identify an organizational problem/dilemma/issue and how, through research, you might attempt to address it. You may want to consider a research question relevant to the themes
developed in the course or your own organization and frame it in the context of the relevant theoretical iterature. Additional information will be given throughout the semester.
Specifically, for this option you will take a theme from the course material (e.g., Organizational Design, Development, Change, Values, Ethics, or Culture – list not exhaustive) and develop a research question
that you will then apply to an organization. The organization can be your own that you work for, or it can be one that you select from a deliberate internet search. The task will be to apply the lessons from the course
themes to analyze that organization. The research must include (at a minimum) the context and background of the organization, a literature review that depicts the general application of an organization theory to your
organization, why you selected the organization, the organizational theory that you will apply in your analysis, your methodology, results, and a discussion of your findings.
For either option, your literature review should consist of the following components:
Title Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Review of the Literature, Managerial Implications, and References
. A iterature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current
knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research.
The length of the paper is up to you. The average length in the past has been 15-20 pages in the body of the report (not including title page, table of contents, or references).
Writing a literature review involves finding applicable publications (such as books and journal articles), critically analyzing them, and explaining what you found. There are five key steps:
1.Search for the relevant literature
2.Evaluate your sources
3.Identify themes, debates and gaps in the literature
4.Outline the structure of your paper
5.Write your literature review
A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources – it analyzes, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.
