OBR250 ASSIGNMENT # 2 – Global Pandemic/Work from Home Advice for

Managers

OVERVIEW:
In 2020, Covid-19 swept across the world creating a global pandemic. In order to slow the
spread and flatten the curve many governments around the world implemented a forced
quarantine resulting in businesses having to move their operations remotely with employees
working from home.

As reporters for the “Organizational Behaviour News”, you have been assigned the task of
creating a special feature for our readers who are managers of small to medium sized
businesses. Your role is to uncover and share details about concepts, issues and/or ideas that
demonstrate the values, goals, and/or actions inherent in Organizational Behaviour. It is
important to choose to report on ideas that connect you personally to the course and advice
that managers may need to know in order to keep their employees motivated and productive
during this time.

The editor has given you three options for your review either a written report, podcast, or video
blog and has left it up to you to decide which form you believe will be of interest to your
audience, managers attempt to maintain their levels of productivity and employee satisfaction.

Goals for the “Global Pandemic/Work from Home Advice” Journal are to:
 Improve your understanding of key concepts
 Build analytical and critical thinking skills so you can reflect on how theory applies to
real world situations
 Obtain evidence that enhances your argument or position on a certain topic/issue
 Impart greater appreciation and understanding of Organizational Behaviour as a
discipline
THIS ASSIGNMENT REQUIRES RESEARCH INTO BEST PRACTICES AND SUGGESTIONS MADE
USING A VARIETY OF SOURCES. YOU MUST CITE ALL SOURCES YOU USE AND PUT THE
PHRASING OF YOUR WORK INTO YOUR OWN WORDS. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE
INFORMATION ALREADY PRODUCED ELSEWHERE.

Possible sources you may use (but not limited to):

 Course textbook  Bloomberg Businessweek
 Sources posted in Weekly Online  Fast Company
Modules  Forbes Magazine
 Articles posted by Prof. Bedok on  Wired Magazine
Twitter @succedwithNB  Canadian Business Magazine
 Harvard Business Review  Adweek Magizine
 INC. Magazine  TED Talks
 Entrepreneur Magazine

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 Each Special Feature most include mention of the following an entry on the following
categories:

Category Possible themes or topics ideas

Communication  What communication channels are best for employees working from
home?
 Review various teleconference technologies
 Why do so many employees find WebEx/Zoom calls so exhausting?
 How to communication organizational change with employees during a
crisis
 Advice on taming your email monster
 Advice on writing professional emails

Leadership  Strategies for managing employees

 What is the best type of leadership approach during Covid-19
 Skills of great leaders
 Ways Covid-19 had changed leadership
 How to measure employee productivity without micromanaging them

Team Dynamics  Strategies for promoting collaboration for workers working from home
 How to make good decisions in uncertain times
 Social distancing activities to use for team building
 How to encourage full participation of team members

Power  How has working from home during the global pandemic changed power
dynamics of the workplace
 How to influence employees or customers from afar
 Ways to inspire your employees

Organizational  Advice for employees managing work-life balance while working

Culture remotely
 Advice to help employees manage stress while working from home
 How businesses can pivot at this time to meet changing needs of
consumers and their consumers
 How to conduct remote Job interviews
 Skills needed to thrive when working remotely
 Reasons people hate working from home and how to fix it

For this assignment you have three (3) choices:

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 1. WRITTEN NEWSPAPER ARTICLE REQUIREMENTS (Individual):

 Minimum of 12 point font (14 preferred)

 You will have a total of 5 articles in your special feature and each should be a
minimum of 250 words
 Reports must be written using proper Business English and may be written in the first
person where necessary
 Cite ALL sources using MLA style
 In your analysis, you should refer to specific topics and issues outlined in the
textbook chapters from this course. Your special feature must contain an
article on each of the broad categories outlined above but may choose to
report on any topic within that category either as a few issues in depth or a
broader range of issues.
 Do NOT only present the review of the topics or concepts from the textbook.
Your report should be focused on analysis, insight and observation.
 To upload post to the course site under assignments

2. PODCAST REQUIREMENTS (Individual or pairs):

 2 minute minimum sound recording for each category (individual) or 5 minute
minimum sound recording for each category (pairs)
 Recordings should use professional Business English but can use personal reflections
with the use of “I”
 Excellent Podcasts are well prepared and tell a compelling story. Here is a resource to
help with this https://www.timecamp.com/blog/2018/01/make-successful-podcast/
 Use factual information and cite sources by referring to them in your recording (i.e.
“According to Professor Bedok conflict in teams can be a good thing because it
encourages creative and innovative solutions”)
 In your analysis, you should refer to specific topics and issues outlined in
the textbook chapters from this course. Your special feature must contain
an article on each of the broad categories outlined above but may choose
to report on any topic within that category either as a few issues in depth
or a broader range of issues.
 Do NOT only present the review of the topics or concepts from the
textbook. Your report should be focused on analysis, insight and
observation.
 To upload please post on SoundCloud as a private unlisted video (instructions posted
on course site). Take note of the URL and post it on our course site

3. VIDEO NEWSTORY REQUIREMENTS (individual, pairs or groups of up to 4)

 2 minute minimum video per category (individual), 5 minute minimum video per
category (pairs), or 10 minute minimum video per category (group)
 Recordings should use professional Business English but can use personal
reflections with the use of “I”
 Videos may be live action or animations
 Excellent videos are well prepared and tell a compelling story. Here is a resource
to help with this https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-
content/how-conduct-journalistic-interview/
 Use factual information and cite sources by referring to them in your recording
(i.e. “According to Professor Bedok conflict in teams can be a good thing because

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 it encourages creative and innovative solutions”) DO NOT USE Wikipedia as your
reference.
 In your analysis, you should refer to specific topics and issues outlined
in the textbook chapters from this course. Your special feature must
contain an article on each of the broad categories outlined above but
may choose to report on any topic within that category either as a few
issues in depth or a broader range of issues.
 Do NOT only present the review of the topics or concepts from the
textbook. Your report should be focused on analysis, insight and
observation.
 To upload please post on YouTube as a private unlisted video (instructions posted
on course site). Take note of the URL and post it for your Weekly Report post

ASSESSMENT:
Your assessment, (50 marks, worth 15% of your total mark) will be based on:
 Formatting (fonts, spacing and titles/logical flow of sound recording or video, sound
editing, video editing)
 Grammar (spelling, capitalization & punctuation, accurate word choices in writing or
recording, use of professional business vocabulary and sentence structure)
 Content and Organization (inclusion of interesting topics from each week of the course,
factual information used, creative presentation)
 Depth of reflection and analysis (assignment must further knowledge in the topic
beyond textbook readings and class presentations)
 Impact (balanced discussion of observations and their implications made and clearly
explained, and creativity)

Please review the Assignment # 2 Rubric (in Assignment # 2 folder) for more information.

UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS:
 Log on to our course site, click on “Assignments”, and then “Assignment 2”, and then
“Submit Assignment 2 Here”
 Click on “Create Journal Entry”
 Name each entry with your name and the film/tv show you are reporting on. Then either
type your entry into the “Entry Message” box or upload a file through the “Attach Files”
box (Please make sure files are either PDF or MS Word). If you did the audio file or the
video option, post your URL here.

SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENT BY August 10, 2020 at 11:59:59 p.m.

IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU START THIS ASSIGNMENT AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE. THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT AN ASSIGNMENT THAT CAN BE
COMPLETED IN ONE NIGHT!!!!!!!

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