MSOD 616 Practicum 1: Practitioner as Global Citizen (4)

The skills and knowledge required for a global practitioner of change is the focus of this course. It extends the fundamental principles and skills of organization development by utilizing an unfamiliar cultural environment to leverage understanding of the “self as an instrument of change,” develop cross-cultural skills, and hone research skills. Basic principles of anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, and psychology are explored as foundational theories to organization development. Topics include culture of origin, cross-cultural awareness of attributes that align or create stress, dynamics of conducting research in a non-native land. Working with local experts, students ascertain the merits of investment in primary industries in the region. Researching various functions and trends, such as environmental sustainability or virtual workforces, students determine their status as possible benchmarks for other countries or organizations to emulate. A focus on the students’ personal and professional growth to become strong leaders of change culminates in the creation of a individualized model of cultural entry useful to trasverse across countries and disparate organization cultures to become a global citizen to work in a broad array of work settings.