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CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS

COURSE SYLLABUS I. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION Course: MGT 649 Course Title: Seminar in Organizational Development EPN: 22022023 Term: Summer I 2008

Location: Ft. Belvoir, Barden Education Center, Classroom C, 9625 Belvoir Road, Ft. Belvoir, VA 22026 703-360-5336

Course Dates: 5/30, 5/31, 6/13, 6/14, 6/28, 6/29/2008 Course Days and Times: Fri. 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m. Prerequisites: Admission to graduate program or permission of the Department

Chairperson. Instructor: Frederick J. Slack, Ph.D. Phone Number of Instructor: 412-855-3575 (cell) Fax Number of Instructor: 724-697-4976 E-Mail Address of Instructor: slack1fj@cmich.edu Office Hours: Prior to, and after class, or by appointment Academic Biography: Dr. Slack has approximately 30 years experience as a human

resources and organizational development consultant and human resources executive. He has a doctorate in Organizational Analysis and Organizational Behavior and an M.B.A. in Operations Management.

II. TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL Title: Organization Development and Change Authors: Cummings, Thomas G. and Christopher G. Worley Edition: 8th Edition, 2005 ISBN-10: 0324260601 Publisher: South-Western Publishing Required? Yes

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III. COURSE DESCRIPTION The intervention theory and method in organizational development. Prerequisite:

Admission to graduate program or permission of the Department Chairperson. Supplemental Description: This course examines concepts and techniques of organization

development (OD) and the management of organizational change. Based on behavioral science knowledge and methods, OD interventions facilitate planned organizational change and renewal. Emphasis will be on understanding and application of OD skills and methods in both private and public sectors.

IV. COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Understand intervention theory and method in organizational development; Generate knowledge and skills with regard to intervention theory and method in organizational development; Explore a growing body of knowledge concerning the ways in which organizations can

better adapt to the challenges of a modern society; and, Explore how organizations adapt to changes in new markets, new technology, new

motivations and sentiments, and increasing need for change.

In addition, each student should be able to:

1. Comprehend intervention theory and method in organization development; 2. Be able to generate knowledge and skills with regard to intervention theory and method in

organization development; 3 Know the ways in which organizations can better adapt to challenges of a modern society; 4. Know how organizations adapt to changes in new markets, new technology, new

motivations and sentiments, and increasing need for change; 5. Understand historical foundations of organization development; 6. Be able to recognize factors relating to the need for an OD intervention; 7. Understand principles and concepts of organizational development and change; 8 Be knowledgeable about a variety of OD interventions and associated skills; and, 9. Be able to relate insights and understanding obtained in this course to organizational

experiences.

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V. METHODOLOGY The instructor and students share responsibilities for optimizing this learning experience.

The instructor will lecture, facilitate discussions and organize in-class exercises. Students will:

• Read assigned sections of the text prior to class meetings; • Participate actively in class exercises and discussions; • Obtain articles about a particular aspect of organizational development and submit an

essay that synthesizes those articles; and, • Take two in-class exams in order to validate understanding of lectures and in-class

exercises and to demonstrate that reading assignments were completed. VI. COURSE OUTLINE/ASSIGNMENTS Pre-class Assignment: Please read Chapters 1 – 5 of the text prior to the first meeting of Friday, May 30, 2008,

6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Outline of Session Topics and Activities: Friday, May 30, 2008 and Saturday, May 31, 2008

1. General Introduction to Organization Development Part 1: Overview of Organization Development 2. The Nature of Planned Change 3. The Organization Development Practitioner Part 2: The Process of Organization Development 4. Entering and Contracting 5. Diagnosing Organizations

Friday, June 13, 2008, and Saturday, June 14, 2008

• Test 1 (Chapters 1 – 5)

6. Diagnosing Groups and Jobs 7. Collecting and Analyzing Diagnostic Information 8. Feeding Back Diagnostic Information 9. Designing Interventions 10. Leading and Managing Change 11. Evaluating and Institutionalizing Organization Development Interventions

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Friday, June 27, 2008, and Saturday, June 28, 2008

• Test 2 (Chapters 6 – 11)

Part 3: Human Process Interventions 12. Individual, Interpersonal, and Group Process Approaches 13. Organization Process Approaches Part 4: Techno-structural Interventions 14. Restructuring Organization 15. Employee Involvement 16. Work Design

Post-class Assignment: The Final Assignment is to be submitted electronically to the instructor anytime between

Sunday, June 29, and Tuesday, July 8, 2008. Current organizational development examples will be discussed by referring to recent

articles in various publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, website communications, etc. Students are to analyze a specific current organizational development example using a framework to be discussed in class. The final project is to be approximately 5 – 10 pages in length. It may also include relevant attachments. The first page of the final assignment submission should include an abstract of approximately 50 words that summarizes the content of the final assignment that is being submitted. The final assignment is due approximately one week following the completion of class work (that is, Tuesday, July 8, 2008). The final assignment is to be submitted electronically to the instructor at: slack1fj@cmich.edu.

Student Involvement Hours: Inside of class: 39 total hours Outside of class: 20 – 30 total hours (includes reading, researching, studying and writing

hours) 500-Level Courses: None

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VII. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION Type of Performance: Students will be evaluated based on class discussions, results of two written examinations,

and thoroughness and synthesis of selected topic demonstrated by a 5 -10 page double-spaced essay.

Evaluation Criteria: Class Discussions and in-class activities (25%) Test 1 (Chapters 1 – 5 ) (25%) Test 2 (Chapters 6 – 10) (25%) Final Assignment (5 – 10 page essay submitted electronically) (25%) Late Assignments: Late Assignments are subject to a reduced grade penalty. Make-up Exams: Make-up exams may be administered based upon mutual agreement of the instructor and

the student. Attendance Policy: CMU students are required to attend all class sessions – participation is an integral part of

the complete education. Students should notify the instructor in advance and provide appropriate justification if an absence or late arrival is anticipated. The instructor may lower student grades for low attendance regardless of student academic assignment grades.

Class Participation: Graduate education differs from under-graduate education because of the discussion and

interaction that take place in the classroom. Pedagogy, involves lecture and listening, but Andragogy, meaning the teaching of adults, involves using classroom opportunity as an exploratory laboratory. As such, participation is critical. And, in this particular course, participation is actually, FUN, because as a result of participating in the exercises, you learn more about yourself and your interaction with others. Please maximize your learning experience by participating actively.

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Grading Scale: Student performance will be graded using the following MSA program scale: A 94 – 100 A- 90 – 93 B+ 87 – 89 B 84 – 86 B- 80 – 83 C+ 77 – 79 C 74 – 76 C- 70 – 73 E < 70 VIII. SUPPORT SERVICES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS OCLS CMU offers you a variety of library services through Off-Campus Library Services.

Check the OCLS website, http://ocls.cmich.edu/, for more information and our current hours. Reference Librarians provide help using research tools such as: the library catalog and research databases and help you find information related to your research topic. Document Delivery provides the specific books and journal articles you request. You can order up to 50 items per class, per week from Document Delivery. However, only 20 requests will be taken over the phone. Requests over 20 can be faxed or e-mailed.

Reference Librarians contact information: 1. Toll-free phone: 1-800-274-3838 2. E-mail: oclsref@cmich.edu 3. Ask OCLS request form at http://ocls.cmich.edu/reference/index.html Document Delivery contact information: 1. Toll-free phone: 1-800-274-3838 2. Toll-free fax: 1-877-329-6257 3. E-mail: oclibsvc@cmich.edu 4. Document Delivery request forms at http://ocls.cmich.edu/delivery/index.html General: 1. Academic Dishonesty: Written or other work which a student submits must be the

product of her/his own efforts. Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty, including dishonesty involving computer technology, are prohibited. Further information on Academic Dishonesty can be found in the current Bulletin.

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2. ADA: CMU provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in university activities, programs, and services. Students with disabilities requiring an accommodation to participate in class activities or meet course requirements should call (800 950-1144, Extension 3264, as soon as you register for class.

IX. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Argyris, Chris, Knowledge for action: A guide to overcoming barriers to organizational change, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993. Argyris, Chris. On organizational learning, Cambridge: Blackwell, 1993. Argyris, Chris, and D. A. Schon, Organizational learning II: Theory, method, and practice, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1996. Ashkenas, R. N. (Ed.). The boundaryless organization: Breaking the chains of organizational structure, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995. Berger, Lance A. and Dorothy R. Berger (ed.), The Talent Management Handbook: Creating Organizational Excellence by Identifying, Developing, & Promoting YOUR BEST PEOPLE, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN: 0-07-141434-7 Buckingham, Marcus, Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage, New York, Free Press, 2001. Buckingham, Marcus, The One Thing You Need to Know: ... About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success, New York, Free Press, 2005. Clutterbuck, David and Stuart Crainer, Makers of Management Men and Women Who Changed the Business World, London: MacMillan London Limited., 1990. Coch, Lester and John R. French, “Overcoming resistance to change,” Human Relations, 1948, pp. 161-183. Ferrazzi, Keith and Tahl Raz, Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, New York: Doubleday, 2005. French, Wendell and Cecil H. Bell, Organization development: Behavioral science interventions for organization improvement, (Sixth edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1999. Gladwell, Malcolm, Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking, New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005.

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Jones, Gareth R., Organization Theory (Fifth Edition), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. 2007. ISBN: 0-13-186542-0 Katz, Daniel, and Robert L. Kahn, The Social Psychology of Organizations, New York: Wiley, 1966. Levitt, Steven D. and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics, A Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden Side of Everything, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2005. McLean, G. (Eds.) Practicing Organization Development, San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer & Company, 1995 Robbins, Stephen P. and Timothy A. Judge, Organizational Behavior (Twelfth Edition), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall, Inc. 2007. ISBN: 0-13-243156-4 Senge, Peter, The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization, New York: Doubleday, 1990.