OB Consulting Project
OB Consulting Project Details
For this assignment, you are going to act as an Organizational Behaviour (OB) Consultant and help a client solve a problem. You need to apply concepts from the course to a TV episode that depicts a workplace issue. Each student will choose an episode of a TV show for which you will identify the major issues(s)/findings and present your recommended solution/course of action in a report to me.
You will submit their report in APA format. The paper should be about 10 pages not including the title page or references, be double spaced in 12-point font Times New Roman, and have 1-inch margins.
Grading
Your paper will be graded on the following criteria:
- You demonstrate an understanding of the OB concepts included.
- You correctly apply the OB concept to the episode content,
- Put forth recommendations that are supported by the OB research and literature,
- APA format is correct
(5) Your writing is clear and free of errors.
Tips on How to Diagnose a Workplace Issue:
The following steps should help you in your analysis.
- Get the facts. List the events of the episode that relate to the issue. That is, follow this plot line and ignore any unrelated sub-plot. Why? Sometimes it helps to list the facts chronologically or in relation to key characters, or in some systematic way to check for areas that are unclear, such as facts that are ambiguous or differences of opinion in the group.
- Make inferences about the facts. From the facts, what kinds of assumptions do you make? It is important to state your inferences so that others may evaluate whether they agree with you, based on their own interpretation of the facts.
- Pinpoint the issue/problem. What is the issue or the problem? Why is it important to address? Try to put an OB label on it (e.g., resistance to change; organizational culture problem; poor leadership). After identifying the issue(s)/problem(s), try to articulate why they exist. This may lead to an even more critical or basic problem. The obvious problem of the issue/problem stated by the company, team, or character(s) in the case might not be the actual problem that needs solving; it may be a symptom of a bigger problem. Also, bear in mind that every problem leads to some implication(s) (i.e. consequence(s) if it is not solved. Finally, keep in mind that there might also be multiple causes for a problem.
- Brainstorm possible solutions to the issue/problem. Take some time to generate a sizeable quantity of solutions, and don’t evaluate them until you’ve generated a sizeable amount.
- Make a decision of what course(s) of action are best and provide a rationale for it. Clearly articulate what your decision is, the possible consequences, and why you selected the decision. Do not forget to specify any assumptions made.
- “Lessons learned” from the episode. What course concepts were supported or refuted? Are there any new concepts that are suggested by your analysis? Does the way the characters behave follow what we have learned in this class? What recommendations or solutions would you provide?
