HRM 523 Organization Theory Paper 1

In this first paper, you are asked to describe, apply and evaluate functionalist theories of organization in an analysis of an on-going organization, or an organizational phenomenon of interest to you, using the narrative structure provided on the websites supplied in class. Make sure that you follow the narrative structure outlined and pay particular attention to the sections on septet, critical analysis and the examples.  Your final product should be approximately 12 pages in length, not counting title, reference or appendix pages. Please proofread and edit the paper thoroughly. For assistance in writing issues, please contact the Writer's Center at 412-536-1227. For guidance on APA referencing, please check http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

1. Select something from your own personal experience in organizations and tell a story about this, using the basic components of story telling (see Boje’s Septet piece for further details)
2. Understand that theories are narratives in that they tell a particular story of organizations and the people in them. Your job in this assignment is to provide two different narratives, employing 2 different theories in telling “what really happened”, how and why
3. In telling the story, integrate the ideas, concepts and perspectives employed by the theories, using the class readings.
4. Also include your own position on the theories, in some fashion or another (e.g. narrator’s comments, twists in the story, postscripts etc. etc.)
5. Through using the narrative structure, you should be supplying the following, albeit not in that form:

Description of theories: At some point, you need to provide a brief description of functionalist thought, including its major paradigmatic assumptions and perspective on organizations and organizational research. Next, you need to select two theories from the material covered. Be sure that the two selected are from different metaphor groupings. Make sure that the selected theories are described, including their key concepts and ideas. Finally, make sure to reference your discussion thoroughly, using APA referencing.

Application of the theories: Your narratives need to clearly illustrate the use of the selected theories to provide two different analyses of your organization/ phenomenon. Make sure that the analysis is detailed and comprehensive, reflecting both the general focus and the specific concepts of the theories. You may also want to bear in mind that the focus of functionalist theory is on organizational structure and on providing structural recommendations as a result of organizational analysis.

Evaluation of the theories: Your discussion needs to provide your personal evaluation of each of the theories and of functionalism as a whole, including both strengths and weaknesses. Remember that you are evaluating the theories in this section, not your organization.

Your paper will be evaluated on the extent and quality of incorporation of the reading material, overall organization, clarity and attention to detail, critical and analytical thought, and creativity and thoughtfulness evidenced in the narrative.