NURS 5301 Organizational Structure and Systems Leadership
FALL 2015 SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course introduces the theories of organizational
structure and how to identify effective structure within an organization, such as
institutions of higher education or clinical facilities. This course Identifies qualities of
effective leaders within an organizational structure.
CREDIT: 3 Credit hours
PROGRAM LEVEL: Graduate
Term begins Aug 17 and ends Oct 31. There are no holidays this semester
PREREQUISITES: None
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Borkowshi, N. (2011) Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Design in Health Care.
Jones and Barlett, MA. ISBN: 078-0-7637-6383-1
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.apastyle.org/ ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5
Optional recommended textbooks:
Schein, E. H. (2010) Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.) John Wiley &Sons
ISBN-10: 0470190604
Chism, M. (2015) No-Drama Leadership: How Enlightened Leaders Transform Culture
in the Workplace. ISBN 978-1-62956-062-5
Course Faculty: Carlo A. Piraino DNP, RN, CMSRN, NE-BC, FACHE
Office Phone: 608-343-3654
Email: carlo.piraino@wayland.wbu.edu or carlo_piraino@yahoo.com
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Office Hours: Individually scheduled for student needs. Generally between 1pm –
4pm Central time. Please contact me if/when needed.
Class Meeting Dates, Times, and Location: Online. Please note that the week starts
on Sunday and ends on Saturday. This allows for work to be completed on the
weekend and not be late, while giving you flexibility to work a little bit ahead. You may
submit work at any time during the semester.
Holiday breaks: There are no Holiday breaks during this semester
Clinical: There is no clinical time associated with this course
CLINICAL OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe the overview and history of organizational behavior.
2. Differentiate between: Content, Process and Attribution Theories associated with
Motivation.
3. Discuss the phenomena of Leadership and Leaders.
4. Identify Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Issues within Organizations.
5. Discuss Group and Team Dynamics as it relates to Team-Building.
o Develop a Team-Building Activity through a Service Learning /
Volunteerism opportunity.
Attendance:
The University expects students to actively participate in the online course. There are
no scheduled meetings. All information pertaining to the course is on the virtual campus
website. The Blackboard software effectively measures participation. Logging in is your
attendance record.
WBU online attendance policy
http://www.wbu.edu/academics/online_programs/help%20desk/attendance.html
Netiquette
Your behavior and demeanor shall be consistent with school and requirements.
Professional requirements include punctuality in turning in assignments and
professional and supportive communication between your peer groups and fellow
students. Students should submit assignments that are academic in nature. APA
format is expected in all submitted assignments. References are expected in all
postings and papers submitted.
Disability Statement:
“In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination
under any educational program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of
Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should
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be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291-3765. Documentation
of a disability must accompany any requests for accommodations.”
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria
A= 90-100
B= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
F= below 60
Grading Procedures:
Participation in online class discussions
Course assignments **
Use of Behavior theory paper
Use of Leadership theory
Implementation Plan paper
Concept Map on Change Management
End of chapter questions ***
20%
60% (break-out is below)
15%
15%
15%
15%
20% (5% for each one)
100%
** These course assignments will be dispersed throughout the course and will consist of
2-5 page papers. (See below for more information on each section)
*** End of Chapter Questions will be “discussions” that will listed on the discussion
board and will be in addition to regularly weekly discussion board postings. You will
choose which one to answer and respond to at least three other student’s
postings.
Course Outline:
Part 1: Weeks 1-2 INTRODUCTION
Part II: Week 3 UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS
Part III: Weeks 4-5 LEADERSHIP
Part IV: Week 6 INTRAPERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL ISSUES
Part V: Weeks 7-8 GROUPS AND TEAMS
Part VI Weeks 9-10 MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Student Work:
Class participation:
Graduate level learning requires a variety of communication and assessment skills.
Constant practice and feedback is a necessity. Weekly class participation is a
requirement. Each participant/student will ensure that they initiate at least one
discussion on the discussion board by the Wednesday of each week related to
assigned weekly topic. Each student will reply to at least 3 other discussions by
Sunday of that week. Discussions are an important part of learning and as such I
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expect a robust discussion on the various weekly topics. Please remember nurses from
different cultures, religions, levels of practice, and age may be in the course. Respect of
all is an expectation.
Individual Skills Assessment:
Communication is an important component of Nursing Education. The nurse must be
comfortable communicating with their community, patient families, as well as the infirmed.
While professional nursing is substantively more than successful communication,
competence in communication is essential to the nurse’s role.
Written assignments:
Students receiving academic credit are to use APA format for all postings and written
assignments. All assignments are due on assigned date.
Policy on Incomplete/Late Work:
Unless the student has suffered an emergency, students submitting late assignments will
have their grades reduced by 5% days 1-3, 10% days 4-7, and 20% days 8 or greater.
No assignments will be accepted after 10 days late and the assignment will be graded
as a ZERO. Incomplete work will be graded as such. If and when you realize you will
be late, please notify me.
Academic Integrity:
Each student in this course is expected to have Academic Integrity. Any work submitted
by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student’s own work. You are
encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in class
with other students. You may give “consulting” help to or receive “consulting” help from
such students. There may be opportunities for small group work. In these instances,
when the assignment is submitted, all members of the group are certifying they have all
contributed to the work and accept that the work will be graded accordingly. If a member
of the group believes another member is not contributing, they should address that with
the group and then if no improvement is seen, bring it to the instructor’s attention.
If copying occurs both the student who copied work and the student who gave the
material to be copied will both automatically receive a zero for the assignment. Penalty
for violation of this code can also be extended to include failure of the course and
disciplinary action. You must do your own work.
Copyright Policy:
Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced their
material. Using copyrighted material in the course of your projects may require
permission from the copyright holder. The student is responsible for adhering to copyright
law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code.)
The professor assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly use copyrighted
material.
Cheating and Plagiarism:
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Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the
purpose of improving one’s grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include
assisting another student to do so. Plagiarism consists of the misuse of the published
and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material so used as one’s own
work. Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from 0 for a particular assignment,
through an F for the course, and reporting to the school.
Course Schedule
The syllabus and schedule are subject to change. If you are absent from class, it is your
responsibility to check for announcements made while you were absent. The Discussion
and Announcement board will have any changes made by the instructor.
Week One
Part 1:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1-2
INTRODUCTION
Chapters 1 & 2
Discussion board entries:
1. Discuss reasons you are in Graduate School,
where you work (if you are working) and what you
do (Educator, staff RN, Manager, etc…)
Why you are back in Graduate School.
2. What is different about nursing school now (as a
Grad student) as compared to when you went to
nursing school? What do you think new RN
graduates today need to know, that you learned in
school, that maybe they are not learning today?
How do YOU think you contribute to your
organization’s behavior?
Week two
Part 1:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 3-4
INTRODUCTION
Chapters 3 & 4
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
discussion board
How is cross-cultural communication important to your
health services organizations? How is it visible? What
does your organization to promote cross-cultural
communication?
Choose end of chapter question from those offered on
the discussion board and respond to 3 others
a. Discuss the difference between organizational
behavior, organization theory, organizational
development, and human resources management.
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b. You have been asked to join the hospital’s task
force for developing a plan to
increase the organization’s workforce
diversity from its current 10 percent
level to 30 percent over the next 5 years.
What recommendations would you
make as a member of the task force?
Reading Assignment: Chapters 5-7
Week three
Part II:
UNDERSTANDIN
Chapters 5,6 & G INDIVIDUAL
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
7
BEHAVIORS
discussion board
a. Discuss the types of reinforcements available to
managers for changing an employee’s behavior.
b. How can different types of attributions and
attribution styles encourage high or low levels of
learned helplessness, aggression, and
empowerment?
Assignment due: Use of Behavior theory paper 15%
Week four
Part III:
LEADERSHIP
Chapters 8 & 9
Reading Assignment: Chapters 8-9
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
discussion board
Describe an effective manager and how that differs
from an effective leader. Consider the differences and
similarities. How did the review of these concepts in the
chapter influence your word choices? Are you
comfortable distinguishing the roles? To what degree, if
at all, do you believe a manager should also be a leader,
or a leader also be a manager?
Choose one end of chapter question from those offered
on the discussion board and respond to 3 others
a. Describe organizational politics and the resulting
political behaviors.
b. Is leadership synonymous with management, or is
leading just one of the many things that a manager
does? In what ways are they the same or different?
Week five
Part III:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 10-11
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LEADERSHIP
Chapters 10 &
11
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
discussion board
Apply the contingency theories discussed in this chapter
as they relate to your work environment. Assess the
appropriate style of leadership and the implications for
motivation, satisfaction, and productivity that you see.
Discuss the type of leadership style—transactional,
transformational, visionary, and servant—that occurs in
your specific professional environment. List the positive
and negative outcomes that exist as a result of the
leadership approach used.
Assignment due: Use of Leadership theory 15%
Week six
Chapters 12,
13 & 14
Part IV:
Reading Assignment: Chapters 12-14
INTRAPERSONA
L AND
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
INTERPERSONA discussion board
L ISSUES
The partners in a medical group practice are informed by
the clinic manager that one physician
member of the group has been repeatedly upcoding
procedures for a specific diagnosis. This issue
first came to light six months ago. At that time the
partners met with him, clarified the Medicare
guidelines, and outlined the threat to the practice for
noncompliance. He argued with their view,
but ultimately agreed to code appropriately. There were
no infractions for several months, but
now he has submitted several erroneous codes. One
member of the office staff has asked whether
Medicare would consider this behavior “fraudulent.” How
should the partners handle the situation with the other
physician partner?
Choose one end of chapter question from those offered
on the discussion board and respond to 3 others
a. Discuss why personalities, ethnicity, and gender
may affect an individual’s level of stress.
b. Discuss and provide examples of the various
coping strategies available to organizations and
individuals.
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Week seven
Part V: GROUPS Reading Assignment: Chapters 15-16
AND TEAMS
Chapters 15 &
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
16
discussion board
Discuss the group norms that exist in your
workplace and why they are sustained.
Analyze the last poor decision made by a group of
which you were a member. What do you think contributed to the group’s
poor decision? Did the group
think of alternative possibilities? Did the group
move too quickly through any
of the development stages? If yes, did this cause
lack of cooperation or poor
communication?
Assignment due: Implementation Plan paper 15%
Week eight
Chapters 17
Part V: GROUPS Reading Assignment: Chapter 17
AND TEAMS
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
discussion board
List and describe the types of teams most commonly
used in your organization. Why?
Choose one end of chapter question from those offered
on the discussion board and respond to 3 others
a. Discuss the positive and negative issues of using a
virtual team versus a conventional-type team.
b. Discuss the various organizational barriers to team
effectiveness.
Week nine
Part VI:
Reading Assignment: Chapter 18
MANAGING
Chapters 18 & ORGANIZATIONA Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
19
L CHANGE
discussion board
a. How would you describe the role of the OD
professional? What skills are necessary for an OD
practitioner?
b. Identify and explain the various barriers to change
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in your organization.
Assignment Concept Map on Change Management 15%
Week ten
Part VI:
Reading Assignment: Chapter 19
MANAGING
Chapters 18 & ORGANIZATIONA Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
19
L CHANGE
discussion board
Think of a current or recent project you have worked on
and then complete Exercise 19–1 Individual Readiness
Assessment (page 385) and discuss your results
Post your concept map and discuss why you developed
Review at least 3 concept maps and provide constructive
criticism.
Week eleven
Wrap up and
review
No reading
assignments
Discussion board Posting and 3 Responses per
discussion board
1. What were the “take-aways” for you from this
course?
Course assignments
a. Use of Behavior theory paper (15%): This is an APA formatted paper that you
write. The paper should reflect the use of one or more of the theories listed in
chapters 5-7 in your text to explain how you would motivate a group of 6
Registered Nurses to develop an evidenced based protocol that is needed on your
unit. Include Pros and Cons of any theory. Please ensure you use references
besides the text.
b. Use of Leadership Theory paper (15%) This is an APA formatted paper that
you will write. The paper should reflect the use of one or more of the theories
listed in chapters 8-11 in your text to explain how you would change the culture
on your unit related to “bullying” on your unit by Registered Nurses. Include
Pros and Cons of any theory. Please ensure you use references besides the
text.
c. Implementation Plan paper (15%). This is an APA formatted paper that you will
write. Staff satisfaction is very low and turn-over is above 25% annually on your
unit. In addition, quality scores related to several clinical indicators are in the
bottom 25% compared to like units. Develop an implementation plan for
improving the moral and teamwork of the interdisciplinary team on your unit that
will also impact the clinical quality scores
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d. Concept Map on Change Management theory (15%) This is a single page nonAPA format. It is designed to represent content and allows you to present the
material in a single page format. The concept map should be about the use and
implementation of Change Management Theory in making useful change in your
organization. There are software programs out there that may be used for this
process. Unless you will be an educator and know you will be developing multiple
concept maps, I don’t think you need to buy one. If you work for a large institution,
check your education department, they may have access to one. If you are
unfamiliar with concept maps, I encourage you to do some research on them as
they are very useful in Education and Leadership.
I can be reached by email: carlo_piraino@yahoo.com
Telephone/text: 361-537-2953
Please email or text me if you want to schedule time during the evening to discuss any
component of the course. Do not wait until the night before and expect to be excused
from submitting your assignment on-time.
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