Tennessee State University
College of Public Service and Urban Affairs
Department of Public Administration
Course Number:
PADM 6310 – 98 Fall 2014
Title:
Seminar in Organization Theory
Course Credit:
Three Credits
Instructor:
Ann-Marie Rizzo, Ph.D.
Office: Avon Williams Campus, Suite F-405
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (615) 963 – 7250
Office Hours: Monday 3:00 - 5:30
Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 - 4:00 PM
Course Purpose/Rationale:
As might be inferred from the title organization theory is a theoretical course. We will discuss theories
or abstract approaches to understanding why organizations work as they do. Unlike other behavioral
subjects theories about organizations are theories only in the loose sense of the word. Rather than
generate hypotheses or tested propositions, these theories more typically offer frameworks,
perspectives or lenses through which we can better understand organizations from a manager’s or
employee’s point of view. The theories we will explore represent different slices of an organization’s
reality and thus provide tools for the practitioner’s use.
Ultimately, the theories covered in this course will not only review research and the history of thinking
concerning how we regard organizational life but the accumulated wisdom about what we practitioners
can do to, with, and through organizations. Modern work organizations are an invention of the
industrial age and as such usually possess within them the artifacts of modernity or the industrial age as
well as postmodernity. Today we may not take Taylorism or structural theory seriously as important
factors in creating modern organizations but every organization carries with it remnants of Taylor’s and
structural writers’ thinking. Therefore it is important to understand these theories to inform our views
of how to manage organizations and better apprehend their inner workings.
Section 98 of PADM 6310 is an on-line course with lectures, readings and case study exercises. Students
are expected to be prepared and informed participants in class discussion on-line and to conduct
themselves on line according to the same standards of civility and respect as if we met face to face.
The only exceptions to on line class offerings are the last two weeks of the term. The recap and
review and final exam will be held on campus. Please make note of this and schedule your time
accordingly. While the final exam can be rescheduled on an individual basis to suit your work
schedules, the review session cannot. However, the review session conducted prior to the final exam
is not required; attendance is voluntary.
Teaching Philosophy:
My role is to serve the self-directed, responsible graduate student as a guide, facilitator
and coach. I will pose what I think are the important questions for you to address to help you in that
endeavor. If you are diligent in your studies, you will discover the subject through reading, exercises
and activities. However, bear in mind that in most respects this is at best an independent reading
course. Your success in learning this subject depends largely on your ability to be responsible for and
take charge of his/her own learning. In any class taught partly on line such ownership is crucial. In a
required MPA course, it will be essential if you are to succeed. Ultimately I want this course to
assist you to develop your own theory about how organizations work and evolve as well
as understand your leadership style and how this provides a “window” on public organizations.
Your leadership style and organizational perspectives learned through this class should help you
to manage, strategize and influence public organizations as an employee.
Course Audience
This course is intended for Master’s students, Ph.D. in public administration students deficient in the
field’s foundation, or other graduate students interested in the subject.
Students admitted to the Master of Public Administration program should expect that this course to
assist them in navigating the fascinating world of public organization management both theoretically as
well as operationally. The course is designed to introduce students to various views of public
organizations, a variety of approaches to understanding how public agencies function, how leadership
works within these contexts and how organizations regard the world differently than individuals.
Students beginning the MPA are always encouraged to complete PADM 6210 the Seminar in Public
Administration in their first semester of the program. This preparation adequately lays a
comprehensive and thorough foundation for Public Organization Theory. With a little work
however, first term students or those lacking 6210 background can acquire mastery of this subject
matter.
Prospective MPA students – those wishing to enter the Master’s program in future – may take this
course to discover whether public administration is a good fit in terms of their career choice or
advanced degree program. Business, education or other graduate students may want to discover the
field and enrich their understanding about public agencies and how they contribute to the economy and
society.
Students admitted to the Ph.D. in Public Administration lacking the MPA would be well advised to take
this as a preparatory elective as it outlines the field. As such, it should be taken prior to enrolling in the
doctoral equivalent: PADM 7310. A caveat is in order however: the career or professional nature of
the MPA degree means that PADM 6310 better addresses that audience’s needs and not those of future
academicians and scholars. Additional reading, research and preparation will be required to command
the public organization theory canon at an advanced level.
Instructional Methodology
PADM 6310 is an on-line course with lectures, reading and case study exercises taught each week on
eLearn. Students are expected to be prepared and informed participants in class discussion on line as
scheduled under the course Discussion link.
Because an on-line course relies on thorough acquaintance with the eLearn course management
system, it is incumbent upon students to master its tools. All assignments - discussion postings,
homework – will be posted using either the Discussion board or the eLearn drop box. Therefore it is
imperative that students learn how to use them.
Learning effectively on-line will require different skills from on campus classes. At a minimum, the
competent on-line student:
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Is a self directed learner. This means the student believes he or she is responsible for learning
the course subject matter. S/he checks progress in the course, attends to deadlines, takes
initiative to remedy deficiencies, misunderstandings and requests feedback from the instructor
Is responsible for reading and understanding the syllabus and other guidelines for the class,
assignments, timelines, emails, etc. The response “I didn’t read the deadline/instructions/my
email concerning this” is not an acceptable excuse.
The instructor will be contacting you using your mytsu address. If you choose not to check
your mytsu email, the onus is on you!
Knows how to schedule and creates a study routine, pacing him or herself to complete work in
a timely manner
Checks frequently with the course homepage and offers feedback to the instructor as needed
Submits assignments on time
Reviews course material routinely
Takes notes and can summarize a discussion
Is well prepared for on-line discussions, speaks informatively and expresses points relevant to
the discussion
For further information, please consult http://www.clt.odu.edu/oso/index.php?src=lo_effective
Please note: If for any reason you find that the server is not functioning or the drop box is not
receptive, make sure you email the assignment to me at [email protected] to avoid rejection of the
assignment due to lateness. Because such events can occur at any time it is advisable to post early to
avoid penalties.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this course the successful student will be able to:
1) identify various authors of important concepts and perspectives associated with understanding how
organizations work;
2) compare public and private sector organizations with special attention to why and how government
organizations are distinctive;
3) discuss various historical schools of organization thought and how they frame our understanding of
contemporary organizations;
4) analyze how leadership, problem-solving, decision-making and other key elements play into
organizational performance;
5) discuss how change occurs within work organizations and explain contemporary treatments of how
public sector organization performance can be improved.
Topical Outline:
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Classical Organization Theory
Neoclassical Organization Theory
Modern Structural Organization Theory
Systems Theory, Population Ecology, and Organizational Economics
Power and Politics Organization Theory
Organizational Culture and Reform Movements
Postmodernism and the Information Age
Human Relations School of thought
Management and the Behavioral Sciences
Individual Behavioral and Motivation
Leadership and Power
Organizational Change and Development
Required Texts:
Rainey, Hal. 2003. Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. JosseyBass. ISBN: 0787965618.
Rusaw, Carol A. 2001. Leading Public Organizations: An Interactive Approach. Fort Worth:
Harcourt College Publishers. ISBN: 0-15-508462-3.
Shafritz, Jay. 2008. Classics of Organizational Theory. Wadsworth Pub. Co. ISBN: 0155068695
Course Requirements:
Written Assignments/papers
150 points
Discussions
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Total
Semi-weekly
Assignments:
50 points
100 points
200 points
500 points
Students must complete three (3 ) assignments out of five (5) scheduled. You
may choose which papers to complete. Those missing submission deadline for
one assignment will not be penalized but are strongly advised to submit the
next assignment by that deadline. No papers will be accepted past their
assigned deadlines.
Please note that students are held responsible for all material covered for all
assignments. Should you choose not to submit paper 2, that material still must
be mastered to complete the course successfully. Students may elect to
complete more than three assignments in which case only the top three grades
will apply to your final grade.
Check the assignment section each week to see if there is a written assignment
to accompany the readings for that week. The written assignment will be a
three to five page essay about the reading for that week. Each assignment
carries a maximum of fifty points. The assignments are to be submitted via the
eLearn drop box or, if the dropbox fails for technical reasons, send the
assignment as an attachment to email addressed
to mailto:[email protected]. This advice however only applies when the
dropbox encounters server problems; all deadlines still apply. Because technical
difficulties can occur at any time, I strongly advise you to post early.
Discussions:
The instructor believes that subject matter is best learned when examined, critiqued and
analyzed. Discussions are one method of accomplishing this. Twelve discussions
will occur during the term with five points credit attached to the top ten grades. Please
check the Discussion icon every class period for assignments.
Exams:
Each student will be required to complete a midterm and final exam. The exams will be
during traditional class hours (5:30 to 8:30 PM) and the student will have one class
period to complete the exam. The midterm will be held October 22nd at 5:30 PM on line.
The final exam will be scheduled for December 10th at 5:30 PM on campus. Students having
difficulty completing an examination on that date or time should contact the instructor.
The exam typically consists of several essay, short answer questions and matching questions
about important topics discussed throughout the semester. A study guide will be provided
to assist the student in preparing for the final exam. Students requiring special
exceptions to posted exam days and times are urged to make alternative arrangements with the
instructor in advance.
Final Grading Scale: A = 500- 450; B = 449 - 399; C = 398 - 348; D = 347 - 275; F = below 274.
Individual Grading Scale: A = 100 – 90; B = 89 – 80; C = 79 – 70; D = 69 – 60; F = below 60.
Classroom Civility:
In an online course, expectations about civility will differ from the traditional classroom.
Students will still be expected to follow all University rules regarding language and behavior, and in all
other matters. TSU’s Code of Conduct includes discipline for acts of personal misconduct such as lewd,
indecent or obscene conduct or threats of indecent or inappropriate acts. Please consult the TSU Code
of Conduct and Disciplinary Offenses section in the TSU Student Handbook for more complete
information.
Please consult The MPA Student Handbook online or in print for additional information concerning
conduct, advisement, admissions, graduation and the program as a whole.
Academic Integrity
Tennessee State University expects all students to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity. This
means that you will not cheat and you will not help others in doing so. Whenever you submit as your
own work that which originates from another, whether the other is a published source, a friend, or a
paper archive, you commit a serious violation of academic integrity known as plagiarism (Wilde, 2008, p.
4).
The Department reserves the right to discipline students for cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, violation
of University rules and otherwise contributing to academic misconduct. As the instructor, I will attach
severe penalties to any cheating or plagiarism I discover: this includes assigning a grade of “F” for the
course and placing a letter in your student file about the incident. You can be accused of plagiarism
after you have completed a course, so you should never pass your papers on for others to
use. Remember: a student who provides answers or a paper for another to use is just as guilty of
cheating as the user. Consequently, if I discover that your paper, or another similar to it, has been
submitted by another student in another class, you can be found guilty of plagiarism.
Acts of plagiarism warrant special mention. Students are especially warned against
(www.tnstate.edu/11p/promoting academic integrity. htm, p. 2):
1) Copying the work of others on tests or assignments;
2) Copying without quotation marks and appropriate documentation from original sources;
3) Paraphrasing factors or ideas of an author without appropriate citation.
For information on proper form as well as what not to do, one good place to begin
is: www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html This homepage contains a dazzling array of rationales
for why plagiarism is not only dishonest, unprofessional and in some cases, prosecutable . Please pay
special to the section on “Examples of Plagiarism” Avoid these! The TSU Undergraduate Catalogue
section on “Academic Misconduct” As the TSU Student Handbook makes clear (see p. 16), penalties
for plagiarism and other academic dishonesty range from a zero on the assignment to failure in the
class.
Students with Special Learning Needs
If you believe you need special accommodations to conduct your course work, contact Ms. Patricia
Scudder, Director of Students with Disabilities, Disabled Student Services office, at 615 963-7400,
preferably before the second class meeting. The Department of Public Administration, in conjunction
with the Office of Disabled Student Services, makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students
with medically documented disabilities. The instructor must be aware of your status if it will affect your
class activities and assignments before assignments are due.
Course Schedule***
Wednesdays mark the days the course changes.
No classes will meet on November 26th, which marks fall break for the University
community.
Meeting Date
Topic
Reading
Activity or
Assignment
September 3
Module
I: Introduction
Classical OT
Shafritz/Ott/Jang,
Chapter 1
(Socrates through
Gulick); Rainey,
Ch. 1
Discussion posting
September 10
Module
II: Neoclassical OT
Rainey, Chapter 2;
S,O,J, Ch. 2
Paper 1 is due
Discussion posting
September 17
Module
III: Modern
Structural OT
S,O,J; Chapter 4;
Rainey, ch. 8
Discussion posting
September 24
Module
S,O,J, ch. 8;
Paper 2 is due
IV: Systems Theory
Rainey, Ch. 4
Discussion posting
October 1
Module V:
Power and Politics
S,O,J ch. 6; Rusaw, Discussion posting
ch.2; skim Rainey,
ch. 5
October 8
Module
VI: Organizational
Culture
S,O,J, ch. 7;
Rainey 11 (314-335
only)
Paper 3 is due
Discussion posting
October 15
Module
VII: Leadership
Rusaw, chs. 1,4, 5
Rainey, Chs. 3, 7
Discussion posting
Rainey, 9,10;
Rusaw, ch. 3;
Discussion posting
October 22
Midterm
Examination on line
October 29
Module
VIII: Motivation
S,O, J, ch. 3
November 5
Module
IX: Communication Rainey, ch. 12;
and Teams
Rusaw, chs. 6,8, 9
Paper 4 is due
Discussion posting
November 12
Module X:
Leadership and
Organization
Rusaw, chs. 7, 11;
Rainey, ch. 13
Discussion posting
Change
November 19
Module XI:
Rainey, ch. 14;
Paper 5 is due
Leadership, Change
and Ethics
Rusaw, ch. 12
Discussion posting
November 26
Fall Break
No assignments
Study, study, study
December 3
Review and recap
(possibly on campus)
December 10
Discussion posting
FINAL EXAM
on campus
*** Note this syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor with advance
notification to students.
Recommended Journals for Further Research
Public Administration Review
Administration and Society
Organization Studies
Public Personnel Management Review
Public Administration Quarterly
American Review of Public Administration
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
International Journal of Public Administration
Journal of Management Science
State and Local Government Review
Human Resources