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Course Schedule*

Week

Topics

Readings

Assignments

8/25

Introduction

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Introductions

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Review syllabus and assignments

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Public administration - Art vs. science

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Management matters!

 

R: 3 - 23

T: 1 - 8

A: 34 - 44, 152 - 167, 178 - 184)

 

9/1

No Class - Labor Day

 

 

 

9/8

Foundations of Public Administrative Theory

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Politics vs. public administration

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Overview of theories of management and organization

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Public, private, and nonprofit organizations

 

R: 24 - 88

T: 9 - 25

A: 1 - 33

Blackboard

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Case: Blast in Centralia  (Required, bring 2 copies)

9/15

Environment of Public Organizations

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Environmental conditions

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How organizations respond to the environment

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Intergovernmental relations

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Issue networks

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Political power and public policy

 

R: 89 - 142

T: 26 - 40, 211 - 269

A: 89 - 120

Blackboard

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Case: How a City Slowly Drowned

 

9/22

Organizing

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Bureaucracy

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Organizational goals and effectiveness

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Organizational structure, design, and technology

 

R: 145 - 169, 201 - 240

T: 41 - 125

Blackboard

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Case: How Kristin Died  

9/29

 

No Class

 

 

 

10/6

Organizing (2)
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Org design (cont.)

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Work groups and teams

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Advantages and disadvantages of groups

 

R: 360 - 365, 373 - 379

T: 126 - 182

A: 121 - 133, 145 - 151

Blackboard

 

bulletCase: ValuJet

10/13

No Class - Fall Break

 

 

 

10/20

Decision Making

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Bounded Rationality

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Incrementalism

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Garbage-can model

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Decision making problems

 

R: 170 -200,

365 - 366

T: 183 - 210

A: 73 - 81

Blackboard

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Case: Columbia Disaster (No presentations)

 

10/27

 

Leadership, Power, & Organizational Culture

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Leadership theories

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Sources of power

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Administrative power

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Managerial roles

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Transformational vs. transactional leadership

 

R: 314 - 333, 342 - 360

A: 63 - 72, 168 - 177

R:  307 - 331

T: 360 - 391

Blackboard

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Case: MOVE (No presentations)

11/3

Leadership, Power, & Organizational Culture (2)
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Finish leadership & power discussion

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Organizational culture

 

R:  333 - 342

T: 360 - 391

Blackboard

 

11/10

Motivation

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Values and motives

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Competing ethical obligations

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Work motivation

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Incentives

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Public service motivation

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Motivation theories

 

R: 241 - 313

T: 270 - 326

A: 82 - 88, 134 - 144

Blackboard

 

 

11/17

Motivation (2)
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Motivation theories (cont.)

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Methods used to enhance work motivation

 

R: 241 - 313

Blackboard

bullet Case: Bernadine Healy & the Red Cross

11/24

Communication & Conflict

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Communication

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Barriers to effective communication

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Functional vs. dysfunctional conflict

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Conflict resolution

 

R: 366 - 373

A: 45 - 62

Blackboard

 

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Case: Waco (No presentations)

12/1

New Governance

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Reengineering/TQM

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Privatization

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Managing third party government

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Tools of Government

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Information management and technology

 

R: 383 - 418, 419 - 459

T: 327 - 359

Blackboard

bullet Case: Death of a Spy Satellite Program

11/24

Distribute Take Home Exam

 

 

 

12/1

Organizational Assessment is Due

 

12/8

Take Home Exam is Due Monday at 6:30 PM

 

  

R = Rainey, Understanding and Managing Public Organizations; T = Tompkins, Organization Theory and Public Management; A = Ashworth, Caught Between the Dog and the Fireplug; CS = Case Study in Stillman; RES = Reading is on reserve in the library; W = reading is contained in link on the class web site.

*Class schedule is subject to change.

  

Students should check the schedule frequently for announcements made via the web or by email.

 

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Page last modified 08/17/11

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