Organizational Leadership

This course will introduce students to the essential knowledge required for graduate leadership study. Additionally, this course will cover topics needed for success in a graduate leadership program including critical thinking, oral and written communication, research, and analysis skills. This course must be passed with a C or better before additional MOL courses may be taken.

Course Hours: 3

Leadership begins with self-leadership. Learners will examine the process of leading from the inside-out (their core). Helpful assessments and interactions such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, leadership lectures and presentations, and professional leadership consulting will guide students through the vital process of core leadership development, which follows this ongoing formula: Self-examination leads to self-awareness which leads to self-regulation. The insights developed in this area serve as the foundation for leading self and others.

Course Hours: 3

Provides an analysis of foundational theories and practices of organizational leadership.  The four-fold focus of the course includes 1) creating a clear path of professional leadership competency development, 2) applying a theoretical and practical introduction to organizations, 3) evaluating and applying a personal study of great leaders, and 4) producing a synthesis of organizational leadership through the lens of Servant Leadership.  The student will experience personal assessment, professional reflection, and project/team learning.

Course Hours: 3

Examines the various factors that influence the culture of an organization and focuses on the importance of utilizing an understanding of culture to build a well-performing organization.  It also explores effective means by which to implement change within organizations, both strategic and incremental.

Course Hours: 3

Assists learners in integrating the experiential and intellectual learning components of negotiation and conflict resolution. Learners examine sources of conflict between supervisors and subordinates, as well as between/among peers, with a focus on methods of resolving such conflicts for the betterment of individual, team, and organizational performance. Considerable emphasis will be placed on simulations, role-playing, and cases.

Course Hours: 3

Examines the interactive impact of leaders on diverse communities. This course asks learners to identify the Christian leadership needed in communities (local, regional, national and international) and to explore the institutional influences of family, religion, education, government, and commerce.

Course Hours: 3

Explores research, theories, and models of team performance, including the design and implementation of high-performance leadership in organizations. Assessments, simulations, and case studies are utilized by learners to gain further insight into personality styles, power and influence, trust-building, risk-taking, communication styles, motivational strategies, and team dynamics.

Course Hours: 3

Capstone Course

Focuses on developing the capacity of organizational leaders for strategic thinking. Topics include the conceptual frameworks of strategic thinking as well as practical applications to personal, professional, and organizational leadership. Strategic thinking will be integrated with the broader fields of strategy, strategy making, and strategic planning.

Course Hours: 3

The delivery of health care has been influenced by the legal issues surrounding the delivery, security and research associated with the patient/provider relationship. The legal influences on the corporate health care environment will be presented. Discussions of the influences on the delivery process and policy will be reviewed, including—but not limited to—the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX).

Outcome-based health care delivery and case management have been topics of discussion for some time, and the influence on delivery and reimbursement will continue to impact the health care environment. Topics include the quality of care and the influencers (such as staff shortages, educational shortcomings and technology velocity) and their influence on health care delivery. Patient safety and patient satisfaction will be presented through current data on the topic and the results of quality initiatives such as the healthcare-focused Baldrige award and audit process. The influences of the organizational efficiencies on health care delivery and the opposing health care delivery process on organizational efficiencies will be reviewed and discussed.

The delivery of healthcare in the U.S. has been influenced and changed significantly through the legislative process at the federal, state and local levels. The strategic planning of healthcare delivery has been significantly altered by these changes. This course will present and discuss the strategies available to address the changing landscape of healthcare delivery through the use and study of healthcare issues and how they will influence the future of healthcare delivery. Case studies will be a major portion of this course to determine how others have approached the policies in the past and how they have been impacted by the choices made.

The development of the sequencing and timing of project components and the risks associated at every point within the project must be understood and addressed. Recognition of the risk and the influence of the costs associated with risk, the scope of challenges presented by the risk and the schedule complexity that adds to and is influenced by risk must be understood by the successful project manager. Quantitative and qualitative techniques for risk management are components of project management, but the ability to recognize the threat is perhaps more critical. Threats can take the form of human, operational, procedural and technical threats or they may be political in nature. In any case, addressing threats and risks associated with these threats must be a tool in the project management arsenal.

Many project managers are confused or sidetracked by the legalities of cost management issues when utilizing contract or outsourced providers for portions of project delivery. The procurement process is often subjugated to the purchasing group(s) within the organization. The responsibility for the project cannot, however, be transferred to others. Therefore, the process must be understood and managed by the successful project manager. Most projects have some contract and procurement component that will influence the overall success of the project. With competitive bidding, technology advancements and federal and state legal issues that influence the process of procurement, it is important that the project manager bring knowledge and awareness to this aspect of the project process.

Development of project scope, work breakdown structures, project planning and project budgets will be discussed and presented. Project Management tools and techniques will also be introduced to support the project development process. The Project Manager must maintain a knowledge of the current systems and solutions available to ensure successful project/product delivery. In addition to the waterfall techniques, the tools and processes that support Agile, Lean and Six Sigma will be reviewed and presented. Detailed discussions regarding the benefits and limitations of each technique and the supporting tools will be of value to the participant when presented with making choices regarding the selection, development and delivery of projects.

This course provides fundamental knowledge of legal concepts and principles important to business decision-making. Topics include the legal system, torts and product liability, contracts, agency, forms of business organization, employment law and government regulation.

The course surveys models and best practices for organizational strategic planning, including a leader’s role in the planning process and implementation of the plan at various operational levels. Various methods for analyzing and solving problems, as well as decision-making strategies, are examined for utilization as change in an organization’s operations becomes necessary. Using the servant-leadership model, learners will discern how to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organization's values and integrity.

Analyzes the strategic role of the human resource function in relation to the company's overall objectives. The focus is how the company builds and maintains a work environment conducive to business performance excellence while enabling employees to develop and utilize their full potential. Key topics include employment law, the labor market, human resource planning and costing, HRIS, workforce diversity and EEOC, union/management and compensation systems, health/safety/security, employee rights and discipline, training and development.

This course analyzes the strategic role of the human resource management function. The following topics will be examined: the environment of HR, job analysis, HR planning, labor relations and health and safety considerations.

This course analyzes the steps necessary for recruiting and selecting the employees needed to effectively execute an organization’s strategy. Topics related to successful performance appraisal, training and development are also explored.

This course examines theoretical and practical issues of compensation and benefits including legally-mandated benefits (social security, worker compensation, unemployment, health insurance, family and medical leave, etc.) as well as voluntary programs (retirement, disability, life insurance, time off, etc.).

An introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset, intrapreneurship, and the different types of innovation. Includes such topics as developing entrepreneurial thinking in a corporate setting, managing entrepreneurial ventures within a larger corporate structure, the difference between sustaining and disruptive innovations, and developing processes for stimulating creative solutions to business challenges.

Provides processes and tools for developing and evaluating new business ideas including new venture ideation, business planning, financial forecasting, competitive analysis, target market identification, and basic marketing strategies. As part of the course, students will develop a modified business plan around a business idea of their choosing.

This course highlights the unique aspects of owning and managing a small business, particularly in the areas of marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, and strategic planning. Includes an introduction to various software packages and third party resources to help the small business owner in these areas.

An introduction to nonprofit organizations including issues of organizational structure, governance, finance, resource development, operations, and evaluation.

For nonprofits to thrive, leaders and managers must recruit human and financial resources adequate to serve the purposes of the organization. Fund-raising and grant-writing will be covered as well as recruiting human resources that align with the mission and vision of the nonprofit.

This course highlights the unique aspects of managing financial resources in a nonprofit setting. This includes topics related to nonprofit accounting, financial reporting, and resource allocation. The course will primarily concentrate on the fiscal management, financial reporting and strategic analysis in education, health care, churches, ministry and humanitarian organizations.

An introduction to the emergency management field, including preparations for dealing with a crisis that could threaten health, safety and economic functions. Strategic applications covered in the course assist organizations in designing quick resolutions for efforts to minimize the disruptions, damages or other effects from emergency situations.

The course features comprehensive emergency management planning on the public side and business continuity management on the private side. The course concentrates on the effective application of strategies designed to create timely responses to unpredictable events or unforeseeable consequences. The content includes risk-based planning, management of critical resources and collaborative partnerships.

This course highlights the unique aspects of utilizing contemporary messaging tools in various social media formats. Information management in the crisis and emergency management context is the primary focus. Widespread use of social media is prevalent for agencies, communities and businesses in their planning and responses to emergency needs. The content includes the management of technology and the creation of cybersecurity protections.