Organizational Theory and Behavior

ASSIGNMENT: Annotated Reading List, 1st course assignment
Purpose:
This assignment builds on important research trends–the topics you and classmates researched for the 1st Graded Discussion.  But this assignment also gives you a deeper understanding  for developing an annotated bibliography, what’s also called an “Annotated Reading List”.  Knowing how to write an annotated list is an important  skill for this course and others needed to complete your program of study.
Further, you may find that knowing how to produce an annotated bibliography will help you prepare for writing proposals, either for a special professional conference or for the development of a team project.  Completing an annotated list of ideas sets up and expands your capacity to think about a relevant topic– you, then, hold the confidence of an expert.
 But the work of annotating research often begins informally–something like this scenario: Your manager reads an all-staff email in which you share some organizational survey information sponsored by a UMGC course assignment.  He remembers his college course on organizational behavior and realizes that he found the knowledge he learned extremely useful. Like many, your manager perceives he is overwhelmed with changes that require him and his employees to quickly respond to unpredicatable situations. Experience has taught him there is always a need to know more. The manager asks you to select some articles for him to read.
To provide focus to this annotated reading list assignment, use one (1) of the three (3) topics listed for the 1st graded discussion as search words to build on and delve more deeply into an important topic for understanding organizational behavior.  
More information can be found in the attachment. Read carefully.  Additional resources can be found in posts developed for the 1st graded discussion. 
Step 1:  Select three (3) to five (5) articles for your assignment.  The topics include employee performance, work-life balance, or employee engagement. You may expand or deepen your interest in the same topic or choose another from the discussion list. If you have a new idea for your assignment, then email me ASAP (as soon as possible) to identify the topic.  Please write 1-2 sentences describing “why”. Unlike the discussion, you may select sources for your reading list that include e-book chapters.  
Step 2:  Use the APA template or format found in the attached file.  See the sample.
Step 3:  Analyze and explain the articles.  Each entry should include two (2) paragraphs. The 1st paragraph provides an overview of ideas found in the research article.  The 2nd paragraph provides your analysis of the reasons a manager could find this article useful.  Note: Consider returning to content links.  See ContentSession 2 Commentary.  Information in that link provides background.
Step 4:

Conclude your Bibliography assignment with a 2-3 paragraph discussionabout the ideas from the articles  selected and summarized–ideas that you believe are most relevant today. Give your reasons for the selection. This section should include application examples. Remember to add in-text cites for this section.  Cites are needed when you have used any published resource.

PREPARING Your Submission–Final Actions:

Read the grading rubric for the assignment, which is below this Guide.
Your final submission includes a Title Page and Your Name.
Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks.  Do not use more than seven (7) consecutive words from a source document.  Instead take the article idea and describe in your own words, then attribute the source by adding parens marks, which look like this  (       ) Insert the author’s last name or key words from the article title, if no author. Provide the page or paragraph number. 
Third-person writing is required. Third-person means that there are no words such as I, me, my, we, or us (first-person writing), nor is there use of you or your (second-person writing). 
Avoid contractions of words. Contractions are not used in business writing.