reflective analysis

EDUC 745

Case Study Part Three

Liberty University

EDUC 745

Dr. Rector

Charles Poole

5/29/2020

Case Study Part Three: Reviewing the Systems Theories

The school being analyzed for this case study is a unique learning environment. Faculty all come from different backgrounds and different specialties, creating a vast ocean of available courses and experiences for students. Teaching and non-teaching faculty alike work together towards a unified goal, which is educating and preparing students for college and future success in society. This shared focus makes the needs or more specifically, the input, throughput, and output readily identifiable for the organization (Morgan, 2006).

Focusing on the needs of an organization can assist in the survival of the organization. By determining key patterns and interconnections in the organization, the most significant needs can be brought to the surface (Morgan, 2006). The overall goal of every educational institution is the same, and that goal is to educate students in the most effective way possible.

Cycle of Production

The students or clientele that attend this school in the case study are all from similar family standing. Mostly because their parents are in the military, the school is located on a military base that eliminates students from non-military families from attending. Students are given the option to choose from three different curriculums while attending school.

First is the Dual Enrollment Program (DEP), a DEP education provides opportunities to develop both disciplinary and interdisciplinary understanding that meet rigorous standards set by Austin Peay State University. DEP programs offer curriculum frameworks and courses that are broad and balanced, conceptual, and connected.

Second is the Advanced Placement Program (AP); AP gives students the chance to learn college-level work while still in high school and earn college credit and placement. Thirdly is the standard level of coursework for this institution, which is known as College and Career Readiness (CCR). CCR is a framework of education that incorporates the vision of a unique program specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning. Through the use of these three programs, students are better prepared to enter college and the workforce.

Feedback

Different systems are in place at this school for soliciting feedback from students, parents, and faculty. The purpose of the system is to balance and reinforce feedback. Balancing feedback can maintain stability, but it needs positive and negative feedback to help the institution grow. Feedback Negative feedback can be a useful tool for organizations to determine ways to help modify certain behaviors within the organization (Bridgen, 2017). No matter what the feedback, whether positive or negative, it can be used as a way to reverse or fix organizational problems.

Positive feedback is great from a moral standpoint, but for change to occur, negative feedback is, in most cases, the key. When negative feedback is given, leaders in the institution have many different options when addressing the problem, and all solutions are not right, nor are they wrong. “Equifinality holds that a given outcome can be reached from any number of different possible paths. Multifinality holds that similar initial conditions may lead to different outcomes” (Gresov & Drazin, 1997).

Maximization Principle and Genotypic Function

In most situations, organizations are primarily concerned with making a profit and creating sustainability. In the case of a non-profit independent school, the monetary aspect has less to do with profit and more to do with sustaining the current level in which the school is functioning. The monetary value of the school also carries a direct correlation to the school’s ability to acquire higher-level teachers with advanced degrees. The more qualified the teacher is, theoretically, the better the quality of the education that a student can receive from the school.

The landscape of education is an ever-changing place for a school to maintain and adapt to the current climate of the world. Teachers need to receive professional development and administrators need to attend conferences to stay up to date. By having everyone in an organization current on their credentials and other merits, the organization can utilize the Maximization Principle to solve problems at a higher level. The Maximization Principle or “decision-making characterized by seeking the best option through an exhaustive search through alternatives” (Gresov & Drazin, 1997) can help organizations sustain and remain successful by making thoughtful decisions.

Environment

The perfect environment for this school of the caliber of the school being examined for this case study can be slender. The setting depends heavily on individuals being able to have orders to the base the school is located. The best category of the family is that it is a transit community since most families are stationed at the base for two to three years. Socially this school has a sigma of being exclusive of those whose family is not military in standing.

The city and area where the base and the school is located are mainly Republican and conservative. Therefore, the school has many traditions that have not changed over time because there is no incursion of people from a variety of other political affiliations and backgrounds. The school is also publicly affiliated, which in turn means that the federal government operates it. This advertent limits or no religious diversity can found in the school.

The systems in place at the school and within the organization are sustainable. The significant factor for the school needs to remain mindful within and outflow of students when the parents receive military orders. If something happens and there is a downturn in personnel, then the school could be directly affected.

References

Bridgen, S. (2017). Using systems theory to understand the identity of academic advising: A case study. NACADA Journal, 37(2), 9-20.

Gresov, C., & Drazin, R. (1997). Functional equivalence in organization design. Academy of Management Review, 22(2), 403-428.

Morgan, S. (2006). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Running head: CASE STUDY THREE 1

CASE STUDY THREE 2

Case Study: Part 3 Grading Rubric

Criteria	Levels of Achievement
Content 70%	Advanced	Proficient	Developing	Not present
1. What is the cycle of production for this organization? i.e., what are we about as an organization? a. What do we bring in (input), how do we use it and form our product (throughput)? b. What do we send out into the larger world (output)?	13 to 14 points Criteria is addressed clearly and accurately and includes an extensive description of the specified question(s).	12 points Criteria is addressed clearly and includes an adequate description of all specified questions in the assignment.	1 to 11 points Criteria is somewhat addressed with a minimal mention/ description of all specified questions in the assignment.	0 points Not present
2. Are we open to negative feedback from the sub and super systems? a. What are we doing to reverse the entropy of the system? b. Are we exploring other paths to the ends (equifinality)?	13 to 14 points Criteria is addressed accurately and includes an extensive description of the specified question(s).	12 points Criteria is addressed and includes an adequate description of all specified questions in the assignment.	1 to 11 points Criteria is somewhat addressed with a minimal mention/ description of all specified questions in the assignment.	0 points Not present
3. What is our proper place in the broader society and economy? Issue: Genotypic function. Productive, Maintenance, Adaptive, Managerial/Political	13 to 14 points Criteria is addressed accurately and includes an extensive description of the specified question(s).	12 points Criteria is addressed and includes an adequate description of all specified questions in the assignment.	1 to 11 points Criteria is somewhat addressed with a minimal mention/ description of all specified questions in the assignment.	0 points Not present
4. Are we balancing our need for profit with a long-term view of survival? The issue is the Maximization Principle	13 to 14 points Criteria is addressed accurately and includes an extensive description of the specified question(s).	12 points Criteria is addressed and includes an adequate description of all specified questions in the assignment.	1 to 11 points Criteria is somewhat addressed with a minimal mention/ description of all specified questions in the assignment.	0 points Not present
5. How are we scanning the environment? What do we know about the environmental sectors? (Economic, political, social, etc.)	13 to 14 points Criteria is addressed accurately and includes an extensive description of the specified question(s).	12 points Criteria is addressed and includes an adequate description of all specified questions in the assignment.	1 to 11 points Criteria is somewhat addressed with a minimal mention/ description of all specified questions in the assignment.	0 points Not present
Structure 30%	Advanced	Proficient	Developing	Not present
APA	14 to 15 points A title and reference page is included. Paper, citations, reference pages, and sources are formatted in current APA style (0-1 errors). Body of paper is 3-5 pages.	13 points A title and reference page is included. Paper, citations, reference pages, and sources are formatted in current APA style (2-3 errors). Body of paper is 3-5 pages.	1 to 12 points A title page or reference page is not included. Paper, citations, reference pages, and sources are not formatted in current APA style (4 or more errors). Body of paper is less than 3 pages.	0 points Not present
Grammar, Spelling, Mechanics	14 to 15 points Correct grammar, spelling, and mechanics are used throughout the assignment. There are 0-1 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.	13 points There are occasional errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics. There are 2-3 errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics that distract the reader from the content.	1 to 12 points There are 4 or more errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics that distract the reader from the content.	0 points Not present

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