Organisation Design and Management

Choose one of the following questions.

Question 1. Identify different aspects of structure in some contemporary firms. What are the implications for the organisation and its stakeholders? Draw on theory and empirical evidence in your answer.

Define or explain organisational structure (referenced/with citation).
Purpose/need/importance of structure
Identify a firm/firms and explain/describe the organisational structure (simple, functional, divisional decided based on geography or products, matrix, etc.).
Implications of the identified structure for the organisation and its stakeholders (employees, management team, customers, intermediaries, suppliers or any other identified/specific stakeholders)
Relevant theories and empirical evidence (bureaucracy, Fayol's principles of management, contingency management, division of labour, span of control, etc.)
References (Harvard).

Question 2. Identify different aspects of employee engagement in some contemporary firms. What are the implications for the organisation and its stakeholders? Draw on theory and empirical evidence in your answer.

Define or explain employee engagement (referenced/with citation).
Purpose/need/importance of employee engagement
Identify a firm/firms and explain/describe their use/mode of employee engagement
Implications of the identified use/mode of employee engagement for the organisation and its stakeholders (employees, management team, customers, intermediaries, suppliers or any other identified/specific stakeholders)
Relevant theories and empirical evidence (motivational theories, scientific management, reward management, social exchange theory, psychological contract, etc.)
References (Harvard).

Question 3. Identify different aspects of organisational culture in some contemporary firms. What are the implications for the organisation and its stakeholders? Draw on theory and empirical evidence in your answer.

Define or explain organisational culture (referenced/with citation).
The various aspects/dimensions of culture (depths of culture, organisational culture profile, etc.)
Purpose/need/importance of organisational culture (link between culture and leadership/management, etc.)
Identify a firm/firms and explain/describe the organisational culture
Implications of the identified culture for the organisation and its stakeholders (employees, management team, shareholders, customers, intermediaries, suppliers or any other identified/specific stakeholders)
Relevant theories and empirical evidence (culture as strategy, regulator, compass, glue, leadership theories, etc)
References (Harvard).

Guidance

Please ensure that you answer the question rather than providing a report on Uber, Facebook, Google etc. Use the material from the sessions and the videos in the Course materials folder. These are intended to provide you with a useful foundation of relevant theories, concepts and empirical evidence to help you address the essay question that you have chosen.
Assessment Criteria for the Individual Essay:
• Coherent and logical structure
• Clearly focused on the chosen essay question/topic
• Applies relevant theory and concepts to discuss and explain the issues
• Evidence of engaging with empirical evidence
• Harvard referencing and citation.