Module 1: Discussion Board on Applied Project Ideas
Hello Leaders,
Please complete this two-part assignment:
· For part 1, after reviewing all of the materials on the MODULE 1 ACTIVITY page, submit an initial post of at least 300 words addressing the points below.
· For part 2, respond to ONE of your classmates’ posts by answering the question(s) they posed in their initial post (Due 2 days after the “Due Date” for the initial post — with NO ADDITIONAL EXTENSIONS (the “48-hour exception” does NOT apply here). The response post should be at least 150 words.
Initial post (Due FRIDAY)
Write a post of at least 300 words addressing the following four items. Please use topical headings or numbers to make it easy for readers to see that you’ve covered all four items:
1. Please introduce yourself to the class. What is your background and where do you live now? By what name would you like us to address you? Do you have any hobbies? What are your career aspirations? Why are you getting a Masters degree? (Don’t worry about this part, I will do it)
2. Next, please share your current thinking on your applied project.
· What problem, industry, and/or phenomenon are you interested in for your applied project? This class will help you continue planning what kind of questions and problems you are interested in, and how you might go about researching and developing solutions for them.
· Who will benefit from your research, e.g., who is the end user? How will they benefit? This website has examples of benefits from research impact. There are many other types of benefits/impact too, so don’t limit yourself to just these.
· What is your proposed deliverable?
3. From what you’ve learned so far from the readings and watching the videos, what organizational design/process issues might be related to the problem you want to study for your applied project? Sources of problems often stem from failing at one of the five management functions ( planning, organizing, leading, coordinating, controlling). For example, is poor organization or lack of coordination interfering with productivity or collegial teamwork? How might this reflect a mechanistic approach? Or, is the company losing market share because it’s become too rigid and failed to keep up with changing customer expectations, similar to the Uno Pizza example? Be sure to use vocabulary and ideas from the readings and videos in your analysis, citing appropriately, to demonstrate your mastery of these materials. For example, contextualize the issue in terms of how it relates to a management function and how it reflects historic or emerging view of management science (e.g., mechanistic vs. organismic). Reflect on how you have framed the problem and what assumptions underlie that framing. If you’re not clear about a concept in this unit, be sure to mention that, too, so we can discuss it. Please be sure to provide a references list at the end your discussion.
4. Conclude your post by posing a question to your classmates that asks for feedback on a specific aspect of your applied project summary and research approach. Their comments will be helpful as you refine your project idea further. For example, are there other questions you should be asking to help solve this problem? Have you framed the problem in the right way? Are you taking on too big (or too small) of a problem? Remember, this project should be doable in about 6-7 weeks. Also think about how you you will be able to get data, if/how you can get access to the organization, and/or what questions you should ask and answer to solve the problem you are trying to address.
Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!
Step-by-Step Guide for Completing Your Applied Project Initial Post
1. Introduction (You’ll complete this personally)
Be sure to include:
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Your preferred name
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Where you live now
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Hobbies or interests
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Your professional background
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Your career goals
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Why you’re pursuing a Master’s degree
2. Your Current Thinking on Your Applied Project
Break this into three subparts for clarity.
a. Project Focus
Describe the specific problem, industry, or issue you’re interested in. Example prompts:
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“I’m interested in addressing communication breakdowns within remote teams in the healthcare industry.”
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“I want to explore employee retention challenges in small non-profits.”
b. Intended Beneficiaries
Clearly define who benefits:
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Internal stakeholders (employees, management)
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External users (patients, customers, clients)
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Organizations (e.g., specific department or business unit)
c. Deliverable
Define what your final project will produce:
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Strategic improvement plan?
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Communication workflow?
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Training module?
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DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) recommendation report?
3. Organizational Design/Process Issues from the Course Readings
Apply concepts from the Module 1 resources. Use this format:
a. Identify a Related Management Function Issue
Pick from the five: planning, organizing, leading, coordinating, controlling
Example: “The problem seems rooted in poor coordination, where lack of standard processes causes task duplication.”
b. Explain Whether It Reflects a Mechanistic or Organismic Model
Mechanistic: Rigid, hierarchical, slow to adapt
Organismic: Flexible, decentralized, adaptive
c. Frame Your Problem
Explain your assumptions:
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Are you assuming technology is the solution?
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Are you focusing too narrowly on symptoms and not root causes?
d. Cite Course Resources
Use at least one or two readings or videos. For example:
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Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization Theory and Design
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Relevant lecture videos from Module 1
4. Pose a Strategic Question for Classmate Feedback
Make this question specific and useful. Examples:
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“Does my problem statement seem too broad for a 6-week project?”
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“What’s a better way to gather internal data if I can’t access company employees directly?”
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“Do you think the deliverable I’ve chosen is aligned with the problem?”
References (Include a list like this at the end)
Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization Theory and Design (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Harvard Business Publishing Education. (2023). Organizational Structure: Mechanistic vs. Organic Models [Video].
MindTools. (n.d.). The Five Functions of Management. https://www.mindtools.com/
The post Developing Your Applied Project: Organizational Design and Management Functions in Practice appeared first on Skilled Papers.
