Mini Change Observation Paper (20 percent)
Purpose:
To recognize and better understand significant organizational change by examining challenges,
stakeholder support and participation, communication processes, and reinforcement and stabilization
relevant to, and involved in, the change.
Course Outcome:
To identify and diagnose organizational problems and opportunities in order to improve performance
Deliverable:
Three to four-page paper, plus title page and bibliography.
Introduction to Assignment
For this assignment you will identify an organization that you are familiar with, and that has undergone a
significant organizational change. You will describe the organization, its purpose, size, history, and other
pertinent contextual information. Applying critical thinking skills, you will answer key OD questions about
the change you observed, challenges associated with that change, changes in leadership, support and
followership, the change in communication process, and how the change was reinforced and stabilized.
Read and follow all the Instructions carefully. The paper must clearly demonstrate your ability to apply
what you have learned about organization change in this course to date. Strive to be original along with
applying data, information, and ideas from the required reading and your outside research.
Instructions
1) Review the assignment purpose above and the Research and Writing Grading Rubric.
2) Identify an organization that you are familiar with that has undergone a significant organizational
change.
3) Briefly describe the organization. Use an outline format (see template in Instruction 8). Include the
organization’s name, industry category (e.g., financial, health, manufacturing, technology, government),
location (include physical and online/website locations), purpose (e.g. mission and vision), size, history
(abbreviated timeline with significant benchmarks bulleted), organizational structure (e.g., flat,
hierarchical, team-oriented, virtual, formal or informal).
4) Analyze the points below demonstrating critical thinking and reasoning; for example, explain “why” and
“how” as well as describe “what” and “who.”
The observed organizational change.
The challenges associated with the change.
Major organization stakeholders involved in the change as leaders, champions, and followers.
Communicating the change to the organization.
Reinforcing and stabilizing the change in the organization.
5) Identify and integrate at least five OD concepts, methods, strategies, or practices in your
analysis. Use bold font to highlight the concepts, methods, strategies, or practices. Demonstrate through
context and/or endnotes your understanding of the terms definitions.
6) Use data, information, and ideas from at least three of the Weeks 1 and 2 course resource materials
and from at least two credible, authoritative, relevant outside sources for a total of at least five
references. Your references should show a mix of scholarly and applied/practical sources. Use UMUC’s
Information Library System (ILS). Cite the weekly course resources and outside research sources within
the paper’s body using APA in-text formatting. Include a Reference list with complete source information
at the end of the paper. You are expected to paraphrase, using quotes only when the source’s verbatim
statements uniquely enhance meaning and understanding. Deductions will be taken when quotes are
overused and found to be unnecessary.
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