Reference no: EM131383920

Project Guidelines

The final project for this course is the creation of a case study analysis.

Overview

Through the practice of analysis and application of human behavior theories and concepts, you will develop your critical thinking skills and the ability to properly diagnose root causes of organizational issues while recommending solutions that create sustainable positive change within an organization.

You will analyze the case study entitled "Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant: Motivating in Good Times and Bad," which you purchased from Harvard Business Review as part of your required resources. The case study will present a list of known organizational issues. You will apply knowledge of human behavior theories and concepts to properly identify and analyze the multiple root causes of the organizational issues from a human behavior perspective. Your analysis will include an examination of the resulting impact of relevant theories and concepts.

After identifying and analyzing the multiple root causes and their impact from a human behavior perspective, you will develop targeted solutions that are a direct remedy to the organizational issues. This section of the final project will allow you to practice application of human behavior theories and concepts aimed at improving organizational effectiveness and leading organizations in a proactive rather than a reactive manner. Throughout your case study analysis, you will validate your insights with information from a variety of research sources.

Upon completion of your case study analysis and recommendation of target solutions, you will analyze workplace issues from a past or present place of employment from a human behavior perspective. As with your case study analysis, you will develop targeted solutions that are a direct remedy to the organizational issues.

The project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, Six, and Seven. The comprehensive case study analysis will be submitted in Module Nine.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

• Appraise human behavior theories and concepts as multiple root causes of organizational issues for effectively leading an organization

• Analyze human behavior problems within an organization for informing properly targeted solutions that improve human behavior

• Develop logical solutions that directly address relevant organizational issues for improving organizational effectiveness and strategically leading organizations

• Apply human behavior theories and concepts to current and past places of employment for improving morale and communication within a workplace

Prompt

In this assessment, you will review and analyze the case study entitled "Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant: Motivating in Good Times and Bad," applying human behavior theories and concepts to develop targeted solutions. Once you have completed the case study analysis, you will then apply the same process to an actual workplace experience either past or present.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction

a) Develop a clear explanation of the organizational issues within the case study.
b) Outline a clear direction for the case study analysis that includes all of the elements you plan to include.

II. Root Cause Case Study Analysis

In this part of the assessment, you will review an organization from a case study, looking specifically at organizational issues.

a) Identify root causes of known organizational issues from a human behavior perspective.
b) Analyze root causes from a human behavior perspective and validate the analysis with supportive research evidence.
c) Explain the resulting impact of poorly aligned and administrated human behavior theories and concepts.

III. Solutions Development

In this section, you will create solutions that will help improve the situation of the organization from the case study.

a) Create organizational improvement outcomes that are a direct remedy to the organizational issues. Apply human behavior theories and concepts and validate your recommendations with supportive research evidence.

b) Recommend strategic actions that would lead the organization in a proactive manner. Be sure to apply human behavior theories and concepts when crafting your recommendations.

IV. Workplace Analysis

In this part of the assessment, you will take a look at an actual work experience that you have encountered in a past or current workplace. Here you will conduct a more in-depth version of the root cause case study analysis.

a) Explain actual workplace organizational issues drawing from your own experience.

b) Analyze root causes from a human behavior perspective and validate the analysis with supportive research evidence.

c) Examine the impact of poorly aligned and administrated human behavior theories and concepts.

d) Create organizational improvement outcomes that are a direct remedy to the organizational issues. Apply human behavior theories and concepts and validate your recommendations with supportive research evidence.

e) Recommend strategic actions that lead organizations in a proactive manner. Be sure to consider human behavior theories and concepts when crafting your recommendations.

V. Conclusion

The conclusion is your opportunity to gather your final thoughts regarding the case study as well as your workplace analysis.

a) Summarize key points of analysis in the case study.

b) Summarize insights gained from practical application of human behavior theories and concepts to an actual workplace. [OL-500-04]

Milestones

Milestone One: Introduction (Section I)

In Module Two, you will submit the introduction section of your final project. Develop a clear explanation of the organizational issues within the case study and outline a clear direction for the case study analysis that includes all of the elements you plan to include. Provide enough detail to support and defend your final project.

Milestone Two: Root Cause Case Study Analysis (Section II)

In Module Four, you will submit the root cause analysis section of your final project. Based upon the information identified in Milestone One and with your instructor's feedback, consider the case study and identify specific organizational issues. This assignment should specifically identify root causes of the organizational issue(s) from a human behavior perspective. You will analyze the root causes from a human behavior perspective and validate the analysis with supported research. Explain the impact and results of poorly aligned human behavior theories and concepts.

Milestone Three: Solutions Development (Section III)

In Module Six, you will submit the solutions development section of your final project. Based upon the information identified in Milestones One and Two and with your instructor's feedback, in Milestone Three, you will develop solutions that will aid in improving the organization from the case study situation. In addition, you will create specific organizational improvement outcomes and recommended strategic actions that serve as a direct antidote to the organizational issues in a proactive manner. Milestone Three will also be supported by human behavior theories and concepts and recommendations will be validated with evidence of supportive research.

Milestone Four: Workplace Analysis (Section IV, Parts A, B, and C)

In Module Seven, you will submit the workplace analysis section (Parts A, B, and C) of your final project. Based upon the information identified in Milestones One, Two, and Three and with your instructor's feedback, in Milestone Four, you will consider an actual work experience and conduct a detailed and in-depth version of the root cause case study analysis. This milestone will include a description of the actual organizational issue from a human behavior perspective. You will analyze root causes and validate the analysis with evidence of supportive research. Include an examination of how poorly aligned and administrated human behavior theories and concepts may impact the situation. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Four Rubric.

Final Submission: End of Workplace Analysis Plus Case Study Analysis

In Module Nine, you will write the last part of Section IV (Parts D and E) and the conclusion (Section V) of your final project. To complete Section IV, you will develop organizational improvement outcomes that serve as a direct solution to the organizational issue (validated by human behavior theories and evidence of supportive research). The last phase of this milestone, Section V, is to recommend strategic actions that provide proactive leadership, considering human behavior theories and concepts that support your recommendations. Combining your conclusion with revised work from your milestones, submit your comprehensive case study analysis. The conclusion is the final phase of the case study analysis. With each milestone completed in previous modules, you have also acquired detailed feedback from your instructor. For this last phase of the project, you will gather your final thoughts regarding the case study and your workplace analysis. It is expected that you will incorporate any corrective measures offered to you by way of instructor feedback in each of the milestones. Your final submission should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final project.