Unit 20: Organisational Behaviour

Authorised Assignment Brief 1

Student Name/ ID Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 20: Organisational Behaviour

Academic Year

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title Management and Personality Portfolio

Issue Date

Submission Date

Submission Format

The submission is in the form of an individual portfolio of evidence. You are to produce a
portfolio of reflective evidence and take part in a simulated group activity. The portfolio should
include the following:

1. completed personality and attribute audits and a reflective statement

2. a motivational group activity
3. a reflective presentation that includes the participation and outcome of areas 2 and
3 above.
You are required to make use of headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate, and all
work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system (or an
alternative system). You will need to provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system
(or an alternative system). Inaccurate use of referencing may lead to issues of plagiarism if not
applied correctly.
Word count is 2500–3000 words, although you will not be penalised for going under or exceeding
the total word limit.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Reflect on own personality and perceptions to understand how individual difference informs and
influences management approaches.
LO2 Apply content and process theories of motivation to create and maintain an effective workforce.
LO3 Participate in a group team activity for a given business situation to demonstrate effective team
skills.
Transferable skills and competencies developed

● Development and delivery of HR solutions to the business that are appropriate to the
organisational context

● Ability to analyse facts and circumstances to determine the cause of a problem and being
able to identify and select appropriate solutions

● Ability to lead the improvement of people capability in the business or in own team

● Development of and building and motivating teams by identifying their strengths and
enabling development in the workplace

● Able to manage talent and performance

● Able to reflect on own performance and working style, and their impact on others

● Ability to plan own development and show commitment to the job and the profession.
Vocational scenario

Organisation:
The organisation is a retailer*, with stores in multiple countries, for example England, Germany,
Singapore, Thailand Vietnam. The retailer offers the latest fashion, beauty and homeware at the
best value on the high street. They keep the prices low and offer a large range of own-brand
items.
They pay well and expect their staff to work hard. Managers can expect to work in a fast- paced
environment but with a family feel and with good training and expertise on hand for support.
Role:
You are currently working as a Graduate Trainee Store Manager. You are responsible for leading,
motivating and developing the team of store employees to ensure consistent delivery on
standards, customer service and product knowledge, maximising the store’s sales potential and
profitability. You ensure that the delivery of the brand is in line with all visual merchandising
guidelines and with creative flair, you proactively drive store performance across all
departments.
As part of your graduate training, the retail company provides ‘Master Class’ management-
training sessions led by the Executive Team. In each session, you will carry out individual and
group activities with your peers. You are to record what you do and use the information gathered
to reflect on your contribution and make justified improvements for self and towards creating an
effective workforce.
*Select an appropriate retail company that meets local needs.

Assignment activity and guidance

Each ‘Master Class’ focuses on different aspects of leadership and management, and involves
different activities.
Master Class 1 – Personality and Perceptions
Complete a personality and attribute evaluation that audits your skills and personality traits.
Discuss whether they are positive or negative in terms of management approaches. Reflect on
personality and perceptions of self in terms of your own performance.
Master Class 2 – Motivation
As part of the training, you have been asked to provide solutions for addressing low morale, lack
of focus and productivity of employees on the shop floor. Staff work long shifts, are often dealing
with challenging customers and work can be repetitive. They often work in isolation.
You are to work in a small group of your peers to prepare, produce and deliver a short, dynamic
motivational activity for the rest of the management team to take part in. You should fully
participate in the creation and management of this activity. The activity should apply content and
process theories of motivation.
Discuss the outcome of the activity with your peers to critically assess how successful the
application of motivation theories can be.
Master Class 3 – Reflection
Following the group activity in Master Class 2 and the completion of the audits in Master Class 1,
you are to present the outcome of your results and participation in the group activity. To support
your improvements and recommendations, appropriate literature and additional business
examples should be used. In your presentation, you should consider the following areas.
● Exploration of team and group behaviour and its relevance to an effective team.
● Assessment and reflection on the results of the audits, your participation in the group
activity and the importance of personality etc. in effective workforce and managerial
relationships.
● Challenge and reflection on your personal perspectives, traits and attributes, as well as your
individual contribution to the group activity.
● Consideration and justification of the adaptation of self and business managers in
creating an effective team and a motivated workforce.
Recommended resources

Please note this is not a definitive list of resources but it will help you to start your research by
acting as a starting point of reference.

Weblinks

BBC News (2018). Personality Tests. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat- 45561194

Practice Aptitude Tests. Free aptitude tests. Available at:

https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/free-aptitude-tests/

Forbes (2019) Six Strategies to Maintain Employee Motivation. Available at: https://www.
forbes.com/sites/rebeccaskilbeck/2019/02/12/six-strategies-to-maintain-employee-
motivation/?sh=738b01481d35

HN Global
HN Global (2021) Reading Lists. Available at: https://hnglobal.highernationals.com/learning-
zone/reading-lists
HN Global (2021) Student Resource Library. Available at: https://hnglobal.highernationals.
com/subjects/resource-libraries

HN Global (2021) Textbooks. Available at: https://hnglobal.highernationals.com/textbooks

Textbooks:
Brooks, I. (2018) Organisational Behaviour: Individuals, Groups and Organisation. 5th Ed. Harlow:
Pearson
Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A. (2019) Organizational Behaviour. 10th Ed. Harlow: Pearson Mullins, L. J.
(2019) Organisational Behaviour in the Workplace. 12th Ed. Harlow: Pearson
Authorised Assignment Brief 2

Student Name/ ID
Number

Unit Number and Unit 20: Organisational Behaviour

Title

Academic Year

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title Power, Politics and Culture

Issue Date

Submission Date

Submission Format

The submission format is in the form of an academic poster. The academic poster should be
written in a concise style using an appropriate template. You are required to make use of
headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported with
research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system (or alternative system).
Please also provide a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system (or alternative system).
Inaccurate use of referencing may lead to issues of plagiarism if not applied correctly.
The recommended word limit is 1,500–2,000 words, although you will not be penalised for going
under or exceeding the total word limit.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO4 Examine how power, politics and culture can be used to influence employee behaviour and
accomplish organisational goals.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

● Conceptual and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and evaluation

● Research skills for evidence-based decision making
● Ability to be open, approachable and authentic, and able to build trust with others
● Ability to seek the views of others and value diversity
● Ability to operate according to organisational values.
Vocational scenario

Role:
In your position as Graduate Trainee Store Manager, central office has raised concerns with you
that organisational power and politics are negatively influencing the culture of the business. This is
preventing some stores from achieving set business goals. As a Graduate Trainee Store Manager
running an operation, you must be commercially aware and be responsible for delivering on-sales
targets while delighting your customer at every interaction.
You have been asked to investigate how power, politics and culture influence employee behaviour
and impact customer satisfaction and sales. Your investigation will be presented as an academic
poster in your next Master Class training session and will focus on driving performance and
productivity.

Assignment activity and guidance

You are to evaluate a variety of different organisational examples of how organisational,

power, politics and culture affect employee behaviour.
You should make recommendations on how organisational power, politics and culture could be
used to encourage and guide employee behaviour to help achieve sales and target goals, improve
interaction with customers, and with visual merchandising and stock presentation.
You should consider:

● different perspectives of power

● the occurrence of organisational politics
● levels of culture and how national culture can influence management and employee
behaviour
● the combined effect of power, politics and culture on behaviour and the
accomplishment of organisational goals.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Reflect on own personality and perceptions to

understand how individual difference informs and
influences management approaches

P1 Assess own personality M1 Challenge own

traits and attributes in perspectives and individual
terms of them having a traits and attributes to
positive or negative effect influence and improve
on management managerial relationships.
approaches and company
performance.

P2 Reflect on the value and LO1 and LO2

importance of personality
and perception for effective D1 Adapt personal
managerial relationships. perspectives, traits and
attributes to justify
improvements that influence
LO2 Apply content and process theories of motivation to and enhance employee
create and maintain an effective workforce motivation and create an
effective workforce.
P3 Apply content and M2 Critically assess the
process theories of extent that employee
motivation for enhancing motivation can be enhanced .
and maintaining an and maintained by practical
effective organisational application of content and
workforce, providing process theories of
specific examples. motivation.

LO3 Participate in a group team activity for a given business

situation to demonstrate effective team skills

P4 Contribute to the creation M3 Reflect on personal D2 Revise personal

and management of contribution to group contribution and skills for
effective teamworking in a behaviour and dynamics in effective teams to make
given business situation. the creation and justified recommendations for
management of effective own improvement.
P5 Explore the relevance of
teamworking.
group behaviour and team
theory in the creation and
management of effective
teamworking.
Pass Merit Distinction

LO4 Examine how power, politics and culture can be used

to influence employee behaviour and accomplish D3 Make justified
recommendations on how
organisational goals power, politics and culture
can be used effectively to
P6 Examine how the M4 Evaluate how the influence and direct
operation of power, politics operation of power, politics employee behaviour
and culture in an and culture affect employee towards the
accomplishment of
organisation affect behaviour and the organisational goals.
employee behaviour and accomplishment of
the accomplishment of organisational goals.
organisational goals.