DPLS 701 - Organizational Theory
Summer 2006                     3 Credits

DESCRIPTION: This course provides an emphasis on contemporary organizational theory, examining organizations as living, dynamic systems.  Organizations are explored through the frames of structure, human resources, politics, symbols, chaos and complexity, and appreciative inquiry.  Students are acquainted with classical organizational theory as well.

Organizations will be analyzed through six different frames: structural, political, human resources, symbolic, chaos and complexity, appreciative inquiry. Students will be acquainted with classical organizational theory as well.   A basic premise underlying the entire course is that in order to influence organizations in an efficacious manner, leaders need a comprehensive understanding of both the theoretical and practical workings of organizations.

The emphasis is on contemporary organization theory, thus the course provides an introduction to chaos and complexity theory and appreciative inquiry.  The frames studied in the class provide a toolkit for analyzing and understanding organizational structure, culture, and politics.

Students will be challenged to think about a model of leadership that emphasizes artistry rather than the rational and technical side of organizations.  Effective leadership and management is much more art than science.  Today’s organizations (businesses, schools, non-profit, government) need artful leaders who can discover and create new organizational forms.  This course begins to provide students with the background they will need to be effective organizational leaders. 

REQUIRED TEXTS: 

Anderson, H., Cooperrider, D., Gergen, K. J., Gergen, M. M., McNamee, S., Whitney, D. (2001).  The Appreciative Organization.  Taos Institute Publications.

Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2003, 3rd Edition).  Reframing Organizations.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D., & Stavros, J. M. (2003). Appreciative Inquiry Handbook.  Bedford Heights: Lakeshore Publishers.

 Shafritz J. M., Ott, J. S., Yong, S. J. (Eds.). (2005, 6th Edition).  Classics of Organization Theory.  Wadsworth Publishing

Wheatley, M. J. (1999, 2nd Edition).  Leadership and the New Science:  Discovering Order in a Chaotic World.  San Francisco:  Berrett-Koehler.

Texts may be supplemented with additional readings.

METHODOLOGY:  
Group discussions, Applied research projects, Group activities, Film/Video, Case studies, Synthesis Paper.

INSTRUCTIONAL INTENTIONS: 
As opposed to instructional objectives, instructional intentions are general statements about the overall
direction of the course.  They indicate what you as a student can expect to take from the class.  By the end of this class, students should be able to:

1. Critically analyze organizations using six different frames (structural, human resources, political, symbolic, new sciences, appreciative inquiry).
2. Employ systems thinking in the integration and application of those frames to organizational settings.
3. Be familiar with “classic” organization theory.
4. Critically examine the role of the leader in organizations.
5. Understand organizations as living, dynamic systems.
6. Be familiar with the basic notions of research and methodologies that are required to accomplish meaningful research.
7. Create, not simply acquire, knowledge related to leadership and organizational theory.
8. Participate in class discussions in a creative and insightful way; raise thoughtful and imaginative questions for consideration.

Evaluation and Grade Assignment

At this level of coursework, attendance and participation is essential.  This is not a spectator sport—you are expected to be involved; it is also up to you to make the course meaningful to you.  This makes assigning a grade highly subjective and subject to a value judgment on the part of the instructor as to the quality of your effort, thought, and participation put forth in completing course requirements.  This particular instructor values quality of input over quantity.  I will be looking for demonstrations of how you are making the course material your own and how you are creating (not simply acquiring) knowledge.  There is buried treasure to be found in the course—you get to identify and uncover the treasure.  Your grade will be based on a combination of class attendance, meeting assignment deadlines, content (what you communicate in class and in assignments), written communication (quality of papers and projects), and your work as it compares to that of your peers.

Course Assignments: You will find yourself doing a fair amount of writing in this class.  Writing is a method of discovery and analysis, so in that spirit, you will write in order to understand the different frames and perspectives on organizational theory.

15%:  10 page Structural & Human Resources Frames paper due June 30.
Structural Frame: What is the organization’s structure and what does it tell you?  What are the implications of that structure for how work gets done and how people/departments interact with one another?  How does the structure help or hinder the work of the organization?  How are project or work teams created?
Human Resources Frame:  How does the organization treat the people who work there? Investment vs. cost—evidence for your answer. Address the items in Table 7.1 (p. 136).  What is the philosophy of the org as demonstrated in hiring practices, incentives, "security," opportunities for advancement, education & training, sharing the wealth, empowerment, degree of participation in decisions? What are the interpersonal/Group dynamics?  How would you characterize communication?

15%:  10 page Political & Symbolic Frames paper due July 11. 
Political Frame: Who has power in the organization and why?  What kind of power do they have (p. 194-195)?  How are resources distributed and why?  What does the political map look like and how is that similar/different to the org chart (p. 209)?  Organizations as political arenas/agents.
Symbolic Frame:  Is your organization fear or trust driven?  What is its culture? What are the "symbols" of your organization? What are the stories/myths? Who are the heroes/heroines? Examples of rituals/ceremonies (employee of the ___, new employee orientation, xmas party, etc.)

15%: What the Bleep Do We Know?  Due July 11.  CLASS WILL NOT PHYSICALLY MEET ON JULY 4.  Besides keeping up with the assigned reading, on your own, watch the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?  Download the study guide at http://www.noetic.org/research/files/Bleep_Study_Guide.pdf.  Write a short paper (5 pages maximum) addressing questions 2 (Quantum Reality) and 3 (Creating Our Days).  Note: Some people find the movie controversial.  You are not required to like or agree with its ideas but you are required to think about them and consider how they relate to organizational theory.

15%:  10 page Chaos & Complexity and AI Frame paper due July 18.  For the Chaos and Complexity frame, address the three major components of any living system:

Identity: (Chapter 3): how clear and coherent is the identity of the organization? What is your "evidence"?

Information (Chapter 6): how/does it flow? Does it wear a chastity belt or is it free to roam about and procreate (p. 97)? What is your "evidence"?

Relationships (Chapter 4): how are internal/external relationships nurtured? Does the organization pay more attention to the number of connections or critical connections? What is your "evidence"?

How are “New Science” ideas at work (or not at work) in your organization?  What is your “evidence”?

For the Appreciative Inquiry Frame, consider what is good about the organization.  What works in the organization?  What do people seem to value about the organization?  What could the organization do “more” of?  What kind of design would be needed to get “more” of what is working?

30%:  15-20 pages (20 pages plus references is the maximum length for this paper) Synthesis Paper due August 1:  integrate all “frames” into a systems thinking analysis of your organization.  Through the individual papers, you have been providing snapshots of the organization.  Now the task is to provide the whole picture.  For this paper, you may want to put yourself into the role of “consultant.”  Knowing what you know now about the organization having looked at it through six different lenses, what recommendations do you have?  Write the paper as if you were writing a description of the organization for an incoming CEO or a new employee.  To get as good of a start as possible in the organization, what does he/she need to know about it from the structural, human resources, political, symbolic, chaos & complexity, and appreciative frames?

10%:  Class participation: Intellectual and social interaction is a major part of the course.  You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the assigned readings, bringing your reflections, questions, wonderments, and conclusions to the table.  Your participation grade will be determined by a combination of your contributions to class discussions, reactions to assigned readings, and demonstrated evidence of reflection, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of course material.

Grading System

For this instructor, grading is much like judging figure skating.  First of all, it is difficult to quantify what is primarily subjective, artistic work through “grading” it.  However, since we must, just as in figure skating, I tend to look at both technical and artistic quality.  Technical quality has to do with how well written the work is (complete sentences and paragraphs, proper grammar, spelling, APA style, etc.).  Artistic quality has to do with the presentation (how well it flowed, evidence of original thought, creativity, depth and breadth).  Also taken into account is Gonzaga’s grading system.  Thus, your course grade is based on a combination of the results of assignments, class participation, and general evidence of regular and consistent application of the class concepts.  Weight is given to the degree of subject mastery demonstrated by the student as well as the ability to communicate orally and in written form.

A/A- The student demonstrates excellence in grasping key concepts by telling or showing how they can use the information in their specific setting; provides ample evidence for support of opinions by appropriately referencing readings using class materials and others; readily offers new interpretations of discussion material. Contributions to class discussion are relevant, opposing viewpoints are engaged constructively, there is no attempt to dominate the conversation.  Written work thoughtfully integrates course material in a clear and cogent manner; sentences are complex and grammatically correct on a regular basis; ideas are expressed clearly, concisely, logically; demonstrates a high level of vocabulary through word choice; rare misspellings; writing flows for ease of reading.  Citations and reference list are properly documented and formatted according to the APA 5th Edition.  All assignment deadlines are met.  Student attends class regularly.  Work is above average compared to that of other students in the class.  Work is “excellent.”

B+/B The student shows evidence of understanding most of the major concepts; is skilled in a basic level of support for opinions (references course materials); offers an occasional divergent viewpoint.  Contributions to class discussions are meaningful.  Written work is adequate with generally grammatically correct sentences; ideas readily understood but show signs of disorganization; some transitions between concepts are missing; occasional misspellings; reader has to fill in some gaps.  Citations and reference list are improperly documented or formatted according to the APA 5th Edition.  One or more assignment deadlines are missed.  Student misses two or more classes.  Work is average compared to that of other students in the class.  Work is “good.”

B- and below The student has a mostly shallow or no significant understanding of the material; rarely takes a stand on issues; offers inadequate levels of support (no citations to support ideas). Contributions to class discussion are spotty and frequently irrelevant.  Written work is poor, garbled, or unintelligible; only an occasional idea surfaces clearly; language is disjointed; overuse of simple sentences and repetition of words; paragraphs are often unrelated to each other.  Citations and reference list are sloppy or missing, not formatted according to APA 5th Edition.  Two or more assignment deadlines are missed.  Student misses three or more classes.  Work is below average compared to that of other students in the class.  Overall, work is below that expected of a Graduate student.

Grading Criteria for Written Assignments

Written work is evaluated in three areas: quality of the content (what you say), quality of expression (how you say it) and technicalities (spelling, grammar, punctuation, APA style, etc.)

Breadth and Depth: You must show evidence you have thought about the topic in depth.  This will require you to do more than explain or describe the concepts you are learning.  Analyze the topic from differing views and show you have wrestled with it.  Course material is thoughtfully integrated in a clear and cogent manner.

Organization and Logical Development: You should have a purpose or theme that is introduced in the beginning of the paper/project, developed in the body and referred to in the conclusion.  Paragraphs should be linked to each other in a logical sequence using transitional sentences.  Use arguments, examples, facts, opinions and details to explain your point and lend credibility to what you are saying.  Ideas are expressed clearly, concisely, logically.

Clarity: Choose your words carefully and construct complex sentences purposefully so that each point you make is expressed as precisely and clearly as possible. A high level of vocabulary is demonstrated through word choice.

Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling: Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling on a regular basis.  Verbs should agree with their subjects, sentences should be complete, and paragraphs are more than one sentence long. 

Transitions, Summaries, and Conclusions:  Provide transitions between ideas and sections, summarize sections of the paper, and end with an overall conclusion to remind the reader of the main points.  Writing flows for ease of reading.

APA Style (5th Edition): Sources are cited properly within the text and a complete reference list is provided.  Perform your own reference audit: are all citations mentioned in the text on the reference list?  Is everything on the reference list a work cited in the text of the paper?  Headings are formatted and used appropriately.

Creativity: You are encouraged to be creative.  Make the class concepts your own.  You do not have to agree with the readings or the instructor, but you do have to be able to explain what you agree and disagree with and why.

Revise, revise, revise!  While you may have to write a shitty first draft to get something written, this is not the draft you hand in.  In Bird by Bird, Lamott suggests at least three drafts:  a terrible first one, a second draft that is fixed up, and the third one, which is where you edit in detail. This is the one you may begin to think about handing in as a class assignment.

The Doctoral Program Course Papers Rubric will be used to evaluate written assignments.

Professor’s Assumptions About This Class

1. Intellectual and social interaction is an essential part of this course.  Because this will not be a course where you come and take notes for a few hours, your absence in a class meeting will be noticed.  I understand there are conflicts that may prevent you from attending all class meetings for the full length of time.  If you do need to miss part or all of a class, it is your responsibility to notify me and contact another class member to find out what you missed.  Depending on what you miss, you may be asked to complete a “make-up” assignment, the nature of which will be negotiated by you and me.  Because I do believe people who are able to attend all class meetings should be recognized for that, if you miss class, your grade for the “Class Participation” portion of the course may be less than an “A.”

2. While I do believe class attendance is critical, I do not expect you to risk your life to get to class, which means if the weather is bad or you are sick, use your own judgment about the importance of getting to class vs. staying safe or getting well.

3. In order to end on time, we need to start on time.  I realize some of you may be late to class.  If and when this happens, you will have to take it upon yourself to get caught up with what is going on in class when you walk in.  We will not necessarily stop and recap what you missed.  Every effort will be made to end class on time, however, please recognize that a rousing class discussion may take us over “time;” an essential point may still need to be covered; or announcements related to the next class meeting may need to be made.  You can expect to be here the full scheduled class time and rarely get out of class early.  This is not due to a need on my part to fill time, but rather, my experience of racing against the clock to provide you with what I hope is a provocative, challenging, true graduate level experience that is worthy of the time and money you are investing furthering your education.  (Note: I have yet to see a student turn into a pumpkin when the clock hits the ending time…)

4. Part of my job is to bring material and perspectives to the class that are outside of the assigned reading.  Readings are chosen to provide you with a foundation in organizational theory and references for future use.  However, the assigned reading in this or any doctoral class is the tip of the iceberg.  Although it may seem like a lot of reading, we will barely skim the surface of this topic.  It is expected that you have completed the assigned reading for each class so that you come to class informed and ready to contribute to the discussion.  However, we may not always specifically talk about the reading.  Class time will generally be used to expand upon what you have read, engage in activities related to the topic, and discuss assignments.  Could you get away without doing the assigned reading?  Probably.  But at this level, I assume you are interested in personal and professional growth and being familiar with the literature in the field is essential to your growth as a scholar-practitioner.

5. Learning is a journey.  Courses are developed “tentatively.”  Things can happen during the summer that would cause changes to the syllabus, including changes to class meeting times and assignments.  Allowing for this flexibility means that we can adjust the course based on our responses to course assignments, readings, current events, etc.

6. Assignments are due on the date specified.  Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  If all coursework is not completed by the end of the course, you will receive a grade of “I” (incomplete) with a provisional grade.  See page 9 of the current Graduate Catalogue for more information about the “I” grade.

7. Papers are to be word processed using 1-inch margins, standard fonts, double-spaced, following APA format for the citation of references. You may want to use the Doctoral “Paper Format” which can be found at www.gonzaga.edu/doctoral.  The link is at the bottom left hand corner.While the quality of the content is more important than the quantity, it is expected you will thoroughly cover the subject you are writing about.  You are expected to cite sources (following APA style) and provide a reference list when appropriate.  Although you are not necessarily writing for publication purposes, it is expected that you will strive to write at a high standard.  (See the “Grading Criteria for Written Assignments.”)  Please keep in mind, this is a doctoral level class.  Page numbers can be on the upper or lower right hand corner.

8. When handing in papers, I prefer them to be simply stapled or paper-clipped.  The first page should be a title page with, at the very least, the course number and your name on it.  One of my professors would not accept a paper that was presented in a pretty plastic cover—now I know why.

9. If you receive a grade of lower than A- on an assignment (which means a grade of B+ or lower), and you feel a need to re-do it, that will be negotiated on a case by case basis.

10. Academic honesty:  It is expected that the work of each student will be their original work.  Academic dishonestly includes, but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and facilitating academic dishonesty.  Plagiarism is defined as but not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment.  Do not present the work of another (this includes ideas as well as words) as your own: give credit where credit is due.  Plagiarism will not be tolerated.  According to Gonzaga’s policy, andy student found guilty of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action.

11. This is a doctoral level course.  This means you will do a lot of reading, writing, and discussing of theoretical, philosophical, and abstract concepts.  You will be writing a dissertation.  I view writing as a way of knowing, a method of discovery and inquiry.  Use the written assignments in this (and any other) class to sharpen your writing skills so that by the time you get to writing your dissertation, you know APA style and can write at a level acceptable for publication.  Comments on written assignments will be made with this in mind.  While my comments may appear to be more Simon Cowell-like (harsh) than Paula Abdul-ish (encouraging), you need to be prepared to write a dissertation.  Feedback will be provided accordingly.

12. Depth and breadth: A doctoral level education is about developing depth and breadth in the field.  We provide breadth to an extent through the program curriculum.  Courses in the program are designed to relate to but not duplicate one another.  Thus, topics you may have thought should have been covered in a particular class may no have been because they are the curriculum for a different class.  By taking different classes in the program curriculum, you will get broad exposure to the field of leadership.  Developing depth is more up to you.  You have to decide what specifically you want to learn more about and use your classes as different lenses for studying that topic.  This may help you with assignments: you can take a paper or project for one class and re-develop it for another class.  While recycling the same paper or project with no changes except for the name of the class and professor would be “cheating,” using the same paper or project from one class as a foundation for an assignment in another is a way to develop depth.

13. It is my goal to create and facilitate a learning environment such that the intellectual, personal, social, and ethical development of all of us is stimulated.  Each person in the room will be integral to the creation of that environment by encouraging intellectual honesty and respectfully listening to the viewpoints of others.  It is expected that what each person brings in terms of experiential and academic knowledge will be shared.  The goal of such interaction is not to always reach consensus but to understand where each other is coming from.

14. The creation of such a learning environment is not solely my responsibility.  The classroom is “our” classroom.  While I am responsible for facilitating the learning experience when we meet, because my tolerance level for different things is different than yours, it is acceptable and may even be necessary for you to take responsibility for steering the class back on track or clarifying what the purpose of a discussion or activity is.

15. Communication about the class will happen via e-mail.  Announcements that didn’t get made during class, “after-thoughts,” clarifications, etc. may all come to you via e-mail. 

16. You may have to remind me of things—like you’ll have to miss a class or I didn’t respond to an e-mail you sent.  It’s OK to ask me again if you haven’t gotten a response in a reasonable amount of time.

17. It is OK to have FUN and LEARN at the same time!

TENTATIVE Course Schedule

TIME & PLACE: Fridays, 6-10 PM      RC 218

PROFESSOR: Dr. Karen Norum, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies

OFFICE HOURS: by Appointment; Office # 248

PHONE:  423-8989 (Oa) 323-3630 (Ob)  323-5964 (F) 

EMAIL:  norum@gonzaga.edu (This is the best way to contact me)

Tentative Schedule