5 credits
There are many ways of seeing an organization and one's place in it. The assumptions students make about people, purpose, and profit will influence the way they manage. It is important to develop the skill required to read various situations and to understand what is between the lines to act with insight. Developing and utilizing various divergent perspectives on organizational dynamics enables a manager to devise appropriate actions by critically thinking about the way things can be (based on the way things are). In this way, leaders free themselves from conventions and can consider the knowledge management strategies, structures, and policies to succeed. Students will explore several metaphors of organizations from mechanistic to organic to network, among others. The students will look at organizations through several all-encompassing frames to understand how a leader can leverage these new perspectives to better manage processes, the implications of social change, and innovative strategies. Students will also continue building the skills required to succeed in the program and leverage those skills as they begin working on their dissertation topics. Students are asked to reflect each week on their learnings and how those learnings are shaping their specialization perspective. Students will deepen their understanding of APA, scholarly writing, and the importance of integrity in writing; they will also hone their analysis and evaluation skills.