the level of study
Module Assessment 2- Part 2:
Assessment: Individual Presentation
The Assessment Exercise:
At second diet, the presentation element of the module assessment will be an individual presentation. This should be a PowerPoint presentation, consisting of around 10 slides:
• One title slides, configured as follows:
• Around seven substantive slides
• One Summary slide, which provides the main conclusions of the presentation
• One slide containing a list of references employed in the production and presentation of the work
The presentation should make use of the Notes Facility in PowerPoint to provide the commentary associated with each slide. These notes will replace the normal verbal presentation. The commentary in total should be around 1,000 words in length.