URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
URPA 5320 Public Organization Theory and Development
Professor: Colleen Casey, Ph.D.
Contact Information
Phone: 817-272-3356
Office: University Hall, Room 526
Office Hours: TBA
I.
Fax: 817-272-5008
Email: [email protected]
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Apply organization concepts and theories to lead and manage in public governance;
Analyze, synthesize and think critically to solve problems and make decisions;
Articulate and apply a public service perspective;
Communicate and interact effectively with public sector professionals and a diverse
citizenry.
The learning outcomes will be achieved by completing the assignments in this course that
require you to:
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Apply the many theories of organizations to understand and manage organizational life:
administrative science, bureaucracy, contingency theory, resource dependency,
strategic choice, transaction-cost analysis, population ecology, institutional theory, etc.;
Describe and explain basic social theory (and the concept of meta-theory) and the
assumptions of the major schools of organization theories;
Demonstrate an understanding of the debates surrounding the “uniqueness” of public
sector organizations;
Apply course concepts to a service learning research project;
Prepare professional quality presentations and reports for managers/administrators of
public sector organizations;
Student achievement of the outcomes will be measured by the following:
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II.
Describe and demonstrate an understanding of course concepts-Assignments: Leading class discussion and short applications
Analyze, synthesize and think critically-Assignments: Short applications; Mid term exam, Service learning research
project & reflections
Communication with professionals and citizens-Assignments: Service learning research project report and presentation &
reflections
Textbooks and Other Course Material Requirements
Hatch, M. and Cunliffe, A. (2006). Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern
Perspectives. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. (Calendar code: H & C)
Rainey, H. (2009). Understanding and Managing Public Organizations, 4th edition. John Wiley
and Sons, Inc. ISBN: 978-0-470-40292-4 (this is the ISBN for cloth, but if paper is available that
is preferred if it is less expensive). (Calendar code: R)
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
Roberts, N. 2007. The Age of Direct Citizen Particpation. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. (Calendar
code: N.R.)
COURSE CALENDAR: SPRING 2011
Week #1: January 18
Introduction to the course
Readings:
Furco, A. 1996. Service-Learning: A balanced Approach to Experiential Education. Expanding
Boundaries: Serving and Learning. Washington, DC: Corporation for National Service, 2-6.
Williams, L.B. 1997. Connnecting curriculum content with community service: Guidelines for
student reflection. Journal of Public Service and Outreach. 2(1), 33-42.
Markus, G., Howard, J., and King, D. 1993. Integrating community service with classroom
instruction enhances learning: Results from an experiment. Educational Evaluation and Policy
Analysis, 15, 410-419.
Assignment Due:
REFLECTION #1: TO BE COMPLETED IN CLASS and due by 10 pm.
Week #2: January 24
What is an organization? What is a public organization?
Introduction to theories and paradigms/Historical evolution of organization theory.
Readings:
H & C: Chapters 1-2
R: Chapters 1-3
Assignment:
APPLICATION #1: Grandtown’s New Public Library.
(Student Led Team: Introduce: Application #2).
Week #3: January 31
Environment of Organization & Power and Politics
Readings:
H & C: Chapters 7 & 8
R: Chapters 4, 5 & 7.
Assignment:
Student Led: APPLICATION #2: Role Play: Power and Politics
Week #4: February 7
Key Organizational Concepts: Social and Physical Structure, Technology, Decision-Making
Readings:
H & C: Chapters 4-5
R: Chapters 6 & 8
Assignment:
Student Led: APPLICATION #3: Organizational Structure: Identifying the Dimensions
Individual Reports DUE: By 5 pm on Feb 12.
Week #5: February 14
Organizational Culture, Leadership and People
Readings:
H & C: Chapter 6
R: Chapters 9-11
Assignment:
Student Led: APPLICATION #4: Considering the Path-Goal Leadership Model
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
Week #6: February 21
Teamwork
Readings:
R: Chapter 12
Assignment:
Student Led: APPLICATION #5: Weighting the Advantages and Disadvantages of Different
Decision Making Techniques.
Week #7: February 28
Organizational Change and Development
Readings:
H & C: Chapter 9
R: Chapters 13 & 14
Assignment:
Student Led: APPLICATION #6: Habitat for Hummanity of Medina: Confronting the Changing
Times.
Week #8: March 7
Mid Term Exam
Entering the Community—doing research in and with the community.
Readings:
Readings AVAILABLE ONLINE through the library:
Nyden, P. & Weiwel, W. 1992. Collaborative research: Harnessing the tensions between
researcher and practitioner. The American Sociologist, 23(4), 43-55.
Strand, K., Marullo, S., Cutforth, N. Stoecker, R., Donohue, P. 2003. Principles of Best Practice
for Community-Based Research. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. 9(3), 5-15.
Maurrasse, D. J. 2002. Higher education/community partnerships: Assessing progress in the
field. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 31(1), 131-139.
Assignment:
Identify key contact or person to speak with in a local government in the DFW area. Provide a
rationale as to why you selected the municipality as well as the particular contact person.
Week #9: March 14 SPRING BREAK
Readings: None assigned.
Assignment:
Contact & arrange meeting/interviews with community partners.
Week #10*: March 21
Entry into the “community”
Readings:
N.R.: Part 1.
Assignment:
REFLECTION #2
Week #11*: March 28
In the community.
Readings:
N.R.: Part 2
Assignment:
Ongoing Project Research
Week #12*: April 4
In the community.
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
Readings:
N. R.: Part 3.
Assignment:
Ongoing Project Research
Week #13*: April 11
In the community.
Readings:
N. R., Part 4.
Assignment:
REFLECTION #3
Ongoing Project Research
Week #14*: April 18
Readings:
N. R.: Part 5.
Assignment:
Ongoing Project Research
Week #15*: April 25
In the community.
Readings: N.R., Part 6.
Assignment:
Ongoing Project Research
Week #16: May 2
Presentations—Practice Runs/Peer Feedback
Readings: None
Assignment: Rough Draft of Presentations Due
Week #17: May 6--Last day of Class!
Presentations
Readings: None
Assignment: Group Presentations
Final Reflection: #4
Final Exams Week: May 12 by 5 pm.
Readings: None
Assignment: Final Paper
*We will adjust class times as needed to accommodate your field experience time.
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
III. GRADING CRITERIA AND ASSIGNMENTS
Total Points Possible: 450
1. Short Applications
2. Reflections
3. Mid Term Exam
4. Service Learning Research Project
100 points
100 points
100 points
150 points
1. Short Applications-2 @ 50 points each, 100 points total
You will complete two short applications this semester, one on your own and one as a member
of a team. All students are required to individually complete application #1. Students will
complete the second application as a member of a team. As a team, you will select one
additional short application (Applications #2-#6) and lead the class in the application for the
assigned class session. Full details on the application as well the grading criteria are posted on
blackboard.
2. Reflections- 4 @ 25 points each, 100 points total, 1 page maximum.
Reflections are not graded per the content; however, you will receive points based on whether
or not your reflections address the specified questions for that particular assignment. The
questions are listed below.
Guidelines for Reflections
Reflection #1:
Reflect on the ‘idea’ of service learning and your view of the relationship between public
organizations and citizens. Reflect on your idea of service learning as of today and the
instruction you have received from your instructor. Why is this important? Based on your
existing knowledge, how do you understand the relationship between public organizations and
citizens? TO BE COMPLETED IN CLASS.
Reflection #2:
Reflect on your idea of service learning as of today and the instruction you have received from
your instructor. Why is this important? How do you feel getting ready to go into the community?
Thoughts? Anticipations? How do you think this will relate to the material we covered in
previous class sessions?
Reflection #3:
Describe your experience in the community. Prompts: What do you do that you were not
prepared for? What did you do today that made you feel you made a difference? How does your
understanding of the community change as a result of your participation in this project? How
can you continue your involvement with this group or issue? What strengths have you noticed in
yourself? What are you trying to accomplish? What concept/theory from class can you apply?
Final Reflection, #4:
What have you Iearned about yourself through this experience? What have you learned about
this organization, the public administrators within the organization or their engagement with the
citizens in the community? Did this experience compliment or contrast with what you are
learning in class? Has learning through experience taught you more, less, or the same as in
class? How will this experience alter your future behaviors/attitudes?
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
3.
Mid Term Exam—100 points
A mid term exam will be administered in the course. It will be composed of both multiple choice
and short answer questions.
4.
Community Service Learning Research Experience—150 points total, 2 parts
A required part of this course is to engage with professionals in the field—namely, to interact
with public adminstrators—those responsible for managing and carrying out public sector
objectives. In this case, our community is the community of public administrators. In small
teams, you will make contact with a local municipal government in the DFW metropolitan area to
inquire about the extent to which their organization utilizes citizen participation. Your team will
be required to develop a set of questions to understand the different ways they interact with
citizens, how the utilize information from citizens, the methods and tools (technology) they
employ to interact with citizens and the challenges and opportunities citizen participation may
provide for the organization. Your questions and research should be informed by drawing upon
the different debates in the Roberts book on direct citizen participation. Finally, following your
research and conversations with these organizations, your team is required to relate this back to
the core organizational concepts and dimensions explored in the first part of the semester.
Based on your conversations with professionals in the field, what impact does citizen
participation have on public sector organizations? What new management and/or organizational
challenges does it pose? What dimensions or concepts of organizations does it appear to affect
the most?
Part 1. Small Group Presentations, 50 points
You are required to present your findings and your analysis to the class. Your project
presentation should emphasize the direct implications for those responsible for leading public
organizations as well as theoretical implications for public organization theory.
Part 2. Service Learning Research Report, 100 points (Part A: 50 points; Part B: 50
points)
The assessment of the final project report will be based on both the submission of individual and
team assignments. Indiividually, you will submit Part A of the report, due Feb. 12 by 5 pm. Your
team is also required to prepare a final written report, Part B. Guidelines for Part A and Part B of
the report are available online through blackboard and will be discussed in class. Separately,
each individual member of the team will submit an individual reflection (final reflection) on the
experience as a whole. All three portions must be completed or no points will be awarded.
III.
Ground Rules
1.
Academic Integrity. Academic honesty and integrity is a priority in this classroom. All
students are expected to pursue their academic careers with honesty and integrity.
Academic integrity will be defined in this course in accordance with UTA’s policies and
procedures, which can be found on the Division of Student Affairs web site,
http://www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/aiwhatis.html .
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
According to the web site (http://www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/aiwhatis.html),
academic integrity…is a commitment on the on the part of the students, faculty and staff,
even in the face of adversity, to five fundamental values:
 Honesty
 Truth
 Fairness
 Respect
 Responsibility
Conversely, UTA defines scholastic dishonesty in the following manner
(http://www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/aiwhatconstitutes.html): Scholastic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, and collusion on an
examination or an assignment being offered for credit.
Cheating
 Copying another’s test or assignment
 Communication with another during an exam or assignment (i.e. written, oral or
otherwise)
 Giving or seeking aid from another when not permitted by the instructor
 Possessing or using unauthorized materials during the test
 Buying, using, stealing, transporting, or soliciting a test, draft of a test, or answer
key
Plagiarism
 Using someone else's work in your assignment without appropriate
acknowledgement
 Making slight variations in the language and then failing to give credit to the
source
Collusion
 Without authorization, collaborating with another when preparing an assignment
Students suspected of engaging in academic dishonesty will be subject to the
University’s disciplinary processes, which are described online at
http://www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/aiwhatconstitutes.html . In accordance
with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas
System (Rule 50101), institutional procedures regarding allegations of academic
dishonesty are outlined in Part Two, Chapter 2, of the UT Arlington Handbook of
Operating Procedures. This information may be obtained by accessing the Student
Judicial Affairs' Web site at www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/judicial affairs. Printed copies of
this information can be requested from the Division of Student Judicial Affairs.
2.
Late work. I require that you meet all deadlines specified in the course schedule, or
verbally by me. Each student will receive 1 free pass. A free pass means you can turn
one assignment in 24 hours late. After this, no other exceptions can be made.
3.
Student Support Services. The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of
student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic
success. These programs include learning assistance, developmental education,
advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs.
Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the
Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and
appropriate referrals.
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URPA 5320: Public Organization Theory and Development
4.
Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as
being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation;
reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the
passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population
with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.
As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to
students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student
responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and
in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels.
Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic
accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability. Also, you may visit the Office
for Students with Disabilities in room 102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 2723364.
5.
UT Arlington Sexual Harassment Policy. UTA is committed to an academic and
working environment free from inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual
harassment and sexual misconduct is prohibited and will be in violation of this policy.
Sexual harassment is a prohibited practice for employees under Title VII of the 1964
Civil Rights Act as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1973 and the
Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, and under Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 for students. The university will take prompt disciplinary action
against any individuals on this campus who engage in actions that violate this policy, see
http://www.uta.edu/eoaa/sexual-harassment/uta-policy.php#13350
6.
E-Culture Policy. UTA has adopted the University email address as an official means of
communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide
students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In
particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills,
and graduation may be sent to students through email.
All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it
is available at www.uta.edu/email. New students (first semester at UTA) are able to
activate their email account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional
charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as a student is
enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their email regularly. I
will also use your UTA email address to communicate with you regarding throughout the
semester.
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