Projects, Practice Essays and Exam Questions
All of the projects described below have been successfully completed by many of my masters students over
the years.
Chapter Five Projects
Learning, Knowledge Creation and Management
This project will involve you in a series of three one-hour knowledge management workshops.
Participation in the workshops will enable you to:
1.
2.
3.
read, assimilate and make sense of research material, quickly;
identify and explain the practical relevance of this material;
generate new insights and knowledge.
In preparation for the first two workshops you will be required to read a carefully selected paper or set of
readings. The workshop will invite each participant to come prepared to: (a) summarize the paper in a nutshell; (b) identify some key insights for the knowledge management process; and (c) to apply those insights
to a case example.
The assignment requires that you write up your experience of the workshop. This account of your
experience should be informed by relevant theory and research on learning, knowledge and knowledge
management in an organizational context (a reference list will be supplied to get you started). You will be
expected to focus on the learning process (in an interactive, social or relational sense), the issue of
knowledge (what is it, how can it be measured and managed) and knowledge generation/creation. Finally,
reflect on what you have learned from the workshop experience that you can use to inform your
understanding and methods of knowledge management in an organizational setting.
Merger Management
Identify and describe a case of organizational merger with which you are or could become familiar.
Critically analyse the human (as opposed to financial or structural) side of the merger, reflecting in
particular on merger strategy, process, and post-merger outcomes. Harness relevant social psychological
theory (one or several) to formulate the human side of organizational merger, describe and explain what
would constitute successful merger in human terms and then draw out the implications for successful
merger management. Attempt to apply the analysis to the case in question. Draw on the evidence available
in the literature to identify factors that can contribute to merger success or failure. What, in particular,
would you advise should have been done or done differently (if anything?).
To complete this project you may in addition to the relevant literature draw upon company
documentation and, where possible, you might consult someone involved either in merger management
and/or at the receiving end of the merger (that is, a regular employee).
Socialization
Design an induction programme for organizational newcomers based on a coherent formulation of the
socialization process. Use a case study organization or company as the context for the intervention. The
formulation may draw upon one or several theories or constructs. Describe and explain each aspect of the
induction programme.
Culture
Analyse the culture of a major retailer by consulting (a) the company/organizations website; (b) company
publications/documentation/advertisement; (c) the retail outlet (the customer face); and (d) observing the
behaviour of staff. Harness relevant theory and evidence in support of your analysis.
Chapter Five - Essays
Change
Most of the texts on managing change include a list of action points. How relevant are such good
practice lists for particular instances of organizational change. Explain the rationale for why different paths
of change might be relevant for different organizations, using relevant theory and research.
Chapter Five Examination Questions
Organizational Behaviour (chapters 4 and 5)
1.
How can studies of group and inter-group processes inform our understanding of the effective team?
2.
Describe and explain the difference between culture and climate both in theoretical and practical
terms? Use safety management as your context for this discussion.
3. Is the term psychological contract more useful as an explanatory construct or as a framework for
understanding and managing the employment relationship? Defend your answer on theoretical,
empirical and practical grounds.
4.
Critically evaluate the concept of identity as a performance management tool.
5.
How useful are traditional process theories of the team to our understanding and management of the
so-called ad hoc or virtual team?
6.
Offer an informed social-psychological analysis of the teleworking situation, identifying potential
performance problems and the management issues they raise. What would you advise a company
migrating to a telework scheme?
7.
What is corporate identity? How can it affect the formation and maintenance of relational
psychological contracts?
8.
Do we need leaders? Justify your answer on theoretical, empirical and practical grounds.
9.
Using relevant theory, discuss the potential interplay of personal, professional/occupational and
organizational identities in the contemporary workplace. Draw out the management implications.
10. What if any is the difference between a leader and a manager? How can theories of leadership
inform our understanding of effective management?
11. Can temporary workers develop relational contracts with the host organizaton? Provide an informed
and constructively critical social psychological justification for your answer.
12. Why is culture change difficult and why? What insights are afforded by your analysis that can be used
to facilitate culture change? Explain and defend your answer.
13. How has the new technology revolution affected the social processes and structures of organizations?
14. According to Rousseaus social cognition theory, how are psychological contracts established? How
effective is her explanation?
15. What are the consequences of psychological contract breach for both the individual and the
organization?
16. What elements comprise an organizational culture? How does this differ from our understanding of
organizational climate?
17. Theorists have attempted to define organizational cultures into specific taxonomies. How useful has
this profiling work been to our understanding of cultural effectiveness?
18. How have traditional theories in social psychology contributed to our understanding of how
organizational identity is formed?
19. How does corporate identity differ from organizational culture?
20. Are workgroups and teams a help or a hindrance to the achievement of organizational goals?
21. How would you go about establishing a new team from scratch, to ensure effective outcomes both for
the organization and the individual team members?
22. Using theories from the organizational psychology literature, explore how a leader can best ensure
their team achieves its goals.
23. Why have theories of transformational leadership proven to be so popular in recent years?
24. What affects peoples choice of communication media within organizations?
25. How has the new technology revolution affected organizational communication?
26. Compare and contrast the planned and emergent approaches to effecting organizational change.
Intervention: Design and Evaluation
1.
Compare and contrast the relative advantages and disadvantages of two methods of data collection, as
used for diagnosis of an organizations need for an intervention.
2.
Outline factors that may affect the accurate evaluation of an intervention
3.
Describe and critique ways in which organizations typically evaluate an intervention; what would
you suggest they do to improve their evaluation design and methods?
4. Why was Frederic Taylors work, described in his Principles of Scientific Management so important?
Briefly indicate the content and relevance of his legacy.