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Help Is Always Available! You can , phone, or just drop by and see me: Katharine Ball Business Librarian Leddy Library Office Location: Leddy Library, West Building, 2 nd Floor, Room 214B Telephone: (519) ext. 3852

Your Group Project Students will form groups of five to six, and each group will select a popular OB/HR theory or practice widely in use for critical examination. You are required to produce a case analysis report (5 pages) and give an in-class presentation (15 minutes). You should: Identify the assumptions upon which the selected theory or practice is based Investigate its origins and founders (the history) Identify evidence of effectiveness and/or ineffectiveness Look at its range of application and indication of over-application, if any Identify limitations and any ethical utilization/considerations Consider its potentials in a global context

Select Your OB/HR Theory Or Practice Your textbook has many examples that you could choose, or you may want to select your topic from current news stories that have come to your attention. Make sure that the scope of the topic you select is appropriate for the assignment. It should not be too broad or general, but also not too narrow and focused. If you are not sure, please check with Dr. Ma. What are some examples of theories or practices that you might choose?

Select Your OB/HR Theory Or Practice What about social cognitive theory? Would this be appropriate? From Boston University:

Select Your OB/HR Theory Or Practice What about unlimited vacation? Would this be appropriate?

Identify relevant and related concepts and keywords to use when doing your research These could be synonyms, broader/narrow terms, acronyms. If you choose a theory, identify the name(s) of the founder(s) of the theory. For “telecommuting”, what are some examples?

Library hours My contact information Focus on this area Start Your Research Go to the Leddy Library Home page at

Look For Books Use the Library Catalogue to search for books. They will give you a general overview as well as some of the history and applications.Library Catalogue Search the name of your ob/hr practice, as well as related terms; for ob/hr theories, search the name of the theory and also the name of the founder. You may find books by him/her.

Look For Journal Articles Search Library Databases, e.g. Business Source Complete, ProQuest Business, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar for more specific, focused research on your ob/hr practice or theory.Business Source CompleteProQuest BusinessPsycInfoGoogle Scholar From Business Source Complete: Refine your search here

Look For Reports And Other Information On The Web In this case, look for up-to-date reports and studies from provincial/federal governments, professional associations, educational and research institutions. If you take information from the web, you must evaluate its quality before using it in an academic paper.

Look For Reports And Other Information On The Web Important criteria that may be used to evaluate web information: Accuracy - How reliable and error free is the information? Who is the sponsoring institution (government, university, commercial company)? How credible or well known is the sponsoring institution? Does the information consist of documented facts or personal opinion? Authority - Is the author or source of the information identified and his/her qualifications in evidence? Does the site exhibit good grammar, spelling, and literary composition? Objectivity - What is the site’s purpose: to inform, explain, persuade or sell? Is the information presented with a minimum of personal bias? Currency - Is the content of the work up-to-date? Is the date of creation or most recent revision date clearly shown? Coverage - Is it a comprehensive coverage of the subject matter? Is the information relevant or useful for your needs? (University of Arizona/Jim Kapoun)

Finally, Remember Help Is Always Available! You can , phone, or just drop by and see me: Katharine Ball Business Librarian Leddy Library Office Location: Leddy Library, West Building, 2 nd Floor, Room 214B Telephone: (519) ext. 3852