GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
GREGORY E. FRENCH
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP CLASSES & ARTIFACTS
On each of these pages there is a detailed description of the classes that I have taken, the projects that I have been able to complete, and a full documentation of books and resources.
Sample work from each class can be viewed with the attachment button as well!
ORGL-505: Organizational Theory
(Josh Misner)
Course Description:
Within this course, I was able to learn a deeper understanding of organizational structure and gain insight into how leadership plays an integral role between the relationship of how an organization is framed and how it is developed. We learned about the four frames – the structural frame, the human resource frame, the political frame, and the symbolic frame. This gave me an idea of how organizations can be categorized while still being intertwined and working together. We further looked at how organizations can be deciphered through practical and theoretical frames via a case study for the class. This worked us toward the idea of how leadership is the backbone to how an organization is structured and run. Through a group project, we looked at the scope of how Disney is internally and externally structured in leadership and the development of strengths of Disney alongside the interpreted weaknesses of Disney. Lastly, we took our learning and applied it to our own organization and analyzed the organizational structure and how it can be approached differently through development, configuration, and leadership in organizational change.
Course Artifact:
I’ve attached my final paper that covers a full overview of my organization at the time and the ideas that I was able to learn from and apply regarding the structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frame. In addition, this provides a full reflection on my organization and opportunities for how it can transform for the better with recommended suggestions.
Course Materials:
Books:
Bolman, L. & Deal. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership. (4th edition) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Helgesen, S. (2005). The web of inclusion: A new architecture for building great organizations. New York: Currency/Doubleday.
Morgan, Gareth. (2006). Images of organizations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
Collins. (2002). Good to great. New York: Harper Collins.
Films:
Howard, R. (Director). (1995). Apollo 13 [Motion picture]. USA.
ATTACHMENT: Communication within Organizations
"The best leaders are clear. They continually light the way, and in the process, let each person know that what they do makes a difference. The best test as a leader is: Do those served grow as persons; do they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become leaders?"
Robert K. Greenleaf