Organization Behavior Research Paper

OVERVIEW

This assignment requires that you present a holistic view of both a business leader, their management and negotiation practices, and their influence on their company and/or industry. Your assessment of the leader and his or her negotiation style will show their impact on company growth, profits, and larger business trends.

You will turn in a paper and give a presentation. Additionally, several assignments throughout the semester help you prepare for the final deliverables.

YOUR LEADER

Your leader should be someone current in the world of business (they may be recently retired). They should not be a figurehead (for example, an actor whose name is on line of clothes) but actively involved in management of the organization.

Your leader may not be someone who is primarily in politics or entertainment, nor may they be related to you.

You should choose a leader you will readily be able to find information on.

PAPER

The paper focuses on your evaluation of the leadership and negotiation strategies used by an individual business professional.Research the practices of your selected business leader using reputable, varied, and reliable sources including specific management theories and concepts.

Your paper should:

• Briefly introduce the leader (no more than a page)
• Identify the defining characteristics of the professional’s leadership style; consider both positive qualities and limitations, using management theories from the course
• Describe real-world scenarios when the leader negotiated solutions to difficult situations, using negotiation theories from the course
• Assess the skill and degree of success of the leader’s negotiations
• Suggest ways the leader could improve their skills at leadership and/or negotiation, perhaps using some of the tactics discussed in this course
• Summarize the leader’s strengths, weaknesses, and impact

PRESENTATION

The presentation is an extension of your paper. Drawing from that analysis, provide a brief description of both the leadership style and negotiation skills of the business professional you selected for analysis. Include a critique of both her/his attributes as well as limitations.

Then, drawing from your paper, your readings, and your own experiences, develop a profile of yourself as a leader. What can you learn from this leader? How would you describe your leadership style? Have particular individuals, experiences, or readings challenged your understanding of being a leader? How do your career goals, core values, and personality contribute to an understanding and development of your own professional identity?

QUESTIONS TO KEEP YOU ON TRACK

1. What are the positive and negative characteristics of my chosen leader’s leadership style?
2. How does my chosen leader measure his or her success? Are there other more appropriate measures?
3. How do his or her strategies compare and contrast to other industry leaders?
4. What effects do that leader’s choices have on the development of the company? What specific examples can I offer to support my assessment?
5. What challenges does this leader face because of the leadership and negotiation practices they employ? What level of risk is inherent?
6. What can I learn from this leader and what could I suggest to this leader?

GUIDELINES

ACCEPTABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

General business publications:

• Forbes
• Fortune
• The Wall Street Journal
• The New York Times
• Economist

Industry publications:

• Women’s Wear Daily
• Vogue
• Business of Fashion
• Trade publications such as PR Week

Not acceptable:

• Wikipedia
• The person’s website
• Their company’s website
• Blogs

Last Updated on October 16, 2019