Organization Design & Development Case study

Job Design at Pepperdine University The Graziadio School of Business and Management (GSBM) at Pepperdine University is one of the largest business schools in the country and has the third largest part-time MBA program. The school also provides graduate education aimed at differ- ent markets including an executive MBA (EMBA), a presidential/key executive MBA (PKE), and a specialized master’s degree in organization devel- opment (MSOD). The MSOD program’s curriculum consists of 10 four-unit classes over 22 months. Eight of the classes are conducted off-site during eight-day sessions at both domestic and interna- tional locations. The MSOD program office consists of a faculty director, a program administrator, and an administrative assistant. In response to cost-cut- ting initiatives at the university level, a proposal was being considered to alter the job designs of the MSOD program staff.

The MSOD Program Administrator, the focus of this application, was responsible for marketing and recruiting new students, managing the delivery logistics of the off-site program, managing the stu- dents’ registration and financial relationships with the university, and maintaining relationships with the MSOD alumni. The marketing and recruiting duties involved working with the Program Director and the Director of Marketing for GSBM to develop marketing tactics including advertisements, bro- chures, conference marketing and support, and other market development activities. The recruit- ing process involved explaining the curriculum to prospective applicants, overseeing the application process for each applicant, working with the fac- ulty to have qualified applicants interviewed, and managing the admissions process. This too had to be coordinated with the director and the admin- istrative assistant. Once a class was admitted, the Program Administrator worked with various off- site facilities to establish room and board rates and catering services; managed the faculty’s travel and teaching requirements; managed various interses- sion activities including the final exam; managed the students’ enrollment and graduation proc- esses including their interface with the university’s registrar and finance office and the school’s financial aid office; and coached students through the pro- gram. After graduation, the Program Administrator served as an unofficial placement service, hooking

up eligible graduates with prospective employers who called looking for MSOD talent, provided career guidance, and worked with the program’s alumni organization to sponsor conferences and other alumni activities.

Each of the above activities was somewhat program- mable in that they occurred at specific times of the year and could be scheduled. However, because each applicant, student, class, or graduate was somewhat unique, the specific tasks or actions could not always be specified in advance and there were a number of exceptions and unique situations that arose during each day, month, or year.

The MSOD Program Administrator has worked with the MSOD program for over 15 years and was a fixture in both the MSOD and the general OD communities. Year over year, the Program Administrator delivered qualified applicants in excess of available space although that task had become increasingly difficult in the face of tui- tion increases, increasingly restrictive corporate policies on tuition reimbursement, and the ups and downs of the economy. He has handled both routine and nonroutine administrative details professionally, displays and reports a high level of job satisfaction and commitment to the program, and has been complimented formally and infor- mally by the students in the program. In fact, each cohort develops its own relationship with the administrator and he becomes a de facto member of almost every class. The alumni considered the Program Administrator a key and integral part of the MSOD program. The set of duties described above has evolved considerably over the Program Administrator’s tenure. In particular, he has become more involved and responsible for mar- keting and recruiting activities, and the alumni relations duties have been added in response to alumni requests that cannot be filled by tradi- tional university departments.

In an effort to improve efficiencies, and in recognition of the MSOD Program Administrator’s outstanding productivity, a proposal was being considered by GSBM administration to change the design of his job. The proposal suggested that the MSOD Program Administrator continue to perform all of the current duties of the position

ap p

li ca

ti on

6 .2

117CHAPTER 6 Diagnosing Groups and Jobs

Diagnosis of individual-level inputs answers the following questions:

What is the design of the larger organization within which the individual jobs are embedded? Although the example says little about the organization’s design, a number of inferences are possible. The school’s administration was attempting to reward the Program Administrator with a more enriched job. This suggests that the culture of the organization was supportive of employee involve- ment. The proposed change was also being considered, however, as part of an efficiency drive. The school is large in size, hosting the third largest part-time MBA program. This helps to explain, at the organization level, why a specialized master’s degree has been paired with two executive MBA programs and differentiated from the large part-time MBA program. To the extent the OD program has different stu- dents or different marketing, delivery, and alumni relations processes, there may be difficult points of integration. What is the design of the group containing the individual jobs? Three indi- vidual jobs were grouped together according to the type of program. In this case, a faculty director, program administrator, and administrative assistant comprise the program office, but the office is clearly dependent on other university and school functions, such as the registrar’s office and financial aid, as well as with the teach- ing faculty. Each of the three roles has specific duties, but there is a clear sense that all three roles are highly interdependent. The Program Administrator must coordinate with the director on marketing, admissions, and curriculum decisions and with the administrative assistant on recruiting, program delivery, and routine administrative processes. Interaction during task performance is thus intense, and although partly scheduled, the work also must deal with a high number of excep- tions.

3. What are the personal characteristics of jobholders? The application provides some clues about the Program Administrator’s personal characteristics. First, he has stayed in the position for more than 15 years; this speaks to a loyalty or com- mitment trait. Second, his role has evolved considerably and suggests at least a moderate amount of growth need strength.

1.

2.

and, in addition, provide administrative support to two PKE classes from their initial class to gradua- tion. The duties of administrating the PKE program would be similar in nature to the delivery aspects of the MSOD program, including working with faculty to support their teaching efforts, manag- ing textbook ordering processes, and providing different facilities logistics activities. It would not include marketing, recruiting, and alumni devel- opment activities. He would receive additional

compensation for the increased responsibilities and a title change. The new position would share, with the EMBA program administrator, the supervision of an assistant program administrator, who would in turn supervise a pool of administrative assist- ants. The assistant program administrator would also report to the EMBA Program Administrator. The MSOD/PKE program administrator would be shared between the MSOD program director and a director of EMBA/PKE programs.