ArgosyUniversity

Ed.D Organizational Leadership

COURSE SYLLABUS

L7440

Organizational Consultation

Faculty Information

Faculty Name: Bernard Liebowitz, PhD CMC

Campus:Chicago, Illinois

Contact Information:tel} 312/498-2050 email}

Office Hours:To be scheduled with individual students

Faculty Bio:

Bernard Liebowitz, PhD, is president of the firm Liebowitz & Associates, PC, specializing in two areas of consultation: strategic planning, organization design and development and, performance management; and, management assessment (including testing) and development, executive training and coaching. His clients have included Fortune 1000 companies (e.g., DaimlerChrysler, Roche Diagnostics, CNA Insurance, S.C. Johnson, Johnson-Diversey), large mid-sized firms (e.g., Andrew Corporation, COMARK, Lawson Products) and smaller firms (e.g., A.J. Antunes, CancerTreatmentCenters of America, ThomsonTFP). A special consulting niche is the family owned business, including succession planning and conflict resolution.

Bernie received his undergraduate degree from BrandeisUniversity and his PhD in psychology from the University of Chicago. He has served on the Board of several non-profit organizations (The Day School and The Entrepreneurship Institute). He was Chairman of the Education Sub-Committee of the Union League Club .

He has published in professional journals and has been quoted in a number of well-known magazines and newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal, INC, Crain’s Chicago Business, Money Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, among others. He holds memberships in the American Psychological Association, The Illinois Psychological Association, The Entrepreneurship Institute, The Planning Forum and The Organization Design Forum. He is certified as a Management Consultant (CMC) by the Institute of Management Consultants.

Course description:This course emphasizes knowledge and application of the latest theories and research in consulting. Students will review and analyze the theoretical foundations of organizational consulting, and apply them to business problems and strategies. The course provides an overview of the consulting profession with a subsequent emphasis on developing proficiencies in a range of skills required to practice consulting.

Course Pre-requisites: None

Required Textbooks:

Edgar H. Schein, Process Consulting Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship, Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 1999

Robert J. Marshak, Covert Processes at Work: Managing the Five Hidden Dimensions of Organizational Change, Berrett-

Koehler, San Francisco, 2006

Anne Donnellon, Team Talk: the Power of Language in Team Dynamics, HarvardSchool Press, Boston, 1996

Experience Point, “Change Management” (a simulation)

Additional Readings: In addition to the required textbook readings, additional articles will be assigned. Most will be found through a library search. The ones labeled “paper” will be sent to you via email.

Course length: 7.5 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours

Credit Value: 3.0

Program Outcomes:

  1. Leadership in Teams: Given an organizational situation, identify strategies to develop, maintain, motivate, and sustain self-managed teams using concepts, theories and techniques of team leadership.
  1. Collaboration in Teams: Given a case study or leadership situation, collect, assimilate, disseminate, and maximize the views of team stakeholders in order to reach defensible goals with minimal conflict.
  1. Conflict: Given an organizational situation that requires interpersonal or interdepartmental action, identify situations of conflict, diagnose the impact of both overt and covert behavior, and develop a plan for conflict resolution using evidence-based methods.
  1. Ethics: Given an organizational setting, identify ethical and dilemma-resolution practices, and make evidence-based decisions that integrate personal, social, and corporate responsibility.
  1. Communication: Communicate orally and in writing to individuals and groups in a concise, clear, organized, and well-supported manner using formats and technology relevant to the organizational context.
  1. Motivation: Given a leadership situation, identify workplace commitment theories to incorporate influences and power as a leader to motivate organizational stakeholders.
  1. Research: Given an organizational need to evaluate and defend its actions or potential actions, select, analyze, and apply the assessment techniques, research methods, and/or statistical analyses needed to evaluate and defend those actions based on evidence
  1. Knowledge and Understanding of the Field: Demonstrate competency in identifying and integrating the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and key figures in the field of organizational leadership.
  1. Change: Evaluate the impact of change on organizations, organizational members, and other stakeholders and apply appropriate change models and theories to facilitate successful change.
  1. Global diversity: Analyze and evaluate the involvement of diversity in leadership issues, with special attention to the implications of diversity for individuals, organizations, and societies.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, students will be able to do the following:

  1. Identify, analyze, and apply the various phases of the consulting cycle. Program outcome 8
  2. Discuss and synthesize trends within the consulting arena. Program outcome(s) 7, 8
  3. Assess the key factors relevant to a consulting engagement and apply to a case based scenario. Program outcome 8
  4. Develop a consulting proposal including the role of change agents to improve efficiency of the organization. Program outcome(s) 5, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  5. Examine the characteristics of successful consultants, and develop an action plan for their own professional development regarding those skills and abilities. Program outcome(s) 5, 6, 7, 8

Assignment Table & Grading

Students will be assigned a term paper, as well as two 5-7 page (double-spaced) papersto be submitted on each of the designated classes. The term paper will be on a relevant topic of the student’s choosing, but must be approved by the instructor. The additional two papers will be case studies and should reflect not only the student’s view of how to go about consulting with the organization in question, but should also reflect an understanding of the readings up to that point.

To further the learning experience and broaden the student’s view of the subject matter, students are required to hand in a printed copy of their two case studies (with their name on the flip side of the last page), as well as email a copy to the instructor (). The instructor will review (anonymously) the papers, place comments on the hard copy which will be returned to the student, transfer these comments to the email version and send the papers (anonymously) en masse to all the students.

The intent of this convoluted process is for each student to see how others approach the material, to expand their mental models about the subject matter and to appreciate other points of view.

Topics / Readings / Assignments
1 / Facilitation of the Change Management simulation and discussion of the results. / “Change Players Guide” (to be read before class)
“Change Primer Presentation” (handed out in class)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS), STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO READ A BRIEF ARTICLE DESCRIBING THE SIMULATION THAT WILL BE PRESENTED IN THE FIRST CLASS. STUDENTS WILL BE SENT THIS INFORMATION BEFORE CLASS.
2 / Organization Strategy & Design / Kaplan’s Map (paper)
“Using Michael Porter's Five Force Analysis to Identify Where to Focus to Increase Your Margins” (paper)
“Fundamentals of Organizational Structure” (paper)
Galbraith, J., “Product Vs Customer Centric Company”, chart from
his book, Designing the Customer Centric Organization(paper)
Boardman, A.E., Shapiro, D.M., & Vining, A.R., “A Framework for ComprehensiveStrategic Analysis”, Journal of Strategic Management Education, 2004, 1(2)
Hax; A.C., & Wilde, D.L..,”The Delta Model: Adaptive Management For A Changing World”, Sloan Management Review, Winter 1999, 40, 11
CASE STUDY: Organization Design of a Hospital (paper)
3 / Defining the Presenting Problem / Schein, Chapters 1 through 4

Boyce, M.E., “Organizational Story and Storytelling: A Critical Review”, Journal of Organizational Change Management , 1996, Volume 9, Number 5

Dillon, J.T., “Use of Questions in Organizational Consulting”, The Journal Of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 39 No. 4, December 2003, 438-452
Williams, “Assumption Based Planning” (paper)
CASE STUDY: “The 1996 Everest Tragedy” (paper)
4 / Deciphering Hidden Forces and Processes / Schein, Chapter 5 and 6
Marchak, Chapters 1 through 5
Harvey, “The Abilene Paradox” (paper)
CASE STUDY: “Big Shoes to Fill”, HBR, May2006 / Due: a 5-7 page paper describing where, how and why you would intervene in the assigned case study. The paper should also reflect your understanding of the readings thus far.
5 / Change Efforts / Schein, Chapters 7 through 9, and, Chapters 11 and 12
Caldwell, R., “Things Fall Apart”, Human Relations, Volume 58(1): 83–114
2005
Cooren,F., Thompson, F., et al, “From Agency To Structure: Analysis Of An
Episode In A Facilitation Process”, Human Relations, Volume 59(4): 533–565, 2006
CASE STUDY: Peeples, M.E., “Into the Fray”, HBR, January 2005 / .
6 / Groups: Team Dynamics / Donnellon, Chapters 1 through 6
“Flight of the Geese” (paper)
“Team Roles (paper)
Purg, D., Isabella, L., et al, “Teams and Teamwork: A Foundation”, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virgini, Working Paper No. 03-02
Tuchman, B.W., “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups”, Psychological Bulletin, Volume 63, Number 6, Pages 38499, 1965
Liebowitz, “Team Training Workbook”
CASE STUDY: Cespedes, F.V., “Old Hand or New Blood”, HBR, July-Aug., 2006 / Due: a 5-7 page paper describing where, how and why you would intervene in the assigned case study. The paper should also reflect your understanding of the readings thus far.
7 / Groups & Intervention Techniques: Appreciative Inquiry, Large Group Techniques & Scenario Planning / Donnellon, Chapter 7 and 8
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
AI Chart (paper)
Whitney, D. “Let’s Change The Subject And Change Our Organization: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach To Organization Change”, Career DevelopmentInternational, 3/7 [1998] 314–319, © MCB University Press
[ISSN 1362-0436]
Bushe, G.R., “Five Theories of Change Imbedded In AI” (paper)
OPEN SPACE
Lent, R.M., McCormick, M.T., & Pearce, D.S., “Combining Future Search and Open Space to Address Special Situations”, The Journal Of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol. 41 No. 1, March 2005 61-69,
Steil, G. &Gibbons-Carr, M., “Large Group Scenario Planning: Scenario Planning With theWhole System in the Room” , The Journal Of Applied Behavioral , Vol. 41 No. 1, March 2005 15-29
SCENARIO PLANNING
Gutman, J. “Creating Scenarios AndCases For Global Anticipatory Learning”, American Journal of Management Development
Volume 1 · Number 3 · 1995 · pp. 37–43, © MCB University Press · ISSN 1354-5787
Day, G.S. & Schoemaker, P.H.H., “Scanning the Periphery”, Harvard Business Review • November 2005
Schwartz, A., “Scenarios for theInsurgency in Iraq”, United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 174 October 2006
MISCELLANEOUS
Day, J. & Bobeva, M., “A Generic Toolkit for the Successful Management of Delphi Studies” (paper).
CASE STUDY:
Geissler, C., “The Cane Mutiny: Managing a Greying Workforce”, Harvard Business Review, October, 2005 / Besides the required assigned reading in the text, the student is invited to become acquainted with the techniques discussed in these articles in this section. He or she will not be expected to read them all. Underlying each technique is a “theory of the organization” that is useful in consultation.
8 / Continuation of Groups & Intervention Techniques:
System Dynamics & Network Analysis / SYSTEM DYNAMICS
Wolstenholme, E.F.”Towards The Definition And Use Of A Core Set
Of Archetypal Structures In System Dynamics”, System Dynamics Review, 19, 7–26, (2003)
NETWORK ANALYSIS
Kleiner, A., “Stephenson’s Quantum Theory of Trust”, Strategy & Business, Issue 29
Cross, R. “Introduction to Organizational Network Analysis” (paper)
Cross, R., Johnson-Cramer, M. & Parise, S., Managing Change through Networks and Values: How a Relational View of Culture Can Facilitate Large-Scale Change”, (paper)
Krebs, V., “It's the Conversations, Stupid!The Link between Social Interaction and Political Choice”, (paper) / Term paper due.

Grading Criteria

Each of the three papers (the term paper and the two case studies) will contribute one third to your final grade.

Library

Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The library will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords. A detailed list of online resources is located at In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

Please view the tutorial at

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” ( an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.

Americans with Disabilities Act Policy

It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

TheArgosy University Statement Regarding Diversity

Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both

the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.