Academic Catalog

2024-2025 Edition

ORGS • Organizational Studies

ORGS 500 · Leadership Theory and Practice   3 Credits

Fundamental research in leadership theory and practice, the process of leadership, and concepts in followership. Students apply leadership theory to real world scenarios, analyze their personal leadership style, and begin to develop essential skills for leadership effectiveness. Topics include strategic leadership, systems thinking, team building, and change management.

ORGS 510 · Leadership and Management in Public Administration   3 Credits

Exploration of leadership and management in public administration at the cognitive, experiential, and implementation level. Students integrate and apply theoretical concepts, improve collaborative management skills, and explore their individual philosophies of leadership within real world scenarios.

ORGS 520 · Diversity and Cultural Dynamics   3 Credits

Development of skills for leading in a diverse global setting. Students evaluate the relationship between the role of leadership, the establishment of a diverse inclusive organizational culture, and organizational performance. Theories and strategies for promoting diversity and fostering inclusivity are explored in order to assist students in understanding the social context and psychological processes that may result in implicit bias, discrimination, and marginalization.

ORGS 530 · Evidence-Based Decision Making   3 Credits

Application of skills for critical appraisal and decision making in a complex world. Utilizing the evidence-based practice approach, students acquire knowledge and skills to evaluate evidence from multiple sources including scientific literature, an organization’s Knowledge Management (KM) system, internal and external environmental factors, professional experience and practitioner judgment, and stakeholder values and concerns.

ORGS 540 · Conflict Resolution and Labor Negotiations   3 Credits

A comprehensive examination of conflict resolution with an emphasis on public sector labor negotiations. Students evaluate and critically analyze theoretical, collaborative, and practical approaches associated with conflict resolution, negotiation, and consensus building in the workplace in order to develop necessary skills to identify and resolve interpersonal, intragroup, and inter-group conflicts.

ORGS 550 · Leading with Moral Excellence   3 Credits

Examination of ethical principles from a Christian perspective. This course raises the student’s moral recognition of ethical issues within an organizational setting, including the role leadership plays in creating and sustaining an ethical culture in the workplace. Students utilize case studies, personal experiences, and current events to examine the implications of decisions made by organizational leaders in response to an ethical dilemma.

ORGS 570 · Leading Organizational Change   3 Credits

Evaluation and assessment of models to initiate change, address resistance, and reach consensus for improved organizational performance. Students examine change management strategies through contemporary models and approaches in order to anticipate and manage change effectively.

ORGS 580 · Strategic Thinking   3 Credits

Examination of real-world scenarios and application of techniques for cultivating strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Students learn approaches and techniques for directing and leveraging organizational resources for improved organizational performance in a dynamic, competitive environment.

ORGS 590 · Entrepreneurial Leadership   3 Credits

Application of principles and elements of entrepreneurship and innovation to organizational processes, policies, and systems. Students learn how entrepreneurial leaders can foster creativity and innovation within organizations through the creation of new ideas supported by data that both align with and support the broader organizational vision.

ORGS 610 · Organizational Behavior and Development   3 Credits

Critical analysis of behavioral processes in organizations at the individual and group levels of analysis. Students utilize a case study approach and practical application of behavioral mechanisms relating to the understanding, analysis, and prediction of individual, group, and organizational behavior. Students examine the impact of an organization’s design and structure on organizational culture through an organizational development lens.

ORGS 680 · Advanced Topics in Strategic Leadership   3 Credits

Exploration of advanced topics in strategic leadership concepts using a cross-disciplinary case study approach. Students develop and enhance their strategic decision-making skills by proposing solutions to complex scenarios in for-profit and non-profit sectors with the goal of assisting organizations in gaining and sustaining their competitive advantages in the marketplace.

ORGS 690 · Organizational Leadership Capstone   3 Credits

Application of strategic leadership skills. Students conduct research, demonstrate ethical decision making, communicate professionally, and learn to foster leadership qualities in others through coaching and development exercises. Students design an organization-based program aimed at contributing to the common good of the organization and of the local or global community.

Prerequisites: ORGS 500, ORGS 520, ORGS 530, ORGS 550, ORGS 570, ORGS 580, ORGS 590, ORGS 610, and ORGS 680.