Programme : BARS Business Major (Final Year)

Subject : Organizational Behavior

Submission Deadline : Before 13th April, 2023

Word Count : 1500 words for each Assignment

Marks : 50 Marks ( 25 Marks for Each Assignment)

This is an ‘Individual Assignment’ requiring you to produce one Written Assignment Paper. The
student needs to answer any TWO assignment questions.
Assignment Question 1

Case Study : Zenith Sportware

Zenith is a original manufacturers of sports uniforms for all sports such as gym, basketball, soccer,
cricket, volleyball, and swimming. Zenith also produce custom made team jerseys, shorts and polo
shirts with custom logo, name , sublimation printed, cut and sew with reasonable price. Sportswear
includes different types of clothing items that one would wear while participating in sports. Our
collection includes sports uniforms, sportswear (hats, jackets, sports bags, tracksuits, shorts, singlets,
t-shirts). The factory is located at Yangon as trusted sports clothing manufacturers, who provide a
wide variety of sportswear items to clients. We possess a huge and spacious workshop in which all
the advanced pieces of machinery are installed for the flawless production of our sportswear. On
the other hand, there are pieces that are installed to check the quality of the products and confirm
international paradigms in every aspect. Zenith Sports is famous for its huge infrastructural setup that
makes it competent among the top manufacturers, be it the quality and quantity. Our infrastructural
facilities are also modified according to the changing trends of the market.

We are very instrumental in providing the quality in our products. We conduct various quality
control checks on our products before delivering them to our clients. The quality tests are also
performed at the packaging of the final products. We have good relations with the trusted vendors,
buying all the raw materials from Europe. The products are selling to domestics market and export
to China , UK, Canada and New Zealand.

1. Prepare the suitable organization structure for Zenith Sportsware.

2. List the possible stakeholders of Zenith and make stakeholder analysis by identifying
power and interest of each stakeholder.

Assignment Question 2

Case Study : Differing Perceptions at Clarkston Industries

Susan Harrington continued to drum her fingers on her desk. She had a real problem and wasn’t sure
what to do next. She had a lot of confidence in Jack Reed, but she suspected she was about the last
person in the office who did. Perhaps if she ran through the entire story again in her mind she would see
the solution.

Susan had been distribution manager for Clarkston Industries for almost twenty years. An early brush
with the law and a short stay in prison had made her realize the importance of honesty and hard work.
Henry Clarkston had given her a chance despite her record, and Susan had made the most of it. She now
was one of the most respected managers in the company. Few people knew her background.
Susan had hired Jack Reed fresh out of prison six months ago. Susan understood how Jack felt when Jack
tried to explain his past and asked for another chance. Susan decided to give him that chance just as
Henry Clarkston had given her one. Jack eagerly accepted a job on the loading docks and could soon
load a truck as fast as anyone in the crew.

Things had gone well at first. Everyone seemed to like Jack, and he made several new friends. Susan had
been vaguely disturbed about two months ago, however, when another dock worker reported his wallet
missing. She confronted Jack about this and was reassured when Jack understood her concern and
earnestly but calmly asserted his innocence. Susan was especially relieved when the wallet was found a
few days later.

The events of last week, however, had caused serious trouble. First, a new personnel clerk had come
across records about Jack’s past while updating employee files. Assuming that the information was
common knowledge, the clerk had mentioned to several employees what a good thing it was to give ex-
convicts like Jack a chance. The next day, someone in bookkeeping discovered some money missing
from petty cash. Another worker claimed to have seen Jack in the area around the office strongbox,
which was open during working hours, earlier that same day.

Most people assumed Jack was the thief. Even the worker whose wallet had been misplaced suggested
that perhaps Jack had indeed stolen it but had returned it when questioned. Several employees had
approached Susan and requested that Jack be fired. Meanwhile, when Susan had discussed the problem
with Jack, Jack had been defensive and sullen and said little about the petty-cash situation other than to
deny stealing the money.

To her dismay, Susan found that rethinking the story did little to solve his problem. Should she fire Jack?
The evidence, of course, was purely circumstantial, yet everybody else seemed to see things quite
clearly. Susan feared that if she did not fire Jack, she would lose everyone’s trust and that some people
might even begin to question her own motives.

(1) Explain the events in this case in terms of perception and attitudes. Does personality play a role?

(2) What should Susan do? Should she fire Jack or give him another chance?

Assignment Question 3

Your company has rapidly grown from 250 to 1500 employees, and your Managing Director feels that
its managers now need different capabilities, skills and knowledge. Write a report for your Managing
Director on the following matters:

(a) The different skills and knowledge managers may need as their organization grows.
(b) Different roles which managers need to play in the organization.
Assignment Question 4

Case Study : Unmotivated at Global Insurance

Nichole Smith has worked as an assistant in the financial analysis department of Global Insurance for two
years. She is 24 years of age and joined Global from high school with good exam results. Nichole also
obtained some extra qualifications by taking night school courses. She started as a junior clerk, and quickly
moved to a more senior post, which paid a better salary. However, she has been in this post a while now.

Nichole ’s aim was to use the job as a stepping stone to one of the sales teams. The business was pleased
that Nichole looked on the job this way, as it is in favour of encouraging people to get on. However, it is
difficult to get into one of the sales teams, particularly when the company has placed so much emphasis
on graduate recruitment. This may be one of the things that seems to be bothering Nichole . Recently the
Unit Trust team hired a graduate trainee instead of Nichole , although she did accept that the new recruit
had an advantage as she was a qualified actuary.

Until a few months ago, Nichole had been an above average employee. She was always cheerful,
enthusiastic and willing, and picked things up quickly. Nichole used to make an excellent contribution to
regular weekly meetings. And she was prepared to do one-off projects, always seeming to be able to
squeeze in the extra work. She was also quite prepared to work late and regularly received small
performance-related bonuses for achieving targets.

Lately, however, she seems to lack motivation. She has missed some meetings and taken days off. She
complained that other members of the meetings had more senior posts and felt that they did not listen
to her views. She said, “I shouldn’t be treated as a worker who is satisfied just by basic physiological needs,
I need intrinsic motivation”

The other day, Nichole refused to take on a low-level task. She suggested that she was fed up doing routine
work and not leaving the office every day until 8 o’clock. Nichole also argued that she was never allowed
to make decisions and her work was always checked, as if she was not trusted. In the end some of these
other tasks had to be given to other members of staff, increasing their workload. Nichole ’s absences have
put additional pressure on the team. In addition, she has also started being off-hand. She was overheard
several times being rude to people who asked her for information or help.

1. Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

2. Explain why it is important for a firm such as Global Insurance to have motivated staff.
3. Using appropriate motivational theory, recommend ways in which the company may improve
Nichole ’s motivation.