ORG-817: Systems Thinking: Building Organizations That Last Entire Course

Systems thinking enables an understanding of the complexity of organizations, the seeming coexistence of chaos and order in organizations, and the need to establish sustainability within organizations. Since, considering viable applications of both systems theory and chaordic theory is necessary for organizational leaders, you will explore both general systems theory (GST) and chaordic systems theory in this assignment.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• Instructors will be using a grading rubric to grade the assignments. It is recommended that learners review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment in order to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
• This assignment requires that at least two additional scholarly research sources related to this topic, and at least one in-text citation from each source be included.
• You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Directions:

Write a paper (1,250-1,500 words) explaining the concepts of general systems theory and chaordic systems theory as applied in organizations today. Include the following in your paper:

1. An explanation of the components of general systems theory.
2. A research-based discussion of how these components relate to organizations.
3. An explanation of the development of chaordic systems theory.
4. A research-based discussion of how leaders might apply chaordic systems theory to achieve sustainability within an organization.

The transition from a consumer of research to a producer of research includes becoming an expert in the design and methodology required for the research task in addition to becoming an expert in the content of the research. Since not every nuance of every research design and method can be addressed in the limited space of a doctoral program, doctoral learners must take the responsibility to become fully immersed in the research design and methodology that is best suited to address the research questions of the dissertation. In this assignment, you will make a step toward both becoming an expert in the research methodology of your dissertation and to creating a first draft of the methodology section of your prospectus. Please note that a passing score on this assignment does not indicate an approved research design or methodology. You will work with your dissertation chair and methodologist to further refine and focus the design and methodology once you enter the dissertation phase of the program.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• Refer to the potential dissertation research questions and problem statement you drafted as an assignment in a previous course.
• Retain this paper for reference in future courses.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
• This assignment requires that at least two additional scholarly research sources related to this topic, and at least one in-text citation from each source be included.
• You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Directions:

Write a paper (750-1,000 words) in which you present a clearly articulated argument for whether a qualitative or quantitative research methodology is the best approach to answer the potential dissertation research questions and address the problem statement you drafted in a previous course. Include the following in your paper:

1. A literature-supported discussion identifying the critical attributes of the selected methodology (qualitative or quantitative).
2. A literature-supported rationale that clearly articulates why the critical attributes of the selected methodology are a best or appropriate fit for the stated problem and research questions. Cite specific examples where a similar methodology was used to answer similar research questions or to address a similar problem statement.
3. A literature-supported rationale that clearly articulates why the opposing methodology (qualitative or quantitative) is not appropriate for the study.
4. A concluding statement that clearly affirms the methodological choice (qualitative of quantitative).

Collaborative leadership in an organization promotes sustainability by allowing innovation and creativity to flourish. Learning organizations that apply systems thinking also promote sustainability by encouraging innovation and creativity. In this assignment, you will revise and expand your earlier work in this course to discuss the importance of collaboration and innovation within a complex system to promote sustainability.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• Refer to your submission for the Topic 2 assignment “GST and Chaordic Systems Theory.”
• This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
• This assignment requires that at least two additional scholarly research sources related to this topic, and at least one in-text citation from each source be included.
• You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Directions:

Part 1

Present a revised version (1,500-1,800 words total) of the paper “GST and Chaordic Systems Theory” that makes improvements in the caliber of the writing and incorporates instructor feedback regarding content and writing. Include the following in your submission:

1. A reflection (250-300 words) that provides a bulleted list of the changes you made to the paper and discusses your revision process including how you incorporated the instructor’s feedback into the revised version. Similar to an abstract, this section will receive its own page following the title page and preceding the introduction to the paper.
2. The revised paper that incorporates instructor feedback; clarifies the thesis statement and solidifies supporting arguments; edits for grammar, spelling, and punctuation; adjusts word choice to display professional and scholarly language; and adjusts sentence structure for improved readability.

Part 2

Write an additional 1,250-1,500 words discussing the importance of collaboration and innovation within a complex system to promote sustainability. This section should flow naturally from the revised paper. So, you may also need to revise your introduction and thesis statement to allow the papers to connect. Include the following in your paper:

1. A research-based evaluation of collaborative leadership within a learning organization that explores whether collaborative leadership should be the desired model of leadership in all organizations.
2. A research-based discussion of how general systems theory and chaordic systems theory foster or hinder innovation and creativity in a learning organization.
3. A research-based discussion of how innovation and creativity encourage sustainability of a learning organization. Give specific examples where appropriate.
4. A research-based discussion of how a leader balances innovation, creativity, and stability.