Organizational Leadership

A study of the basic elements of Micro-Economics focusing upon the social welfare aspects of when government, for profit and not for profit organizations work well and when they do not. The essential elements of micro-economic principles as applied to organizational structures will be examined. The impact of the Macro-Economy upon specific organizational types will also be examined. A comprehensive study of the methods, techniques, and analysis of financing for decision making, planning and control; cost determination and evaluation; cost-benefit assessment, budgeting and quantitative techniques.

This course introduces students to social responsibility by examining how organizations and individuals can positively impact diverse stakeholders. Social responsibility means that individuals and organizations have an ethical obligation to act in the best interests of their environment and society as a whole. The crux of this theory is to create and enact values, policies and behaviors that promote a balance between the dual ethical mandates of striving for individual fulfillment and benefiting society as a whole. The course will explore social responsibility by theoretically and practically engaging topics such as the environment, poverty, homelessness, hunger, educational deficiencies, meeting the needs of minorities, health care, unemployment, or other socially relevant issues, especially within the local community.

This course explores topics in organizational behavior and organizational development. The areas of focus will include social psychology, organizational change, organizational architecture, organizational diversity and organizational leadership in the constantly changing contemporary society.

An examination of the law and ethics underlying and governing the structure and operation of for-profit and non-for-profit corporations in the United States and internationally. The course includes the legal evolution of the corporation as an economic and moral “person”; the structure and its role in governance; the role of the board as fiduciary and performance monitor; legal and ethical responsibilities of managers; government regulation of the structure and public accountability. This course provides an overview of the role of the successful, integrative leader in the modern business organization. Through discussions, cases, and exercises, participants will examine historical and contemporary approaches to leadership, including corporate practices to develop.

This course will focus on the use of project planning, tracking and execution tools. Included will be topics and tools such as project management software, SWOT Analysis, and Business Process Mapping (for example: ISO9000 certification, Kaizen, Six Sigma and other process improvement programs).

Business Ethics and Diversity utilizes mindfulness practices and focuses on the ethical dimension of business leadership with particular attention given to diversity. The main concern of the course is the creation of more humane organizational cultures. Students will be given the means to develop the mindful, conceptual, emotional, personal, and organizational skills needed to be an ethical leader.

This course covers the most common alternative dispute resolution techniques in use today with a primary focus on non-litigation processes of dispute resolution and their relationship to traditional litigation. The course involves the study of negotiation, mediation, arbitration as well as court-related settlement options. Topics covered include the study of each technique, advantages and disadvantages of each technique, and why they are preferable to litigation. In order to help opposing parties resolve conflicts in the quickest and most effective way possible, practitioners must be prepared to deal with several differing perspectives, personalities, and negotiation styles.

This course explores topics in conflict management, and includes a focus on interpersonal conflict, interpersonal and psychological perspectives on conflict, conflict resolution, group dynamics and the importance of reducing the frequency of workplace conflicts as a practical matter to improve organizational efficiency and promote positive outcomes.

This course takes the Theory of Conflict Management and applies it to real-world situations. Students will use case studies, books and academic articles to consider how the theory of conflict management can be used to analyze conflicts in a variety of situations, including business organizations (both for-profit and non-profit), the public sector, and global scenarios. The objective is to discover similarities of conflict resolution that transcend the individual circumstances and have a more universal application.

In this course students will be directly exposed to local social justice issues by working with a social justice organization both at the organizational/administrative level and by engaging the people whom the social justice organization serves. This course is designed so that students both contribute to and learn from a local social justice organization. The course is offered with from 1 to 6 variable, repeatable credits.