Description

Mini Change Observation Paper (20 percent)

Purpose:

 To recognize and better understand significant organizational change by examining challenges,

stakeholder support and participation, communication processes, and reinforcement and stabilization

relevant to, and involved in, the change.   

Course Outcome:

To identify and diagnose organizational problems and opportunities in order to improve performance

Deliverable:

Three to four-page paper, plus title page and bibliography.

Introduction to Assignment

For this assignment, you will identify an organization that you are familiar with, and that has undergone a

significant organizational change. You will describe the organization, its purpose, size, history, and other

pertinent contextual information.  Applying critical thinking skills, you will answer key OD questions about

the change you observed, challenges associated with that change, changes in leadership, support and

followership, the change in the communication process, and how the change was reinforced and stabilized.

Read and follow all the Instructions carefully.  The paper must clearly demonstrate your ability to apply

what you have learned about organization change in this course to date. Strive to be original along with

applying data, information, and ideas from the required reading and your outside research.

Instructions

1) Review the assignment purpose above and the Research and Writing Grading Rubric.

2) Identify an organization that you are familiar with that has undergone a significant organizational

change.

3) Briefly describe the organization. Use an outline format (see the template in Instruction 8). Include the

organization’s name, industry category (e.g., financial, health, manufacturing, technology, government),

location (include physical and online/website locations), purpose (e.g. mission and vision), size, history

(abbreviated timeline with significant benchmarks bulleted), organizational structure (e.g., flat,

hierarchical, team-oriented, virtual, formal or informal).

4)  Analyze the points below demonstrating critical thinking and reasoning; for example, explain “why” and

“how” as well as describe “what” and “who.”

 The observed organizational change.

 The challenges associated with the change.

 Major organization stakeholders involved in the change as leaders, champions, and followers.

 Communicating the change to the organization.

 Reinforcing and stabilizing the change in the organization.

5)  Identify and integrate at least five OD concepts, methods, strategies, or practices in your

analysis. Use bold font to highlight the concepts, methods, strategies, or practices. Demonstrate through

context and/or endnotes your understanding of the definitions of the terms.

6)  Use data, information, and ideas from at least three of the Weeks 1 and 2-course resource materials

and from at least two credible, authoritative, relevant outside sources for a total of at least five

references. Your references should show a mix of scholarly and applied/practical sources. Use UMUC’s

Information Library System (ILS).  Cite the weekly course resources and outside research sources within

the paper’s body using APA in-text formatting. Include a Reference list with complete source information

at the end of the paper.  You are expected to paraphrase, using quotes only when the source’s verbatim

statements uniquely enhance meaning and understanding. Deductions will be taken when quotes are

overused and found to be unnecessary.

See examples below and in Content/Course Resources/Using APA.

In-text citation (note inclusion of page number):

(Casey, 2002, p.50).

Reference citation:

Casey, C. (2002). Critical analysis of organizations: Theory, practice, revitalization.  London: Sage.