MGMT 1120 Course Project Instructions
Instructor: Neil Saxon
Section: Online Section 001
Value: 5% Team Contract and Project Plan Assignment
Due: posted to Moodle dropbox no later than Friday, Feb. 03/17 @ 11:55pm)
20% Case Project Report
Final report due: Parts 1-4 posted to Moodle dropbox no later than Monday, March 13/17 @ 11:55pm
Individual Part 5 due: posted to Moodle dropbox no later than Monday, March 27/17 @ 11:55pm
Case Project Teams: As posted on the Moodle site
Case Study: Instructions to access will follow shortly (there may be a marginal fee to purchase from the publisher)
Project Purpose:
Your team will:
? Practice the management consulting role by analyzing a case study that captures the story of a company at a point in time.
? Define a problem the company is facing.
? Read the case and become familiar with the company and its environment.
? Analyze company information and apply key course concepts to better understand how the company works.
? Apply your analysis to propose three alternatives to solve the problem you have identified.
? Choose and defend the alternative that you believe best resolves the problem.

GETTING STARTED:
As per the Course Syllabus:
Team Contract and Project Plan Assignment (Weighting 5 %)
Due: posted to Moodle dropbox no later than Friday, Feb. 03/17 @ 11:55pm)
Details: your group will develop and submit a project plan. Your planning process will result in a brief group paper that will include:
1. Your group objectives for the project. (This is the TEAM Contract outlining Team guidelines)
2. Your action plan for the project, including a project schedule, what tasks will be completed, and how those will be assigned among group members. This may be done in a chart format, but must be specific and include details – not just general tasks (i.e.: “Write report” or “Do research”.)
3. The specific measures or standards your group will use to evaluate the success of the project.
4. Factors you considered as part of your contingency planning and the ways you will address potential problems.
Marking rubrics are available in the assignment section on Moodle. APA Style is required for format and all references. Please see the “APA Lite for College Papers” link on your course Moodle page.
So how do you get started?
Individually, read over this whole document carefully…it is the roadmap to your success on this project.
THEN…
You will find a TEAM DISCUSSION forum set up on Moodle. This Discussion Forum is for your team only (and your instructor); it is not visible to other teams. You will use this discussion forum as a means to get started as a team (introductions, contact information, etc.) Next you will formulate a Team Contract that will provide the expectations, guidelines and behaviours for each team member. Then, your team will prepare a Project Plan.
Be mindful, you have limited time to prepare the above. This is so as to immerse you into your team and the project requirements to then get you ready for the actual Project work as described next in this document. This part of the project does not require access to the case. That said, the case will be released in the near future.
Instructions
You will be completing Parts 1 through 4 in small groups and submitting a written report. The report will include an introduction, a conclusion, and headings for each of the (4) parts. One report will be submitted for each group.
Your group will act as consultants to the organization presented in the case. To help this organization, you will 1) identify the major problem/decision facing the organization, 2) complete internal and external analyses that you have learned in the course to make sure you understand and can apply important information from the case that relates to solving this problem, 3) identify three feasible alternatives to solving the problem/decision, 4) recommend ONE solution to the organization, including an action containing specific steps to completion.
THEN at the conclusion of the project, each student will submit his or her own individual reflection for Part 5, on the same day that the group project is due.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of each of the parts:
Part 1: Identify the problem that management needs to solve. What priority decision needs to be made? Make sure you describe the nature of the problem and why it is important; i.e., what impact will this decision have on the organization and other stakeholders?
Part 2: Perform some analyses to help you determine what factors are important for management to consider in making this decision:
a. SWOT analysis
b. CREST analysis
c. Porter’s 5-Force Analysis
d. Stakeholder analysis
For each of these analyses, present the analyses (use a table or lists if this helps to make the information more clear). Then, write a brief paragraph after each analysis summarizing the highlights of that analysis that you think are most relevant to this decision. You will need more information about this particular industry or about environmental factors, so you will have to do some research. You will need at least 3 credible sources (Wikipedia and the Dictionary do not count as sources.)
Part 3: Based on your analyses, identify 3 (three) possible decisions you might make. In other words, what are three reasonable alternatives that management might choose to pursue to help solve your stated organizational problem. (Don’t forget to consult Chapter 7 as you consider strategic options.)
For each of these three options, identify what you perceive to be the pros and cons of pursuing that particular alternative. Use the information you discovered in your analyses and course concepts to guide you, and try to list as many as you can think of. Resist the urge to make a decision too soon!!! Try to remain objective as you consider each alternative.
Part 4: Decide which is the best option for the organization and create an action plan for that option. Do you believe this is the best option for the organization (defend your choice)? Your defense will be supported by your key findings in your case analysis section. This is the linkage between analysis of an organizational problem and its solution!
Develop a step-by-step action plan to carry out your decision. Your action plan should include specific steps for each of the four management functions: Planning, Leading, Organizing, and Controlling. You will want to make sure that the organization will be able to measure results and evaluate how the plan is working down the road.
This concludes the portion of the assignment that you will be working on as a group.
Your group will submit one project report to the MOODLE DROPBOX on or before the designated deadline(s).

Part 5: Self Reflection Report and Self/Peer Evaluation (individual submissions)
A: Self Reflection Report: Reflect on and answer the following questions regarding this course project:
1. As you did the actual work of the project, what did you discover about the plan you created at the beginning of the project?
a. What did you plan for effectively?
b. What did you miss in your planning process?
c. If you could start over again, how would your project plan be different?
2. What were your strengths as an individual team member? What were your weaknesses?
3. How did your group handle situations that were “unplanned”? Was your group teamwork effective or ineffective, and why? How would you assess your individual contribution to the sense of team?
4. Did you meet your group objectives for this project (in the absence of knowing your final grade)? Did you meet your personal objectives? Did you meet your planned targets?
5. Identify and discuss any other observations or learning from this project that you can apply to the next time you are on a project team.
B: Self and Peer Assessments
1. Complete a self- and peer-assessment. Do not forget to include an explanation for your ratings. Use evaluation form titled “Self and Peer Evaluation Form” in the Course Project Documents and Instructions section on Moodle.
2. The self/peer assessment evaluation MUST be handed in with your Reflection Report via MOODLE DROP BOX on or before the due date. A student who does not submit a Self/Peer evaluation will be assessed a 10% penalty on their case project grade. In addition the instructor will apply their own observations throughout the term in combination with the student evaluations on individual student performance; these observations may impact the individual student grade on the case project.
Each student will write, and submit Part 5 individually. Both A&B above must be completed. Failing to do both will result in a grade of zero. Part 5 A&B must be submitted individually to the MOODLE DROPBOX on or before the designated deadline.
Formatting Requirements
Create this document following the format requirements as outlined below. Make sure that you are citing any outside sources properly (using in-text citations and a reference page).
You must submit your project parts using APA format, which includes:
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Double spacing
• Indented paragraph style
• All outside sources – whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized – must be cited using both in-text citations and a reference page.
• Word formatted headings are to be used, where appropriate.
• Page numbers
Appropriate parts of a report include:
• Title page, including: names of group members, name of the case, date of submission, instructor’s name, course name and section number;
• a table of contents;
• an executive summary;
• headings and subheadings throughout the body of the report
• an introduction and conclusion; and
• a reference page.
TEAM CASE PROJECT Marking Guide/Rubric
Content: Parts 1 – 4
• All parts are thoroughly completed; all questions are answered in detail
• Answers demonstrate a good understanding of course content through correct use of terminology, models, and concepts
• Answers are logical and well-thought-out based on evidence in the case
• All parts of the paper are consistent with one another
• Drafts were handed in on time and final content shows evidence of editing / change
Total /55
Content: Part 5 (Individual Submission)
• All questions are answered completely and thoughtfully (indicating self-reflection)
Total /15
Formatting & Documentation
Formatting
• 1” margins, double-spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman font, indented paragraph style, consistent headings and subheadings, page numbers
• All required parts of the paper are included and properly formatted: title page, executive summary, table of contents, introduction, conclusion, and reference page
Documentation
• At least 3 three credible outside sources are used (No Wikipedia / Dictionary)
• Sources are used properly; every source use has an in-text citation and a corresponding reference page entry
• Reference page and in-text citations are formatted correctly
Total /15
Written Expression
• Attention has been paid to grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation
• Content is presented professionally; there is evidence of proofreading.
Total /15
Adjustment from peer evaluation +/-
/100
TOTAL /20