Personal Reflection Paper: The topics and theories we discuss in class pertain to real organizational issues and events. This assignment is intended to further your knowledge of how OB concepts can apply to current events and the real issues that organizations and employees are facing, while improving your writing and theoretical application skills.
Instructions: You will locate and analyze a current article in a mainstream, North American newspaper or magazine that relates to a theory or topic we discuss in class (that is, it directly relates to an issue within an organization, or relates to an issue a manager or employee(s) of an organization are facing).
Please turn your reflection paper to me on May 12 by uploading a PDF document on canvas under assignments with the assignment title “Reflection Paper”.
Format: The paper should be approximately 4 pages double-spaced (excluding cover page and references), read like an essay with formal essay/paragraph structure, and contain the following content areas (ideally with clear headers):
Summarize the article in your own words. (1-2 paragraphs) For example:
What is the issue the organization, manager or employee is facing?
Why did the issue come about?
Why is this good/bad for the employee and/or organization?
What are the OB theories/topics that relate to this issue?
Briefly summarize the one to two theories that you will use to help explain the issue. While there may be many related theories, it is best to limit yourself to the most relevant ones to be able to clearly explain and provide enough detail for your grade. Include definitions.
Apply the OB theories/topics to the issue
Clearly explain how the theories/topics apply to the issue. Use examples from the article to make it clear that you understand how the theory/topic applies to this situation. Analyze the situation based on what you know from class.
Recommendations and conclusions
Based on what you know about OB, what can you recommend to the employee or organization to improve their situation? Or, in the case of a positive example, what can you suggest for other organizations based on what you learned from this situation and your knowledge about OB?
Please appropriately cite and quote any content from the article and the textbook or other sources. You are not required to use other sources for this assignment, but you can cite the textbook and class slides if you wish.
On a separate page (Page # 5) – Include the article.
Final paper formatting. The final project report should be typed, double-spaced, and numbered pages of text, plus references, tables, figures, and appendices. The paper must have 1-inch margins on 8.5”x11” paper, with 12pt Times New Roman font. Please include a word count at the end of the paper.
Please write clearly and concisely and follow APA guidelines when it comes to the format of your paper, including how you format your references. The following website is a great resource for the APA guidelines: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html (Links to an external site.)
Good place to search for reflection paper articles are:
Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/news/business/management
New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/section/business
Fortune https://fortune.com/
Forbes https://www.forbes.com/#534c36f22254
Best Practices in Completing the Writing Assignment
