12/26/23, 5:28 PM Case – MGT302 Organizational Behavior and Teamwork (2023NOV06FT-2)
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Module 4 – Case
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND DIVERSITY
Case Assignment
For this Case Assignment, write an essay in which you discuss the cultural differences of two respected companies that are successful in their industry, Zappos and Amazon.
After you discuss the cultures of Zappos and Amazon, your ultimate final question is whether the purchase of Zappos by Amazon in 2009 was the right strategy based on the findings of your own online library research and the articles provided. You must support your response to that question with at least one high-quality reference which must come from the Trident Online Library.
Prepare a 4- to 5-page (not including title page and references) critique per the following format:
Title Page. Be sure to include 5 components of relevant information (e.g., Name, Class, Professor, Assignment, Date) on the title page.
Introduction. Discuss the topic of the paper and how you will approach it. It is best to write this section after you have written the rest of the paper. The title of this first section is NOT the word Introduction; it is the company names for this assignment, that is, Zappos vs. Amazon. (The heading for each of the other sections of the paper are in bold in the following four subtopics.)
The History and Culture of Zappos. Describe the history and key elements of the culture of Zappos and explain why these cultural elements are essential to its success. Be sure to apply the
Listen
12/26/23, 5:28 PM Case – MGT302 Organizational Behavior and Teamwork (2023NOV06FT-2)
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background material by supporting your writing with high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles found in the Trident Online Library.
The History and Culture of Amazon. Describe the history and key elements of the culture of Amazon and explain why these cultural elements are essential to its success. Be sure to apply the background material by supporting your writing with at least one high-quality peer-reviewed journal article found in the Trident Online Library.
It was or was not a good decision for Amazon to Purchase Zappos. Make an argument that Amazon made the right or wrong choice to purchase Zappos. Discuss the specific differences between the cultures of Amazon and Zappos in support of your position. Be sure to use the background material by supporting your writing with at least one high-quality peer-reviewed journal article found in the Trident Online Library.
Conclusion. Discuss the key points in your analysis that demonstrate the importance of understanding that organizational cultures are not easily changed and why culture should be a primary consideration when organizations contemplate an acquisition or merger.
Reference List. List all references that you cited in the paper using APA or other standard formatting. References include materials from the required background readings as well as any outside high- quality, peer-reviewed library sources you used in researching and writing your paper. Their purpose is to take the reader directly to the page on which you learned some information. When you find an article in the Library, you can click on the quote (”) icon, select the APA format from the drop-down list, and copy/paste the reference onto your reference list. You may have to clean it up because they are not always input into the database correctly.
Note: A URL (website address) is NOT a reference. A reference always contains four parts: author, publication date, article title, and the source of the article. Sometimes there is no author, but the APA
12/26/23, 5:28 PM Case – MGT302 Organizational Behavior and Teamwork (2023NOV06FT-2)
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manual tells you what you can put in that spot instead, such as the first few words of the article title. The source for a high-quality peer- reviewed journal article is the journal.
Upload your assignment to the Case 4 Dropbox. Be sure to review your Turnitin Originality report. If the score is over 15%, you may not be writing in your own words and you will need to contact your professor and arrange to revise and resubmit your assignment. Changes cannot be made to the submission, however, if it has already been graded by your professor. Always check your originality score after submitting your papers. If your score is above 15%, take a look at the originality report to see where you forgot to cite your sources. Always use quotation marks to indicate that material has been copied directly from the source. Also, the citation for all quotes must include the page number where you found the quote. These are two areas where most students get dinged on their score.
Citation and reference style instructions are available at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/ and Trident University’s Introduction to APA Style, 7th edition .
You will find the following useful as you critique sources:
Herring, J. E. (2011). Chapter 3: Evaluating websites, Figure 3.1, p. 38. In Improving students’ web use and information literacy: a guide for teachers and teacher librarians. Facet Publishing. Available in the Trident Online Library, EBSCO eBook Collection.
Lack, C. W., & Rousseau, J. (2016). Chapter 4: What is critical thinking? In Critical thinking, science, and pseudoscience: Why we can’t trust our brains. Springer Publishing Company. Available in the Trident Online Library, EBSCO eBook Collection.
Assignment Expectations
1. Include a cover page and References page in your essay of 4 to 5 pages, not including the cover and reference pages.
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2. Study the Written Communications Rubric. Review it before, during, and after preparing your submission.
3. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the materials cited on the Background page. Supplement these with at least two relevant high-quality peer-reviewed sources that you locate in the Trident Online Library.
Your submission will be assessed on the criteria found in the written communications grading rubric for this assignment:
Context and purpose for writing
Content
Adherence to conventions in specific disciplines
Sources of evidence
Syntax control
Timeliness
Check your memory of material you read or listened to in this Module.
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