Organizational Studies 310 Assignment: Getting Started

Here are resources that will help you with your Organizational Studies 310 assignment on the organizational structure and mission of companies, nonprofits and governmental agencies.

Here are some general hints and tips when conducting business research:

• Search for company names – good for articles, especially press releases
• Use generic terms – especially in full-text searches
• Start with a few terms then add on - being too specific may find nothing
• Use terms or subjects from a result that is a good match - ‘look for hooks’
• Data is inconsistent – terms may not apply for multiple databases
• Trust your instincts – if the data or information "smells" bad, it probably is
• For private companies – question the data
• For public companies – use analyst reports and SEC filings to learn more about specific elements of their business 

 See also the Tools for Research Success for additional resources.

Also check out the research guide for Masters of Management students - lots of good information there.

Be sure to go to the library catalog:

• U-M Library Catalog Search (University library catalog)

You will find many works here that are relevant to the discussion of organizational mission, history and culture.  These will be both in print and e-books.

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact Corey Seeman (cseeman@umich.edu).