This assignment simulates a real-world scenario where you are a consultant, working collaboratively with your client to solve a complex organisational problem. You will immerse yourself in this scenario via a case study. You will be drawing on the two regulation / order paradigms to analyse the problem and develop your solution: the functionalist paradigm and the interpretivist paradigm. By applying this theory to an authentic case
study, you will demonstrate awareness of the real-world challenges associated with implementing solutions in organisational settings.
Please access your case study via this link: Scandi case study
In this assessment, you will write a report providing a critical analysis of the Scandi case study. You will play the role of an organisational consultant working with your fictional client (Scandi) to explore an organisational problem from multiple perspectives. You will analyse the functionalist approach used by your client in the case study and examine the different concerns and views held by various stakeholders by drawing on the theories of both functionalism and interpretivism. From this, you will develop a set of recommendations for your client.
This assignment supports you to:
Develop a deeper understanding of how organisations operate.
Understand the value of the functionalist perspective, but also its limitations.
Understand the value of the interpretivist perspective, but also its limitations.
Apply the theory you have learned in Organisations to a real world problem.
ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
The target audience for the business report is your fictional client as presented in the case study.
Recommended length and structure of your report:
Your consultancy report will be approximately 2,000 words long. It should include the following sections:
1. Introduction (100 words)
2. An analysis and critique of the functionalist approach taken in the case study (1,000 words)
Identify the views and concerns held by various stakeholders by drawing on the theory of interpretivism.
Evaluate and critique the process model proposed in the context of the case study.
Identify specific challenges the organisation might encounter if the process model is to be used.
3. A recommendation for a process model informed by both the interpretivist and functionalist paradigms that your client may use for consultation with all stakeholders (700 words)
• Identify the limitations of your recommendations given they only include consideration of the two order and regulation paradigms and exclude the two radical change paradigms.
4. Conclusion (200 words).
REQUIRED REFERENCES
Burrell G and Morgan G (1979) Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis, Routledge, New York.
Hirschheim, R. and Klein, H.K. (1989). Four Paradigms of Information Systems Development. 32(10). Communications of the ACM: 1999-1216.
At least five additional academic resources. (In total, you will be drawing on at least seven scholarly sources).
You must explicitly draw on both the Burrell and Morgan text and the Hirschheim and Klein paper to help you analyse the problem and respond to the assessment brief. Both texts are located in the Reading List. For the Hirschheim and Klein paper, focus on the “two stories” told by the authors: Story 1 (a depiction of functionalism in action) and Story 2 (a depiction of interpretivism / social relativism in action).
You may cite the “Consolidation and springboard” readings, but note that these are not peer reviewed and therefore do not count as scholarly texts.