Questions And Topics We Can Help You To Answer

Parachute paper (10-12 pages)

The premise of this paper is that you show up for work in a new organization or “parachute” into the organization knowing little about the organization.  You will need to continually observe, orient, decide and act in this new environment to fully understand the organization’s behavior.  

In addition to the grading guidelines above… You should address the deeper currents of culture as well as how processes and mission drive behavior.  You should address your place in this organization, not merely from a “job description” perspective, but from at the individual and group levels of analysis.  While not limited to these topics, your paper should also address leadership, motivation, communications, and ethics.  In addition to incorporating a wide variety of specific OB distinctions from the course, the paper must analyze the organization’s behavior from each of the major organizational levels of analysis (zoom levels): individual, group, organization, and inter-organizational.  

This is a final paper and should draw on concepts, distinctions, and major themes from the entire course.  You may use an organization you have experience with or research one where you would like to work.  Ideally, from reading this paper, I should have the experience of being there with you and also gain valuable information about this organization.  Another way to look at this paper is as the document which uncovers the currents of organizational behavior in a methodical way.  The exercise of writing this paper provides you with a template for analyzing your next organization’s behavior, to avoid the organizational landmines, and more quickly make a valuable contribution.