PROJECTS AND PEOPLE 641
ASSESSMENT 3B- HARVARD CASE STUDY
Due date: 3 November 2014 midnight via Turnitin.
20% of your mark
Word Count: 1000 words
Marking Guide (page 5) – Please make sure you attach this to the end of your answer.
Read and analyse the case study and then answer One of Three questions below.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What caused the conflict between the project managers and the other employees?
2.How would you design the authorities of a project manager at BEC?
3. BEC is still growing and needs to hire more employees. For the future, do you have any suggestions for Mr. Zheng about employee qualifications and training sessions?
DOWNLOAD AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1. You will find the Harvard Case Study on Blackboard. under Assessments/ assessment 3B Harvard Case Study Essay
2. You hit the link and download the case study. PLEASE ONLY DO THIS ONCE. CURTIN HAS TO PAY A$5 for each download.
3. The questions from the Assessments section are contained herein.
4. If you have any difficulties with the download email the lecturer
5. Please complete the questions in a Word document that you will need to upload to Blackboard via Turnitin by midnight 3 November 2014
6. The file name of your Word Document should follow this format: Surname_First Name_student number_P&P641 Ass3b. For example: Jones_Mary_12465976_ P&P641 Ass3b. docx
7. At the top of the first page you must have your first and last name, your student number, your email address and the following heading: P&P641 – Harvard Case Study Assessment 3B.
When reviewing your written responses you should reflect on the following areas:
1. Is your diagnosis and recommended action practical to implement and/or a good fit for the context presented in the case study?
2. Is the diagnosis and recommended action you put forward based on a sound theoretical basis?
3. Have you demonstrated critical thinking skills in responding to these issues, i.e. have you gone beyond description and demonstrated deep, critical analysis to arrive at their recommendations/solutions?
4. Have you used appropriate academic writing style and referencing?
General Information
1. You will be asked to review the case study in the context of the relevant OB concepts and theories available in the textbook and academic journals and use this information to answer the questions relating to the case study.
2. You are asked to read and analyse the case study and then answer One (1) of Three (3) questions.
3. Each question must be numbered according to the number in the question sheet and you must write the question out in full, before answering.
4. At the end of each question you must provide a word count and bibliography.
Analysing the Questions
#1 Read the questions carefully
} What are you being asked to do? Decide? Describe? Analyse? Make recommendations? Use this information to focus your reading of the case study. Highlight key words, characters, and events.
} Start to think about the OB theories and concepts that could be related to the case.
#2 Read the case study carefully
} Read it from beginning to end to get an overall idea of what is happening.
} Highlight anything you feel is important and related to the problem.
Sometimes the problems are not immediately clear and you may need to read the case several times before you understand fully what is happening. It’s important to understand the CONTEXT of the situation so that you can see how this might influence decisions made and resulting consequences.
#3 Ask questions and be a detective
} Descriptive questions: Where? What? When? Who?
} Analytical questions: Why? How? What if?
} Evaluative questions: So what? What next?
} Investigate and eliminate what is irrelevant to the situation or appears to not fit the case context.
} Make notes. Analyse and organise the information.
} Support your argument using theories and facts found in your course and reference literature – academic journals found using Google Scholar or Curtin library facilities such as One Search and/or databases
#4 Structure your response
Make sure your answer:
} Is evidence-based (using data from the case),
} Is supported by relevant literature,
} Demonstrates integration and synthesis,
} Uses linking words to connect your argument, and includes a short introduction and conclusion
} There is no “right” answer – as long as your arguments are supported through evidence of research and well crafted by your critical thinking skills, many different points of view are possible. I have marked at least 300 Harvard Case Studies in MBA and Project Management programmes – the variety of possible responses always amazes me!
#5 One possible structure
} Introduction
} Analysis of the case
} Identification of major issues
} Possible solutions/recommendations
} Conclusion
#6 Always look at the marking guide (remember this one? J)
Always look at the assessment question and marking guide together. Think of them as one document. Remember these questions from last time?
} How are the marks distributed and what are the implications?
} Are there any ‘easy’ marks in the marking guide (relatively speaking)?
} How many parts to this assessment?
} Four Questions to ask yourself from the marking guide:
} Is your diagnosis and recommended action practical to implement and/or a good fit for the context presented in the case study?
} Is the diagnosis and recommended action you put forward based on a sound theoretical basis?
} Have you demonstrated critical thinking skills in responding to these issues, i.e. have you gone beyond description and demonstrated deep, critical analysis to arrive at their recommendations/solutions?
} Have you used appropriate academic writing style and referencing?
REFERENCING AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES
1. We are using Chicago 16 style of referencing – see http://lgdata.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/1470/653024/Chicago_16th_style_guide_2013.pdf
2. Very useful introductory i-tutorial to referencing to refresh or if it is new to you:
https://library.curtin.edu.au/local/media/interactive-tutorials/understanding-referencing.swf
3. Study and Research Tools such as Endnote – Curtin library: http://libguides.library.curtin.edu.au/home
4. Google Scholar –See instructions in Maureen’s guide to Google Scholar (compiled in conjunction with Curtin University librarians) below
GOOGLE SCHOLAR - A VERY USEFUL AND EFFICIENT RESEARCH TOOL
The preferred method to access Google Scholar is through the Library’s Databases A – Z page. This is available to all Curtin staff and students.
Go to the Library home page:
http://library.curtin.edu.au/
· From here, under Top Links on the right - click on the link “Databases”.
· Select “G” from the list of letters showing, and then scroll down to “Google Scholar”. Once you select this you will need to provide your credentials (your OASIS staff or student number and password).
· This will now enable you to search Google Scholar and if you find links to material which says “Find it at Curtin” you should be able to click on this and you will be taken to the item, if it is something we subscribe to. It is likely that the result will direct you to one of our other databases where you will find the full text to the item.
· There will be some occasions when items are not available and that is usually because we do not subscribe to a particular resource. If you are a Postgraduate student or a staff member, you will see a link near the bottom of the window that opened which says “Request through Document Delivery Service”. In this case, click on that link and you can request the document through the freely provided service.
· Once you are logged into the databases this way, you can freely search the Library’s complete set of databases and find information from a wealth of sources.
Firstly, you can type in specific topics or general topics and it will show you how many citations (when an article is referred to in a published source) each entry has - this can give you an idea of which are the key articles in this area - the ones that are frequently referenced.
Secondly, you can check recent articles, which of course, will most likely not have as many citations. You can see the latest articles using the drop down year menu.
By checking out these two aspects of Google Scholar, you can gain a quick overview of the most important articles in an area of academic enquiry. This is a very valuable guide for your research.
Finding Full Text Articles
You can find the whole article as long as you are logged in with your Curtin credentials.
· ON CAMPUS and AT HOME
The Findit@Curtin function appears on the right hand side which links you to the full text version of your article.
GOOGLE SCHOLAR - A VERY USEFUL AND EFFICIENT RESEARCH TOOL (cont.)
· USING THE CURTIN LIBRARY SEARCH FUNCTION
You can find the whole article in most cases by typing the title and author of the article into the “Catalogue Search” box in the Curtin library website http://library.curtin.edu.au/ and looking then for your article.
Google scholar and endnote
Another great function in Google Scholar preferences is that users can set GS to enable downloading of citation into EndNote. They will need to go to the Google Scholar preferences page http://scholar.google.com/scholar_preferences?hl=en . All you need to do is to go to the preferences page & under Bibliography Manager, click on the button “show links to import citation into” (click on the drop down to change the option from BibTeX to EndNote). After this has been set, each citation will also include a link “import into EndNote”
Contacting the reference librarians for help
You can ring the reference librarians for help on 9266 2145 between 9 and 5pm Monday to Friday. To contact a reference librarian via email, sms, instant messaging - http://library.curtin.edu.au/help/index.cfm.
Google Scholar has an information page with an extensive help section at http://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/about.html
Google Scholar is widely used by postgraduate students in all areas and for research by academics. It is a very useful tool, which exemplifies the “win-win philosophy” - saves time and gives better quality results.
Projects and People 641 Semester TWO 2014
HARVARD CASE STUDY ASSESSMENT 3B - MARKING GUIDE
Name ______
Case Study (answer 1 question)
Word count 1000 words per question (+/- 10% not including references)Area covered / Question No:
Feedback
1) Are the recommendations/solutions provided practical to implement and a good fit for the context? (6) / /6
2) Are the recommendations/solutions based on a sound theoretical basis? (6) / /6
3) Has the student demonstrated critical thinking skills in responding to these issues, ie they have gone beyond description and demonstrated deep, critical analysis to arrive at their recommendations/solutions? (4) / /4
4) Does the student use appropriate academic writing style and referencing? (4) / /4
Total marks /20
1