MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS & LEADING PEOPLE

Competency 3018.1.1: Practice of Management - The graduate explains the theoretical bases,
current knowledge, best practices, and trends related to the practice of management.
Competency 3018.1.3: Sustaining Business Performance - The graduate applies management and
leadership theories for long-term global-business success.
Competency 3018.1.4: Organizational Performance Methods - The graduate analyzes appropriate
methods to improve organizational performance.

Introduction:

For this task, you will write a 10-16 page paper on an existing organization with which you have had
personal experience. The organization can be a business or a nonprofit, and you may represent any
level of the organization (e.g., team, division, whole) in your analysis. Your description of the
organization should convey personal experience, rather than information gained from secondhand
sources or media coverage. For this task, you will first describe the chosen organization and will then
perform a SWOT analysis on that organization. You will then analyze that organization’s leadership.

Note: Any information that would be considered confidential, proprietary, or personal in nature should
not be included in the actual task submission to WGU. Do not include the actual names of people,
suppliers, the organization(s), or other identifiable information. Fictional names should be used. Also,
organization-specific data, including financial information, should not be included but should be
addressed in a general fashion as appropriate. Work performed for a client or an employer is their
property and should not be used without written permission.

Requirements:

A. Describe your chosen organization by doing the following:

Note: The organization must be an existing organization; one that is currently in operation.

1. Describe an existing organization and its objective(s).

2. Describe three leadership practices of the current primary leader of the existing organization.
3. Discuss how the current leadership has affected organizational culture.

B. Conduct a SWOT analysis evaluating the chosen organization by doing the following:

Note: In your evaluation, consider the effects that communication practices, technology, ethics, and
globalization have on your organization.

1. Evaluate two of the organization’s strengths.

2. Evaluate two of the organization’s weaknesses.
3. Evaluate two of the organization’s opportunities.
4. Evaluate two of the organization’s threats.

Note: Opportunities and threats must be current and not already met, or resolved.

C. Conduct a leadership evaluation of the current primary leader described in part A2 by doing the
following:

Note: As part of your evaluation, you will need to use one scholarly leadership theory and three
scholarly sources.
 1. Evaluate three strengths of the current primary leader’s leadership practices using a scholarly
leadership theory.
2. Evaluate three weaknesses of the current primary leader’s leadership practices using the same
scholarly leadership theory you used in part C1.
3. Recommend three theory-based practices to maximize the future success of the current leader
and the organization, using the same scholarly leadership theory you used in part C1.

Note: All theories must be supported.

4. Include at least three scholarly sources to support your analysis of the primary leader’s
practices.

Note: A scholarly source could be a reputable journal, a published book, any source from a university
faculty member, or business leader. Scholarly sources also include any article or book in the online WGU
library.

D. When you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in
the Evaluation Procedures section.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in an assessment, the submission MUST
include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or
paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or
paraphrased in the text of the assessment.

Note: No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission can be directly quoted or closely
paraphrased from outside sources, even if cited correctly. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the
APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.