Master of Philosophy in Organizational Dynamics Theses
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Publication DEI, Here I Come! Five Lessons From Organizational Dynamics For DEI(2023-05-15) Dajana D. Denes WaltersThis Capstone is a reflective summary of the learnings gained during my journey in the Organizational Dynamics graduate program at the University of Pennsylvania. As I have been proactively working on transitioning to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), I decided to collect five valuable lessons from Organizational Dynamics that I want to bring to the next chapter of my professional life. As a result, I pulled common threads from different courses and experiences in the program to create a guidebook for myself and anyone else who is eager to create an inclusive, just, and safe work environment for all. Each lesson explores a different concept together with a method (or methods) that can be used to put it in practice and its DEI application(s). The concepts—including curiosity, transformative learning, contained chaos, implicit bias, and feedback—create a broad spectrum of organizational solutions for building a human-centered and learning-oriented organization where everyone can thrive.Publication Defining Corporate Social Responsibility: A Systems Approach For Socially Responsible Capitalism(2011-07-01) Smith, Richard E.Although the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been advocated for decades and is commonly employed by corporations globally, agreement on how CSR should be defined and implemented remains a contentious debate amongst academia, businesses and society. This gap is problematic for corporations because they are increasingly being required to align with societal norms while generating financial returns. In order to remedy this problem, the following definition is presented: corporate social responsibility is a business system that enables the production and distribution of wealth for the betterment of its stakeholders through the implementation and integration of ethical systems and sustainable management practices. Many of the concepts in the proposed definition are commonplace amongst CSR practitioners and organizations, the validations for the key segments – production and distribution of wealth, stakeholder management, ethical systems, sustainable management practices – coupled with the application of a systems approach and other business practices make the definition unique and conclusive. An in depth review of the definition and supporting concepts will provide the needed vision and knowledge to enable corporations to successfully manage CSR strategies.Publication One Hospital’s Journey to Create a Culture of Safety(2010-05-12) McGoldrick, MargaretThe Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports in 1999, To Err is Human – Building a Safer Health System and 2001, Crossing the Quality Chasm sought to transform the culture of American hospitals. The culture of blame needed to become a culture of safety if we were ever to reduce and prevent errors and create a system of care organized around patient not provider needs. Abington Memorial Hospital began its journey to create a culture of safety in December 1999 and today in 2010 we continue that journey. Much has been done and our organization has truly advanced in our transparency and focus on systems improvement. This paper describes our journey over the past decade and our strength of commitment to continuous improvement in search of perfect care for our patients.Publication The Underwriting of American Healthcare: One Hundred Years of Reform and the Need for a New Paradigm(2010-09-30) Thomas, CarolIn 2009, healthcare costs in the United States totaled $2.5 trillion dollars and constituted more than 17% of GDP. 1 , 2 Healthcare inflation has trended higher than general CPI for more than twenty years and this pattern is expected to escalate. The U.S. currently has the most expensive healthcare system in the world both in terms of absolute dollars and per capita spending. The underwriting for these costs however, is highly fragmented and currently leaves 47 million Americans to either cover the full costs themselves or forego treatment. 3 Recent enactment of healthcare reform via the Patient Protection and Affordability Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act promises to expand insurance coverage as well as redress systemic shortcomings in the delivery and financing of healthcare. However, there is considerable debate as to what will really be accomplished by this latest reform attempt as well as considerable opposition its promulgation. The current debate over healthcare reform is a continuation of a conflict that arose more than one hundred years ago when powerful business, political and medical interest groups allied themselves against changes to the status quo. In 2010, it is simply “déjà vu all over again”.* This paper will present the salient features of the current healthcare model in the U.S. It details the elements making up the three segments of the model and the factors that led to their entrenchment. The paper will also trace the evolutionary reformation of healthcare and the forces that have shaped the model we have today. It will highlight the process surrounding the passage of the latest reform measure as well as specific requirements and protections being introduced by it. *Quote attributed to Yogi Berra As other countries have faced the same issues with respect to the role of government in ensuring the health and welfare of its citizens, a comparative review of the healthcare financing and delivery models in Great Britain, Germany, France and Canada will be presented. The paper will further examine the governance structures in these countries versus those in the U.S. to gain insight as to why the U.S. has lagged behind its democratic peers in implementing healthcare reform. Lastly, this paper will seek to reframe the current U.S. debate over healthcare reform from one centered on underwriting principles to one centered on national values.Publication Is Time on Your Side: An Examination of Six Dimensions of Time From a Negotiation and Relational Perspective(2008-11-01) Jacobson, LarryThis Capstone Paper, which is heavily influenced by my Master of Philosophy studies in the Organizational Dynamics program, discusses six dimensions of time that influence negotiations and relationships. I describe in detail each of the six dimensions of time. Next, I use examples from the Cuban Missile Crisis to illustrate how these dimensions of time played a critical role under the most pressure packed situation. Then I explore how these dimensions play an important role in how individuals and organizations use time when negotiating with third parties and use time as a form of strategic advantage. I conclude by relating back to my prior discussion and analysis to support my argument that the person or organization who understands the time dynamics of a situation frequently will have the upper hand in a negotiation or relationship, regardless of the advantages or disadvantages the other person or organization might have in material resources.Publication Analyzing And Managing Deviant Organizational Leaders(2009-07-18) Hayes, Karen EThis thesis presents a theoretical analysis for understanding and managing the root cause of the unscrupulous activities carried out by contemporary organizational leaders across a variety of industries. The current socio-economic impact of these actions requires that we thoroughly understand the characteristics that precipitate them. This analysis incorporates the work of Otto F. Kernberg, M.D. in Ideology, Conflict and Leadership in Groups and Organizations (2002) on the psychology of behavior of individuals, leaders and groups within organizations. Suffering Souls, the Search for the Roots of Psychopathy (2008) by John Seabrook is referenced in addressing the similarities between the characteristics of non-violent psychopaths and those of deviant organizational leaders. The work of Philip E. Tetlock, Ph.D. (1999, 2000) on accountability and responsibility within organizations is referenced along with that of Kim Cameron, Ph.D. (2003, 2004, 2005) on ethics, virtue and Positive Organizational Scholarship. The origins, popularity and limitations of organizational controls for unethical and illegal practices are discussed. The Baptist Healthcare Corporation model (2005) for operational effectiveness is presented to support the positive impact a dedicated, ethical and driven organizational leader has. Positive Organizational Scholarship (2005) as defined by Kim S. Cameron as a way of spreading what organizations do well is presented as part of the education needed to emulate what good organizations do. My conclusions are supported by my own experiences and the theories discussed, pointing to individual leaders as the primary drivers of managing and eliminating organizational deviance.Publication Aspects Of Organizational Learning: Four Reflective Essays(2010-05-05) Walton, Jerrold AThis thesis presents my responses to questions posed by four professors with whom I studied while completing my coursework in the Organizational Master’s Degree program at the University of Pennsylvania. My paper will present various perspectives on learning organizations – organizations characterized by a capability to adapt to changes in environment. All questions posed by each professor impact learning organizations in some manner. Dr. Stankard’s questions focus on the roadblocks organizations face when transforming to learning organizations. Dr. Kaminstein’s questions center on how organizations can become less individualistic and more team-centered. Dr. Wilkinsky queried how developmental coaching might be used to increase organizational performance. Finally, Dr. Russo asked how to address the misalignment that occurs when the leader-manager’s coaching model is not the same as the larger organization. This project has allowed me to investigate and reflect on potential key drivers of organizational learning. I have learned that a multitude of individual and organizational complexities – internal and external – affect and determine if organizations learn and whether learning is sustained. To successfully navigate those complexities through planned interventions is a core tenet of organizational development and the hallmark of a true learning organization.Publication An Exploration of the Effects of Collectivism and Individualism on Maintaining Societal Cohesiveness and Encouraging Cross-Societal International Relations by the Review of a Sample of Societial Mechanics(2008-03-31) Marciniszyn, DavidA functional society is a society that has found its balance between the extremes of 100% Individualism (Chaos) and 100% Collectivism (Stagnation). Thorough exploration of the influences that the institutions of Society, Family, Education, Work Environment and Religion have on the members of a particular society allows for an understanding of the mechanics which work to shape and influence societies from generation to generation. Following a review of multiple pieces of literature and personal interactions and observations in select societies (China, Czech Republic, Greece and Sweden) the extrapolation can be made that there are two distinct societal types, collectivist and individualist. Although it is often speculated that a society must utilize one extreme or the other, in reality societies try to balance between the extremes of stagnation and chaos as a means of self preservation. The institutions used by societies to enforce compliance among its membership are essentially universal; however, the methods by which societies choose to maintain cohesiveness differ from society to society and are influenced by changes in technology and information sharing on a global scale. These factors serve to explain why degrees of both individualism and collectivism can be found in each functional society currently in existence. The balance of these two societal extremes allows a society to optimally function and maintain harmony. This balance is by no means stagnant. Societies constantly struggle toward one extreme or the other. Functional societies find themselves being drawn back toward the middle over time, with no society every truly obtaining a perfect equilibrium. An understanding of the dynamics at work in this cycle enhances our ability to function in our own society and interact with other societies on an international scale.Publication Shapes, Colors, And Fonts: The Hidden Power In Employee Benefit Communications(2021-11-15) Krach, Pepper JThis capstone explored how an organization can achieve better employee benefit communications with the strategic use of color, shapes, and fonts. To achieve this, I examined the influence of visual communications on people and how that might create a greater emotional connection to their employee benefits, which may ultimately have a longer-term effect on how employees feel about their employer. In doing this, I built a model using a tiered approach to learn why and how this work is important to the business, the individual, and the organization. The study reviewed a broad spectrum of philosophies and psychologies including the work of Louis Cheskin, who built the Color Research Institute and focused on the scientific approach in the use of design and color in selling merchandise. The goal of this study was to apply a similar approach so when implemented these visual resources can result in greater employee appreciation of their employee benefits. By maximizing visual methods that support positive psychology theories, a greater overlap can be created between employees and the organizations they work for, which shows how an organization can support a meaningful whole life through total rewards communication methods. Employees value their employee benefits but often find them confusing (Wooldridge, 2020). Three in 10 workers (29%) reported they automatically re-enroll in their benefits from the previous year because they find the process overwhelming and spend little time looking at their options. The goal of the study was to identify methods that result in greater employee interest, understanding, and appreciation for the benefits made available by their employer.Publication A Comparative Analysis of Coaching Programs Offered by the Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching (GSAEC)(2008-05-28) Perry, Kimberly A.The field of executive coaching has grown dramatically over the past 15 years and continues to increase in size and scope. A growing number of academic institutions in the United States and Canada now offer coaching programs packaged as graduate degrees, graduate certificates, continuing education courses, workshops, and other professional development for students, faculty and staff. Academic coaching programs are located in many departments or schools including psychology, business, education, public policy, and human resources. A single institution may have multiple yet autonomous coaching programs or offerings. Out of the chaos and turmoil of coaching education offerings, an orderly academic system began to emerge. Coaching now seems on a pathway toward becoming an academic discipline. At this juncture, the nidus of executive coaching exploded into a universe of possibilities in a fashion similar to cosmology’s Big Bang. In 2005, an expansion of the U.S. academic coaching community occurred when a small number of other colleges and universities offering coaching programs where enjoined. One important goal was to form an alliance around the establishment of educational standards for academic and professional coaching programs. At this epicenter the “Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching” (GSAEC) formally assembled. Eight academic institutions in North America provided financial support for this new organization and hence become the “founding members” of GSAEC (Ibid). If indeed GSAEC is the epicenter of the academic universe for executive coaching, what are the characteristics of the institutions and their programs? Can they be