U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

Volume XI, Number 2

Kevin P. Kearns, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Photo by Joseph Kapelewski, CIDDE

Driven by the mission of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) “to prepare students to make substantive contributions to society through careers as managers, advisors, and policy analysts in government and nonprofit organizations in a multitude of geographic locations throughout the world,” my teaching goals are:

Build practical and transferable management skills

GSPIA graduates work in a variety of organizations. Therefore, I teach management skills that can be applied in a range of organizational contexts. For example, large federal agencies undertake strategic planning within a prescribed set of steps and procedures, whereas small nonprofit organizations do more ad hoc planning with flexible formats. Therefore, my strategic planning course addresses both types of planning. One of the case studies for my strategic management course portrays a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization that is led by a visionary executive who appears to do very little formal “planning.” Closer examination, however, reveals that this particular organization is managed in a very strategic way, even though it does not appear to have a strategic plan per se. Occasionally, this executive is available to give a guest presentation to the class which reinforces the learning objective. For added realism, my students must do a field study in an organization where they actually produce strategic assessments and plans. For example, last year a student did a sophisticated market analysis for a local museum where he was employed. If students are not employed, they may select organizations where they volunteer. I have seen good student strategic plans for churches, neighborhood associations, and even social clubs. Students must make a formal classroom presentation of their findings, providing the opportunity to develop professional speaking and presentation skills.

Encourage “reflective” management

GSPIA graduates work in complex environments where they must make tradeoffs among conflicting goals or constituencies. A learning outcome in my management theory course is for students to be able to diagnose organizational problems from several perspectives—structural, political, and interpersonal. I try to use case studies that portray situations for which there are several plausible solutions and sometimes intense conflict among affected parties. Asking students to prepare their best arguments pro and con helps them to develop skills in framing and defining problems in reasonably sophisticated ways. An even more challenging approach is to first ask students their personal preferences or predispositions regarding a case study and then require them to construct a plausible argument for the position that they do not personally support. For example, in a course dealing with organization theory, I use a case that portrays a highly competent but somewhat belligerent employee. Students are usually divided on whether the employee should be disciplined (perhaps even fired) or supported. I ask students first to reveal their initial inclinations and then develop an argument supporting the opposite position. Assessing whether a student has actually made progress on this learning objective is always a subjective judgment. But many students say that the process helps them understand more about their predispositions and potential biases.

Develop skills in ethical leadership (not just management)

GSPIA graduates often work under the glare of public scrutiny as public officials. I try to build skills in ethical leadership. A learning outcome in my course on nonprofit management is to understand why nonprofit organizations have come under increasing public scrutiny and occasional criticism for their performance and the behavior of their leaders. Students must also understand how to employ a variety of strategies for enhancing nonprofit accountability and ethical behavior. In one case study, for example, students must play the role of nonprofit trustees who have been presented with a controversial proposal by the charismatic CEO. The proposal involves a venture that could grow the organization but also may place the assets at risk. The students must assume a stewardship role for the organization and make a decision based on their legal and ethical obligations to society as well as to the organization itself. I look for case studies that are sensitive to diversity in leadership, especially those that present women and minorities in leadership positions. Some of the cases also present intercultural issues.

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