PAD 706—BUREAUPATHOLOGY                                    Professor Patrick O’Hara

Room 3504 (Suite 3501) North Hall                         212-237-8086; 610-286-7163

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

To study the relationship between the fundamental structures/processes of organization and the "pathologies" to which organizations are prone, with particular emphasis on public sector and non-profit organizations. To apply and sharpen our understanding of the nature and causes of organizational pathology by closely examining specific instances of organizational failure. To deepen the students understanding of how management policy an employee behavior can undermine the efficient, effective and lawful delivery of goods and services by public, non-profit and private organizations. To analyze organizational pathologies such as corruption, fraud, waste, abuse of power, secrecy, institutionalization, favoritism/nepotism, racism/sexism, and obstruction of oversight. To study and assess how leadership, oversight and structural reform can help renew organizations beset by critical and/or chronic failures of performance. To have every student demonstrate his/her understanding of the causes, symptoms, progression and treatment of organizational pathology in general and with respect to a specific organization.

 

BOOKS FOR THIS COURSE

Required:

Diane Vaughan. The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA. University of Chicago Press, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-titleid=57437&ve-field=none/qid=/002-7957930-6512065 (Note: This link takes you to both the paperback and hardcover versions of the book. We will be using the paperback version in the class if it is available.)

Recommended:

Noel Tichy with Eli Cohen, The Leadership Engine: How Winning Companies Build Leaders at Every Level. New York: Harper Business, 1997 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887307930/o/qid=966618071/sr=2-1/103-5646095-2698247

The links for the required books are to Amazon.com, as are the links in the bibliography. The links are designed to allow students and prospective students to get a better idea about the reading material in the course. Students in the course may obtain their books wherever they please. These books are available in the John Jay Bookstore, as well as at other retailers. The recommended book will not be a major focus of the course this semester. I do, however, recommend reading this book, and completing the "public sector" version of the leadership workbook (which will be given to anyone who shows a copy of the book to the professor).

Case Study Materials:

This course relies heavily on case studies. Case materials will either be distributed as handouts or can be accessed via links in this syllabus. Every student is expected to have a basic understanding of organizational structures and processes, preferably by way of an organization theory course or basic management course. Students without this background should see the professor in order to determine if additional readings needs to be done so that the student can perform effectively in the class. 

ASSIGNMENTS AND PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Each class depends on student participation. Effective student participation requires that assignments be completed before class. To this end, written answers to any FORUM QUESTIONS must be made before our weekly class meeting. Students are expected to contribute to classroom discussions moderated by the instructor. Students are also expected to participate with questions and clarifications during formal presentations made by students in the last five weeks of class. Classroom contributions require regular attendance, and grading penalties will be assessed for missing formal presentations or for missing three or more classes.

A term paper, due Week 13 will be required. This paper shall consist of a clinical evaluation of the origins and development of a major crisis confronting an organization. The paper shall also describe and analyze any the steps taken to avert and/or reverse the crisis. More detailed suggestions about the organization of the term paper are found below.

A PowerPoint presentation will be required. The term paper provides only the basis for the student’s formal classroom presentation. Each student is expected to make use of what the presentation software enables, and what the Internet can provide, in order to deliver a compelling story to the class.

Each student shall be responsible for taking and passing a closed book, essay exam in Week 10’s class. This essay exam, comprised of 5 questions, will cover all material covered in Weeks 1-9. A list of 10 or more "candidate questions," based on the syllabus discussion questions, will be distributed the week before the examination.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Students may complete any or all parts of the PUBLIC SECTOR VERSION of the leadership handbook found on pages 197 to 299 of Tichy's Leadership Engine. This workbook parallels first nine chapters in the Tichy book. For any student who wishes to take an in-depth look at his/her leadership development and potential, this workbook is worth doing. Any student completing the workbook should advise the instructor, who will be happy to read your answers and give you any feedback that might be helpful.

 

TERM PAPER PROTOCOLS AND FRAMEWORK

Every student must develop a term paper over the course of the semester. This term paper must analyze a specific organization and the management/policy crisis faced by that organization. The primary source for this paper must be a "company/policy crisis" book listed in Part A of the bibliography. Since the class will benefit most from hearing about the widest range of organizational crises and resolutions, no book may be chosen by more than one student (though particular organizations are the subject of more than one book).

 

Format of the Term Paper

This format provides students a framework for organizing the basic information in their books, as well as a set of diagnostic categories into which most case studies should fit. This format is not intended to straight-jacket the student.

General Description/Critical Situations: Every term paper must begin by describing the organization or industry the student has chosen to analyze. In general, this description should include the organization’s or industry’s history, the principal functions (goods or services provided), size (number of employees, geographic scope, industry position), and the situations (problems, successes) that are the primary focus of the book you have chosen for your paper.

Symptomatic Analysis: Assess the relative importance of each of the following factors in the decline of your organization. You must offer specific instances to buttress your assessment of each factor. The factors below are simply the most common underlying symptoms of organizational crisis. Given the wide range of books in the bibliography, many students in this class will be studying organizations beset by crises that have causes different from, or in addition to, those listed below. Do not confine yourself to the list below if your organization’s problems stem from other factors. You should identify these additional factors based on your grounding in organization theory, either by way of PAD 705, an equivalent class or a basic organization theory text. Forcing unrelated symptoms into the categories is a sure formula for a poor paper grade.

Assessment of Corrective Actions Taken or Possible: For each crisis symptom that you identify, describe the corrective actions that the organization took and the effectiveness of those actions. If the organization did not act on one or more crisis symptoms, try to identify the circumstances underlying the inaction, and the results of that inaction. Where inaction prevailed or ineffective action took place, describe and justify actions you believe would have led the organization out of its crisis.

 Diagnosis: After identifying the pathologies present in your organization(s), you must categorize the condition of your organization in terms of one or more of the following diseases: Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational Sclerosis. We will talk more about each condition as the class progresses, particularly when we discuss the Allegheny Hospital and LA and Philadelphia police cases. Use the definitions below to make your diagnoses in those cases, as well as with respect to your term paper organization.

(A note on the "bad person" explanation: What jumps out in some cases, such as Adelphia or Allegheny Health Systems, are one or more key individuals whose actions are self-serving, arguably dishonest or larcenous, and destructive to the organization. They are, indeed, "bad persons" in their negative impact on the organization and even, frequently, in the eyes of the law. And "bad persons" make for engaging books, and satisfying targets of our anger. Yet "bad persons" is not a diagnostic category. Why? Because bad persons are sustained by the systems and cultures that surround them--by cultures that accept them, organizational structures that enable them, overseers who ignore them, territorial institutions that promote take-no-prisoners leadership, or a sleep-walking, sclerotic organization that sees, hears and speaks no evil. Do not ignore "bad persons/leaders" if they play a role in your organization's crisis. Do not, however, put them center-stage. Be sure that your paper focuses mostly on how one or more of the factors below harmed the organization. If relevant, you should note how these factors enabled the "bad person's" damaging behavior.)

Institutionalization--A condition characterized by a high degree of control by managers and workers over the policies of the organization. The managers and professionals ("We are the experts!") and/or the workers ("The rules say we don't do that!) put self-protective policies ahead of policies that serve the customers of the organization. A high degree of organizational regulation is characteristic of this condition and protects insiders while fending off outsiders. The organization consequently is either out of touch with and/or largely invulnerable to, and frequently disdainful of, the clientele being served. (Example: The New York City School System)

Oversight Failure--A condition characterized, at its most extreme, by organizational immunity from oversight. Oversight mechanisms may "self-neutralize" because of their make-up, as can be the case with politically appointed boards. Oversight may also fail because the top management of the organization is very powerful, either through long tenure or strong charter. Those responsible for overseeing the organization often owe their posts and/or benefits to the CEO or agency head. With oversight failure, leadership has free rein, for good and bad, which tends towards self-glorifying and self-indulgent leadership. As entrenched, unmonitored leadership becomes the organization's only compass, the potential for tragic misdirection skyrockets. (Example: Adelphia Cable)

Structural Failure--A condition characterized by fundamental defects in organizational structure and/or processes. Such organizations often exhibit divided authority, warring camps of employees, and communications failures, among other dysfunctions. When things go awry, finger-pointing and power-plays take precedence over long-term problem-solving. Without structural reform, mini-disasters tend to accumulate into catastrophes. (Example: FBI and Justice Department)

Cultural Deviance--A condition characterized by organizational segments that deviate significantly from behavioral and/or performance norms of the overall organization. These segments march to the beat of their own drum. These units or divisions may be characterized by high complaint volume and a concentration of problem employees, but may also contain very high performers who are willing to cut any corner and break any rule in order to excel. Culturally deviant organizational elements tend to bunker, building walls between themselves and the rest of the organization and creating an isolation in which incipient disaster can fester. (Example: Ramparts Division in the LAPD)

Organo-sclerosis--A condition characterized by widespread complacency in the organization. Core policies tend to go unquestioned by both management and the workers. The organization's franchise is seen as perpetual and unchanging. Belonging to the organization is akin to being in a club, every member is a good member unless he or she criticizes the organization. Mutual deference between members means that no one probes deeply into what others are doing. Secure in their positions (mostly) and lackadaisical toward both strategy and task, the membership insures that such organizations are largely invulnerable to environmental change. Example: IBM in the 1980's/90's

Exploration of the Alternative Hypothesis: The principal book in this course, by Diane Vaughan, makes a very good case, at least with respect to the Challenger disaster, that normal organizational processes and individuals acting in good faith account for many of the disasters that befall organizations. Though your paper should focus principally on diagnosing the "disease" that afflicted your failing organization, you must devote the last section of your paper to considering whether more benign and banal processes conspired to bring an organization of innocents to a state of disaster or crisis.

NOTE: Each student must base his or her paper on one of the "SECTION A" books from the bibliography. Because no student may select a book that another student has selected, students will be chosen by lot for book selection, which takes place in the very first class. The lottery winner gets the first book choice but also gets the first slot in the presentation line-up for Weeks 11-15. While not every student will get his/her first choice book, the organization(s) in each book faced similar crises and/or debacles, and offer similar lessons to student analysts. Term papers are due at Week 13's class.

After the lottery immediately get your book. Reading your case study book as we proceed will facilitate your analysis, and keep you ahead of the game. Clear parallels exist between the organizational dynamics underscored by our class-wide readings, and the dynamics present in the organizations that each individual will study. After our third class, each student, either voluntarily or when called upon, should be able to help draw these parallels for the class as part of their class participation responsibilities.

POWER-POINT PRESENTATION

In Weeks 11 to 15, each student will make a presentation about their organization or industry to the class using Powerpoint. The order of presentation will be the same as the order of book selection determined by the lottery in the first week’s class. Please note that a penalty of 25% of the presentation grade will be imposed on students who do not, for any reason other then classroom management factors determined by the instructor, make their presentation in the order assigned.

This presentation will be assessed on the degree to which each student:

NOTE: Students should practice this presentation in advance, especially the flow of presentation frames in relation to the overall presentation. Figuring things out for the first time in front of the class is a sure way to get stuck and flustered while faced with an impatient and restless audience.

 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASS

When I look at any student work, I am most interested the demonstration of, and improvement in, the ability to:

Understand and synthesize assigned readings

Articulate details and concepts from the readings in the forums and class sessions

Command the material and the audience in an oral presentation

Analyze a specific case study of organizational failure in a term paper of no less than 15 pages that addresses the causes, symptoms, progression and treatment of the pathologies that beset the organization(s) the student has been assigned to analyze

Convey knowledge in a clear and accurate way in a closed book examination

Complete all assignments and exams in by the class and/or date indicated in the syllabus.

 

LATE SUBMISSION POLICY: All late submissions are penalized as a matter of fairness to students who submit work on time. A student who submits an assignment after the scheduled class has had more time to prepare than others. The maximum term paper and mid-term grade will be reduced 10 points once the due date is past, and will be assessed an additional 10 point reduction each week thereafter. While Forum submissions are not graded, late or missing submissions will affect your class participation grade. Students may submit work any time prior to the due date and should do so if necessary. Late penalties can not be avoided, regardless of the cause of the lateness.

 

ADDING UP YOUR GRADE

TERM PAPER: 30%

MID-TERM: 30%

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION: 20%

PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING FORUM CONTRIBUTIONS: 20%

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Learning is a partnership between teacher and students in which student to teacher AND student to student interchanges play a major role. Active engagement with the cases, ideas and individuals in the class is what makes learning real, and fun. So let's enjoy, and learn at the same time. The class schedule follows.

 

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

 

Week 1 Student/Faculty survey; course introduction; participant expectations

All term paper books will be selected in this class. We will get to know each other, review the syllabus and clarify any questions that students may have.

 

Week 2: Organizational Collapse: Two Case Studies

Every student must go to http://www.post-gazette.com/aherf/

This is the story of the collapse of Allegheny Health Systems, told by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Allegheny was a two billion dollar non-profit organization that collapsed into a three hundred million dollar ruin in less than a year, with the executives floating safely away on golden parachutes. Every student must read this series of stories.

Allegheny "FORUM" Question: What persons and/or actions and/or events and/or organizational practices/policies do you believe played major roles in the disaster that befell Allegheny Health Systems? Which diagnostic category (Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational sclerosis) do you think best encompasses what went on. Explain your choices.

Every student must read "The Tragedy of Challenger" (Handout) and Vaughn, Chapter 1 (Note: Vaughan book not available until September 3.  Handout is sufficient to answer question below.)

Challenger "FORUM" Question: What persons and/or actions and/or events and/or organizational practices/policies do you believe played major roles in the disaster that befell NASA? Which diagnostic category (Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational sclerosis) do you think best encompasses what went on. Explain your choices.

NOTE: Develop all of your Forum answers fully before class. These questions are designed so that EACH of us can apply his/her best thinking in working towards a model of organizational failure. To do this, no one's initial response should be influenced by what others have said. (As people reply to each other in class, we will have plenty of opportunity to agree or disagree, and develop out thinking further.)

Video: Accident Rooted in History

 

Week 3: The Many Layers of Organizational Culture

Read: Vaughan, Chapters 2 and 3

 "CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: What major category of organizational structure, process or culture is Vaughan beginning to focus on as an explanation of what went wrong in the Challenger case? Do you agree with her developing analysis? Do any situations in your workplace parallel what Vaughan sees? What impacts do these situations have on your organization? What impacts does Vaughan see on the thinking and behavior of those developing and then operating the Space Shuttle.

Internet Reading: The "principal source" link below brings you to the "breaking" story of the Rampart Division police scandal in Los Angeles. Read that story. Then use the links to explore other stories in order to get a more in-depth understanding of what went on, and what investigations/prosecutions are uncovered. This is NOT a "Los Angeles" story nor a "bad police department" story. Similar scandals have occurred in many police departments (e.g., 30th Precinct scandal in the NYPD in the early 1990's).

http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/03/13/lapd.crash/

 "RAMPARTS" FORUM QUESTION: What persons and/or actions and/or events and/or organizational practices/policies do you believe are symptomatic of, or helped create and sustain, the out of control police cohort in the Rampart Division? Give reasons for your choices. Then choose the one diagnostic category (Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational sclerosis) you think best encompasses what went on. Explain your choice.

Note on Internet Sources: When it comes to finding the best web articles on a topic, students should consider themselves research partners with their professors. Some case materials in this syllabus were uncovered by students who found pieces that better told the story. So search around a bit. Many students doing a minimal web search may find better sites than one professor doing an extensive web search. Let all of us know if you do.

 

Week 4 Organizational Ritual as Progressive Blindness: The Normalization of Deviance

Read: Vaughan, Chapters 4 and 5

"CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: What does Vaughan mean by deviance? How is that deviance "normalized?" What were the practical effects of "normalization" in terms of the Space Shuttle launch schedule, attention to emerging flaws and mini-failures in the booster rocket joint, and responses to those problems? Do any situations in your workplace parallel this "normalization" scenario? What are they and what is, or could be, done about these situations?

Read: The Washington Police Department Case (to be distributed)

WASHINGTON POLICE FORUM QUESTION: What persons and/or actions and/or events and/or organizational practices/policies do you believe are symptomatic of, or helped create, the meltdown in the executive ranks of the Washington D.C. Police Department? Give reasons for your choices. Then choose the one diagnostic category (Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational sclerosis) you think best encompasses what went on. Explain your choice. Are there parallels between the Washington and Challenger cases?

 

Week 5 The Culture of Production: Institutionalizing Closed Worldviews

Read: Vaughan, Chapter 6

Video: The Flawed Decision

"CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: What constitutes the "culture of production?" How did the NASA culture, bureaucratic culture, engineering culture and the Marshall culture interact to keep the Shuttle flying? How did each of these cultural elements exert a bias towards "production" and "continuance" in the years leading up to the Challenger accident. How did these elements operate on the afternoon and evening of January 27th as the issue of launching in the cold weather was debated? At YOUR workplace, are there instances in which the overall organizational culture, bureaucratic culture, professional culture and sub-unit cultures all operate to strongly condition individuals in the same direction? Are there dangers for your organization (or any organization) when behavior and thinking is so strongly shaped in one direction? What are they and what is, or could be, done about these situations?

Internet Reading: The "principal source" link below relates to the fifteen years of systematic suppression of sex crime data by the Philadelphia Police Department, as well as other management and crime prevention issues. Follow mostly the links to stories that deal with the manipulation of rape and other crime statistics, and the curative steps taken by Commissioner Timoney.

Principal sources: http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/144/

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/398/

Additional sources: http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/865/context/archive

http://www.rainn.org/stat(171).html

CRIME STATISTICS FORUM QUESTION: What persons and/or actions and/or events and/or organizational practices/policies do you believe are symptomatic of, or helped create, the systematic manipulation of crime statistics by the Philadelphia Police Department? Give reasons for your choices. Then choose the one diagnostic category (Institutionalization, Oversight Failure, Structural Failure, Cultural Deviance, Organizational sclerosis) you think best encompasses what went on. Explain your choice.

 

Week 6 The Structure of Secrecy: Communication and the Level of Organizational Awareness

Read: Vaughan, Chapter 7

Video: Disaster, Deception and Disclosure

"CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: Vaughan's argument is, in part, that too many communication channels in fact impede effective communication. What does Vaughan say about how NASA members dealt with multiple reports and communications channels? When organization members have to select among signals, interpret signals, and prioritize multiple signals what are the implications for organizational action attempting to follow a prescribed plan? What are the implications for organization members trying to deal with the situation they are facing "on the ground." At YOUR workplace, do instances occur in which these kinds of communication overloads and redundancies set the organization up for ad hoc behavior, by employees who interpret conflicting or vague signals as they wish? Or for blind obedience or paralyzed inaction by employees relying on the "letter" of one regulation or the contradictions between two or more regulations? What can be done about such situations?

GENERAL QUESTION FOR CLASS: What kinds of issues that we have covered in the class to date (including the readings and questions for today's class) were present in your term paper organization? Was your organization cognizant of these developing issues at all? If so, were they seen as problems? Was there any response? Any effective response?

Internet Reading: The "principal source" link below relates to the issue of racial profiling in New Jersey, a practice that involved federal law enforcement agencies, local police agencies, the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Attorney General, the courts and even the legislature.

Principal sources: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n231.a03.html

Additional sources: http://www.trooperhogan.com/RecordArticles/20201-Paper%20trail%20on%20profiling%20grows.htm

http://fyi.cnn.com/2000/US/10/12/njstate.police.ap/

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/28/nyregion/28TROO-MET.html?pagewanted=1

 

RACIAL PROFILING FORUM QUESTION: To what extent do you believe that "structural secrecy" helped create the confused and disingenuous responses of New Jersey state law enforcement after racial profiling allegations were confirmed by critical court rulings? If not structural secrecy, then what other organizational dysfunctions would you identify that led to the tarnished image of the New Jersey State law enforcement, the fall of state police commander and the career tarnishing backtracking that extended right up through the New Jersey Attorney General and Governor? Explain your choices

 

Week 7 Structures, Perspectives and Inducements: Neutralizing Oversight

Read: Vaughan, Chapters 8 and 9, O'Hara "Organizational Disaster: Sufficient Impetus for Reform?"

Audio: General James Abrahamson and others

"CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: In both the Challenger videos and Vaughan's book, issues of accountability are dealt with in a variety of ways. Where, in your assessment, were the accountability failures in the Challenger case? Were NASA's internal controls, especially those located at Headquarters, sufficiently aggressive, skeptical and focused to effectively oversee the engineering operations of the Space Shuttle Program? How did external control bodies, both before and after the disaster (Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, Rogers Commission, Congressional Committees), impact on the strategies, tactics and policies of Space Shuttle Management.

Internet Reading: The first set of links below relates several corporate scandals where management and/or ownership pretty much did as it pleased, with disastrous consequences, despite the presence of overseers such as CPA’s and corporate boards.  The second set of links below relate to the oversight of police agencies, both by internal units and by external bodies such as Civilian Complaint Review Boards and specially appointed commissions.

Principal sources: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/020528/6/moa2.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/26/opinion/main513482.shtml

http://www.pittsburghpost-gazette.com/yourbiz/20020408boselovic0408bnp1.asp

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/26/national/main513444.shtml

http://www.havenworks.com/business/research/enron/index.htm

ENRON OVERSIGHT FORUM QUESTION: First Enron, then Adelphia and then Worldcom managed to declare billions in bogus profits, through all sorts of accounting chicanery, despite the presence of CPA's (professionally bound to certify accuracy of financial statements) and Boards of Directors (responsible for overseeing the welfare of the organization on behalf of stockholders). Where did the overseers fail? What is the leverage of CEO's, and other corporate executives, over their Boards of Directors and accountants? What kinds of steps can be taken by overseers, and on behalf of overseers (e.g., government regulations), to prevent an organization from spinning out of control towards financial ruin and the loss of public confidence. What approaches seem to have the best chance of reining in runaway organizations?

Principal Sources: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ccpc/html/listofccpcreports.html

                           http://www.law.nyu.edu/mirskyc/uspohtml/uspo99.htm#TopOfPage

                        http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ccrb/home.html

                        http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/govt/CivilianReviewBoard2.htm

POLICE OVERSIGHT FORUM QUESTION: It is common for big city police agencies to undergo periodic scrutiny by commissions investigating deep-seated conditions which, by erupting in scandal or underpinning behaviors that de-legitimize police in the eyes of the community, have plunged the agency into crisis. Why does quality/integrity control by police internal affairs bureaus and integrity officers often fail to identify and correct serious problems? When, as is often the case, those failures lead to "Commission investigations" or civilian complaint review boards, what reactions by police brass best serves the long-term interests of the department?

 

Week 8 Can "Lessons Learned" Surmount the Challenges Ahead

 Read: Vaughan, Chapters 10, Segal "Roadblocks to Reforming Corrupt Agencies"

"CHALLENGER" FORUM QUESTION: What suggestions does Vaughan have for a post-Challenger NASA that does of better at avoiding the organizational tendency to normalize deviance? Does Vaughan have any suggestions about how professionals might break free of their worldview to look afresh at the situation inside and outside of their organizations? What does Vaughan's view of organizational mistake imply for our ability to create organizations that make better decisions followed by flexible implementation that accounts for emerging information?

Internet Reading: The links below focus on urban public education. As you read these pieces, which cover a wide gamut of both problems and reform proposals, think about what you would do if put in charge of the New York City public schools.

Principal Sources: http://www.sandiegometro.com/2001/sep/coverstory.html

http://www.heartland.org/education/jun02/union.htm

 URBAN PUBLIC EDUCATION QUESTION: Segal's case concerns school facilities tyrannically controlled by custodians for their own benefit. Other assigned pieces deals with the leverage held by teachers over who teaches what, where and how. How is urban education affected when school systems seem to tolerate, and even encourage, the exercise of hegemony by one or another party over one or more aspects how city kids are educated in public schools. Where are the students and their parents in all of this? Where should they be? Who stands to lose and who stands to benefit from standards, competition between schools, merit pay, vouchers, and partial privatization?

QUESTION: WHY SEND THE LEAST TO THOSE WHO NEED THE MOST? Those who live in poor neighborhood are likely to have the most inexperienced teachers and more than their fair share of problematic cops. The reasons may be different--union rules allow teachers to pick their schools based on seniority, police management has the authority to reassign--but the result is the same. The newest, least experienced teachers default to the lousiest schools, the problem police employee is exiled to a Siberia defined by high crime rates and severe social problems. What is the sense, from a managerial standpoint, of concentrating inexperience and/or ineptitude in this way? Why, when such concentrations are associated with failing schools and police misconduct, shouldn't the community conclude that the poor services it receives is not an accident, but the deliberate outcome of those with power making sure that their needs get met first?  

Week 9 Organization and Relapse: Do Cures Become the Disease

Reading: L. Jones Case, To Be Distributed

DO LEADERS TAKE ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS WITH THEM WHEN THEY LEAVE?: Organizational pathology was the work of my successors, says L. Jones, the pseudonymous--but real--founding CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation. Identify at least five management practices of his successors that Jones criticizes. How did these practices undo the focused, lean, motivated and successful organization Jones had created? What can be done--both before and after an effective leader's departure--to sustain the organization's positive direction? Have the leadership transitions you've observed at your job managed to sustain your organization's positive momentum, or reversed long-standing inertia? To what would you attribute these positive or, as the case may be, negative transitions.

 

Week 10 In-Class Examination

This examination covers all assigned material to date. The questions will be based only on the questions appearing in this syllabus. A "question pool" handout in class 9 will include approximately ten questions that are candidates for the examination. All questions in the question pool will have an equal probability of being the basis for the five exam questions. The instructor will not reduce the question candidate pool for any reason.

The best way to prepare for the exam (and to maximize your class participation grade) is to fully engage with the questions in this syllabus week by week. The exam questions will be "essay questions" which require an answer in essay form. Essay answers provide (1) the relevant factual information, (2) an extended discussion in which the facts are explained more fully by reference and/or application to real world organizational situations. In addition to the substantive content of your responses, the correctness and clarity of your writing will count towards your grade. More information on constructing essay answers can be found at http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~phara/EssayAnswerJJ.htm.

 

Weeks 11-15 In-Class Student Presentations

NOTE: We will be in Room 330T, the Distance Learning Classroom, for Weeks 11-15

The principal endeavor of these weeks will be individual presentations of each student’s organizational analysis. This analysis must be of the organization(s) and situations that are the topic of the book chosen by the student at the start of this class. The presentation must be based principally on the book chosen by the student.. In addition, students should use at least two sources, in addition to the primary book assigned, to provide a more thorough analysis of their case in both their term paper (where these additional sources must be cited) and presentation. The presentation should run twenty minutes, including five minutes for questions.

This presentation will be assessed on the degree to which each student:

 

Weeks 13 Term Paper Due

All term papers are due at the start of the Week 13 class. In accordance with the class lateness policy, any paper handed in subsequently will be penalized regardless of the reason for the late delivery. The penalty is, at minimum, a full letter grade deducted from what you otherwise would have received on the paper. NOT ATTENDING the Week 13 class WILL NOT avoid late submission penalties, and is a discourtesy to your fellow students who are presenting in that class.

Timely paper preparation and submission is important to effective learning in this class. Preparing your paper as the semester goes along will better prepare you for weekly classes. Having your paper completed (or mostly completed) before your presentation will add to the quality of your presentation. Also, my rapid feedback on your completed term paper is important to the learning process in this class and cannot be guaranteed for papers handed in after Week 13’s class.

 

Bibliography (Arranged Generally by Company/Topical Area, not alphabetically):

Basic information about most books can be obtained by clicking on the "http" locator, if you are viewing this on the internet. You can also type the URL in the locator on your Netscape or Explorer browser if you are viewing this hard copy, though going to the Amazon.com, or any other on-line bookseller site and typing in the book title will be easier. REMEMBER: You will be expected to talk about your book as early as Week 4, so you must choose a book during the first week’s class and obtain that book by Week 2.

** Double-starred books are best sought through CUNY or city library system since you may have difficulty purchasing the book through commercial sources (i.e., a bookstore or internet bookseller) in a sufficiently timely manner to meet the requirements for this course. Most books in the bibliography should be available in the CUNY library and John Jay's library should house most of the books that concern criminal justice agencies.

 A NOTE ON BOOK SELECTION: A lottery number will determine each student's selection order. A book that has been selected is off the list. In addition, the instructor will work with students in the first class to achieve the best match between book topic and the student's interests based on his knowledge of the books and his understanding of the student's career path and interests.

 "A" LIST BOOKS (Use ONLY this list, for your principal term paper book. Books on the "B" list may intrigue you, and may even cover organizations covered by "A" list books. And you may read "B" list and "C" list books as part of the REQUIRED supplementary reading to your principal term paper book. Past experience has shown, however, that "A" list books are best suited to (1) term paper development and (2) presentations that hold the attention of the audience. )

Peter C. Fusaro, Ross M. Miller.  What Went Wrong at Enron: Everyone's Guide to the Largest Bankruptcy in U.S. History.  Wiley, 2002.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471265748/qid=1030573697/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/002-6523240-1396041

Brian Cruver. Anatomy of Greed: The Unshredded Truth from an Enron Insider.  Carroll and Graf, 2002. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786710934/qid=1030574233/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-6523240-1396041

Note: The two books above are a single entry.  Only one student may choose this entry. The student may read either book—though both might give a better perspective. 

John Kelly and Phillip Wearne. Tainting Evidence : Behind the Scandals at the FBI Crime Lab. Free Press, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684846462/inktomi-bkasin-20/102-1536419-3959344

Adrian Havill. The Spy Who Stayed out in the Cold: The Secret Life of FBI Double Agent Robert Hanssen. St. Martins, 2001. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312287828/qid=1030512784/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-1536419-3959344?v=glance&s=books

William J. Vizzard.  In the Cross Fire: A Political History of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.   Lynne Rienner, 1997  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1555876714/qid=1030568983/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-6523240-1396041?v=glance&s=books**

Peter Caram.  The 1993 World Trade Center Bombing: Foresight and Warning.  Janis Publishing, 2001.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/185756586X/qid=1030575131/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-6523240-1396041?v=glance&s=books  NOTE: This book may not be selected by anyone who has been in the NYPD Counter-Terrorism class.

Lou Cannon. Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riots Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD. Westview, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813337259/o/qid=967212728/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_b_1_3/102-5551230-7180125

Dick J. Reavis. The Ashes of Waco: An Investigation. Syracuse University Press, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0815605021/qid=916892032/sr=1-1/002-5090961-6362828

Charles W. Bowser. Let the Bunker Burn : The Final Battle With Move. Camino Press, 1989. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0940159082/qid=916892536/sr=1-2/002-5090961-6362828 (Check CUNY Library)

Paul Carroll. Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM. Crown, 1994. (Check CUNY library) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517882213/o/qid=916892887/sr=2-2/002-5090961-6362828

Lawrence Schiller. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Final Truth. Harper Paperbacks, 1999 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061096962/qid=967215629/sr=1-3/102-5551230-7180125

Owen W. Linzmayer, Apple Confidential : The Real Story of Apple Computer, Inc. No Starch Press, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/188641128X/qid=998430030/sr=1-36/ref=sc_b_36/103-7909515-6754237

Daniel Quinn Mills, G. Bruce Friesen. Broken Promises: An Unconventional View of What Went Wrong at IBM. Harvard Business School, 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875846548/ref=sim_books/002-5090961-6362828

Ken Auletta. Greed and Glory on Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman. Warner Books, 1987 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446384062/qid=916893128/sr=1-10/002-5090961-6362828 **

William Bratton with Peter Knobler, Turnaround: How America’s Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic. New York: Random House, 1998 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679452516/o/qid=966617971/sr=2-3/103-5646095-2698247

Bryan Burrough. Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard the Mir. Harper-Collins, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887307833/o/qid=916895093/sr=2-1/002-5090961-6362828**

Bryan Burrough. Vendetta : American Express and the Smearing of Edmond Safra. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060167599/qid=935778486/sr=1-1/002-5047019-2484207 **

Maribeth Vander Weele. Reclaiming Our Schools: The Struggle for Chicago School Reform. Loyola University Press, 1994 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0829407731/qid=1030572991/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6523240-1396041?v=glance&s=books

James B. Stewart. Blind Eye : How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away With Murder. Simon and Schuster, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684865637/o/qid=967215388/sr=2-1/102-5551230-7180125

Mary Schiavo, Sabra Chartrand. Flying Blind, Flying Safe: The Former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation Tells You Everything You Need to Know to Travel Safe. Avon, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/038079330X/o/qid=916894524/sr=2-1/002-5090961-6362828**

Stephen A. Fredrick, S. A. Frederick. Unheeded Warning: The Inside Story of American Eagle Flight 4184. 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ts/book-similarities/0070219516/ref=sim_m_books/002-5090961-6362828**

Paul Eddy, et.al. Destination Disaster. Time Books, 1974 (DC-10 Aircraft: A Model of How to Build a Crash-Ready Aircraft Fast in the Race for Profit) CUNY Library

Connie Bruck. The Predators’ Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders. Penguin, 1989. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140120904/ref=sim_books/002-5090961-6362828

Michael Lewis. Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street. Penquin, 1990. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140143459/ref=sim_books/103-7909515-6754237

Kevin Goldman. Conflicting Accounts: How Corporate Greed and Mismanagement Led to the Crash of Saatchi and Saatchi, the Worlds Largest Ad Agency. Simon and Schuster, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684815710/qid=916899307/sr=1-1/002-5090961-6362828

 Dan Kurzman: A Killing Wind: Inside Union Carbide and the Bhopal Catastrophe. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0070356874/qid=917500671/sr=1-14/002-5090961-6362828 **

 Joseph Vranich. Derailed: What Went Wrong and What to Do About America’s Passenger Trains. St. Martins, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031217182X/qid%3D917501007/002-5090961-6362828

James Adams. Sellout: Aldrich Ames and the Corruption of the CIA. Viking, 1995. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670862363/qid=917501231/sr=1-1/002-5090961-6362828 **

Tim Weiner, et.al. Betrayal: Aldrich Ames, The Story of an American Spy. 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067944050X/qid=998431959/sr=1-5/ref=sc_b_5/103-7909515-6754237

Note: The two books above are a single entry.  Only one student may choose this entry. The student may read either book—though both might give a better perspective. 

Judith Reitman. Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross. Kensington, 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1575661152/qid=916899728/sr=1-4/002-5090961-6362828

Mark Baldassare.  When Government Fails: The Orange County Bankruptcy.  University of California Press, 1998.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0520214862/qid=1030573310/sr=1-15/ref=sr_1_15/002-6523240-1396041?v=glance&s=books

William H. McMichael, The Mother of All Hooks: The Story of the U.S. Navy's Tailhook Scandal.  Transaction Books, 1997.

David Kuo. dot.bomb: My Days and Nights at an Internet Goliath.  Little, Brown: 2001.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0316507490/qid=1030576750/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-6523240-1396041?v=glance&s=books

SUPPLEMENTAL "B" List Books: (These books MAY NOT be used as the principal focus of your term paper but may be used to supplement your understanding of your term paper organization or industry. These books, some of which have been used for term papers in past classes, do not for a variety of reasons lend themselves as readily to serving as the centerpiece for a term paper analysis. They are useful for providing an alternative view if you happen to be reading another book on the topic.)

Diane Vaughan. The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA. University of Chicago Press, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226851761/o/qid=916894193/sr=2-1/002-5090961-6362828

William Roth and William Nixon. The Power to Destroy (re: IRS). Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871137488/qid=967214503/sr=1-3/102-5551230-7180125

Cartha 'Deke' Deloach. Hoover's FBI : The Inside Story by Hoover's Trusted Lieutenant. Regnery, 1997

William J. Burgess. Piercing the Shields of Justice: Inside the ATF. Brusnwick Publishing, 1996 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1556181566/qid=916891225/sr=1-3/002-5090961-6362828 **

Ronald Kessler, Paul McCarthy (Editors). The FBI/Inside the World’s Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency. Pocket Books, 1994. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067178658X/qid=916890888/sr=1-14/002-5090961-6362828

Peter Maas. Marie: A True Story. (about prisons, pardons and corruption) Check Library.

David Wise. Nightmover: How Aldrich Ames Sold the CIA to the KGB for $4.6 Million. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060171987/qid=917501231/sr=1-2/002-5090961-6362828 **

David C. Nice. Amtrak: The History and Politics of a National Railroad. Lynne Rienner, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1555877346/qid=917501098/sr=1-1/002-5090961-6362828

Paul Shrivastava. Bhopal: Anatomy of a Crisis. Chapman, 1992. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1853961922/qid=917500671/sr=1-3/002-5090961-6362828 **

James B. Stewart. Den of Thieves. Touchstone, 1992. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/067179227X/ref=sim_books/002-5090961-6362828

Randy Shilts. And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic. St. Martin, 2000 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312241356/qid=967216436/sr=1-1/102-5551230-7180125

Paul Stiles. Riding the Bull; My Year Inside the Madness at Merrill Lynch. Time Books, 1998

Bryan Burrough, John Helyar. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco. Harper-Collins, 1991. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060920386/qid=916896027/sr=1-2/002-5090961-6362828

Howard E. McCurdy. Inside NASA: High Technology and Organizational Change in the U.S. Space Program. John Hopkins University Press, 1994. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0801849756/qid=916895093/sr=1-10/002-5090961-6362828

David Burnham. Above the Law : Secret Deals, Political Fixes and Other Misadventures of the U.S. Department of Justice. (Library only)

David B. Kopel, Paul H. Blackman. No More Wacos: What’s Wrong With Federal Law Enforcement and How to Fix It. Prometheus, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573921254/qid=916892032/sr=1-2/002-5090961-6362828

Nick Mangieri. Broken Badge: The Silencing of a Federal Agent. Integrity Publishing, 1998

Richard A. Green. Agents of Deceit: The True Story of Life Inside the IRS. MassMarket, 1998

 

"C" List--General Bibliography (The following books are not candidates for the term paper. The books below are general studies relating to the subject matter of this course, or are industry-wide studies that are not amenable to the analyses required for the term paper and presentation. A few books below relate to specific cases but are not written in a way to sustain an "A" list placement. However, some of these books below may supplement your understanding of the case study book you have selected from group A.)

David Osborne and Peter Plastrik. Banishing Bureaucracy: The Five Strategies for Reinventing Government. New York: Plume, 1998 (Paperback). http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452279801/qid=966617820/sr=1-2/103-5646095-2698247

 Noel Tichy with Eli Cohen, The Leadership Engine: How Winning Companies Build Leaders at Every Level. New York: Harper Business, 1997 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887307930/o/qid=966618071/sr=2-1/103-5646095-2698247

Richard O. Jacobs, John N. Nash. Crash Landing : Surviving a Business Crisis. Glen Bridge, 1991. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0944435122/qid=916899728/sr=1-7/002-5090961-6362828

Carol Moore. Davidian Massacre : Disturbing Questions About Waco Which Must Be Answered. Legacy, 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1880692228/qid=916892032/sr=1-3/002-5090961-6362828 **

Ken Auletta. Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way. Vintage, 1992. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679741356/qid=916893128/sr=1-5/002-5090961-6362828 ** (This is an industry-wide treatment, and may pose more difficulties.)

Thomas Petzinger, Thomas Petzinger Jr. Hard Landing: The Epic Contest for Power and Profits. Times Books, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812928350/ref=sim_books/002-5090961-6362828 #

Matthew Lynn. Birds of Prey: Boeing Vs. Airbus: A Battle for the Skies. Four Walls, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156858086X/qid=917025528/sr=1-2/002-5090961-6362828

Robert L. Helmreich and Ashleigh C. Merritt. Culture at Work in Aviation and Medicine: National, Organizational and Professional Influences. Johns Hopkins Press, 1998 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0291398537/qid=949432404/sr=1-14/002-6492800-8703451 Expensive, find this one in the library

Wayne Anderson, David Swenson, Daniel Clay. Stress Management for Law Enforcement Officers. Prentice Hall, 1995. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0131469452/qid=916896951/sr=1-11/002-5090961-6362828

Robert D. Sherer. Fear-the Corporate ‘F’ Word: How to Drive Out the Fear That Kills Productivity and Profits. Criterion House, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1884162037/qid=916898630/sr=1-10/002-5090961-6362828

Saundra K. Schneider. Flirting With Disaster: Public Management in Crisis Situations. Sharpe, 1995. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156324571X/qid=916899728/sr=1-31/002-5090961-6362828

 

William C. Mitchell, Randy T. Simmons. Beyond Politics: Markets, Welfare, and the Failure of Bureaucracy. Westview, 1994. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813322081/qid=916898272/sr=1-8/002-5090961-6362828

 

James Q. Wilson. Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. Basic Books, 1991. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465007856/qid=916898272/sr=1-13/002-5090961-6362828

Robert Maidment. Robert’s Rules of Disorder: A Guide to Mismanagement. Pelican, 1987. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0882891111/qid=916899307/sr=1-5/002-5090961-6362828

Steve Albrecht. Crisis Management for Corporate Self-Defense: How to Protect Your Organization in a Crisis... How to Stop a Crisis Before It Starts. Amacom, 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0814402658/ref=sim_books/002-5090961-6362828

Stephen R. Rayner. Team Traps: Survival Stories and Lessons from Team Disasters, Near-Misses, Mishaps, and Other Near-Death Experiences. Wiley, 1996. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471132853/qid=916893984/sr=1-15/002-5090961-6362828

James R. Lucas. Balance of Power. Amacom, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/081440393X/qid=916898928/sr=1-21/002-5090961-6362828

Elizabeth Reuss-Ianni. Two Cultures of Policing: Street Cops and Management Cops. Transaction, 1993. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1560006544/qid=916897262/sr=1-74/002-5090961-6362828 #

Seymour Bernard Sarason. Political Leadership and Educational Failure. Jossey-Bass, 1998. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787940615/qid=916898630/sr=1-5/002-5090961-6362828 #

Alan Bonsteel, Carlos A. Bonilla. A Choice for Our Children : Curing the Crisis in America’s Schools. Institute for Contemporary Studies, 1997. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558154965/qid=916900674/sr=1-1/002-5090961-6362828 #

Diane Ravitch, Joseph P. Viteritti (Editors). New Schools for a New Century: The Redesign of Urban Education. Yale, 1999. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300078749/qid=917501961/sr=1-14/002-5090961-6362828