Course Syllabus
Course Description
Learners analyze organizational development (OD) processes that are designed to improve organizational effectiveness.
These OD processes are systematic, long-term efforts that focus on the human and social elements of organizational
change.
Course Textbook(s)
Rothwell, W. J., Stopper, A. L. M., & Myers, J. L. (Eds.). (2017). Assessment and diagnosis for organization development:
Powerful tools and perspectives for the OD practitioner. CRC Press.
https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781315310596
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Evaluate the organizational development (OD) processes and how they are applied to bring about change.
2. Develop the use of self for leading the organizational development (OD) process.
3. Evaluate how processes used in organizational interventions are designed to effectively promote change that is
supported by organization members.
4. Demonstrate how organizational development (OD) processes are used to diagnose organizational problems, design
strategies for change, communicate the strategies, and adapt organizational resources to accomplish changes
necessary to achieve its goals.
5. Evaluate the use of action research for the organizational development (OD) process.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of sustained organizational development (OD) interventions and what they mean for
organizational success.
Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are taken very seriously at Waldorf University. All students should be familiar with the Waldorf
University Academic Integrity Policy (found in the current Student Handbook) and the consequences that will result from
breaches of this policy.
Credits
Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3.00 hours of college credit.
Course Structure
1. StudyGuide:Course units contain a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson,
required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.
2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge
students should gain upon completion of the unit.
3. Unit Lesson:Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material.
4. Reading Assignments:Units contain Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or
outside resources.
5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged to read the
resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings.
6. Learning Activities (Nongraded):Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of
ORG6800, Organization
Development
ORG 6800, Organization Development 1
study.
7. Discussion Boards: Students are required to submit Discussion Board posts in Units I-VIII. Discussion Boards
provide students the opportunity for student-to-student and professor-to-student interaction based on relevant course
concepts and ideas. Specific information about accessing the Discussion Board rubric is provided below.
8. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and
instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment.
Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.
9. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides students with an opportunity to ask their professor general
questions or questions related to course content.
10. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with other classmates.
Unit Assignments
Unit I Assignment
PlanningOrganizationalAssessment BasedonResearch
Throughout this course, you will prepare assignments on an organization with which you are very familiar. The assignments
are designed to prepare you for the Unit VII Final Project in which you will write a culminating report.
This assignment will consist of two parts.
Part I: Identify an organization that you currently work for or may like to work for in the future. Consider the issues or
problems that you believe need to be addressed in this organization. You will use this organization throughout the course, so
please choose a company that you know a lot about or can research. You are encouraged to start gathering your data and
research about the organization early in the course to ensure that you have ample time to complete the final project.
Submit a one-page overview of an organization that focuses on the following change areas discussed in the Unit I Lesson.
Below are the change areas and a brief description of each area. You may not use all of the areas depending on the
organization and the changes needed.
Organizational history: Taking the time to research where the organization has been will help the consultants to
understand where the organization should be in the present and also in the future.
Organizational mission: Any suggested changes should be proposed with the mission in mind to ensure that they
support the mission further.
Organization strategy: The entire organization should be considered since the operations of the entire organization need
to be addressed in order to keep the strategic plan in place.
Organization structure: The structure will impact how the change process takes place and who is involved.
Organization relationships: The relationship of the organization to the industry, the community, the suppliers, and other
stakeholders will be reviewed.
Organizational performance: Organizational performance will be assessed against the best practices of the industry.
Part II: For this portion of the assignment, you will begin to conduct the comprehensive organizational assessment for your
chosen organization. Using Table 1.1 (p. 7) in your textbook, prepare a similar table, and submit the organizational
assessment for your organization. After completing the table, provide a narrative summary of the results of the assessment
and what the next steps should be in resolving the issues/problems found. For this assignment, you only complete the
assessment; the discussion of data collection will be coming in later units. Part II should be two pages in length.
Your submission should be a minimum of three pages in length and include at least two scholarly sources. APA Style
should be used throughout the paper.
Unit II Assignment
OrganizationIntervention:Diagnostic Plan
Within Unit I, you chose a company that you either work for or with which you are familiar. For this assignment, please
continue with that organization. Start by providing a summary of the organization and the areas of ineffectiveness that you
believe exist within the structure.
Secondly, outline the organization’s diagnosis process. Create and complete a table that includes the following headings:
Assumptions and Opinions of Work Outputs, Why These May Not Be True, and
What to Measure Instead.
Refer to Table 2.1 Differentiating Fact from Opinion on p. 17 of your textbook to see an example of a completed table.
After completing the table, provide a detailed written summary of the steps necessary to complete the diagnosis process.
Your steps should also include the action research model (ARM) tool that you will use as a part of the diagnosis intervention.
Chapter 3 provides additional information on the data collection process and what types of data should be collected. Be sure
to include all three levels of the organization within your assignment (i.e., organization, group, and individual levels).
Your submission should be a minimum of two pages in length and include at least two scholarly sources. APA Style should
be used throughout the paper. ORG 6800, Organization Development 2
Unit III Assignment
Force FieldAnalysis
You will continue to use the organization chosen in Unit I. This unit’s assignment focuses on force field analysis.
Section 4.8 on p. 76 of your textbook outlines the steps in the force field analysis process. Using the steps and templates
provided within Chapter 4, you will complete the analysis process for your organization.
Your submission should include all of the steps and the templates provided in Section 4.8. This will include a complete and
thorough analysis of the six steps and the three templates to provide a summary.
After conducting the analysis, use appreciative inquiry’s 4D process (discover, dream, design, and destiny) to ensure that
the strengths of the organization are identified and used for the change process. Be sure to include the ways that these
strengths can be used to support the change.
Your submission should be a minimum of two pages in length and include at least two scholarly sources. APA Style should
be used throughout the paper.
Unit IVAssignment
Planningfor Effective CommunicationandFeedback Analysis
You will continue to use the organization chosen in Unit I. This unit’s assignment focuses on the plan for the assessment
and the reasons for engaging the employees during the assessment.
To begin this assignment, you will describe an issue that you have identified in your chosen organization, and you will
provide a layout of the nine steps for the organizational development (OD) assessment. Provide details for each step, which
should include the employee engagement that will be necessary during each of the nine steps. The feedback from the
employees is crucial during the OD process since the employees are the stakeholders who have firsthand information on
the changes that are needed. Engagement from the employees should be planned for. You can use Table 5.2 on pp. 85–86
of the textbook to guide your thoughts on employee engagement during each of the nine steps.
Your submission should be a minimum of three pages in length and include at least two scholarly sources. APA Style
should be used throughout the paper.
Unit VPowerPoint Presentation
RestructuringCase Analysis
Marriot, Tata Motors, and Sony are three major companies that have gone through a complete restructuring in some area of
their organization. For this PowerPoint presentation, you will choose one of these companies to research.
For your research, you will discover what data collection methods were used in order to have the necessary data for the
restructuring process. In addition, you will research what types of data were collected. Finally, you will research how the
data was used in the restructuring process. Specifically, your submission should include the elements listed below:
1. Provide an overview of your chosen company and what issues they faced in the organizational development (OD)
process.
2. Discuss the data collection methods used and why these methods were chosen over other data collection methods.
3. Discuss the data that was collected and how this data was used in the OD process.
4. Include a summary of how the restructuring process has impacted the organization, and provide recommendations
for what you would have done differently in the data collection process.
Your presentation submission should be a minimum of 10 content slides and include at least two scholarly sources. Your
presentation should also include speaker notes for each slide. APA Style should be used throughout the presentation.
Unit VI Assignment
OrganizationalAnalysis andFeedback
This assignment will be used as a precursor to the final project. You will continue to use the organization chosen in Unit I.
To begin this assignment, you will collect the necessary data in order to find out more information about the organization’s
problem, which you have identified in the previous units. Collect this data, and write a summary of your data collection
process and how the data was analyzed. Additionally, explain how this data will help move the organization toward success.
To collect your data, take notes on what you observe within your chosen organization, conduct informal interviews with your
peers (if possible), or conduct research. You may conduct research on the problem that you identified as it relates to your
industry, if needed.
For the second part of this assignment, prepare an outline of the data analysis and the conclusions/feedback that you will
present in your final project. You will prepare an outline based on the areas of the report that are listed below. For each area,
please write one to two sentences explaining how you can present your information:
1. Problem Presented, ORG 6800, Organization Development 3
2. Assessment Process Overview,
3. Executive Summary of the Findings and Insights,
4. Details of Specific Findings and Insights,
5. Guidance to a Solution Set, and
6. Appendices of Data.
Your completed assignment should be a minimum of two pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. You
must use a minimum of one outside source. All sources used, including the textbook, must be cited and referenced
according to APA Style.
Unit VII Final Project
DevelopanOrganizationalDevelopment Report for Management
During this unit, you will submit your final project. You will use the organization chosen in Unit I to finalize and complete the
organizational development (OD) for your management team. During Unit VI, you prepared an outline of your final report that
you will now complete for your management team.
Your final report should include the following sections:
1. Problem Presented,
2. Assessment Process Overview,
3. Executive Summary of the Findings and Insights,
4. Details of Specific Findings and Insights,
5. Guidance to a Solution Set, and
6. Appendices of Data.
The final report should be a minimum of five pages in length, not counting the title page and references page. You must
include a minimum of three outside sources, one of which must be from the Waldorf Online Library. All sources used,
including the textbook, must be cited and referenced according to the APA Style.
Unit VIII Reflection Paper
Reflect on the changes needed in the organization that you chose for your final project, and explain what you learned
through this experience. Use the organizational development (OD) process learning model to guide your discussion on the
likely success of the changes that you recommended in Unit VII.
Provide an introduction to the reflection paper, and also include the elements listed below in your reflection. Please use
headings that correspond to the elements below.
OD Experience
Describe your experience using the OD process. What makes this process beneficial to the organization?
OD Values
What value would OD bring to the organization? Give specific examples.
Recommended Changes
Analyze the value of the changes that you have recommended to the organization. What is the likely impact that these
changes will have on the organization?
Your Growth as a Leader
What did you learn about yourself as a leader throughout this process? How can you apply these lessons to your
future career?
Conclusions
Draw any final conclusions on your analysis of the OD process, and summarize your reflections.
Your reflection paper should be a minimum of two pages in length. Outside sources are not a requirement for this
assignment.
Submitting Course Papers/Projects
Once you have completed your papers/projects, submit your completed papers/projects by uploading through the
Assignment tab in each unit. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using the Assignment tab, your record
will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your papers/projects, and the assignment will be provided to
your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Assignment tab in each unit.
APA Guidelines
Waldorf College requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting,
quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Information about using APA style can be found in
APA Style Help in the Course Menu. This area provides links to Internet sites, tutorials, and guides that provide
comprehensive information on APA formatting, including examples and sample papers. ORG 6800, Organization Development 4
Grading Rubrics
This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each
rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level
of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to
meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because
these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.
Rubric categories include (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is
possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have
Assessments).
The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.
The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit
Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.
Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics
are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the
Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be
submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting the “Grades” link.
Again, it is vitallyimportant for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your
Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method bywhich your instructor assigns all grades.
Communication Forums
These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students.
Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in
the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below.
Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.
Ask the Professor
This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions.
Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration,
additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.
Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal
accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the
professor within 48 hours.
Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus,
assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.
Student Break Room
This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should
always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to
share assessment answers.
Schedule/Grading
The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you
will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.
Unit I Introduction to the Diagnosis and Assessment for Organizational Development [ Weight: 13%]
Read/View: Unit I Study Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview of Diagnosis and Assessment for Organization
Development
Unit Resource (1 article): See Study Guide
Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit I Assignment 11%
ORG 6800, Organization Development 5
Unit II Diagnosing the Organization [ Weight: 11%]
Read/View: Unit II Study Guide
Chapter 2: Diagnosing and Assessing Organization Development Effectiveness
Chapter 3: Diagnostic Models Following Open Systems
Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit II Assignment 9%
Unit III The Analysisof Environmental Forces and Organizational Readiness [ Weight: 11%]
Read/View: Unit III Study Guide
Chapter 4: Diagnostic Models Addressing Environmental Forces and Organizational
Readiness
Unit Resource (1 article): See Study Guide
Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit III Assignment 9%
Unit IV Planning for Organizational Development [ Weight: 13%]
Read/View: Unit IV Study Guide
Chapter 5: Planning for Assessment and Feedback for Organization Development
Unit Resource (1 article): See Study Guide
Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit IV Assignment 11%
Unit V Collection and Analysisof Data for Organizational Development [ Weight: 13%]
Read/View: Unit V Study Guide
Chapter 6: Collecting and Analyzing Data for Organization Development
Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit V PowerPoint Presentation 11%
Unit VI The Action Plan for Organizational Development [ Weight: 12%]
Read/View: Unit VI Study Guide
Chapter 7: Feeding Back Data and Action Planning for Organization Development
Unit Resources (2 articles): See Study Guide
Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit VI Assignment 10%
Unit VII The Challenges and Opportunitiesof Organizational Development [ Weight: 17%]
Read/View: Unit VII Study Guide
Chapter 8: Challenges and Their Related Opportunities in Diagnosis and Assessment for
Organization Development
Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit VII Final Project 15%
ORG 6800, Organization Development 6
Unit VIII The Future Direction of Organizational Development [ Weight: 10%]
Read/View: Unit VIII Study Guide
Chapter 9: Conclusion and Future Directions of Diagnosis and Assessment for Organization
Development
Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2%
Submit: Unit VIII Reflection Paper 8%
ORG 6800, Organization Development 7
