HEA 612: Management of Community Health Organizations

Department of Public Health Education

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Spring 2005

HHP Room 347; 6:00-8:30 pm

+ on-line discussion

Instructor

Kay Lovelace, PhD, MPH

437 HHP Building

PO Box 26170

Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

Phone: 336-334-3246

Fax: 336-334-3238

Email: klovelace@uncg.edu

Office Hours: Mondays 3-5 or by appointment

Student questions will also be answered via on-line discussion forum 2x per week.

Credits: 3

PREREQUISITES/CORESQUISITES: Pr. Admission to a graduate degree program or permission of instructor.

FOR WHO PLANNED: MPH students, required, and/or other graduate students.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Analysis and skill development in management of community health organizations, including self-reflection, planning, staffing, marketing, building and managing agency and community teams. Literature reviews, community interviews, case study and experimental analysis.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: As a leader or manager of a health education program or community health organization, you will have the opportunity to exert leadership that can make a difference in public health. You will face many challenges. The political, financial, and policy environment in which your organization exists may help and/or constrain your organizations and programs effectiveness. Multiple goals and diverse constituents will affect the work you choose and the work you do. You will be responsible for building teams of diverse members (from the community and from your organization) and you will be held accountable for the work of colleagues over whom you have little or no authority. Your ability to negotiate priorities and conflict is crucial.

In this class, we will balance the conceptual and the experiential, the practical. What does it take to understand the organizations environment? How are organizations structured? How does organizational structure influence performance? How do organizations obtain the best employees and motivate them? What are effective communication and problem solving skills? How does one communicate with employees and the public during crises? How does one obtain & manage financial resources?

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

As a result of this course, you should be able to:

1. Assess the political and social environment in which a community health organization and program operates.
2. Use short- and long-term planning processes and techniques.
3. Reflect thoughtfully on your purpose and your personal strengths and limitations as a community health leader, program director, team member and facilitator.
4. Plan how to communicate with colleagues, supervisors, supervisees, and the public about organizational, program and crisis issues.
5. Understand the basics of hiring employees in community health organizations.
6. Think carefully and plan strategies for working with colleagues and for motivating supervisees.
7. Search for grant funding for a specific program need.
8. List action steps and line items for developing and managing a budget.

TEACHING STRATEGIES: Lecture, on-line and face-to-face class discussion, group work, community observations, experiential exercises, and case study analysis.

READINGS:

Bolman, LG & Deal, TE (2003). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, & leadership, 3^rd edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Required.

Brody, R (2005). Effectively managing human service organizations, 3^rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5^th edition). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Also see: APA Style Helper: http://www.apastyle.org/previoustips.html Required for all course papers.

Other readings (on e-reserve) as assigned.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

To allow for the flexibility that you, as adult learners, often need, we will undertake an experiment in course structure. The class will be an on-line/face-to-face hybrid consisting of discussion, group activities, self-assessments, role-plays, case studies, guest speakers, and mini presentations by students and the instructor.

• We will discuss the weekly readings on-line in a moderated discussion group prior to the face-to-face class session.
• The in-class session will consist of presentations by guest speakers, mini-presentations by the professor and students, group activities, role plays, and case study analyses.
• In-class work and on-line discussions will be organized in small groups. Based on the assets in the room, you will be assigned to a group that will work together for the entire semester.

Overall, the course is structured to balance time among these activities so as to increase your understanding and skills related to session topics. The course will meet as follows:

• Asynchronous on-line discussion group in Blackboard (8 times during the semester) (this should require one-two hours per week out-of-class). The discussion group will begin no later than noon on the Wednesday evening prior to the class and will be completed by noon on Saturday.
• In-class meetings (6:00-8:30 pm Mondays)
• Administrative/housekeeping issues (Instructor Q & A-on-line forum)

To minimize the use of class time to address administrative or class housekeeping details, students will be responsible for posting questions to and reading Instructor Q & A (on-line office hours) in Blackboard. More about this later! I may also send occasional emergency email messages.

Because this format is new for me (and possibly for you), it will be important for us to keep in touch about how it is working and what we need to do to tweak it! I will periodically ask for your feedback but don’t wait for my requests to offer suggestions.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

These are the required course assignments: 1) participation in on-line discussions; 2) individual and group readiness assessment tests; 3) three group organizational case studies; and 4) two provocative question papers.

1. Class Participation & Homework (Learning outcomes 1-8)

Active participation in on-line and face-to-face class discussions and activities- Required -

(450 points). This class is predicated on the full and active participation of each and every class member. Everyone is expected to come to all classes having completed all readings and other assignments. Active, spirited discussion that is relevant, coherent, perspective, and concise adds depth to class sessions. You will demonstrate your commitment to active, spirited, and respectful participation before class: reading and thinking about the readings, by completing the assignments, and by:

Discussion:

1) participating in on-line discussions (160 points) (8 discussions) (You will be responsible for a minimum of 3 postings/class. The moderator for each week will assess your participation.

2) moderating and summarizing/synthesizing an on-line class discussion (100 points); (please note that moderators will have different dates than the participants) and

In-class and case study participation:

3) during class (300 points) by actively listening, sharing your insights about the readings and the topics at hand, and by asking insightful questions. People participate in different ways --- some by contributing ideas, some by actively listening, some by facilitating the group process and by being totally present. Your peers will assess your in-class participation two times during the semester.

Also, each week you will prepare individually for readiness assessment tests (RATs). These will be discussed below. You may also be assigned additional homework (other than the readings and on-line discussion) on an occasional basis. For example, you may have an additional case study to read before class, a role or a few questions about an article to prepare. You will be credited for this work but the work will not be graded.

For more information, see Procedure for On-line Discussions.

2. Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs) (Learning outcomes 1-8) (400 points (10 @ 20 points each, individual, and 10 @ 20 points each, group)

RATS will be given at the beginning of most classes. We will not repeat the readings in class. The purpose of the RATs is to ensure that the group members are ready to apply the group readings to case studies and other in-class activities. The readiness assessment process will give you the opportunity to clarify critical concepts before applying them in class.

RATs will be structured as follows. First, each individual will take a RAT—5-10 multiple choice or true/false questions about the readings. Next, you will work together in your group to develop a group response to the RAT. After that, we will grade the individual and group RATs together and discuss them. Each class member will receive 20 points for each of their individual RATs and 20 points for each of their group RATs.

3. Group Case Studies (Learning outcomes 1-8) (600 points (3 @ 200 points each)

The purpose of these assignments is to synthesize knowledge and skills learned in this course and to develop a deeper, richer, more thorough understanding of an organizational skill or issue. Each case will be assigned in class and you will have class time to complete the assignment. Based on the specific case study, we may structure time for students to complete individual preparation that will facilitate the group’s completion of the assignment between two classes. However, all of the group work for the assignment will occur in class or through a small group on-line discussion which I can set up for your group if you request it.

4. Provocative Question Papers (Learning outcomes 1-8) (200 points (2 @ 100 points each)

Two (2) OPTIONAL provocative question papers will be assigned at least one week prior to being due. Papers should be turned into class as a hard copy and submitted via email as an attachment to kalovela.H612@uncg.edu. Paper should be in proper APA format and not exceed two (2) double-spaced pages. Appropriate references and citations should be included. Papers will be assessed on the following criteria:

a. Thoroughness (Did you answer all the questions in the paper assignment?)

b. Introspection/reflection

c. Quality of analysis / synthesis

d. Incorporation and referencing of course material

e. Application of course material

f. Use of references/citations and appropriate format

Make sure that you title your document with your name and the question #. For example, the document title for PQ 1 would be:

Your Name-PQ1.doc

In your document, include a header that has your name on each page, the question #, and the page #.

Your Name-PQ1, page 1

SUMMARY OF ASSIGMENTS, POINT VALUES, AND ASSESSORS

Assignment	Individual points	Group Points	Who assesses work	How work is assessed
Online discussion
Participation in on-line discussion (8 discussions @ 20 points each)	160		Moderator (one of your small group members)	Rubric developed together in class #2
Moderation of on-line discussion and synthesis/summary (1 @ 100 points each)	100		Instructor	§ Development of questions § Moderation of discussion § Summary/synthesis
In-class participation
In-class participation /group work	300		Group members	Rubric developed together in class #2
Readiness Assessment Tests
Individual (10 @ 20 points each)	200		Instructor	Objective – based on readings
Group – after completion of individual RATs (10 @ 20 points each)		200	Instructor	Objective – based on readings
Group Case Studies
In-class group case studies (3 @ 200 points each)		600	Instructor	Rubric given with case study
Provocative Questions (optional)
Individual focused papers (2 @ 100 points each)	200		Instructor	Rubric given with question
Subtototals	960	800
Total	1760 points

Grades:

Above 1600 points A

1525-1599 points A-

1450-1524 B+

1375-1449 B

1300-1374 B-

1225-1299 C+

1150-1224 C

1075-1149 C-

Below 1150 FAIL

COURSE POLICIES:

1. Attendance. Attendance is expected in all classes.

If you find that you must miss class, for a legitimate & unavoidable reason, please notify your group in advance. Please arrange with your group to complete any preparation needed for group assignments. Also, please arrange to obtain course handouts and any assignments from another student in the class.

You will not have the opportunity to make up any missed assignments or RATs that occur in class.

2. Participation. Together we will create the rubrics for determining the participation grade for the on-line discussions and for the in-class participation in group work.

Due Dates. All assignments are due when they are assigned. Late assignments are not accepted.

3. Workload. Expect to do 9-12 hours of reading, homework, and other assignments per week outside of class if you are a more-or-less typical learner.

4. Typing. All assignments need to be typed or word-processed unless otherwise announced. APA style should be followed on all assignments unless otherwise noted. Please also refer to guidelines for submitting your Provocative Questions.

5. Academic Integrity is important to success at UNCG and in later life. It is also an essential component of the SOPHE code of ethics. It is based on 5 values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. If you are to fully benefit from this class and be properly evaluated for your contributions, we must work together in an environment that affirms these values. Work that violates these values is incompatible with the goals of this class and will not be tolerated. Every member of the class is expected to foster the spirit of academic honesty at all times and to encourage that spirit among others.

Members of this class are encouraged to review the University’s Academic Integrity Policy on-line at http://www.saf.dept.uncg.edu/studisp/Honor.html or in the student handbook/calendar. I encourage you to discuss the meaning of academic integrity with one another and with me. If any work or assignment appears unclear or presents questions related to academic integrity, I urge you to talk with me to obtain further clarification.

I invite you, as a student in this class, to join me in supporting the Academic Integrity Policy. Including and signing the Academic Integrity Pledge below for all major work submitted in this class will signal a clear indication of your support. Electronic signatures will be accepted for all email submissions.

Academic Integrity Pledge: I have abided by the Academic Integrity Policy on this assignment.

____________________________ ___________

(Signature) (date)

Please review the material on plagiarism that I will hand out the second week of class. As discussed in The Chronicle of Higher Education,

Establishing ownership over the words you use . . . is really at the heart of the

learning process. You can read a dozen books about the cold war, but if you can’t

explain what you have learned to someone else in your own words, no real learning

has taken place. Plagiarism substitutes someone else’s prowess at explanation for your own efforts.

. . . plagiarism isn’t a bad thing simply because it’s an act of intellectual theft—

although it is that. It’s a bad thing because it takes the place of and prevents learning.

Owning your own words is an act that consists in equal measures of understanding

and creation. I understand what I intend to say in a speech or paper about the cold

war’s origins, and I create my own distinctive way to express this understanding

(Isserman, 2003, p B13).

Any assignments with any plagiarized component (phrases, sentences, paragraphs, tables, ideas, etc.) will receive an automatic zero. If you question how to cite a source or an idea, please refer to the APA Style Manual, 5^th edition.

6. Blackboard and other computer use.

We will use Blackboard, a web-based course technology, in the course. The School of HHP now requires that all your email be sent to your UNCG account.

Revised 2/1/05

Class Session and Topics	Assignments	Readings (readings are due Wed before Monday class)
1 - January 10 Course Overview and Introduction		· Bolman & Deal, pages 1-40
January 17 – ML King, Jr. Day – no class
2 – January 24^th Four frames for understanding organizations: Part 1 · Structural frame · Human Resources frame	January 19-22: Participate in moderated online discussion January 24: Read case study and questions (posted January 19) January 24: Work in class on group case study	· Bolman & Deal, pages 41-67, 113-132
3 - January 31 Four frames for understanding organizations: Part 2 · Political frame · Cultural frame	January 31^st: During class, complete and turn in case study	· Bolman & Deal, pages 181-220, 239-270
4 - February 7 Organizations as systems	February 2-6: Participate in moderated online discussion. Moderators: January 31: turn in questions and meet. February 2-6: moderate. February 7: post summary by 8 am. February 11: turn in evaluation of group members	· Senge, pages 3-16, 57-67 (e-reserve) · Wheatley (1999), pages 17-47, 136-155 (e-reserve)
5 - February 14 Who am I?	February 9-13: participate in moderated online discussion. Moderators: February 7: turn in questions and meet. February 9-13: moderate. February 14: post summary by 8 am. February 18: turn in evaluation of group members	· Bolman & Deal, pages 202-220, 394-408 · Kabat-Zinn, J (1994) What is my job on the planet with a capital J? In Wherever you go there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion, pp 206-209 (4 pages) · Lee,RJ & King, SN (2001) Get to Know Yourself as a Leader (Ch 5) in Discovering the Leader in You, pages 71-100 (e-reserves) · Leonard, D., & Straus, S. (1997). Putting your company's whole brain to work. Harvard Business Review, 75(4), 111- . (required-available through Journal Finder)
6 - February 21 Leadership at any level		· Bolman & Deal, pages 301-366 · Heifetz & Laurie (1997) The Work of Leadership (e-reserves) · Heifetz & Laurie (2003) The Leader as Teacher (e-reserves)
7 - February 28 Management Function: Recruiting and Hiring		· Hirschman (1998) Playing the high stakes hiring game. HR Magazine. (skim question list, last 2 pages) (2 pages). · Brody (3^rd edition, Getting and Keeping Productive Employees, pages 113-131 in Effectively Managing Human Service Organizations
March 7 No class! Spring Break Enjoy!
8 - March 14: Management Function: Training and Workforce Development		· TBA
9 - March 21 Management Function: Supervising and Coaching	March 16-20: participate in moderated online discussion. CASE STUDY 2 ASSIGNED Moderators: March 14: turn in questions and meet. March 16-20: moderate. March 21: post summary by 8 am. March 25: turn in evaluation of group members	· Bolman & Deal, pages 133-159 · Brody (3^rd ed): · Managing Employment Challenges, pages 132-150 · Appraising and Compensating Performance 194-222 · Supervising Staff, pages 172-192
10 - March 28 Management Function: Working with Teams	March 23-27: participate in moderated online discussion. CASE STUDY 2 DUE (in class work) Moderators: March 21: turn in questions and meet. March 23-27: moderate. March 28: post summary by 8 am. April 1: turn in evaluation of group members	· Brody (3^4d ed), Team Building and Coalition Building in Effectively Managing Human Service Organizations pages 383-401 · Brody (3^rd ed), Making Meetings Productive, p. 345-361 · Bolman & Deal, pages 93-108, 160-180. · Bergmann, H, Hurson, K, & Russ-Eft D (1999). Tool 14: The team formation checklist and Tool 15: Raising difficult issues with your team, In Everyone A Leader. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp 179-187 (8 pages)
11 - April 4 Management Function: Problem solving / decision making / dialogue	March 30-April 3: participate in moderated online discussion. Moderators: March 28: turn in questions and meet. March 30-April 3: moderate. April 4: post summary by 8 am. April 8: turn in evaluation of group members	· Brody (3^rd ed) Problem Solving in Effectively Managing Human Service Organizations pages 77-94. · Pacanowsky, M (1995) Team tools for wicked problems. Organizational Dynamics, 23 (3), pp 36-51. (15 pages)
12 - April 11 Management Function: Strategic and action planning	April 6-10: participate in moderated online discussion. Moderators: April 4: turn in questions and meet. April 6-10: moderate. April 11: post summary by 8 am. April 15: turn in evaluation of group members	· Bryson, JM (1994) Strategic planning & action planning for non-profit organizations. In RD Herman et al (Eds) The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Non-Profit Leadership and Management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp 154-183. (e-reserves) · Yankelovich, D (1999). Planned dialogue (Ch 6). The magic of dialogue: Transforming conflict into cooperation. New York: Simon & Schuster, pp 90-109. (e-reserves)
13 - April 18 Management function: Obtaining resources	April 13-17: participate in moderated online discussion. CASE STUDY 3 assigned Moderators: April 11: turn in questions and meet. April 13-17: moderate. April 18: post summary by 8 am. April 22: turn in evaluation of group members	· Ries, J & Leukenfeld, C (1995) Funding sources (e-reserves) · Lauffer, A. (1997) Writing the proposal as a blueprint for action, pp 258-295 (e-reserves). · Ries, J. & Leukenfeld, C. (1995). Seeing it through the reviewers’ eyes, 207-222. (e-reserves) · Lefferts, R (1983) How to understand & respond to requirements, pp 45-73 ( e-reserves)
14 - April 25 Management function: Managing financial resources		· Brody (3^rd edition) Managing Agency Finances, pages 225-253
15 - May 2 Wrap up and conclusions	CASE STUDY 3 due