P11.0010 Introduction to Managing Public Service Organizations
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
New York University
Spring 2009
Instructor
Sara Grant
Phone: 917-297-6378
E-mail: scg1@nyu.edu
Office Hours: I am available each Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 to 5:00
p.m. to meet with you. I am also happy to meet with you at another mutually
convenient time. My office is 3047 in the Puck Building.
Room Assignment:
Section
Day/Time
001
Tuesday/Thursday 2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
Room
Room 701, Silver
Course Overview:
The goal of this course is to enhance your understanding of management in
nonprofit organizations and government agencies. The course provides you with
the tools you need to diagnose and solve organizational problems, to influence
the actions of individuals, teams, and organizations, and to lead high-performing
effective organizations. We will examine the key variables in an organization that
must be managed including the organization’s planning systems, its culture,
structure, people, and its evaluation processes. Students will engage in
exercises and discuss cases to build and test management and interpersonal
skills.
Course Objectives:
Through a highly interactive approach, students will gain a theoretical and handson understanding of the critical components of managing and leading in nonprofit
and government organizations. This approach integrates assigned course
readings, case studies, and exercises to develop students’ critical thinking,
management, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
By the end of the course, students will:
 Understand the unique challenges facing the leader and manager in
nonprofits and government organizations
 Improve their own basic management skills
Required Course Materials:
There is one required book for this course:
Public Administration in America
10th Edition, 2009
By Michael Milakovich
1
George Gordon
Wadsworth Cengage Learning
ISBN-13: 978-0-495-56940-4
Other readings will be found on reserve in the NYU library and directly on
Blackboard.
Course Expectations:
The following are the expectations for professional class work:
 Attend every class on-time and be fully prepared to discuss reading and
case assignments.
 Participate in class discussions.
 Accord the same professional respect to your classmates' contributions as
you would to the instructor's.
 If an absence is unavoidable, make arrangements with a fellow student or
call instructor to get an update on topics and announcements.
 All assignments are to be submitted at the beginning of the session in
which they are due. Late assignments will be accepted but points will be
deducted.
 All written assignments are to be typed and double-spaced using a 12point font. Number pages. In general, the instructor does not like to have
assignments e-mailed to her. If you must do so, please be sure your
name is on each page and that your assignment is in Microsoft Word.
 All written work is expected to follow the standards of "good" English. This
includes proper grammar and spelling.
 Written assignments are to be completed by students individually.
 Students are to keep a copy of each assignment in the event of a loss.
 Students should turn phones off during class. Computers should be used
for note-taking only.
Assignments and Grading:
2/17 Reflection Paper on the role of the manager
3/5 Midterm Examination
4/2 Case Study Assignment 1
4/23 Case Study Assignment 2
5/ 7 Final Examination
Meeting Course Expectations
2
10 points
25 points
15 points
15 points
25 points
10 points
Introduction to Management
Session 1:
Introduction to Course (January 20)
Session 2:
Sector Differences (January 22)
Read:
“Working on Nonprofit Boards Don’t Assume the Shoe Fits” by
F. Warren McFarlan in the Harvard Business Review, NovemberDecember 1999.
Management Basics
Session 3:
The Evolution of Management Thinking (January 27)
Read:
Chapter 1 in Essentials of Management by Andrew J. DuBrin,
Thomson South-Western, 2006. Found on Reserve.
Session 4:
The Planning Process (January 29)
Read:
Chapter 5 in Essentials of Management by Andrew J. DuBrin,
Thomson South-Western, 2006. Found on Reserve.
Session 5:
Organizational Structure (February 3)
Read:
Chapter 9 in Essentials of Management by Andrew J. DuBrin,
Thomson South-Western, 2006. Found on Reserve.
Session 6:
Organizational Culture (February 5)
Session 7:
Leadership I (February 10)
Read:
Chapter 11 in Organizational Behavior by Rae Andre, Pearson,
Prentice Hall, 2008. Found on Reserve.
Session 8:
Leadership II (February 12)
Session 9:
Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
(February 17)
Read:
Chapters 1 and 2 in Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit
Organizations, by Theodore H. Poister, Jossey-Bass, 2003.
Due:
Reflection Paper
3
Public Administration
Session 10: Public Administration, Democracy, and Bureaucratic Power
(February 19)
Read:
Chapters 1 and 2 in textbook.
Session 11: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations (February 24)
Read:
Chapter 3
Session 12: The Challenges of Administrative Leadership (February 26)
Read:
Chapter 6
Session 13: Review Session (March 3)
Session 14: Midterm Examination (March 5)
Session 15: Public Personnel Administration (March 10)
Read:
Chapter 7
Session 16: Government Budgeting (March 12)
Read:
Chapter 8
Session 17: Performance Management (March 24)
Read:
Chapter 10
Session 18
Read:
Change Management (March 26)
“Change Management in Government” by Frank Ostroff in the
Harvard Business Review, May 2006.
Session 19: Case Study Discussion (March 31)
Read:
To be assigned
The Nonprofit Organization
Session 20: Strategic Planning in Nonprofits (April 2)
Read:
Chapter 1 in The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management by
Smith, Bucklin & Associates, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000. Found
on Reserve.
4
Due:
Case Study Assignment
Session 21: Board Effectiveness (April 7)
Read:
Chapter 2 in The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management by
Smith, Bucklin & Associates, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000. Found
on Reserve.
Session 22: Case Study Discussion (April 9)
Read:
To Be Assigned
Session 23: Service Delivery (April 14)
Read:
Pages 15-29 in Service Operations Management by J.A.
Fitzsimmons and R.S. Sullivan, McGraw-Hill, 1982. Found on
Reserve.
Session 24
Developing Human Resources (April 16)
Read:
Chapter 6 in High Performance Nonprofit Organizations by Christine
Letts, William Ryan, and Allen Grossman, John Wiley & Sons, Inc,
1999.
Session 25: Power and Influence (April 21)
Read:
Chapter 5 in Organizational Behavior Today by Leigh Thompson,
Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.
Session 26: Case Study Discussion (April 23)
Due:
Case Study Assignment
Session 27: Making Ethical Decisions (April 28)
Read:
Chapter 5 in Textbook
Session 28: The Organic Nonprofit and Teaming (April 30)
Read:
Chapter 9 in Organizational Behavior Today by Leigh Thompson,
Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.
Session 29: Review Session (May 5)
Session 30: Final Examination (May 7)
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