CVC 435/ MTM502

Organizational Systems

Instructor & Contact Information

See the course page for instructor contact information.

Course Description

Students are introduced to systems theory to see the world in terms of interconnected patterns that constitute human, technical and natural systems, and to learn how to reinforce or change these systemsappropriately. Students focus on a technology-focused organization to document their interconnected systemssuch as goals, strategy, environments, structures, processes and people. They map the alignment of these subsystems in order to consider leverage points for improvement, especially in respect to power dynamics, funding,or organizational communications.

Theme Scripture

From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16).

Program Outcomes

As an undergraduate course, CVC 435 is part of the Business program.

At the conclusion of this degree program, the student will able to:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply traditional theories and concepts of business management and the ability to do this in depth in one area of specialty: nonprofit management, accounting, technology or general management.
  2. Understand their vocation in business and their unique identity and role within their field in a way that maximizes their calling and enables 24/7 Christian ministry.
  3. To be able to develop and grow businesses and nonprofit organizations in a way that is socially responsible and that reflects God’s love and purposes for the world.
  4. Communicate effectively and professionally in business situations through physical or virtual presence, writing, speaking, listening, and electronic media.
  5. Interpret and analyze accounting information for internal control, planning, performance evaluation, and coordination to continuously improve business processes.
  6. Integrate and apply Biblical, ethical, legal, economic and business principles into effective managerial decision-making.
  7. Demonstrate the ability to understand and apply traditional theories and concepts of a Christian liberal arts education, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to facilitate intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth, pursue their advanced studies, and improve the world in which they live.

CVC 435 helps students understand complex systems in order to meet program outcomes 1 and 3 above.

As a master’s course, MTM 502 is part of the Master’s in Technology and Social Entrepreneurship program. At the conclusion of the MTSEprogram, the student will able to:

1)Develop effective technology initiatives in a way that takes into account the unique cultures they will be serving and how to use technology to serve the poor through social entrepreneurship.

2)Understand the Biblical basis, theology and historical context of technology and how to apply that in the professional settings of social enterprises.

3)Understand the Christian vocation of social entrepreneurship so that students may discover their unique identity and role in the field.

4)Understand complex systems in a way that helps them to effectively lead others and apply technology in the professional environments of social enterprises.

5)Understand some of the limits of technology and how to counter some of the negative implications of technology and its effect on relationships and creation of new addictions.

6)Develop effective strategies for developing sustainable social enterprise initiatives by monitoring and understanding the latest theories, trends, tools and opportunities in technology.

MTM502 helps students understand complex systems in order to meet program outcomes 2 and 4above.

Course Objectives

The learning objectives of this course are based on the MTSE program goals above and will develop the following student competencies:

  1. SYSTEMS: Explore the world as living systems, comprised of interacting parts, drawn from natural, human, technical domains.
  2. STRATEGIC: Use systems thinking to map the goals, strategy, and environment of a selected organization.
  3. STRUCTURAL: Use systems thinking to examine the current design of structure, process and people systems of a technology organization.
  4. DESIGN: Use systems thinking to create an Organizational Design report for a technology-focused organization.

Each course assignment is tied to one of these four objectives, as listed in the right column of the Course Outline table below.

A Note from the Instructor

This is an applied course in systems thinking, acting and influencing! You will learn how to see those invisible patterns that connect all things, and value the personal relationships that can change them. The backbone of this course is a 6-week consulting project that you start in Period 2 and complete in Period 4 in your Major project.

This will require to you focus on an existing mid-sized technology-focused organization, to study how their structures, processes and people fit together and how they might be improved. This does not refer to a start-up organization you or a friend wants to create. Your project should engage an established organization. This can be a non-profit, private or public organization. It should involve an organization or department with at least 12 or more employees (an annual budget of $3 million or more). If you come up empty with ideas, tap into your social network for referrals. Ask “who can refer me to a mid-size organization that would welcome me to take a fresh look at improving their strategy, structure and processes?”

Reach out now to gain approval from a manager you know, or one you can get access to. This can be within your organization or a client organization. Have that manager sponsor your work, with occasional email and phone contact at the least, and Skype/face-to-face contact at the most, in an agreed upon arrangement to support your organizational design assignments (Minor 2, 3, & Major 1). The commitment from the manager should be no more than 2-5 hours of feedback across Period 2-4 of this course. Assure the manager that you will not reveal any sensitive information about the organization, but work with obvious knowledge that any external Systems Design consultant might access to evaluate their organization.

As your instructor I will function as your senior consultant, rather than just a sage on the stage. I will coach you as an associate as you explore the systems that constitute your technology-focused organization. Given the applied nature of this course, we will schedule up to 4 live-class discussions through Google+. These meetings will be non-graded, but will help you with Dialogue and Projects. The sessions will be a mix between instructor previews of concepts/assignments, student discussion and assigned student presentations. These sessions will be archived for those who can’t make them and are required viewing.

Ultimately, this course is not to inform you, but to prepare you for the management roles you will assume 5, 10 and 15 after your MTM. You will learn how to go beyond thinking like a technician to becoming a systems actor that can build networks and ministries that bear fruit, 30, 60, 100 fold for years and decades to come. Becoming a steward of living systems at this level of a master builder will require you work hard in this course, on average 17 hours, or equal to two full-days a week. Early on you may feel like Peter who jumped out to walk on water, only to sink. But if you press through this by being faithful, and trust that the living God is holding your hand, I guarantee you that you will become a Christian social technologist who is a master builder.

Required Texts

These are required texts that every student should obtain.

  • Meadows, Donella. H., & Wright, Diana. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green. ISBN: 9781603580557 (available in Kindle also).
  • Steinke, P. L. (2006). How your church family works: Understanding congregations as emotional systems. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN: 9781566993296 (available in Kindle also).
  • Burton, Richard M., Obel, Borge, & DeSanctis, Gerardin. (2011). Organizational design: A step-by-step approach (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 9780521180238 (available on CourseSmart)

Recommended Texts

These are optional resources for your minor and major projects. They further define the focus of this course. Reference them through your local library or interlibrary loan, either during or after the course.

  • Anderson, V., & Johnson, L. (1997). Systems thinking basics: From concepts to causal loops. Cambridge, MA: Pegasus. ISBN: 1883823129.
  • Axelrod, R. M., & Cohen, M. D. (1999). Harnessing complexity: Organizational implications of a scientific frontier. New York: Free Press. ISBN: 0684867176
  • Haines, S. G. (1998). The manager's pocket guide to systems thinking and learning. HRD Press. ISBN: 0-87425-453-1.
  • Hall, Douglas A., Hall, Judy, & Daman, Steve. (2010). The cat & the toaster: Living system ministry in a technological age. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock. ISBN: 9781608992706
  • Hatch, M. J., & Cunliffe, A. L. (2013). Organizational theory: Modern, symbolic, and postmodern perspectives. Oxford University Press.ISBN-13: 978-0199640379
  • Meadows, Donella, et al.(2004). The limits to growth: The 30-year update. Chelsea Green. ISBN: 1-931498-58-X.
  • Sterman, J. (2000). Business dynamics: Systems thinking and modeling for a complex world. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 0072311355.

Course Outline

Period / Assessments / Est hrs. / Weight / Objective #’s
1 / Systems / -- / -- / --
Weeks 1-2 / Read / 13 / -- / --
Listen/View / 2 / -- / --
Forum #1a: The System Lens / 3 / 4% / 1
Forum #1b: Living System / 3 / 4% / 1
Minor Project #1: The Near Beer Game / 6 / 5% / 1
2 / Strategic / -- / -- / --
Weeks 3-4 / Read / 16 / -- / --
Listen/View / 2 / -- / --
Forum #2a: Organizational Design / 3 / 4% / 2
Forum #2b: System Practitioners / 3 / 4% / 2
Minor Project #2: Strategic Assessm. / 11 / 15% / 1,2
3 / Structural / -- / -- / --
Weeks 5-6 / Read / 12 / -- / --
Listen/View Google+ Preview; Strategy Presentations / 2 / -- / --
Forum #3a: Organizational Structure / 3 / 4% / 3
Forum #3b: Process and People / 3 / 4% / 3
Minor Project #3: Structural Assessm. / 15 / 20% / 1, 2,3
4 / Design / -- / --
Weeks 7-8 / Read / 9 / -- / --
Listen/View / 3 / -- / --
Forum #4a: Coordination and Control / 3 / 4% / 4
Forum #4b: Design Dynamics / 3 / 4% / 4
Major Project #1: Org. Design Report / 20 / 28% / 1,2,3,4
Overall / Total estimated hours based upon 17 hours per week for 8 weeks / 135 / 100%

Forum Expectations

We expect that students will spend an estimated one-two hours to post one initial message, one hour to read posts from 5+ students (presumes that a student doesn't read every post), and an estimated 1 hour to post two reply messages. Forum grading will be based on the following items:

  • Forum posts should be 200-400 words although these are not strict limits.
  • Students must demonstrate comprehension of the material and achievement of the related learning objectives related to that forum. Be sure to read the learning objectives.
  • Students should demonstrate critical thinking and use outside material researched beyond the assigned readings.
  • The goal of course forums is to have scholarly dialog among peers combining both the strengths of in-person class discussion and providing concise, professional quality writing (similar to a well thought-out academic or scholarly blog) and responding in a way that adds value to others writings
  • Students are not required to use APA format for references in forum posts, but instead students are encouraged to hyperlink relevant information when possible.
  • Grading rubric: forums use the same high level grading rubric as for the final project including
  • Content Knowledge (25%)
  • Critical Thinking (25%). Note that critical thinking is very different from criticism.
  • Communication (25%)
  • Application (25%)

Forum responses:

  • Students should post at least 2 forum responses interacting with the ideas in their peers' posts.
  • These posts should go beyond superficial comments like "Good job!" but should follow a format like the following:
  • 1) Summarize what they said to show that you understand it.
  • 2) Acknowledge what was good about their comments.
  • 3) Offer at least one constructive suggestion about how they could advance their thinking further, or ask about something that was unclear.
  • 4) Close by re-affirming what was good in what they said, or add in your own idea inspired by their comments.

Grading rubric:

Forums use the same high-level grading rubric as for course major writing projects, including

  • Content Knowledge (25%)
  • This is the demonstration of relevant knowledge from the material for the week, as assessed by the forum's question.
  • Critical Thinking (25%)
  • Note that critical thinking is very different from criticism.
  • Critical thinking means understanding and engagement with relevant issues for a given topic.
  • Communication (25%)
  • This deals with the clarity and correct mechanics / usage of what is expressed.
  • Application (25%)
  • In this context, this means that the forum post shows how the material is relevant to the learner's own situation.

Written Work

Except for Class Forum posts, all written assignments should be double-spaced using 12-point font and 1-inch margins, and include a relevant heading (name, date, assignment title), and subheadings where appropriate, which can be viewed in a Navigation Pane. Multi-page assignments should also include page numbers. Please correct spelling and grammatical errors before submitting all assignments. Spelling, grammar, and writing style will be taken into consideration in evaluating written work. Assignments should be submitted to the assignment’s page within Moodle. Every assignment should carry a filename that must include your name (Student Name) and the assignment number, e.g. Jan_Smith_Minor1.doc

Written work must be reflective, balanced, scholarly analysis and be well-supported by references. Students will be assessed on their ability to reflect and to critically examine an issue from many points of view.

Very informal or highly opinionated writing styles will be severely penalized. Do not preach.

Final Project Guidelines

For the final project, follow the guidelines that are given in the final project template. Use the length requirements that are specified for you as either an undergraduate or master’s student in this course.

Late Policy

Coursework is scheduled over a seven-day week to provide structure for students residing on six continents. The weekly schedule begins on Monday at 12:01AM US ET (USA Eastern Time), and ends on Sunday at 11:59PM US ET.[ED1]

Week Eight is the last class session with assignments posted. All course work must be completed by the student and submitted to the instructor by the end of the week after the course ends (the ninth week since the start of the course). No credit will be given for work submitted after this date, unless the student is granted an extension on the course, as described below. This policy applies to weekly assignments, as well as examinations and final projects.

The following rules apply to the grading of late assignments:

  • Each assignment is due by the end of the day on Sunday in the week it was assigned.
  • Assignments submitted more than 1 week late (after the following Sunday) will lose 1 letter grade (i.e. "A" becomes a "B")
  • Assignments submitted more than 2 weeks late will lose 2 letter grades (i.e. "A" becomes a "C")
  • Each week after that until the end of the term, the assignment will lose a further letter grade ("A" becomes "D", and so on)
  • Extensions: professors may grant an extension on an assignment if the student has a prolonged sickness or major family crisis. The length of the extension is up to the professor’s discretion.

Additional Policies

This syllabus is subject to change without notice up until the first day of the semester. For more academic policies, please visit:

Last updated: October 21, 2016

[ED1]This late policy must be used as is, and cannot be modified. This is to ensure consistent expectations for students across all our courses.