Module 3 – SLP: The Political Frame

The Political Frame

SLP Overview

In the Module 3 SLP, you will write a 3- to 4-page paper in which you will apply the Political Frame to the organization in which you are currently employed (or in which you have worked previously).

Assignment

The Module 3 SLP requires that you write a 3- to 4-page paper, in which you address the following:

After giving a brief description of the organization in which you presently work (or in which you have previously worked), apply the Political Frame to 2-3 examples of political behaviors that are presently occurring – or have occurred – within your organization.  

Keys to the Assignment

The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in your paper include the following:

• Briefly describe your organization – name, what it does, size (number of employees, annual revenue, relative market share, etc.);
• Choose 2 or 3 examples of political activities within your organization. These might include, e.g., networking and coalition building, informal communications, bargaining and negotiation (for power or for resources), etc. etc.
• Using Bolman and Deal’s Political Frame as a lens, discuss the relative impact of the political characteristics or events you have identified (do the political behaviors you have cited have negligible impact on the organization as a whole, or are do they have more significant impact instead?).
• What are the consequences and outcomes of the political behaviors you have identified? Are they positive or negative, good or bad for the company for the short-term? For the longer run (decisions that benefit the short-term are often in conflict with longer-term outcomes, and vice-versa)? Explain.

SLP Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated using the following five (5) criteria:

• Assignment-Driven Criteria: Does the paper fully address all Keys to the Assignment? Are the concepts behind the Keys to the Assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
• Critical thinking:  Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions?  Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
• Business Writing: Is the paper well-written (clear, developed logically, and well-organized)? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included in all papers?  Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the Keys to the Assignment, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
• Effective Use of Information (Information Literacy): Does the paper demonstrate effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used in paper provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
• Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper end references and in-text citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all end references been included within the body of the paper as in-text citations?