Project Work Organizatio& Management

Roger Henning

Organization & Management 2010: Instructions for the project work

Purpose

The primary purpose of the project work is to give you “hands on” experience of applying theoretical concepts to organizational issues in a Baltic context. A further purpose is to train you in basic methods of scientific inquiry and report writing.

When you have finished the project work you are expected to have:

• Developed an understanding of how the theories in the course relate to a Baltic context
• Improved your ability to carry through organizational inquiry and analysis of real organizational problems
• Acquired basic skills and understanding of qualitative methods
• Gained experience in report writing

The assignment

Your assignment is to formulate and answer a research question by writing an academic report about a problem/phenomenon that you observe and investigate in your chosen project company. Each group of four students is required to prepare a written project report, which will be discussed at the project work seminar.

 In the written report you are expected to:

• Answer the research question using different perspectives (frames) that are discussed in the literature and during the course
• Draw conclusions based on the analysis that you have conducted

Each report is expected to include the following parts:

1. Introduction

The Introduction must include a description of the chosen problem/phenomenon which is the topic of study and analysis, as well as a short description of the studied organization.

It is expected that the Introduction also outline the report’s delimitations (what you have decided to study).

1. Research question

Your research question must be posed in relation to the chosen problem/phenomenon which is the topic of the report, and which is described in the Introduction.

We encourage you to think about what kind of question might be appropriate, given your chosen problem/phenomenon. Irrespective of which kind of research question you formulate, it must be delimited. The research question must be posed in a manner which makes it possible to answer the research question through the application of your chosen theoretical concepts on the empirical material you have collected.

1. Theoretical framework and key theoretical concepts

In order to answer the research question you will need to use specific theoretical concepts from the course literature. The report must include a description of the chosen theoretical concepts, along with a broader description of the theoretical framework in which they are developed.