Organizational or Societal Problem-Solving Proposal
A major objective of the course is to create ethical leaders…individuals who inspire others to act in ethical ways. That being said, I feel that connecting this class with your own life and work events makes it more practical, relevant, and worthwhile. Your final project will require you to lead a problem-solving endeavor. You have flexibility in the endeavor you pursue, but it should align with the concepts from the course. This can be a cause important to you or one that may benefit your organization (organizational change-policy, process, etc.). Most importantly, it should stretch your leadership skills and allow you to do something beyond the classroom. You will be required to submit a 7-10 page double-spaced paper on your endeavor.You may link this with your “Give Back” activity, although that activity is physically dedicating your time while this is a project dedicated to identifying and creating solutions for a problem you have identified in your organization or society in general.
Your paper should include the following at a minimum:
- 4Ps- Project- What is the project name and how did you decide on it?; Purpose- Why is the endeavor or change needed (give stats and a solid persuasive argument here)?; Particulars- What specifically are you changing or addressing and how will this be implemented?; People- Who will be changing or affected by this endeavor…consider all affected. The 4Ps provides some groundwork and a snapshot of why your endeavor or change is warranted.
- Roger’s Diffusion and Change Success Attributes. Describe if and how each of these applies to your change or endeavor. The model indicates that if these five attributes are applicable, the change has a greater chance of being successful.
- Relative advantage- the degree to which an innovation/idea is perceived as being better than the idea it supersedes. “How will this make my or others’ life easier or better?”
- Compatibility- the degree to which an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters or constituents. “How does it fit?”
- Complexity- degree to which an innovation/idea is perceived as relatively difficult to understand and use or engage. “If you can’t explain it, they won’t try it or contribute to it.”
- Trialability- degree to which an innovation/idea may be experimented with on a limited basis (i.e., new car test drive).
- Observability- degree to which the results of the idea/innovation are visible to others (i.e., transparency; how do you communicate the outcomes derived from others inputs….consider Make A Wish Foundation, etc.).
- How do you persuade people to move in your direction? Can you use any of Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion? I want you to tell me how.
- What type of leadership is necessary to execute this? What type of followers do you need? Are there any potential leader shadows or follower challenges associated with this?
- Execution—how do you do it? Be specific. Appeal to rationality and emotion. While I don’t expect you to have executed this by the end of the 8 weeks, I do recognize that research shows if you write it down, think it through, and invest emotionally and cognitively, you are likely to follow through. Remember, moral motivation, moral action, and moral character determine actual follow through. Keep in mind that you may motivate others to engage in your endeavor. This is leadership!!!
- Anything else you feel is relevant to the design and execution of your change and endeavor…address it as well.
Papers must be 7-10 double-spaced pages, 12-point font, grammatically correct, APA-style cited, and reflective of MBA-level work. Papers will be submitted via Canvas by the due date listed on the syllabus. I am looking forward to these projects. Make this worth your while and do something you’ve always wanted to do. As a class, we will provide feedback to push your idea forward.