BA352 Yu Sun Week 7 Observation Journal Week 7 Observation Journal The study was conducted in an organization that deals with computer maintenance and software development. The organization is located in the United States. The main focus of the study was to observe cultural taxonomies, individual’s abilities as well as the personal abilities of these teams on organization performance. The method that was used in gathering the information was direct observation and recording of the data. The paper will discuss in details the type of teams that are present in the organization, their level of interdependence, how their characteristics influence the organization performance, taskwork and teamwork in the organization, factors influencing communication processes in the team as well as a recommendation on how to improve team processes in the organization. In these teams there is embeddedness, independence, hierarchy, social equality and mastery. The embeddedness in culture utilizes the existing policies and independence among employees is given little consideration as they report directly to their CEO. Team harmony was also observed among the teams. The organization has a clear hierarchical system where all team activities are outlined hence there is very little utilization of interdependence among the teams since all the activities are dictated from above downwards although there is a degree of innovation among the team members (Hanel, Maio and Soares). The team has a collectivist culture with a power distant approach in which the teams accept the direction with very little uncertainty avoidance. The level of organization performance and commitment is directly influenced by the way the teams carry out their given tasks. The teams carry out their tasks while utilizing the group dynamics and hierarchical principles, which dictates that they perform their assigned duties for the well-being of their team leader and the organization in general. The CEO is the motivating factor for the teams. The individuals in the groups are diligent and are in agreement with all the policies that are set out by the CEO. There is very little consideration of openness to experience as all their duties are dictated from above. The teams are also very extrovert as tasks are carried out through teamwork hence improving the overall organizational performance (Ownsworth and Dwan). The organization carries out regular measures on the teams’ abilities as a performance appraisal and this has an effect of motivating the teams to get better and even work with motivation for the betterment of the organization. The organization utilizes both taskwork and teamwork processes among its members. In taskwork, individuals are given tasks or activities which they are supposed to work independently are deliver the required results to their team. In the organization example of taskwork that are given to the employees i.

1. BA352
Yu Sun
Week 7 Observation Journal
Week 7 Observation Journal
The study was conducted in an organization that deals with
computer maintenance and
software development. The organization is located in the United
States. The main focus of the
study was to observe cultural taxonomies, individual’s abilities
as well as the personal abilities of
these teams on organization performance. The method that was
used in gathering the information
was direct observation and recording of the data. The paper will
discuss in details the type of
teams that are present in the organization, their level of
interdependence, how their characteristics
influence the organization performance, taskwork and teamwork
in the organization, factors
influencing communication processes in the team as well as a
recommendation on how to

2. improve team processes in the organization.
In these teams there is embeddedness, independence, hierarchy,
social equality and
mastery. The embeddedness in culture utilizes the existing
policies and independence among
employees is given little consideration as they report directly to
their CEO. Team harmony was
also observed among the teams. The organization has a clear
hierarchical system where all team
activities are outlined hence there is very little utilization of
interdependence among the teams
since all the activities are dictated from above downwards
although there is a degree of
innovation among the team members (Hanel, Maio and Soares).
The team has a collectivist
culture with a power distant approach in which the teams accept
the direction with very little
uncertainty avoidance.
The level of organization performance and commitment is
directly influenced by the way
the teams carry out their given tasks. The teams carry out their
tasks while utilizing the group
dynamics and hierarchical principles, which dictates that they
perform their assigned duties for

3. the well-being of their team leader and the organization in
general. The CEO is the motivating
factor for the teams. The individuals in the groups are diligent
and are in agreement with all the
policies that are set out by the CEO. There is very little
consideration of openness to experience
as all their duties are dictated from above. The teams are also
very extrovert as tasks are carried
out through teamwork hence improving the overall
organizational performance (Ownsworth and
Dwan). The organization carries out regular measures on the
teams’ abilities as a performance
appraisal and this has an effect of motivating the teams to get
better and even work with
motivation for the betterment of the organization.
The organization utilizes both taskwork and teamwork processes
among its members. In
taskwork, individuals are given tasks or activities which they
are supposed to work independently
are deliver the required results to their team. In the organization
example of taskwork that are
given to the employees include innovative activities which
involve coming up with ideas for

4. developing computer software, as well as decisions making by
the team leaders on what should
the teams practice. On the other hand, teamwork processes are
activities that are carried out by
the teams or groups together. For example, in our organization,
the teams carry out most of the
organization activities as a team (Hugo, Matthias and Andrea).
These activities include repair and
maintenance of computer hardware, installation of software to
computers, among other activities.
The organization has a clear communication process which
highly influences team
performance. Among the factors that influence communication
in the organization include clearly
defined roles and activities of each of the teams, effective
conflict resolution mechanisms,
effective decision making from the CEO and the team leaders,
members ability to give, receive
and even elicit feedback where necessary. The organization
should consider more freedom to the
teams for them to be more creative in the way they carry out
duties rather than following a given
set of duties and procedures (Hugo, Matthias and Andrea).
Another recommendation would be to

5. ensure that there is effective innovation among the teams, the
organization should encourage
interdependence among the teams.
Work Cited
Hanel, P, et al. "Cross-Cultural Differences and Similarities in
Human Value Instantiation." Front.
Psychol (2018): 78-94.
Hugo, M, S Matthias and P Andrea. Motivation and Volition in
the Workplace. New York City:
Springer, 2018.
Ownsworth, T and Dwan. T. "The Big Five personality factors
and psychological well-being
following stroke: a systematic review." Disability and
Rehabilitation (2017): 1119-1130.
Observation journal reports require the researcher to combine
theory, research and analysis learned in the classroom with
methods of observation and practice applied outside of the
classroom. The purpose of the weekly observation journal is to
describe an observed person, place, or event and to analyze that
observation data to identify and categorize common themes in
relation to the material studied.

6. WEEKLY CHECKLIST
· Header is required.
· Class BA 352
· Name (First and Last Name)
· Week and date(s) of observation
· Organization observed (DO NOT IDENTIFY BY NAME only
by description: industry, size, stage of the business cycle, etc.)
· Each weekly submission is limited to 1 typewritten page (11pt.
font Times Roman or Arial, single-spaced, 1-inch margins.)
· Limit your response to the questions of that week’s study.
· Three background resources need to be cited (MLA citation
style.)
· Observation period should range between 30 minutes and 1
hour.
· Spell and grammar check (consider peer review.)
· Submit via Canvas for evaluation by submission date.
· Also, bring a hardcopy to class (submission date) and be
prepared to discuss.
FORMAT OF EACH SUBMISSION
I. Introduction
The introduction should describe the nature of the organization
or setting where you are conducting the observation, what type
of observations you have conducted, what your focus was when
you observed, and the methods you used for collecting the data.
Conclude your introduction with a statement about how the rest
of the paper is organized.
II. Description of Observations in response to the weekly
questions.
What -- describe what you observed.
Where -- provide background information about the setting of
your observation.
When -- record factual data about the day and the beginning and
ending time of each observation.
Who – Note the background and demographic information about

7. the individuals being observed e.g., age, gender, ethnicity,
and/or any other variables relevant to your study. Record who is
doing what and saying what, as well as, who is not doing or
saying what. If relevant, be sure to record who was missing
from the observation.
Why -- Describe the reasons for selecting situations to observe.
Note why something happened. Also, note why you may have
included or excluded certain information.
III. References
List all sources that you consulted and obtained information
from while writing your observation report. Be sure to write
them in citation style.
HOW TO BEGIN
Select an organization to study in which you have easy access to
and will be able to follow for the duration of the term. Complete
the observation report with the intention of improving your
understanding of key theoretical concepts through a method of
careful and structured observation of and reflection about real-
life practice.
Techniques to Record Your Observations
· Note Taking. This is the most commonly used and easiest
method of recording your observations. Tips for taking notes
include: organizing some shorthand symbols beforehand so that
recording basic or repeated actions does not impede your ability
to observe, using many small paragraphs, which reflect changes
in activities, who is talking, etc., and, leaving space on the page
so you can write down additional thoughts and ideas about
what’s being observed, any theoretical insights, and notes to
yourself about may require further investigation.
Illustrations/Drawings. This is not an artistic endeavor but,
rather, refers to the possible need, for example, to draw a map
of the observation setting or illustrating objects in relation to
people's behavior. This can also take the form of rough tables or
graphs documenting the frequency and type of activities
observed. These can be subsequently placed in a more readable

8. format when you write your field report.
Examples of Things to Document While Observing
· Physical Setting. The characteristics of occupied space and the
human use of the place where the observation(s) are being
conducted.
· Objects and material culture. The presence, placement, and
arrangement of objects that impact the behavior or actions of
those being observed. If applicable, describe the cultural
artifacts representing the beliefs--values, ideas, attitudes, and
assumptions--used by the individuals you are observing.
· Use of language. Don't just observe but listen to what is being
said, how is it being said, and, the tone of conversation among
participants.
· Behavior cycles. This refers to documenting when and who
performs what behavior or task and how often they occur.
Record at which stage is this behavior occurring within the
setting.
· The order in which events unfold. Note sequential patterns of
behavior or the moment when actions or events take place and
their significance.
· Expressive body movements. This would include things like
body posture or facial expressions. Note that it may be relevant
to also assess whether expressive body.