Organization Theory and Behavior

Research Paper

Paper Content

Students are required to develop a 15-page research paper (assessment) of an organization. This organization can be a business, governmental or non-profit agency. Your research paper should include the following:

Introduction - Provide an overview of the organization (type of company, organizational structure, products or services offered, number of employees, annual revenue, etc.).

Historical Overview - Provide a detailed history of the organization (as possible), identifying major events, significant initiatives, etc.

Strengths - Identify the strengths of the organization. For example, what does the organization do well (developing products, providing services, etc.) and why (training, systems, etc.)? Based on your knowledge of organization theory and behavior, please identify and describe any theories that are associated with the strengths of this organization.

For example, if the organization is extremely efficient, then most likely the organization has some principles of management in place.

Concerns - Provide a detailed description of current challenges and/or controversies (problems, competing values, ineffective practices, etc.) related to the organization and clearly describe how these challenges are impacting the overall success of the organization.

Comparative Analysis - Compare the organization to similar entities in the same field (e.g., comparing McDonald's to Burger King, comparing Red Cross to the Salvation Army, etc.). What are the major similarities? What are the major differences? Which entity is more effective and why? Please identify and discuss relevant organizational theories.

Recommendations - Based on your assessment and the aforementioned section (comparative analysis), identify and discuss some potential recommendations (best practices) that can be implemented to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization. Please provide specific theories, examples and discuss the potential impact.

Implications for Administrators - Based on all the information included in your research paper (assessment), what are the implications that are most important for the field of public administration? Please provide examples.

Concluding Remarks - Provide a brief summary of your research paper (highlighting the major points). Feel free to include any personal remarks (e.g., how has this research paper impacted your view of organization theory and behavior).

For this assignment, students should use books, peer-reviewed journal articles, professional association publications, electronic sources, and possibly interviews and organizational documents as reference materials.

You should use at a minimum of 15 different references to assist you in the development of this paper. Your writing should reflect the style, tone and approach of a graduate student.

-Paper Length - 15 pages, double-spaced.

-Number all pages (excluding the title page).

-12 pt. font (Times New Roman).

-NOTE: Please include a reference page (listing sources used in paper). The title and reference pages are not considered as part of your 15-page paper.