During this week, you will have an opportunity to conduct analysis of the second case study. This case analysis exercise will be completed as an independent work. The objective of the case study analysis is to “take an active role when interpreting the presented problem and discover its meaning” (p. xxv) and practice practical skills while learning about theories, models and concepts of organizational behavior and development.

The case analysis should be between 500 and 750 words, well organized, well written, and formatted in APA 6th (or 7th) style.

Read Case: Where do we begin? Selecting an intervention at the Springfield County Office of Economic Development (pp. 162-167)

Anderson (2018) shares a few tips for analyzing case studies:

1. Read the entire case first, and resist the temptation to come to early conclusions. Maintain a spirit of inquiry and allow yourself to linger and think deeply about the problem.
2. Use charts to map out organizational structures and underline key phrases and issues.
3. Sort through the useful primary information from the unnecessary secondary information. Ask yourself what the client is trying to accomplish, and focus on the core issues and central facts.
4. Prioritize the most pressing issues, and resist the temptation to comment on, or solve, everything.
5. When you write a response or an analysis, ask yourself whether you have addressed the central questions or issues of the client/case. Also consider if your analysis is professionally written, clear and well organized. Ensure that the client will understand how you have reached specific conclusions and why you have made certain recommendations.
6. Use and cite specific data to justify your interpretation and bolster your conclusions.

Outline of your Case Study Report

Cover Page

Title of Your Assignment

Your Name

The Name of your University

Introduction

Identify all the important issues that need to be addressed, including the company’s situation, its strategy, and the significant problems and issues that confront management. Avoid recounting facts and history of the company.

Analysis/Evaluation

Perform an appropriate qualitative or quantitative analysis and evaluation by identifying factors related to employees, teams, groups, managerial competence, and culture as well as those factors related to organization’s strategic success or failure as marketing, productions, or operations. Decide whether the organization has valuable resource strengths and competencies and whether it is capitalizing on them.

Recommendations

Propose a set of recommendations addressing the issues you have identified in the context of various Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development concepts, models and theories. Create 3-5 recommendations addressing some of the issues and problems you identified and analyzed. State how your recommendations will solve the problems you identified. Remember to avoid any recommendation that you would not yourself be willing to do in the future

Action Plan

Propose an action plan addressing the issues you have identified in the context of OB and OD concepts, models or theories. Simply, offer a definite agenda for action, stipulating a timetable and sequence for initiating actions, indicating priorities, and suggesting who should be responsible for doing what.

Conclusions

In one paragraph, restate the aim of this assignment and summarize the main points you discussed. If you wish, you may propose future research in the context of the analyzed case study.

References