PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY

THE GEORGE L. GRAZIADIO

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Kent Rhodes, Ed.D.

MSOD 622
Upsilon Prime

Intensive 3
Organization Culture and Consulting Skills

April 26 May 4, 2016

Washington DC, USA

SYLLABUS
 Organization Culture and Consulting Skills
MSOD 622
Dr. Kent Rhodes
18111 Von Karman Ave.
Irvine, CA 92612
949-223-2554 office
949-223-2575 fax
e-mail: kent.rhodes@pepperdine.edu

Introduction

Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless,
impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the
world, and with each other. ~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

The more I give of myself to the experience of living with what is different without fear
and without prejudice, the more I come to know the self I am shaping and that is being
shaped as I travel the road of life. ~ Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom

Course Description

This course in the MSOD program is designed to equip students to understand organization
theory and design while applying impacts of culture on decision-making and long-term
organization effectiveness. It also emphasizes the application of consulting skills to organization
development. Some of the issues to be covered include adapting organization development
strategies to the culture in which one is working, and the interrelationship among individual,
organizational and cultural values. We will explore, adapt, and apply concepts from organization
theory and culture.

Course Objectives and Student Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Demonstrate a working knowledge of assessment models, consulting skills and the
consulting process by assessing a challenging issue in a local business or service
organization.
Familiar with the elements and relevance of organization theory and design.
Describe, explain, and provide examples of the primary components and relationships in
organization theory that drive organization effectiveness.
Have a more sophisticated understanding of the influence of culture on the organization.
Develop a practical understanding of diagnosing and intervening in systems at the level
of organization culture.
Conduct a qualitative analysis and provide clear results to a client.
Analyze and evaluate an intervention against intended outcomes.
Practice their ability to give and receive feedback to other people and to organizational
representatives.
Required Reading
Daft, R. Organization Theory and Design, (12th edition) Chapter 3 - Fundamentals of
Organization Structure & Chapter 4 -The external environment.
Morgan, Images of Organization Chapter 3 - Nature Intervenes: Organizations as
Organisms and Chapter 5 - Creating Social Reality: Organizations as Culture
Block, P. (2011) Flawless Consulting. Pfeiffer Publishing, San Francisco
Cameron, K. & Quinn, R. (2011) Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture.
Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Cummings, T. & Worley, C. (2014) Organization Development and Change. South-
Western College Publishing (Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 only)
Schein, E. (2009) Culture Survival Guide, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
Schein, E. (1998) Process Consultation Revisited: Building the Helping Relationship.
Addison-Wesley Publishing, Boston, MA.

Various articles/videos posted in the Resources folder in Sakai including:

Schein, E. (2006). So how can you assess your corporate culture? in Organization
Development: A Jossey-Bass Reader, Joan Gallos, ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
pp. 614-633. (in Sakai)
Schein, E. (2006). Facilitative Process Interventions: Task Processes in Groups. in
Organization Development: A Jossey-Bass Reader, Joan Gallos, ed. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass. pp. 286-308. (in Sakai)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xwew28okfb4ga6p/Intervention.Petrella.Part1.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/277pmh37k2ixr9l/Intervention.Petrella.Part2.mp4?dl=0

Recommended Reading:
1. Hanna, D. (1988). Designing Organizations for High Performance. Addison-Wesley.
2. Harrison, R. (1995). Consultants Journey: A Dance of Work and Spirit. Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco
3. Schein, E. (2013). Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking instead of Telling. San
Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
4. Schein, E. ( 2009). Helping: How to Offer, Receive and Give Help. San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler.
5. Schein, E. (1988). Process Consultation Volume I: Its Role in Organization Development
(2nd edition). Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA
6. Schein, E. (1987). Process Consultation Volume II: Lessons for Managers and
Consultants. Addison-Wesley: Reading, MA

Writing Assignments

I. Individual Paper Organization and Culture

a. Complete an individual paper. The first part of the paper should be a description of an
organization (group, business unit, small enterprise) with which you are familiar,
using an open systems perspective. The second part of the paper should be a
description of the culture of the organization, using concepts from Schein and
Morgan. There should be some organizing issue or problem with organizational
effectiveness around which you focus so please note that in the introduction. (6 pages
max; APA format; double-spaced; one-inch margins; 12 pt. font Please note: the
 page limits will be strictly enforced. In other words, to provide you with rapid
feedback, I will stop reading after six pages. What I expect in the paper is the result of
your analysis, the really important stuff. Not everything is important, critical, or
urgent. OD practitioners are often criticized for being long-winded. Its important to
make choices.) NOTE: the title of your file should include your last name and the
course number (Jones-MSOD 622)
Due March 31

II. Organization Culture Assessment Indicator (OCAI)

a) Individually, Complete the OCAI questionnaire on Upsilon Prime (found in Cameron and
Quinn text)
Due April 3
b) Assemble all member responses from your Learning Group on the OCAI Answer Sheet
found under Resources in Sakai.
c) Post your LGs OCAI answer sheet with your individual scores in raw data (not
averaged) in your LG folder in Forums on Sakai (only one sheet per LG)
d) Post your LGs OCAI Culture Report on Sakai Forums for MSOD 622.
Due April 10

III. Consulting Skills

Complete a 5 page two-part executive summary on consulting skills frameworks: the first part
deals with consulting models and the second part deals with your own consulting skills
assessment. The first part of the paper should address your critical assessment of the consulting
frameworks presented by Schein and Block (Harrison for extra reflection), and specifically on
approaches to assessing an organization. You may add your own personal experiences to
highlight your points. What would you see as critical entry and contracting issues? Where might
you see resistance and how would you deal with it? The second part of the paper is a personal
reflection on your consulting and should address such questions as: How does your own personal
point of view align with the consulting models? How might you develop new personal strengths
this week to help you be a skilled consultant?
Due April 26 at the beginning of the session

IV. Post Course Reflection Paper

Complete a two-part reflection paper that will be included in your e-portfolio. Part A is a
reflection on consulting and therefore gives a) the context of your consulting/assessment field
assignment, b) your evaluation of the experience, c) the skills, attitudes and behaviors which you
demonstrated, d) how what you experienced and practiced related to theory and to your personal
development, and e) what is your point of view on doing assessments relative to the concepts of
organization development and consulting. Part B is a reflection on what you observed and
learned about your groups dynamics and yourself in the context of your field experience in
Washington. The whole reflection paper should be no more than 6 double-spaced pages.
Due May 26, 2017
Research Methods
Topic: Research Design
Topic Readings, Videos
Research Maxwell Chapter 4 - Research
Question Questions: What Do You Want To
Understand? (Focus on pages 73-
78, Bottom of page 83-86)
Creswell Chapter 7 Research
Questions and Hypotheses (Focus
on pages 139-142)
Research Maxwell Chapter 5 - Methods: What
Design Will You Actually Do? (Pages: 87-104)
Maxwell Chapter 6 Validity (Pages
121-129, 136-138)
C&W Chapter 6: Collecting, Analyzing
and Feeding Back Diagnostic
Information
Creswell Chapter 9 Qualitative
Methods (Focus on pages 183-194)
If you are collecting quantitative data
and doing a mixed methods study:
Creswell Chapter 8 Quantitative
Methods (Focus on pages 155-177)
Creswell Chapter 10: Mixed Methods
Procedures
Thesis Maxwell: Chapter 7 Research
Proposal Proposals (Pages 139-150)
IRB Visit Pepperdines IRB Site and review
needed tasks for an exempt review
http://community.pepperdine.edu/ir
b/graduate/
Skim 2-3 example IRB submittals on
the MSOD 630 Sakai site
Virtual Webinars Deliverables and Dates
March 2nd, 2017 Develop a clear research
12:00 pm PDT question and add to your draft
Writing your proposal
Research Question
Submit Thesis Proposal Chapter
2: Literature Review to your
advisor Due: March 31st, 2017
April 12th, 2017 Submit Thesis Proposal Chapter
12:00 PM PDT 3 to your thesis advisor
Introduction to Due: June 1st, 2017
Design and Action
Research
Methodologies and
Qualitative
Interviewing
Prepare a three to four minute oral
persuasive summary of your
proposal. Record a video or voice
thread of your proposal and post in
Sakai for review. View 2 other
proposals and provide comments in
Forum in Sakai
Due: June 1st, 2017
Send Thesis Proposal in APA
format to your advisor.
DUE: July 30th, 2017
DATE: TBD NOTE: Not all research will
Pepperdine IRB require an IRB. Please work with
Process your advisor to determine if your
design will need IRB approval.
If required, submit and receive
approval from the Institutional
Review Board
Grading

The grade for this course is Pass/No Pass. A passing grade is awarded to those participants who
complete the following assignments in a satisfactory (B level) performance on written
assignments and the field/project work. In addition, students are expected to attend all sessions,
be an active contributor to others learning, and participate in experiential and other applied
projects.

AACSB Contact hours:

Directed Instruction Activity Hours

In-Class Instruction 60
Synchronous Instruction 2
Asynchronous Instruction 12
TOTAL: 74