Module Project

Section 1–Organizational Description

Assignment Length: 2–3 pages

The executive leadership of an organization has hired your firm to work with them; largely for your firm’s ability to support recommendations made with current research on systems and leadership management and theory. The client would like your firm to model and describe their organization based on recent developments in both systems and leadership management and theory.

The notion of tipping points is related to systems as that point in which a system changes from one state to another. While there is a mathematical description for a tipping point, it is out of scope for this class. Instead, consider a tipping point as simply a break from the current state of a system to a new state. For example, if a company were to be acquired by another company, it would experience a tipping point. If a company were to radically downscale, then it would experience another tipping point. Tipping points are a common feature of systems, such as ecological systems, climate systems, insect colonies, and human social systems.

For this Final Project component, select an organization with which you are familiar. The organization can be a corporation, a nonprofit, a community organization, a government agency/sub-agency, a military organization, or other entity involving people, resources, and goals, such as a city, county, state, or country.

This week, you begin your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for details about this week’s Final Project component.

Please include the following in 2–3 pages:

Using the PowerPoint template, model the following for your organization (this model will be inserted as a figure into your Final Project Template or attached as a separate file, which is likely the best option as the number of slides increases):

· Inputs (information, materials, and energy)

· Top-level organizational process

· Outputs (information, materials, and energy)

· Two or more thresholds or tipping points beyond which the organization would become unrecognizable

· Explain the organization in detail to interpret your model.

· Explain how general systems theory and Boulding’s hierarchy of systems might inform the executive leaderships’ understanding of its organization’s and leadership/management’s thinking.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your rationale to the executive leadership.

Section 2–Systems Dynamics (Stocks, Flows, and Feedback Loops)

The Assignment:

This week, you continue your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for details about this week’s Final Project component.

Please include the following in 2–3 pages:

· Evaluate at least three stocks and associated flows in your selected organization.

· Evaluate at least one positive feedback loop in your selected organization.

· Evaluate at least two examples of how understanding stocks, flows, and feedback loops might improve decision making within the organization.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations to the executive leadership.

Section 3—Learning Disciplines

The Assignment:

This week, you continue working on your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Please review the Final Project Template for details for this week’s component.

Please include the following in a 2- to 3-page summary to the executive leadership:

· Briefly describe the learning disciplines (systems theory, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning).

· Provide one example of each of the learning disciplines at work in your selected organization.

· Explain how each of these disciplines might inform leadership, management, and decision making in the organization.

· Recommend how the organization could improve its use of each discipline.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations and recommendations to the executive leadership.

Section 4—Systems Archetypes

The Assignment:

This week, you continue your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for this week’s component.

In 2–3 pages:

· Explain at least three archetypes observed in your selected organization.

· Explain the problems indicated by these archetypes.

· Recommend potential solutions to the executive leadership for the problems indicated by these archetypes.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations and recommendations to the executive leadership.

Section 5—Networks

The Assignment:

This week, you will continue your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for this week’s component.

In 2–3 pages:

· Identify and explain three different networks found in your selected organization.

· Explain how each of the three networks might inform decision making in leadership and management.

· Recommend how the leadership may use knowledge of the networks or network structures to improve the organization.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations and recommendations to the executive leadership.

Section 6—Adding Complexity

The Assignment:

This week, you continue your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for proper APA formatting and details for this week’s component.

In 3–4 pages, complete the following:

· Using your original PowerPoint model, expand your model of the organization to include the following (this model will be inserted as a figure into your Final Project Template):

                  Detectors

                  Effectors

                  Networks

· Expand your description of the organization by:

                  Describing three or four agents (including detectors and effectors).

                  Explaining the relationships among three or four agents.

                  Explaining the flow of information, material, or energy across networks.

                  Explaining how two or three agents may be aggregated.

                  Explaining two or three nonlinear (positive or negative) feedback loops.

                  Explaining three or four key organizational processes.

                  Explain how this new model might help leaders better understand the organization.

                  Explain how this new model might help leaders improve their decision-making skills.

                  Recommend how the organization might improve with a better understanding of the various structures and processes in the organization.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations and recommendations to the executive leadership.

Section 7—Resilience

The Assignment:

This week, you continue your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for proper APA formatting and details for this week’s component.

In 4–6 pages, complete the following:

· Use the World Economic Forum matrix, located in this week’s resources, to explore resilience in your selected organization. Describe your organization or one with which you are familiar in terms of each of the cells found in the matrix in a narrative format.

· Explain why you do or do not believe the organization you selected is resilient.

· Furthermore explain how the organization may be resilient in some ways but not in others. Give illustrative examples supporting your conclusions.

· Explain how the executive leadership might use this information about resilience to improve its decision-making behavior.

Include at least two citations/references to current literature to support your explanations and recommendations to the executive leadership.

Section 8—Summary and Conclusion

The Assignment:

This week, you finalize and submit all sections of your Consultancy Report for the executive leadership of your selected organization. Review the Final Project Template for proper APA formatting and details for this week’s Assignment. Be sure to include the revised content based on your Instructor’s feedback.

Complete the following:

· Include an abstract of your report in the opening pages. Be sure to relate the project to Walden’s mission of positive social change.

· Include a summary at the conclusion of your report that summarizes your Final Project and your findings in one or two paragraphs. Be sure to relate Walden’s mission of positive social change to your concluding thoughts.

· Provide any other concluding remarks on your work for the organization.