ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
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comprehensic_exam_for_ma.docORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
Master of Arts in Psychology Comprehensive Examination
Organizational Development and Leadership
· Ethics — Acts in an ethical, legal, and professional manner according to the current codes of ethics in the respective disciplines
· Critical Thinking Skills — Demonstrates the ability to use critical thinking skills
· Communication — Communicates effectively in written form and oral presentation
· Emotional Intelligence — Exhibits emotional intelligence
· Lifelong Learning — Engages in the practice of lifelong learning
· Diversity — Supports diversity and multi-cultural issues and recognizes their impact
Specialization in Organizational Development and Leadership Learning Outcomes
Students in the Master of Arts in Psychology, Organizational Leadership Specialization will be able to:
1. Apply the methods and principles of psychological research in organizations;
2. Evaluate the impact of social and cultural diversity in organizations;
3. Assess organizations’ performance, structure, and development;
4. Analyze concepts and demonstrate skills that are fundamental to ethical practice in Organizational Development and Leadership
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of organizational systems and functions as effective change agents through evidence-based application of psychological research in organizations; and,
6. Design appropriate organizational learning and development solutions based upon principles of human performance technology
Case Study: Service Dogs of San Bernardino
Background
Service Dogs of San Bernardino (SDSB) was established in 1985 as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with visual disabilities by providing trained service dogs to assist with daily living. SDSB, which is located in San Bernardino, California, works with volunteers in California, Arizona, and Nevada and paid staff in California to raise and train dogs for future service. The organization prides itself on its strong sense of service and humanity, listing as its corporate values “service, dedication, and commitment to those with whom we work and those whom we serve.”
Volunteers are the backbone of SDSB operations. Puppy-raising volunteers number about 225 in the tri-state area. Each puppy-raising volunteer (or volunteer family) is responsible for fostering a puppy provided by SDSB until it is old enough to enter a formal training program at the SDSB campus. Puppy-raising volunteers are responsible for teaching the puppy basic obedience and proper house manners and for socializing the puppy for future service to a visually disabled person. Volunteers run the gamut from dog-loving, civic-minded individuals to families interested in a collective volunteer experience to teenagers working on merit badges or 4-H projects. There has never been a shortage of puppy-raising volunteers interested in working with SDSB. Volunteers report that they receive tremendous support from their friends and family for the work they do, and most say their work is an act of love. Currently, about 65% of the puppies raised by volunteers ultimately become working service dogs. The remaining 35% that do not meet the stringent performance requirements necessary to become a service dog are adopted back into the community as pets.
When puppies are about 15 months old, the work of the puppy-raising volunteers is complete. The puppies are returned to the SDSB training facility, where paid staff work with the dogs to prepare them for specific service requirements, such as guiding an individual with a visual disability on the public transportation system and through busy street traffic. When a dog is fully trained and ready for service, the visually disabled person to whom the dog will be assigned travels to the San Bernardino training campus to receive training with their new service dog companion from SDSB staff. At the present time, SDSB employs seven full-time staff trainers and seven full-time assistant staff trainers. A training crew comprises a staff trainer and an assistant staff trainer, aided by a part-time volunteer. Each training crew works with six to eight dogs at a time. It takes a training crew about six months of intense work to prepare a dog for assignment to a visually disabled person, and another two to three weeks to train a visually disabled client to work effectively with his or her service animal.
SDSB’s public outreach team coordinates the assignment of service dogs to qualified visually disabled clients. To qualify for a service dog, a client must be legally blind and over the age of 18. Additionally, clients must be physically healthy and strong enough to both work with and take care of a service animal. Visually disabled people interested in obtaining a guide dog from SDSB must submit an application and supporting documentation (including pertinent health records) to the organization. A public outreach coordinator interviews each interested applicant to ascertain the specific needs of the individual for a service animal. Once an applicant is approved to receive a service animal, he or she is placed on a waiting list, prioritized in order of need. Individuals who are currently using a service animal from SDSB have first priority for another animal when their current guide dog becomes old or ill and is unable to continue work as a guide.
SDSB operates financially on a combination of foundation and donor support. As such, cost containment is critical to successful outcomes for the organization. At the same time, however, the nature of the services provided by SDSB is highly personalized and unique. The initial training activities for future service dogs are fairly low cost and routine; puppy-raising volunteers receive no compensation, other than reimbursement of veterinary expenses incurred during the time the puppies are fostered in their homes. However, the on-site training of both the dogs and the visually disabled clients at the SDSB campus is highly specialized and costly. SDSB estimates that each fully trained service dog placed with a visually disabled client costs about $50,000 when all of SDSB’s operating costs are factored in. Service dogs can work for about seven to eight years before they are retired.
Because the mission of SDSB is to provide service animals to visually disabled individuals without regard for ability to pay, clients are not charged for the dog or for the training they receive from SDSB. All costs are covered by foundation and donor support. SDSB provides about 135 fully trained service dogs to visually disabled clients each year, some to clients who are receiving their second or third service dog from SDSB. Two years ago, for the first time in the organization’s history, SDSB ran an operating deficit of $125,000. Last year’s operating deficit grew to $345,000.
The SDSB Senior Leadership Team, led by CEO Emily Watson, meets periodically to review strategic operations of the organization and to make long-range decisions about the direction of the organization, the services provided by the organization, and expenditures, compensation, and personnel. The Extended Leadership Team, under the direction of Lucy Goldstein, meets on a bi-monthly basis to oversee daily operations of the organization, including discussing and resolving routine operational, staffing, and client services issues. Overseeing the operations of SDSB is an eight-person Board of Directors, composed of local business and individual philanthropists, animal lovers, and a retired veterinarian. Individual Board members are actively involved in fundraising activities for SDSB.
This diversity of SDSB paid staff generally mirrors the diversity of San Bernardino, California, and surrounding areas, regions rich in racial and ethnic diversity. About 65% of SDSB employees are Caucasian, 20% are Hispanic, 10% are African American, and 5% are Asian. In terms of ethnicity, SDSB staff members include Caucasians from many different countries including the United States, Canada, and England. Asian employees include individuals from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean backgrounds. Hispanic employees represent multiple countries of origin, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
By contrast, SDSB volunteers are approximately 90% Caucasian and tend to come from higher socio-economic groups than do SDSB managers and staff. This may be because volunteers are required to contribute not only their time, but also their personal resources to care for the puppies that they foster and raise. Although there is not a defined level of financial contribution required to foster and raise a puppy, volunteers on average spend at least $750 a year caring for their puppies, in addition to hours of time in training, meetings, outreach, and other volunteer activities.
The Players
CEO
CEO Emily Watson is in her late-50s and has worked for SDSB for two years, having left a successful career as a corporate executive in the insurance industry. An active philanthropist, Watson believes she is finally doing the work she was meant to do in guiding an organization that is truly making a difference in the lives of the visually disabled. Watson is unmarried and has no children, preferring to devote all her time to her work. She is well liked among her staff and has a reputation for being firm but fair. Having recently proposed very aggressive goals for the growth and expansion of SDSB, Watson is dedicated to the organization’s long-term success.
Executive Director of Operations
Lucy Goldstein has a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University, as well as five years’ previous experience managing an animal shelter in San Diego. Like Watson, she is passionate about the work that SDSB does and is willing to put in as many hours as it takes to ensure that the organization is successful.
Director of Veterinary Services
Dr. Juanita Alvarez has worked for SDSB for five years, following a successful career as a veterinarian at a private practice in Santa Barbara. The only Hispanic member of the Senior Leadership Team, Alvarez is often called upon to translate Spanish documents and assist with Spanish-speaking families that use SDSB’s services. Alvarez gets on well with most of the leadership team, but has a tenuous working relationship with Kennel Manager Gary Hargrove because of his negative attitude toward women in leadership positions.
Chief Financial Services Officer
At 37, Joseph Chin is the youngest member of the Senior Leadership Team. A second-generation Chinese immigrant, Chin has a master’s degree in finance from the Johns Hopkins University in addition to five years’ experience in the banking industry. Chin is not particularly well liked by staff members at SDSB, many of whom find him distant and unfriendly. He is far more comfortable dealing with numbers on a spreadsheet than communicating with people, an issue that sometimes compromises his role as head of finance.
Director of Volunteer Services
Previously employed as a shift supervisor at a small manufacturing firm, Sam Petrocelli was a puppy-raising volunteer for SDSB for eight years before being offered a position on the leadership team in 2005. His efforts have made a difference in the outcome of puppy-raising activities, and the success rate of puppy-raising volunteers has grown from about 60% to 65% over the past three years. However, Petrocelli’s personal style and his hard-driving demands for improved performance and accountability of volunteers are affecting the satisfaction of puppy-raising volunteers, and he has recently been criticized for his heavy-handed tactics.
Training Supervisor
Tonya Taylor has worked for SDSB for three years. She is a hard worker and was recently promoted from staff trainer to supervisor. The transition means that Taylor is now in charge of the people she used to work and socialize with, and she is finding it difficult to assert her authority. Taylor has been given no formal leadership training, so she is muddling through the situation the best she can.
Coordinator of Client Relationships
Marla Ralston is the only member of the leadership team without a college degree, having worked her way up to executive level through various customer service positions. She has worked for SDSB for six years and is generally well liked, although some of the staff members consider her incompetent and write her off as a “token minority” hire.
Director of Development
Marcia Schmidt has a certificate in non-profit management from Southern Oregon University, in addition to a master’s in business administration. She has four years’ previous experience as a fundraising manager for a children’s charity, from which she received an excellent recommendation. However, over the three years Schmidt has been in her job at SDSB, annual revenues have decreased. Some of the board members question her ability to be successful, noting that the previous Director of Development had been able to steadily increase revenues. Schmidt has complained to her boss, Joseph Chin, that the Board’s expectations are unrealistic given the current economic climate and that she needs more support. The issue is putting Schmidt under a great deal of stress at work.
Administrative Services Manager
Bruce Hopkins is in his late-40s and has been working for SDSB for eight years. He has a BA in human resources and previously worked as a human resources manager for a small technology firm in Denver.
Kennel Manager
Gary Hargrove has worked for SDSB since it was founded in 1985. He knows his job inside and out, and appears to be content remaining in the same position throughout his entire career. Hargrove gets on well with most of the staff, but has a tendency to exhibit contempt for female colleagues who run into a leadership challenge, calling them “weak” or “inept.”
The Current Situation
a. Training staff are easy to recruit, but difficult to retain, because compensation is fairly low—approximately $35,000 annually for staff trainers and $25,000 annually for assistant staff trainers—and the demands of the jobs are high. Most new staff trainers require an extensive period of on-the-job training to orient them to the specific performance requirements of the job, and about 25% of those who are hired as staff trainers are either unable to complete the training period successfully, or leave their job within two years (see Artifact 2).
b. A recent incident has divided the training staff. After a particularly challenging day of training, a couple of the training crews decided to unwind by having a few beers. Alcohol of any kind is strictly prohibited on the SDSB campus, but that did not stop the trainers and some of the volunteers working with the trainers from consuming a few beers on the premises before packing up and leaving for the day. Ramona, one of the other staff trainers, noticed the group drinking and saw the empty beer cans in the recycling bins. She mentioned the incident to the Kennel Manager, Gary Hargrove, who promptly informed the Training Supervisor, Tonia Taylor (see Artifact 3). The next morning, the training crews involved in the incident were reprimanded. Word soon got around about who had “snitched.” Heated words were exchanged between those who had been drinking on the premises and the informant. Ramona defended herself, saying that those who were involved in the incident were obviously not using good judgment. The rest of the training staff took sides in the disagreement, some saying that having a few beers was no big deal and the others saying that the rules were important for the safety of the animals housed on campus. The situation got ugly when one of the trainers who had been reprimanded called Ramona a racially derogatory term and she responded with a similarly graphic racial insult.
c. The Training Supervisor, Tonia Taylor, is relatively new to her position. Tonia was promoted from a staff trainer position into the supervisory role when the previous supervisor decided not to return from maternity leave (see Artifact 4). An excellent staff trainer, Tonia was well liked by her colleagues on the training team, and it seemed natural to promote her into the open position when it became available. Unfortunately, Tonia is finding it difficult to supervise her former colleagues effectively. A naturally assertive person, Tonia initially came on too strong, and she began to alienate other members of the training team with her demanding approach to supervision. As a result of their complaints, she backed off and began asking for cooperation, rather than demanding it. Some members of the training team saw this as a weakness they could exploit, and they began ignoring Tonia’s requests. This has led to an uncomfortable working environment, in which some members of the training team work cooperatively with Tonia, and others openly defy her supervision. The current drinking incident is just one more conflict in a string of issues Tonia has had to deal with, and, frankly, she’s not sure she wants to remain in her position. Without any formal leadership training, Tonia feels ill prepared to deal with the strong-minded members of her team.
d. Kennel Manager Gary Hargrove is making the current situation worse. Although Gary claims he is supportive of all his colleagues, he sometimes exhibits contempt for female colleagues who run into a leadership challenge, calling them “weak” or “inept,” and linking his comments to the fact that these colleagues are female. After the drinking incident in the training team, Gary was overheard talking to one of his staff members (see Artifact 5).
In the wake of the drinking incident, CEO Emily Watson has decided to seek outside consultation to help SDSB begin to deal with the challenges of ineffective teamwork, the deterioration of relationships between staff members, and the need for strong leadership. She has decided to bring in an organizational leadership consultant who can evaluate the situation from an outsider’s perspective and create an intervention plan to help the organization. You are the leadership consultant Ms. Watson has hired to look at the organizational dynamics, including the conflict within the training team, and the organizational circumstances that have allowed the conflict to occur. Your job is to assist Ms. Watson and members of the extended leadership team guide SDSB back to organizational stability.
Artifact 1
SDSB Organizational Chart
Artifact 2
From: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 3:28 PM Subject: Retention
All,
It has come to my attention that we are having a fairly severe retention problem among our training staff. Of the five new staff trainers we hired last year, only two are still with us. We also lost two assistant staff trainers over the same time period. According to my records, the average length of employment for staff trainers is 18 months, which is an unacceptably high turnover rate. The problem is not as bad among assistant staff trainers, but it is still a cause for concern.
Exit interviews indicate that most of the staff trainers who completed their training but left shortly after found the job too stressful. Many of them pointed out that the salary doesn’t sufficiently compensate for the amount of work they are asked to do. Assistant staff trainers have also commented that stress was a contributing factor in their decision to leave.
As you well know, we are on an extremely tight budget and cannot afford to offer higher salaries for these positions. If anyone has any other suggestions as to how we can improve retention, please let me know.
Lucy
Artifact 3
From: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 7:08 PM Subject: Drinking Incident
Lisa,
Gary just told me about something that happened after work today that I think you should know about.
Apparently, a few of the training staff were drinking beer behind the kennels. They were off duty but still on the premises. Ramona told Gary that she saw Josh, Matthew, Lakisha, and a couple of the volunteers participating.
I know that alcohol is strictly prohibited at SDSB and I’m really sorry that this happened. I had no idea that any of the team had sneaked beer into work with them. To be honest, I am finding it very difficult to assert my authority over certain members of the training team, and I am beginning to wonder whether I am cut out for this job.
I will discuss this with you further tomorrow; I just wanted to let you know what was going on.
Tonia
Artifact 4
Service Dogs of San Bernardino
2899 Highland Ave.
San Bernardino, California 92404
January 6, 2012
Tonia Taylor
1215 Cleveland Avenue,
San Bernardino, California 92404
Dear Tonia,
It is with great pleasure that I am writing to offer you the position of Training Supervisor at SDSB. You have been a valuable member of the training team for three years, and I am confident in your abilities to manage the rest of the staff in your department.
Accordingly, your new salary will be $42,000 per annum, effective January 9, 2012.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Congratulations on your new role and welcome to the leadership team!
Sincerely
Emily Watson.
Emily Watson
CEO
Service Dogs of San Bernardino
Artifact 5
Instant message thread between Gary Hargrove, Kennel Manager, and Barry Phillips, one of the kennel assistants on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
GHargrove The situation with the training team is getting beyond a joke. Did you hear that half of them have just been given warnings for drinking at work?
BPhillips Yeah, I can’t believe they brought beer into the building.
GHargrove It was bad enough when Ashley was here, but it’s even worse with Tonia. The girl has no idea what she’s doing; she’s completely incompetent.
BPhillips Aw, I like Tonia. She works hard.
GHargrove She doesn’t have any authority over the rest of the team. They’re all running rings around here. It’s about time they brought in a male supervisor to get them all back on track.
BPhillips Maybe we should give her a chance; she’s only been doing the job a couple of months. It can’t be easy supervising people you used to work with.
GHargrove You wait and see. She’ll be demoted within a week. Women just don’t have the stomach for leadership positions.
Questions
1. As you begin your work at SDSB, you decide to conduct an organizational diagnosis to gather more information about the organization and to formalize your understanding of the current situation at the organization. Identify the key research questions you have and the diagnostic methodologies you will use to answer these research questions. Explain how each methodology works and why each methodology is appropriate, given the circumstances in SDSB. From whom will you collect information, and why? Describe how you plan to implement each methodology and identify the types of information or data that each methodology will yield. Discuss how you will analyze the information and data you collect. Explain your rationale, referencing academic sources, as appropriate. (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, and 5)
2. Effective teamwork within the training team seems to have deteriorated. Discuss what distinguishes a team, and explain why a well-structured team with collaborative working relationships is more effective than a loosely affiliated group of people working together in the same organization, citing relevant empirical research studies. Identify the types of behaviors that characterize an effective team member. Describe specifically the role of trust in a high-functioning team. Given what you know of the situation within the training team, what specific recommendations would you make to help Tonia Taylor reestablish trust among members of the team? Explain your rationale, citing at least two relevant empirical research studies to explain your thinking, and referencing other academic sources, as appropriate. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3, and 5)
3. Given the current challenges facing SDSB, what type of leadership does the training team need to be successful in the future? How would you determine this? Describe the critical leadership competencies of excellent leaders, citing relevant empirical research studies. What are the leadership competencies Tonia needs to develop to be more effective in her role? Describe specific steps Tonia can take to change the way the training group is managed in support of the future needs of the organization. Explain your thinking, citing at least two empirical research studies, and referencing additional academic sources, as appropriate. (Learning Outcomes 1, 5, and 6)
4. Assess SDSB’s structure and overall performance. How does organizational structure and performance impact one another? Using organizational literature and research, describe various organizational designs and how they impact task allocation, coordination and supervision, and ultimately the achievement of organizational goals. Based on your research, provide a recommendation for SDSB’s organizational structure. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3 and 5)
5. Define a healthy organizational culture and the relationship between a healthy culture and organizational productivity. Describe how emotional and psychological stressors can contribute to an unhealthy organizational culture and can affect productivity of employees and volunteers and their relationships with each other. What kinds of emotional and psychological stressors are apparent in SDSB, based on elements of the case study? Outline specific approaches that can be taken to reduce stress in this organization and to counteract the effects of the unhealthy organizational culture. Explain your thinking, referencing academic sources. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3, and 5)
6. Discuss the concept of organizational values and ethics, and the role that formal codes of values and ethics play in guiding organizational behavior. Describe the concerns you have about the values and ethics based on the situation at SDSB, and identify how these concerns may be associated with issues of social and cultural diversity. What specific recommendations do you have for the leadership team to address these concerns? What advice or counsel would you give to specific members of the leadership team with respect to their personal behaviors? Reference empirical research studies to explain your rationale, and cite other academic sources, as appropriate. (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, and 4)
7. While SDSB has a number of tenured employees, there is also a great deal of attrition among the training staff. Thus, the ability to leverage individual learning and experience is haphazard. In addition, effective organizations are those that can adapt. In order to adapt, an organization must first be able to sense changes in signals from its environment (both internal and external). Using organizational learning literature, design a solution that can help SDSB learn from experience and incorporate learning as feedback into future planning. (Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 5, and 6)
8. Explain why it is considered important for an organization to seek and support social and cultural diversity and inclusion on its leadership team and within the ranks of its employees. Analyze the situation in this organization in terms of diversity and inclusion. What specific changes should the organization make to strengthen social and cultural diversity and inclusion within the company? Identify at least three specific actions you would recommend for members of the leadership team at SDSB to help them move the organization forward in this area. Explain your point of view, referencing academic sources. (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6)
Bruce Hopkins
Administrative Services Manager
Tonia Taylor
Training Supervisor
Volunteers
Sam Petrocelli
Director of Volunteer Services
Dr. Juanita Alvarez
Director of Veterinary Services
Lucy Goldstein
Executive Director of Operations
Joseph Chin
Financial Services Officer
Gary Hargrove
Kennel Manager
Marcia Schmidt
Director of Development
Staff Trainers
Assistant Staff Trainers
Emily Watson
CEO
Fundraising Coordinators
Kennel Assistants
Marla Ralston
Coordinator of Client Relationships
Service Dogs of San Bernardino
2899 Highland Ave.
San Bernardino, California
