Practice Projects, 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. %. '. read assimilate and !make sense" of research material #uickly$ identify and e&plain the practical relevance of this material$ generate new insights and knowledge.

(n preparation for the first two workshops you will be re#uired to read a carefully selected paper or set of readings. The workshop will invite each participant to come prepared to: )a* summari+e the paper in a nutshell$ )b* identify some key insights for the knowledge management process$ and )c* to apply those insights to a case e&ample. The assignment re#uires that you write up your e&perience of the workshop. This account of your e&perience should be informed by relevant theory and research on learning knowledge and knowledge management in an organi+ational conte&t )a reference list will be supplied to get you started*. ,ou will be e&pected 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. .inally reflect on what you have learned from the workshop e&perience that you can use to inform your understanding and methods of knowledge management in an organi+ational setting.

Merger Management
(dentify and describe a case of organi+ational merger with which you are or could become familiar. /ritically analyse the !human" )as opposed to financial or structural* side of the merger reflecting in particular on merger strategy process and post-merger outcomes. 0arness relevant social psychological theory )one or several* to formulate the human side of organi+ational merger describe and e&plain 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 #uestion. 1raw on the evidence available in the literature to identify factors that can contribute to merger success or failure. 2hat in particular would you advise should have been done or done differently )if anything3*. To complete this project you may 4 in addition to the relevant literature 4 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
1esign an induction programme for organi+ational newcomers based on a coherent formulation of the sociali+ation process. 5se a case study organi+ation or company as the conte&t for the intervention. The formulation may draw upon one or several theories or constructs. 1escribe and e&plain each aspect of the induction programme.

Culture
Analyse the culture of a major retailer by consulting )a* the company-organi+ation"s website$ )b* company publications-documentation-advertisement$ )c* the retail outlet )the customer face*$ and )d* observing the behaviour of staff. 0arness relevant theory and evidence in support of your analysis.

Chapter Five - Essays Change

6ost of the te&ts on !managing change" include a list of !action points". 0ow relevant are such good practice lists for particular instances of organi+ational change. 7&plain the rationale for why different paths of change might be relevant for different organi+ations using relevant theory and research.

Chapter Five Examination Questions Organizational Behaviour (chapters 4 and 5

1. %. '. 0ow can studies of group and inter-group processes inform our understanding of the effective team3 1escribe and e&plain the difference between culture and climate in both theoretical and practical terms3 5se !safety management" as your conte&t for this discussion. (s the term !psychological contract" more useful as an e&planatory construct or as a framework for understanding and managing the employment relationship3 1efend your answer on theoretical empirical and practical grounds. /ritically evaluate the concept of !identity" as a performance management tool. 0ow useful are traditional process theories of the team to our understanding and management of the so-called ad hoc or virtual team3 ;ffer an informed social-psychological analysis of the !teleworking" situation identifying potential performance problems and the management issues they raise. 2hat would you advise a company migrating to a telework scheme3 2hat is corporate identity3 0ow can it affect the formation and maintenance of !relational" psychological contracts3 1o we need leaders3 >ustify your answer on theoretical empirical and practical grounds. 5sing relevant theory discuss the potential interplay of personal professional-occupational and organi+ational identities in the contemporary workplace. 1raw out the management implications.

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1@. 2hat 4 if any 4 is the difference between a leader and a manager3 0ow can theories of leadership inform our understanding of effective management3 11. /an temporary workers develop relational contracts with the host organi+aton3 Provide an informed and constructively critical social psychological justification for your answer. 1%. 2hy is culture change difficult and why3 2hat insights are afforded by your analysis that can be used to facilitate culture change3 7&plain and defend your answer. 1'. 0ow has the new technology revolution affected the social processes and structures of organi+ations3 18. According to Aousseau"s social cognition theory how are psychological contracts established3 0ow effective is her e&planation3 19. 2hat are the conse#uences of psychological contract breach for both the individual and the organi+ation3 1:. 2hat elements comprise an organi+ational culture3 0ow does this differ from our understanding of organi+ational climate3 1<. Theorists have attempted to define organi+ational cultures into specific ta&onomies. 0ow useful has this profiling work been to our understanding of cultural effectiveness3 1=. 0ow have traditional theories in social psychology contributed to our understanding of how organi+ational identity is formed3

1?. 0ow does corporate identity differ from organi+ational culture3 %@. Are workgroups and teams a help or a hindrance to the achievement of organi+ational goals3 %1. 0ow would you go about establishing a new team from scratch to ensure effective outcomes both for the organi+ation and the individual team members3 %%. 5sing theories from the organi+ational psychology literature e&plore how a leader can best ensure their team achieves its goals. %'. 2hy have theories of transformational leadership proven to be so popular in recent years3 %8. 2hat affects people"s choice of communication media within organi+ations3 %9. 0ow has the new technology revolution affected organi+ational communication3 %:. /ompare and contrast the !planned" and !emergent" approaches to effecting organi+ational change.

!ntervention" #esign and $valuation

1. %. '. /ompare and contrast the relative advantages and disadvantages of two methods of data collection as used for !diagnosis" of an organi+ation"s need for an intervention. ;utline factors that may affect the accurate evaluation of an intervention 1escribe and criti#ue ways in which organi+ation"s typically evaluate an !intervention"$ what would you suggest they do to improve their evaluation design and methods3 2hy was .rederic Taylor"s work described in his Principles of Scientific Management so important3 Briefly indicate the content and relevance of his legacy.

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