MGT 6681 APPLICATION ESSAY:
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
The application essay involves identifying a problem amenable to analysis and possible correction using principles of organization development and change. The result should constitute a first step toward carrying out an actual change initiative in your organization, even if only hypothetically due to permission constraints, or in a prior organization in your experience, if applicable. Avoid widely publicized organizations, however. This project must derive from personal experience.
A feasible problem may involve any structural or processural characteristic that seems to merit improvement, whereof you have close personal knowledge. Consider problems of quality, process integrity, structure, communication practices, leadership, teamship, human-resource management, strategic alignment, or adaptability to environmental fluctuations. Your case will constitute a bona fide example of organization development and change as long as the intervention considers multiple domains of organizational functioning as depicted in either the Six-Box model or the 7-S framework and is consistent with a systems approach to organization change.
Your selected problem may be large or small in scope (e.g., organization, division, department, production unit, support unit, team, or job), as long as you have direct personal experience with it. However, adhere to a single level of analysis. The three levels of analysis are: (a) organization level; (b) group or team level (e.g., department or unit); and (c) individual level (e.g., job design).
Title page and executive summary. See the posted sample APA-styled paper with the executive summary instead of abstract. Add recommendations to this initial section, but limit it to one page. Then, in the body, include the following sections (at least one paragraph per section or subsection):
Introductory section. Describe the organization, its mission, and its market or purpose. Identify the feature to improve. Explain why the proposed improvement is necessary or would be helpful.
Analysis (primary section header). Subsections (secondary section headers) as follows:
Strategic analysis. Perform a SWOT analysis. Start with a PEST analysis, followed by industry KSFs, and finally your identification of strengths and weaknesses.
Diagnostic model. Select either the 6-Box model or the 7-S framework. Start with the locus (location) of your feature of interest (i.e., the problem). Then review how this feature affects other components or is subject to any effects from those other components.
Structural dilemmas. Describe your organization in terms of Bolman and Deal’s (1984) six structure dilemmas. Review how each dilemma may affect the feature of interest.
Formulation (primary section header). Conclude by justifying a strategy to solve the problem. Your strategy may address any functional area (e.g., supply chain management, human-resource management, logistics, operations, or marketing). Note: We will address implementation later.
Standards. Minimum length = 1,400 words (body only; see syllabus for length calculation). Cite at least the textbook plus five qualifying sources based on the criteria listed in the syllabus.
To amend your essay (before the deadline), type “AMENDED SUBMISSION” at the top of the new version.
References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1984). Modern approaches to understanding and managing organizations. Jossey-Bass.
