PSYCHOLOGY PAPER GUIDELINES

The purpose of this paper assignment is to help students apply knowledge from this course to a specific organizational issue or problem. I want you to select an organization and apply concepts that you have learned from the book and lectures that are relevant to one of the topics listed here or on the topics sheet.

Step 1: Select an organization to analyze.

The selected organization could be an organization that you currently work for, or that you have worked for, or that your parents, significant other, or friends have worked for. It could be a non-work organization that you are familiar with, like a church, an athletic organization, a volunteer organization, or a non-profit.

It could be an organization that someone you know works for. The important organization selection criterion is that you have access to the information you need to report on your selected topic(s).

Step 2: Pick a topic or topics.

Possible topics include: systems theory concepts applied to organizations; job analysis; recruiting; selection; assessments and measurement; training; organizational learning; organizational decision making; performance appraisal; performance management; organizational design and structure; organizational culture; work teams; job satisfaction; work motivation; safety and health issues; leadership; employee relations.

This is not an inclusive list; there are other topics on the topics list. Or, if you have something else in mind, talk to me about it. Each of the topics represents a different organizational focus for your paper. You may select just one topic, or up to three topics for your paper.

Step 3: Analyze your selected organization with your selected topic(s) in mind.

For example, if you have selected leadership as your topic, use the qualities of good versus bad leadership to analyze the characteristics of the organization's actual leaders, emphasizing their leadership styles and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, examine what the organization could realistically do to improve its leadership, or to maintain good leadership.

Step 4: Write the paper.

The paper will be 8 pages, double spaced. The paper will have four labeled sections: Introduction, Data Sources, Results, and Conclusion.

Introduction

In the introduction section indicate which organization you have selected to focus on, and why you chose it. Also indicate which topic question(s) you are answering, and why you chose those topic(s). Whichever topic(s) you choose, shape that topic(s) to the particular organization you have selected. First discuss the topic in general, and then apply it to a specific organization. Finally, indicate what you expect your analysis to show about your organization and your selected topic.

Data Sources

In this section indicate where you got your information and how you got it. For example, did you use your personal experiences, did you interview employees (suppliers, customers, etc.), did you access past company surveys, did you look at company financial reports and other records, and did you look at the company Web sites, etc? Also indicate how the data helps answer your selected topic questions.

Results

This is the heart of the paper, and should therefore be the longest section. In this section address the topic question(s) by describing what your data/information tells you. For example, if you are describing your organization as a system, indicate specifically how the organization practices negative entropy, how feedback works in the organization, and so on. Feel free to include some tables and graphs, if they help to explain your data.

Conclusion

In this section summarize the three previous sections. Discuss how the organization should, in your opinion, make best use of the information you have gathered. Also indicate what you would do differently if you were to do this analysis again.