Critical Analysis Paper
The purpose of the critical analysis paper in this course is to extend your critical thinking abilities within the topics that we have covered as part of this course. The assignment is intended to be open ended to push each of you to think through the issues that managers and organisations face when assessing potential matters that may emerge in the work environment. This is an individual assignment in which you will submit a critical analysis paper of 1000 words (+/-10%; excluding headings, in-text citations, and the reference list).
see attached
Requirements: excellent
Managing Behaviour in Organisations
Assignment 1 – Critical Analysis Paper
The purpose of the critical analysis paper in this course is to extend your critical thinking abilities within the topics that we have covered as part of this course. The assignment is intended to be open ended to push each of you to think through the issues that managers and organisations face when assessing potential matters that may emerge in the work environment.
This is an individual assignment in which you will submit a critical analysis paper of 1000 words (+/-10%; excluding headings, in-text citations, and the reference list).
Topic:
In the first five (5) weeks of this course, we discuss the topics of ethics, job performance & work behaviours, personality & values, perceptions & attitudes, and motivation. For this assignment, you will apply your understanding of these topics to a practical issue that organisations are facing today. You must draw upon the readings, activities, and use your own research to provide a critical analysis of any of the following questions. You can choose to do one or more of the questions below (please indicate clearly the question you did in the paper):
Governments and organisations around the world appear to be planning for the “post pandemic” workplace. In some instances, organizations are asking their employees to come back to the office full time. Other organisations are leaving very little office space and expecting workers to carry on doing their jobs remotely (from home or anywhere else). Many others are somewhere in between, making rapid changes or allowing for local, department level and a diverse range of work arrangements.
What are some key ethical dilemmas and issues that can arise from the different ways in which organisations are managing their “post-pandemic” work arrangements? What recommendations would you give organisational leaders and decision makers to manage these ethical issues?
How have workers with different personality types responded to those changes in terms of their work attitudes and behaviors? Consider the big five personality traits and describe what recommendations you would give organisational leaders and decision makers to manage employees ‘ work attitudes (e.g., organisational commitment and job satisfaction) with specific personality traits working in specific arrangements.
How have these changes in work arrangements impacted how managers motivate high task performance and citizenship behaivours among employees? What recommendations would you give organisational leaders and decision-makers to help them motivate workers in different arrangements to both do their jobs and work prosocially on behalf of the organisation?
You are expected to draw on the following in your assignment:
Concepts and evidence discussed in the seminars and assigned readings for Weeks 1 to 5 (lectures of week 1~4 are uploaded to , week 5’s will be available in 2 days, I will send to you once it is released).
You are not expected to cover every single topic/theory covered in each of the Weeks 1 to 5. Rather, you should choose specific theories or concepts that are relevant to helping you make your point for your critical analysis or help to support the examples that you are using to communicate your point.
As a guideline and given the length requirement, you MUST include a balance of three to five main ideas covered in the week(s) you are focusing on.
The seminars should be helpful in guiding you through various topics to complete the assignment. However, because the seminars are typically summaries and descriptions of established research, you should aim to cite original sources (which may include assigned readings and outside readings), rather than just rely on the seminars themselves.
Applicable personal examples, including your personal experience (a Chinese international student studying Australian online courses, due to the pandemic, the study location is in China) from professional work, school/university, volunteer work, other interest/belief groups, and/or class discussions and activities (e.g., personality tests, perceptions, motivation exercises, etc.).
This can be a useful part of the paper. However, be careful not to overemphasise this; other sources need to be considered to further understand and take your experience into perspective.
You are expected to conduct your own additional research using academic/scholarly sources (around 5). The best place to start searching for academic sources is through the university library website.
Web of Science (WOS) is a very good database to start with and includes reputable academic sources. To access WOS, you can go to . Select ‘Databases’ and type in ‘Web of Science’, select connect to Web of Science, which should then take you to a university login screen for you to gain access to WOS.
A secondary database might be Google Scholar (). However, note that the sources listed on scholar are not always peer-reviewed and may be less reputable.
Peer-reviewed journal articles (and in some cases, scholarly/academic books) are the preferred type of source. Be sure to consider whether online resources are the perspective or opinion of a particular writer. Good sources are those that have been peer-reviewed and are grounded in scientific evidence.
Be careful not to use websites/blogs/social media posts, etc. that may be intended to promote a person and/or their services. Websites often reflect individual opinions and anecdotes, and they are not usually reviewed by experts. Thus, the quality of the information there will often be suspect. Popular books should also be considered with caution, as they often do not cite appropriate evidence to make the claims that they do.
Final Thoughts: This is a ‘Critical Analysis Paper’. A critical analysis means that you will offer your final opinion/view or evaluation, but it importantly considers the facts and the different views/possibilities that might be out there. Of course, you need to briefly communicate WHAT your argument/point of view is and HOW these relate to the prompt (i.e., descriptive analysis), but your primary focus needs to be on WHY you take a certain position (supported largely by sound logic and, where necessary, academic research). To support your arguments and the position you take, use examples from things you have observed or work/personal experiences that can help a reader gain better clarity in your critical analysis. Put simply, we want you to focus more on the WHY and less on the WHAT and HOW. Do not leave it up to your marker to make the connections for you. Be sure to explain and support your arguments.
General Expectations and Recommendations
The most important aspect of this assignment is simply that you provide a critical analysis of and reflection on the topic. This assignment was intentionally designed as a broad topic so that there are different directions that you could take this assignment and therefore there are many ‘correct answers.’ Be sure to (a) provide support for your position using available research, (b) discuss the opposing perspective, and (c) provide rationale as to why your arguments are preferable.
Below are several pointers that will help your thought processes better:
A paper like this should include an introduction, body, and conclusion.
It would be useful to use headings and subheadings to break up and organise your paper.
You do not need a cover sheet but be sure to include the subject code and name, your name, and your student number at the top left-hand corner of the first page. For example:
Please read the following section carefully and make sure to email the subject coordinator should you have questions about any of the following. Not following these basic instructions will lead to deductions to your final mark on this assignment.
Formatting style: You are expected to follow the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style for headings and seriation, citation and referencing, and tablesand figures (if applicable).
o See the UniMelb library resource for details:
o Another helpful online resource can be found at:
In-text formatting: Submissions should be double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Romanfont, 2.54cm margins all around (i.e., 1”), and in a Microsoft Word file format
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