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[Course Name]

[Semester, Year, Location, Time]

Instructor:

Phone:

Office hours:

E-mail:

Course Description:

Today’s organizationsface constant pressures to change—the need to change is one of the hallmarks of contemporary organizations, whether it’s a government entity, a private business, a not-for-profit, or an educational institution. For organizational members and managers, the ability to effectively facilitate organizational change often distinguishes the implementation of a mediocre solution from an extraordinary one that makes a difference.In this class, we will examine the issues and practices of organization development to understand what kinds of interventions are useful in what situations to make change possible.

This course examines the major components of organization development and design: the evolution of organization development, the nature of change, and how to effectively manage and implement change in organizations. We will discuss the OD process in depth to familiarize you with the process of contracting, data gathering, diagnosis, giving feedback, conducting interventions, and evaluating results. We will look at different options for structuring organizations, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, and discuss how to implement an organizational design change.

Course Objectives—

  • Understand the process of organizational change as led by an OD practitioner
  • Examine the types of OD interventions and identify when and why they are applied
  • Be able to structure and propose an OD intervention
  • Apply OD and communicationtheories, principles,and concepts to specific case studies

Required Text and Readings:

  • Anderson, D. L. (2018). Organization development: The process of leading organizational change. (4th ed.)Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Anderson, D. L. (Ed.). (2018). Cases and exercises in organization development & change. (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Assignments and Grading:

One-page Case Review WorksheetsX%A = 93–100C = 73–76

Shortanalysis paperX %A- = 90–92C- = 70–72

Final analysis paperX%B+ = 87–89D+ = 67–69

Midterm examX%B = 83–86D = 63–66

Attendance/ParticipationX%B- = 80–82D- = 60–62

C+=77–79F = 0–59

All assignments will be graded on a scale of 100 points and will be weighted accordingly.
Writing Assignments:

You will be asked to respond to the case study readings through evaluation and application of specific OD concepts. There are two types of writing assignments: case review worksheets and analysis papers.

Case Review Worksheets

Each week (with the exception of weeks 1, 6, and 9), you will complete a one-page (single-spaced)maximum case review worksheet.(A template is attached. These will be graded on a 3/2/1 basis (good/pass/unacceptable; late papers qualify for only one point and are only accepted 1 day after class).

Analysis Papers

There are two analysis papers (one short [5 pages], and one longer [8–10 pages]) listed in the syllabus. Analysis papers should be typed and double-spaced. Late papers will be marked down 3 points for each day late.

I expect that all writing assignments will demonstrate your most professional work, including thorough and well-thought out arguments and discussions, appropriate citations where necessary, clear organization in order to communicate unambiguously to the reader, and the absence of mechanical flaws (such as grammar and spelling errors).

Grading:

Papers will be graded using the following grading criteria/rubric.

[…]

Midterm exam:

The midterm exam will be a short-answer exam designed to assess your knowledge of course concepts. More information will be provided in class.

[Other important University policies]

Class Schedule & Writing Assignments

Date / Topics/Reading / Assignment DUE in class on this date
Week 1 / Introduction tocourse,
Defining organization development,
OD history and foundational concepts
Week 2 / OD values and foundations of organizational change
Read Organization Development;(hereafter OD), Chapters 1 & 2
Cases & Exercises (hereafter CE): Read Case 30 (“Sticker Shock,” p. 281) / Case Review Worksheet due (see template on last page of syllabus; your case review should be a maximum of one single-spaced page).
Week 3 / Foundations of organizational change (continued)
Read OD, Chapters34
Read “Northern County Legal Services” case in OD / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 4 / The OD consultant and consulting process,
Entry and contracting
Read OD, Chapter 5
CE: Read Case 1, (“Contracting for Success,” p. 13) / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 5 / Data Gathering
Read OD, Chapters 67
CE: Read Case 5 (“Identifying the scope of work at Dixie Weaving,” p. 51) / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 6 / Data Analysis and Diagnosis
Read OD, Chapter 8
Read TLG Solutions case following Chapter 7. / Case study analysis paper due
Read the TLG Solutions case study in OD and address the following questions in a ~5-page data gathering plan:
  • What are the presenting problems in this organization? What do you think may be any underlying problems? Which of these underlying problems is most likely, in your view?
  • What data would illustrate whether these underlying problems are occurring? Which method of data gathering would you use and why? (Consider using the method of analysis shown in Figure 7.2).
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of that method of data gathering?Include a proposed timeline for your approach and any details about the data-gathering method itself, including possible interview and/or survey questions, documents to gather, and/or observations you would conduct.
What I’m looking for in this paper:
Logical link between what the client says, what underlying issues may be present, and the data-gathering approach using what you learn from the text and what you recall from social science research courses!;appropriate choice of data-gathering approach given the underlying issues.
Note: NoCase Review Worksheet is due this week
Week 7 / Data Analysis and Diagnosis (continued) / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 8 / Feedback,
Resistance, introduction to interventions
Read OD, Chapter 9
Read Case study 3, “Sorting Through the Data . . . ” in OD / Case Review Worksheet due on Logan School case
Week 9 / Midterm Exam / The midterm exam will be given in class and will be a short-answer, essay format exam designed to assess your understanding of course material through week 8.
Week 10 / Whole organization interventions
Read OD, Chapter 12
CE: Read Case 26 (“Diggins/Reinholdt Plastics,” p. 245) / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 11 / Whole organization interventions (Organization Design)
Read OD, Chapter 13 / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 12 / Team interventions
Read OD, Chapter 11
“DocSystems Billing” case study in OD / Case Review Worksheet due
Week 13 / Team interventions (cont); Individual interventions
Read OD, Chapter 10
Read OD: Case Study 4 (“Parks Department”)
CE: Read Case 24 (“Greencycle publishing,” p. 227). / Case Review Worksheet due on either “Parks Department” or “Greencycle Publishing” (but reading both is required)
Week 14 / Sustaining Change and Evaluation
Read OD, Chapter 14
CE: Read Case 20 (“The case of Jim,” p. 193)
Complete coaching instruments in CE / Case Review Worksheet due
Before class, complete “Coaching Instrument #1” and “Coaching Instrument #2” (p. 315 and 318 in CE). Please bring copies of your completed instruments to class.
Note: You may make up answers as you wish, or you may complete it honestly
Week 15 / Global Issues and the Future of OD
Read OD, Chapters 1516
CE: Read Case 18, “Global Chain of Command,” p. 173 / Case Review Worksheet due
[Due date] / The final analysis paper will be an analysis of the “ASP Software” case in OD) / Case study analysis paper due.
This paper should make use of all that you’ve learned throughout the course, and should be 8 to 10 pages.
Read the “ASP Software” reorganization case study in OD and prepare a proposal/paper in the form of a letter addressed to the client. You should be specific in your paper with what you would intend to do next, providing evidence of the problems or opportunities for organization development work you see (use examples) and then propose an intervention to satisfy Susan’s request. Be specific with what your intervention will accomplish, what you expect from the sponsor and participants, and what your role will be. Include an outline of the intervention(s) (timeline or agenda). (Ensure that you explain your proposal in the language and supported by theories and concepts we’ve discussed in class.)

Case Review WorksheetName:

1. Write a one-paragraph summary of the case in your own words:

2. What do you think the central problem is in this case?

3. What actions do you think an organization development practitioner should take?