BARUCH COLLEGE
MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Fall 2002
PAF 9120 W6, Code 1955
MANAGINGORGANIZATIONS
IN THE PUBLICAND NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTORS
Class: Wednesday, 6:00-8:30: Classroom:
NANCY ARIES
Office Phone: 212-802-5966
Email: Nancy_Aries@Baruch.CUNY.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
CARROLL SERON
Office Phone: 212-802-5971
Email: Carroll_Seron@Baruch.CUNY.edu
Office Hours: by appointment.
INSTRUCTORS’ OVERVIEW:
This course examines the fundamental concepts and techniques for managing
government and nonprofit agencies. An effective manager must understand several
aspects of organizational life including the structure of organizations, the use of human
resources, the role of politics in decision making, and the organization's culture. In
addition, the class examines the interaction between organizations and the external
environment.
Students will develop a self-critical perspective on the managerial process. We
will explore ways to reflect on the values, biases, and “personal baggage” that we bring
to the task of work. We will give special consideration to the challenges of managing
organizations that reflect the rich diversity of American society. We begin this task with
the assumption that there are no clear “rules” or guidelines for being a “good” manager.
Rather the task is to develop reflective and critical skills for thinking about creative
solutions to organizational dilemmas.
At the end of the semester students will be able to 1) identify and describe key
issues impacting organizations; 2) formulate and evaluate alternative solutions to such
problems; and 3) learn verbally and in writing to present analyses of managerial problems
and their solutions.
TEXTS:
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991.
Roger Fisher and William Ury. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving
In. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton. The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies
Turn Knowledge into Action. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999.
Cases from the Kennedy School at Harvard School.
Readings available on E-Reserve or Black Board.
1
EVALUATION:
Student performance will be evaluated based on the following requirements.
1. Active participation in class; to accomplish this requirement, all readings must be
completed prior to each meeting. (10%)
2. Over the course of the semester, you will be required to write three (3) short (1-2
pages) response papers. Each paper will be turned in one week after the assignment is
given. Grades will be lowered if papers are late. (30%). Response Papers will be
due: Week 4, Week 8 and Week 11.
3. Library assignment. Due on day of last class (25%). Due: Topic, Week 3;
Bibliography, Week 5, Major themes in the literature, Week 9. Late papers will be
downgraded.
4. Take-home final examination. (35%)
A NOTE ON ACADEMIC HONESTY
Students are encouraged to discuss the readings and to share insights in preparing
assignments. Each assignment must, however, be written and completed by each
individual on his or her own.
Plagiarism and related forms of unreferenced “borrowing” of written material will not be
tolerated. If a student engages in such behaviors, he or she will receive a failing grade
(F) in the course.
If you have any questions concerning issues of plagiarism, you are strongly encouraged
to review the brochure entitled Academic Dishonesty that you received at orientation.
Also, you are urged to review the website for Dartmouth College where there is a
comprehensive discussion of issues related to citation, sources, and plagiarism. The
website is http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/.
GRADING POLICY
The grading standards are: A Couldn’t be better; A- Excellent with minor flaws; B+ Very
Good; B Good; B- Good with minor flaws; C+, C, C- Fair, but below what is expected in
a graduate course.
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COURSE OUTLINE and READING ASSIGNMENTS
Class 1
Introduction: New ways of seeing familiar organizations. This class will consider
what are organizations and what function managers serve within organizations. Students
will also be oriented to case method teaching and the use of Black Board.
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Chapters 1 and 2.
Harvard Business School, Test Your Management IQ.
www.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hp_survey/index.html
Jose Gomez-Ibaflex and Joseph Kalt. "Learning by Case Method" Kennedy
School of Government. N15-86-1136.0
Class 2
Organization structure and its impact on management: We will begin by considering the
basic elements of an organization and the determinants of various organizational designs.
We will consider how formalization and centralization enable organizations to achieve
their goals.
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
Mintzberg, H. “Organization Design: Fashion or Fit?” Harvard Business Review.
(January 1, 1981).
Malcolm Gladwell. “The Talent Myth: Are smart people overrated?” The New
Yorker, (July 22, 2002)28-32.
Class 3
This class will continue to examine the rational organization and the determinants of
organizational structure. In addition, we will consider more adaptive organizational
structures.
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
Starting from Scratch: Alice Rivlin and the Congressional Budget Office (Part A),
Kennedy School of Government, C16-88-872.0.
Topic for Library Assignment Due
Class 4
3
This class will consider more explicitly the function of mission and governance in the
non-profit sector. The fundamental question being asked is whether ownership matters.
Readings:
Sharon Oster. Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1995, chapter 2, “The Mission of the Nonprofit
Organization 17-28.
Sharon Oster. Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1995, Chapter 6, “The Nonprofit Board of Directors”,
pp. 65-86.
Medicine and the Profit Motive: The Proposed Sale of McLean Hospital.
Kennedy School of Government. C16-93-1176.0
First Response Paper Due
Class 5 – October 4
This class will consider the case of technology and how it impacts organizational
structure.
Reading
S. Cohen and D. Mankin. “The Changing Nature of Work: Managing the Impact
of Information Technology” in S. Mohrman, J. Galbraith and E. Lawler, Eds.
Tomorrow’s Organization: Crafting Winning Capabilities in a Dynamic World.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.
Bibliography for Library Assignment Due
Class 6
Beyond Rationality: the Human Relations Frame. This frame was developed in response
to the bureaucratic model. It recognizes that managing human relations is as important as
performing tasks within the organization. This class will begin to examine how managers
can get the most out of the people on their staff. The focus of the discussion will be
participation and team work.
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Chapters 6, 7, and 8.
Job Enrichment in the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. Kennedy School of
Government C16-80-350.0.
Prepare exercise for discussion in class:
“NASA Moon survival Task”. Prepare the first part of the “NASA Moon Survival
task” prior to class.
4
Class 7
This class will look at the issues of leadership and participation with the organization.
Readings:
Abraham Zaleznik. “Managers and Leaders: Are they Different?” Harvard
Business Review (March/April 1997) (originally appeared May/June 1977) 126135.
Jim Collins. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others
Don’t. New York: Harper Business, 2001, Chapter 2, “Level 5 Leadership” pp.
17-40, and Chapter 5, “the Hedgehog Concept” pp.90-119.
Taking Charge: Rose Washington and the Spofford Juuvenile Detention Center.
Kennedy School of Government, C15-89-875.0.
Class 8
There is an assumption that good communications and good interpersonal relations will
resolve interpersonal and organizational problems. This is not always the case as some
problems are rooted in differences that are not amenable to resolution.
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Chapters 9, 10, and 11.
Computer-Aided Police Dispatching in Houston, Texas.” Kennedy School of
Government, C16-90-985.0.
Second Response Paper Due
Class 9
This class will examine the function of negotiation in a politicized environment.
Managers must understand interests, generate options, make tradeoffs, and use standards
to judge options.
Readings:
Roger Fisher and William Ury. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without
Giving In. New York: Penguin Books. 3-94.
Computer-Aided Police Dispatching in Houston, Texas.” Kennedy School of
Government, C16-90-985.0. (Continued)
Major Themes in the Literature Due
Class 10
The current environment is forcing organizations into networks, alliances, and mergers.
The first half of class will consider why organizations cannot sit still and the significance
of adaptation on the internal structure of the organizations.
5
Readings:
Jay Galbraith. “Designing the Networked Organization: Leveraging Size and
Competencies” in S. Mohrman, J. Galbraith and E. Lawler, Eds. Tomorrow’s
Organization: Crafting Winning Capabilities in a Dynamic World. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (A). Harvard Business School 9-598001.
Prepare exercises for discussion in class.
“Judging the Degree of Fit between Organization and Environment” in Gareth
Morgan. Creative Organization Theory: A Resource Book. Beverley Hills: A
Sage Publications, Inc. 1989, 274-275.
Class 11
Cultures and rituals are one of the determinants of organizational life. This last frame is
important to understanding the mission, vision and values of the organization
Readings:
Bolman and Deal. Modern Approaches to Organizations. Chapters 12, 13, and 14.
Prepare exercises for discussion in class.
McLean, Adrian. “Viewing Your Organization as if You were a Visitor from a
Foreign Land” in Gareth Morgan. Creative Organization Theory: A Resource
Book. Beverley Hills: A Sage Publications, Inc. 1989, 32-33.
“Understanding the Culture of Your Organization” in Gareth Morgan. Creative
Organization Theory: A Resource Book. Beverley Hills: A Sage Publications, Inc.
1989, 297-298.
Third Response Paper Due
Class 12
Using cultural symbols to make a difference: Seeing, working with, developing the
cultural frame is often more difficult than it appears at first sight.
Readings:
Hall, Edward T. “Culture: A Complex and Subtle Language” in G. Morgan (ed.),
Creative Organizational Theory. London: Sage Publications, pp. 150-156.
Wilkins, Alan. “Corporate Culture: The Role of Stories” in G. Morgan (ed.),
Creative Organizational Theory. London: Sage Publications, pp. 159-162.
Environmental Protection Agency: Ruckelshaus Returns. Kennedy School of
Government, Case Program. C16-85-638.
6
Class 13
Workforce diversity exemplifies the need to manage conflict within the organization.
Readings:
R. Roosevelt Thomas, “From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity” in
J.Gabarro, Ed. Managing People and Organizations. Cambridge: Harvard
Business School, 1992, 499-515.
David Thomas and John Gabarro. Breaking Through: The Making of Minority
Executives in Corporate America. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999,
Chapter 1, Minority Success in the Corporate Mainstream and Chapter 3, The
Career Tournament and Its Rules”.
Jackall, Robert. Moral Mazes: the World of Corporate Managers. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1988. Chapter 2. “The Social Structure of Managerial
Work”; and Chapter 3, “The Main Chance”.
New England Aquarium and Diversity. Kennedy School of Government C116-961340.
Class 14
The practice and theory of organizational management
Readings:
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton. The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart
Companies Turn Knowledge into Action. Boston: Harvard Business School Press,
1999.
Recommended:
Bolman and Deal. Modern Approaches to Organizations. Chapters 15-21.
Library Assignment Due
7
Cases From Xanedu/To be Ordered
Jose Gomez-Ibaflex and Joseph Kalt. "Learning by Case Method" Kennedy School of
Government. N15-86-1136.0
Starting from Scratch: Alice Rivlin and the Congressional Budget Office (Part A),
Kennedy School of Government, C16-88-872.0.
Medicine and the Profit Motive: The Proposed Sale of McLean Hospital. Kennedy
School of Government. C16-93-1176.0
Job Enrichment in the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. Kennedy School of
Government C16-80-350.0.
Taking Charge: Rose Washington and the Spofford Juuvenile Detention Center.
Kennedy School of Government, C15-89-875.0.
Computer-Aided Police Dispatching in Houston, Texas.” Kennedy School of
Government, C16-90-985.0.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (A). Harvard Business School 9-598-001.
I do not know whether Xanedu can arrange to make cases from the Harvard Business
School available on their site.
Environmental Protection Agency: Ruckelshaus Returns. Kennedy School of
Government, Case Program. C16-85-638.
New England Aquarium and Diversity. Kennedy School of Government C116-96-1340.
8
Readings Available on E Reserves
Class 2
Mintzberg, H. “Organization Design: Fashion or Fit?” Harvard Business Review.
(January 1, 1981).
Malcolm Gladwell. “The Talent Myth: Are smart people overrated?” The New Yorker,
(July 22, 2002)28-32.
Class 4
Sharon Oster. Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1995, chapter 2, “The Mission of the Nonprofit Organization 17-28.
Sharon Oster. Strategic Management for Nonprofit Organizations. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1995, Chapter 6, “The Nonprofit Board of Directors”, pp. 65-86.
Class 5
S. Cohen and D. Mankin. “The Changing Nature of Work: Managing the Impact of
Information Technology” in S. Mohrman, J. Galbraith and E. Lawler, Eds. Tomorrow’s
Organization: Crafting Winning Capabilities in a Dynamic World. San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers, 1998.
Class 6
“NASA Moon survival Task”.
Class 7
Abraham Zaleznik. “Managers and Leaders: Are they Different?” Harvard Business
Review (March/April 1997) (originally appeared May/June 1977) 126-135.
Jim Collins. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t.
New York: Harper Business, 2001, Chapter 2, “Level 5 Leadership” pp. 17-40, and
Chapter 5, “the Hedgehog Concept”, pp.90-119.
Class 10
Jay Galbraith. “Designing the Networked Organization: Leveraging Size and
Competencies” in S. Mohrman, J. Galbraith and E. Lawler, Eds. Tomorrow’s
Organization: Crafting Winning Capabilities in a Dynamic World. San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers, 1998.
“Judging the Degree of Fit between Organization and Environment” in Gareth Morgan.
Creative Organization Theory: A Resource Book. Beverley Hills: A Sage Publications,
Inc. 1989, 274-275.
Class 11
9
McLean, Adrian. “Viewing Your Organization as if You were a Visitor from a Foreign
Land” in Gareth Morgan. Creative Organization Theory: A Resource Book. Beverley
Hills: A Sage Publications, Inc. 1989, 32-33.
“Understanding the Culture of Your Organization” in Gareth Morgan. Creative
Organization Theory: A Resource Book. Beverley Hills: A Sage Publications, Inc. 1989,
297-298.
Class 12
Hall, Edward T. “Culture: A Complex and Subtle Language” in G. Morgan (ed.),
Creative Organizational Theory. London: Sage Publications, pp. 150-156.
Wilkins, Alan. “Corporate Culture: The Role of Stories” in G. Morgan (ed.), Creative
Organizational Theory. London: Sage Publications, pp. 159-162.
Class 13
R. Roosevelt Thomas, “From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity” in J.Gabarro,
Ed. Managing People and Organizations. Cambridge: Harvard Business School, 1992,
499-515.
David Thomas and John Gabarro. Breaking Through: The Making of Minority
Executives in Corporate America. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1999, Chapter
1, Minority Success in the Corporate Mainstream.
Jackall, Robert. Moral Mazes: the World of Corporate Managers. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1988. Chapter 2. “The Social Structure of Managerial Work”; and
Chapter 3, “The Main Chance”.
10