PSY 614 Southern New Hampshire Assessment Plan for Fortuga Company Discussion

1 Running head: A CASE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP STYLE, APPROACH, AND STRATEGY A Case Study of Leadership Style, Approach, And Strategy Chanel Sharp Southern New Hampshire University September 11, 2019 2 A CASE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP STYLE, APPROACH, AND STRATEGY A Case Study of Leadership Style, Approach, And Strategy The success of an organization largely depends on the effectiveness of its leadership. The leader has to establish a work environment that facilitates the realization of organizational visions and goals. According to Yusuf, Mohammed & Kazeen (2014), a successful leader uses styles, approaches and strategies that can enhance subordinates’ interest and commitments towards the realization of the organizational goals. In the Fortuga Artisans Company, the leader (Doug) did not cultivate, through his style, approach, and strategy, an atmosphere that encourages commitment towards the organizational goals. The issues in Fortuga organization include lack of proper internal communication, lack of motivation and employee turnover, lack of trust in the current leadership, and poaching of staff by a rival company. The subordinates feel that their views do not count to their leader, as the leader brushes off the subordinates when they try to voice their concerns. Lack of communication is also evidenced by the fact that the leader is not aware of the complaints among the subordinates and their intentions to resign. The employees do not have trust in the ability of Doug to lead the organization, thus are either opting not to renew their contracts or resign altogether. The lack of trust and the feeling of being disrespected are the main reasons behind staff turnover and staff poaching by a rival organization. The problems in Fortuga can be associated with the kind of leadership style, approach and strategy implemented. This leadership style is the autocratic style. In this style, the manager retains power over decision making (Khan, 2015). This strategy of leadership is characterized by little consultations with subordinates and lower levels of enthusiasm. For example, an authoritative 3 A CASE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP STYLE, APPROACH, AND STRATEGY leader would decide on the procedures of performing a task and assign work to subordinates without consulting them about their abilities and interests. Khan (2015) opined that lower levels of trust are characteristic of an institution in which an autocratic style of management is used. An autocratic leadership style utilizes a transactive approach, in which the subordinates comply with the orders given to them by their leader. In a transactive leadership approach, the leader gives orders to the subordinates with clear instructions on how to execute tasks, and subordinates are not expected to contradict the instructions from the leader (Wamy & Swamy, 2014). In a transactive approach, the strategy of leadership is to use threats, conditional rewards, and enforcement of rules to make subordinates work towards the organizational goals. For example, the employees who do not meet work expectations are threatened with sanctions while the employees who perform well are rewarded based on their level of performance. The problem of lack of communication arises in Fortuga because the leader does not want to listen to the employees’ concerns. For example, when Doug’s assistant wanted to discuss her dissatisfaction with his leadership, he brushed her off. This shows that Doug uses an authoritative leadership style in which employees are not supposed to be consulted. The high rate of staff turnover in the organization is due to the lack of trust in Doug’s leadership styles. For example, Doug’s assistant expressed concerns that subordinates were opting to resign and/or not to renew contracts because they lack trust in his leadership. Lack of trust in leadership and low enthusiasm for work is typical of an organization where a transactive approach is being used (Wamy & Swamy, 2014). Lack of motivation is due to the fact that employees are given orders and are not consulted concerning their interests and fears. For 4 A CASE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP STYLE, APPROACH, AND STRATEGY example, Doug’s assistant claimed that employees feel that they are taken for granted. This is because Doug uses a strategy of orders, threats, and enforcement of rules as a leadership strategy, without due regards to the feelings of the employees. Due to employees’ low motivation, the rival organization takes advantage to pouch employees from Fortuga. Conclusion The leadership style, approach, and strategy used by Doug does not motivate employees to work towards the goal. Even though the approach of giving orders may make tasks clear, it does not help if employees are not motivated. The strategy of threats and rewards are not working to improve the situation but are brewing resentment. 5 A CASE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP STYLE, APPROACH, AND STRATEGY References Khan, M., Khan, I., Qureshi, Q., Ismail, H., Rauf, H., Latif, A., & Tahir, M. (2015). The styles of leadership: a critical review. Public Policy and Administration Research, 5(3), 87-92. Wamy, T. S., & Swamy, D, R. (2014). Leadership styles. Advances in Management, 7(2), 57-60 Yusuf. O., Mohammed, D & Kazeen, A. (2014). Management of leadership style: an approach to organizational performance and effectiveness in Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education, 1(2), 17-29. PSY 614: Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide Overview The final project for this course is a leadership case study analysis. You will be given a specific case study that centers on leadership strategies to form the foundation of your analysis. Using this case study, you must apply the theories and concepts from the course to interpret and formulate answers to certain guiding questions. Finally, you must create a professional presentation that presents your entire case study analysis effectively. In the presentation, you will present your findings and recommendations, including answers to all guiding questions, as a consultant would present his or her analysis to a company. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Four, Six, and Eight. The final product will be submitted in Module Ten. This assessment will assess your mastery with respect to the following course outcomes:    Evaluate leadership strategies for the extent to which they reflect flexibility, promote sustainability, foster effective change management, and further organizational goals for a given context Select appropriate, innovative leadership strategies for solving authentic problem scenarios Assess the effectiveness of and recommend modifications to leadership techniques based on employee research and performance metrics data Prompt Use the case study Fortuga Artisans, Inc. for the following prompt. For your leadership case study analysis, you must create a professional presentation and apply the theories and concepts from the course to interpret and formulate answers to the following guiding questions:    What are the problems and issues discussed in the case study? Illustrate each with specific examples and connect them back to course principles. How did or how should the organization employ leadership strategies that reflect flexibility, promote sustainability, foster effective change management, and further organizational goals? Defend your evaluation and choices. What is your assessment plan? Describe your plan based on the leadership strategies that have been employed as well as any additional strategies you recommend to be employed. Include a plan for assessment that incorporates employee feedback and performance metrics data. What should be measured? How should it be measured to ensure validity and reliability? How should that data be interpreted and acted upon? Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: 1. Leadership Strategies: Evaluation – Using the case study, describe the overall leadership strategies employed. Specifically address the following: a. Flexibility – To what extent does the leadership strategy of the company within the case study reflect flexibility? What evidence is given for the basis of your reasoning? b. Sustainability – Does the leadership strategy promote sustainability? Why? c. Change management – Does the leadership strategy foster effective change management? Why or why not? d. Organizational goals – Does the leadership strategy further organizational goals? Give examples. 2. Leadership Strategies: Selection – Within the case, what are the leadership problems? Select appropriate leadership styles, approaches, and strategies for solving the problem(s) based on the following: a. Appropriateness – Which leadership strategies are appropriate for use in solving the problems identified within the case study? Discuss their appropriateness in terms of style, approach, and strategy. b. Innovation – Are the leadership strategies innovative? Why or why not? 3. Assessment Plan – Develop an assessment plan based on leadership strategies that have previously been employed and any recommended changes to be employed. This assessment plan should include the following: a. Effectiveness – Assess the effectiveness of the current leadership strategies based on the following: i. Employee research ii. Performance metric data b. Recommendations – Propose an assessment plan that incorporates employee feedback and performance metrics data, addresses the data to be collected, discusses how to ensure validity and reliability, and incorporates interpretation and future actions. Note: Principles of an effective presentation can be found at the end of this document. Milestones Milestone One: Problems and Issues In task 4-3, submit a 2–3-page paper. What are the problems and issues discussed in the case study? Establish a context by providing an overview of leadership style, approach, and strategy. Then illustrate each problem in the case with specific examples and connect them to leadership style, approach, and strategy. The format should be a Word document, written in APA style and cited appropriately. This milestone will be graded using the Milestone One Rubric. The feedback provided by the instructor should be applied to your final leadership case study analysis. Milestone Two: Leadership Strategy In task 6-2, submit a 3–4-page paper identifying the leadership strategies that were employed by the organization described in the case study, how they were employed, and any additional strategies that could be employed to reflect flexibility, promote sustainability, foster effective change management, and further organizational goals. Explain how your recommended strategies should be employed. Defend your evaluation and choices. The format should be a Word document, written in APA style and cited appropriately. This milestone will be graded using the Milestone Two Rubric. The feedback provided by the instructor should be applied to your final leadership case study analysis. Milestone Three: Assessment Plan In task 8-2, submit a 3–4-page paper that describes your assessment plan based on the leadership strategies that have been employed as well as any additional strategies you have recommended be employed. Be sure to include employee feedback and performance metrics data. What should be measured? How should it be measured to ensure validity and reliability? How should that data be interpreted and acted upon? The format should be a Word document, written in APA style and cited appropriately. This milestone will be graded using the Milestone Three Rubric. The feedback provided by the instructor should be applied to your final leadership case study analysis. Final Product: Leadership Case Study Analysis: Final Professional Presentation In task 10-3, submit the final leadership case study analysis. This is submitted as a professional presentation. It should be a completed product that meets all of the critical elements outlined above. This is graded with the Final Product Rubric (below). Deliverable Milestones Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading 1 Problems and Issues Four Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric 2 Leadership Strategy Six Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric 3 Assessment Plan Eight Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric Ten Graded separately; Final Product Rubric Final Product: Leadership Case Study Analysis: Final Professional Presentation Final Product Rubric Requirements of submission: The final presentation must include a minimum of 14 slides but no more than 24 slides, including opening and closing slides (one slide should be included as an introduction and one slide should be included as a closing slide). Any resources used to support the presentation must be properly cited in APA format. There is no requirement on the number of resources. Critical Elements Leadership Strategies: Evaluation (Flexibility) Leadership Strategies: Evaluation (Sustainability) Leadership Strategies: Evaluation (Change Management) Leadership Strategies: Evaluation (Organizational Goals) Leadership Strategies: Selection (Appropriateness) Exemplary (100%) Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation is substantiated by scholarly research Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation is substantiated by clear and specific examples Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation is substantiated by scholarly research Proficient (90%) Adequately evaluates the extent of flexibility of the leadership strategy Adequately evaluates how the leadership strategy promotes sustainability Adequately evaluates how the leadership strategy fosters change management Needs Improvement (70%) Does not sufficiently evaluate the extent of flexibility of the leadership strategy Does not sufficiently evaluate how the leadership strategy promotes sustainability Does not sufficiently evaluate how the leadership strategy fosters change management Not Evident (0%) Does not include an evaluation of the flexibility of the leadership strategy Does not include an evaluation of the sustainability of the leadership strategy Does not include an evaluation of how the leadership strategy fosters change management Value 7 Meets “Proficient” criteria and evaluation is substantiated by scholarly research Meets “Proficient” criteria and the appropriateness is well defined through the use of specific concrete examples Does not sufficiently evaluate how the leadership strategy furthers organizational goals Includes a leadership strategy but does not sufficiently show its appropriateness Does not include an evaluation of how the leadership strategy furthers organizational goals Does not include an appropriate leadership strategy 7 Leadership Strategies: Selection (Innovation) Meets “Proficient” criteria and evaluation is substantiated by clear and specific examples Adequately evaluates how the leadership strategy furthers organizational goals Includes the appropriate leadership strategy and qualifies the appropriateness in terms of style, approach, and strategy Adequately evaluates the extent of innovation of the leadership strategy Does not sufficiently evaluate the extent of innovation of the leadership strategy Does not include the extent of innovation of the leadership strategy 14 Assessment Plan (Effectiveness) Meets “Proficient” criteria and evaluation is substantiated by clear and specific examples Provides an assessment plan that evaluates effectiveness based on both employee data and performance metric data Meets “Proficient” criteria and evaluation is substantiated by scholarly research Incudes a well-developed discussion on how to interpret the data and apply the results to future actions Does not include an assessment plan that evaluates effectiveness based on both employee data and performance metric data Does not include a discussion on how to interpret the data and apply the results to future actions 14 Assessment Plan (Recommendation) Assessment plan does not sufficiently evaluate effectiveness based on both employee data and performance metric data Does not sufficiently discuss how to interpret the data and apply the results 7 7 14 14 Organization Written Narration Slides are organized in a way that is logical and that complements the central theme(s); transitions are wellpaced to create a natural and engaging flow Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format Slides are organized in a way that is logical, and transitions are paced so that the material is easily accessible Slides are organized in a way that is mostly logical, and transitions are paced so that the material can be understood with focus and effort Slides are organized in a way that is illogical OR transitions are paced so that the material cannot be understood 8 Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 8 Earned Total 100% Principles of an Effective Presentation:  You may utilize a product such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Adobe Captivate, Prezi, or Google Presentation to create your presentation.  There are various template designs that you can find on the web for your presentation. However, first consider your presentation from the perspective of your audience prior to selecting a specific style. Distracting backgrounds, large blocks of text, all-uppercase fonts, elaborate font styles, grammatical errors, and misspellings are distracting. Be consistent with the style of text, bullets, and sub-points in order to support a powerful presentation that allows your content to be the focus.  Each slide should include your key point(s). Do not place large blocks of text on the visual. Your presentation is not a means of presenting a short paper. In an actual presentation you would not “read” from your slides but rather use them as prompts.  Any notes or narration you would use in delivering this presentation to a group should be listed in the “notes” section of the slide.  References should be listed at the bottom of the slide in slightly smaller text.  Use clip art, AutoShapes, pictures, charts, tables, and diagrams to enhance but not overwhelm your content.  Be mindful of the intended audience and seek to assess the presentation’s effectiveness by gauging audience comprehension (when possible) Types of Presentation Media: Text, charts/graphs, photos, clipart, video, audio, links, word clouds, infographics, flowcharts, interactive components, animation, maps, transitions, graphic organizer, screenshots, storyboards, illustrations Below are some links that offer helpful tips and examples for developing your presentations: Making PowerPoint Slides Beyond Bullet Points: The Better Way to Use PowerPoint 10 Tips to Help Master Prezi Harvard Business: Create an Effective Presentation Below are some links that offer helpful tips and information that support self-publishing activity: UNC-Chapel Hill: Publishing Microsoft PowerPoint Publishing Narrated PowerPoint Presentations TR Dojo: Video: Create a Self-Running PowerPoint Presentation Google Presentation 5 Presenting & Publishing Recording and Publishing Adobe Captivate Software Simulations Publish Your Prezi Running head: LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY Leadership Strategies for Fortuga Company Chanel Sharp Southern New Hampshire University September 22nd, 2019 1 LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY 2 Leadership Strategies for Fortuga Company The strategies utilized by a leader determine the level of success, sustainability, flexibility and tolerance to change that can be experienced in a company. According to Li, Zhan & Lu (2016), the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in a company holds a key decision-making position hence is capable of affecting the level of flexibility in an organisation, change management and the overall organizational performance. The strategies of leadership used by Doug in Fortuga company influenced the performance by causing issues including employee demotivation and lack of trust. Retaining power over decision making is one of the leadership strategies used in the company. The CEO made all decisions by himself and did not consult with his subordinates. The CEO gave orders to the subordinates and did not expect them to challenge the orders or give their opinions. For example, Maryann (the executive assistant to the CEO) recalls the many times she tried to express her concerns with the leadership style used by Doug but she was simply brushed off. The CEO (Doug) was using this strategy to force people into focusing on furthering organizational goals with minimal resistance (Khan et al, 2015). The other strategies used by Doug are issuing threats and instructions. For example, the executive assistant explained that Doug would call her even during her private time to give instructions concerning the company. Clear instructions are used by autocratic leaders to force people into working towards organizational goals (Khan et al, 2015). The threats and domination of subordinates were used as a change management approach because it limits the calls for change in the organization. The company could use a hybrid of other leadership strategies to reflect flexibility, promote sustainability, foster effective change management, and further organizational goals. A supportive LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY 3 strategy of leadership could be used to motivate the employees and thus inspire them to further the organizational goals (Rainey, 2009). The employee in Fortuga feels that they are taken for granted and that their concerns are not being considered. To implement a supportive strategy, therefore, the CEO should show concern to the wellbeing of the employees, respect their private time and listen to their concerns. Implementing a supportive leadership strategy will also make the company economically sustainable because once the employees feel motivated and valued, the expense related to high turnover rates will decline. This strategy is recommended because it creates a feeling of motivation and trust in leadership, the two most important aspects that are missing in the organization. According to Rainey (2009), intrinsic motivation has a greater effect on enabling employees to work towards the goals of the organization. Therefore, the supportive leadership strategy is chosen because it involves intrinsic motivation, where employees’ passion is invoked at a very minimal cost. For example, showing concern for employees’ wellbeing does not require the company to incur additional costs hence is the most economically sustainable and effective means of restoring passion for work among the employees. The company could also use rewards as a leadership strategy instead of threats. According to Rainey (2009), employees feel more motivated to work towards the goals of the organization if they know that their efforts will be rewarded. This strategy should be implemented through recognizing an employee’s efforts in a staff meeting or giving gifts to an employee as a reward for efforts made (Rainey, 2009). The main issue hindering the employees from furthering the goals of Fortuga company is the lack of motivation and feeling among the employees that they are being taken for granted. LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY 4 The leadership strategy of reward is, therefore, chosen because it would prove to the employees that their efforts are being recognized and that they are valued by their leader. By motivating employees through rewards, they will put more effort into furthering the organizational goals and increase the profitability of the company, thus leading to the sustainability of the Fortuga company. A participative leadership strategy is also recommended for Fortuga company, to help it foster change management and reflect flexibility. In a participative strategy, the subordinates are involved in decision-making processes within the organization (Li, Zhan & Lu, 2016). The company can implement the participative strategy and hence foster effective change management by consulting with the employees about the decisions to be made, and allowing them to express their views, fears, and concerns about the changes that the decision made will have on them. Another way in which a participative leadership strategy should be implemented is by allowing employees to set goals that are consistent with their values (Rainey, 2009). This fosters flexibility because the employees can flexibly change duties amongst themselves, use strategies they are comfortable with, and plan their work according to their values. Another issue in Fortuga is that employees are not happy with the rigidity in their workplace. Therefore, a participatory strategy of leadership is recommended to introduce flexibility in the organization. Conclusion The issues in the company revolve around a lack of trust and motivation, and employees being unhappy with the strategy of leadership. The leader has used threats, dominance and retention of decision-making power to force employees to further organizational goals. LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY 5 Participative, supportive and reward strategies are proposed to enable the leadership reflex flexibility, sustainability, change management, and further organizational goals. LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR FORTUGA COMPANY 6 References Khan, M., Khan, I., Qureshi, Q., Ismail, H., Rauf, H., Latif, A., & Tahir, M. (2015). The styles of leadership: a critical review. Public Policy and Administration Research, 5(3), 87-92. Li, W., Zhan, J., & Lu, Y. (2016). A study of transformational leadership, strategic flexibility, and firm performance: The moderating role of environmental dynamism. International Interdisciplinary Business-Economics Advancement Journal, 1(2), 73-84. Rainey, H.G. (2009). Understanding and Managing Public Organizations (4th edition) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Grid View

	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor
Main Posting	45 (45%) – 50 (50%) Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources. Supported by at least three current, credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	40 (40%) – 44 (44%) Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth. Supported by at least three credible sources. Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.	35 (35%) – 39 (39%) Responds to some of the discussion question(s). One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed. Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Post is cited with two credible sources. Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Contains some APA formatting errors.	0 (0%) – 34 (34%) Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately. Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria. Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis. Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module. Contains only one or no credible sources. Not written clearly or concisely. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors. Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness	10 (10%) – 10 (10%) Posts main post by day 3.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not post by day 3.
First Response	17 (17%) – 18 (18%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	15 (15%) – 16 (16%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	13 (13%) – 14 (14%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 12 (12%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Second Response	16 (16%) – 17 (17%) Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings. Responds fully to questions posed by faculty. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources. Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	14 (14%) – 15 (15%) Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings. Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues. Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed. Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources. Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.	12 (12%) – 13 (13%) Response is on topic and may have some depth. Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed. Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.	0 (0%) – 11 (11%) Response may not be on topic and lacks depth. Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication. Responses to faculty questions are missing. No credible sources are cited.
Participation	5 (5%) – 5 (5%) Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%)	0 (0%) – 0 (0%) Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100

As we begin this session, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my expectations for this course:

Please note that GCU Online weeks run from Thursday (Day 1) through Wednesday (Day 7).

Course Room Etiquette:

It is my expectation that all learners will respect the thoughts and ideas presented in the discussions.
All postings should be presented in a respectful, professional manner. Remember – different points of view add richness and depth to the course!

Office Hours:

My office hours vary so feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected] or my office phone is 602.639.6517 and I will get back to you within one business day or as soon as possible.
Phone appointments can be scheduled as well. Send me an email and the best time to call you, along with your phone number to make an appointment.
I welcome all inquiries and questions as we spend this term together. My preference is that everyone utilizes the Questions to Instructor forum. In the event your question is of a personal nature, please feel free to post in the Individual Questions for Instructor forumI will respond to all posts or emails within 24 or sooner.

Late Policy and Grading Policy

Discussion questions:

I do not mark off for late DQ’s.
I would rather you take the time to read the materials and respond to the DQ’s in a scholarly way, demonstrating your understanding of the materials.
I will not accept any DQ submissions after day 7, 11:59 PM (AZ Time) of the week.
Individual written assignments – due by 11:59 PM AZ Time Zone on the due dates indicated for each class deliverable.

Assignments:

Assignments turned in after their specified due dates are subject to a late penalty of -10%, each day late, of the available credit. Please refer to the student academic handbook and GCU policy.
Any activity or assignment submitted after the due date will be subject to GCU’s late policy
Extenuating circumstances may justify exceptions, which are at my sole discretion. If an extenuating circumstance should arise, please contact me privately as soon as possible.
No assignments can be accepted for grading after midnight on the final day of class.
All assignments will be graded in accordance with the Assignment Grading Rubrics

Participation

Participation in each week’s Discussion Board forum accounts for a large percentage of your final grade in this course.
Please review the Course Syllabus for a comprehensive overview of course deliverables and the value associated with each.
It is my expectation that each of you will substantially contribute to the course discussion forums and respond to the posts of at least three other learners.
A substantive post should be at least 200 words. Responses such as “great posts” or “I agree” do notmeet the active engagement expectation.
Please feel free to draw on personal examples as you develop your responses to the Discussion Questions but you do need to demonstrate your understanding of the materials.
I do expect outside sources as well as class materials to formulate your post.
APA format is not necessary for DQ responses, but I do expect a proper citation for references.
Please use peer-related journals found through the GCU library and/or class materials to formulate your answers. Do not try to “Google” DQ’s as I am looking for class materials and examples from the weekly materials.
I will not accept responses that are from Wikipedia, Business com, or other popular business websites. You will not receive credit for generic web searches – this does not demonstrate graduate-level research.
Stay away from the use of personal pronouns when writing.As a graduate student, you are expected to write based on research and gathering of facts. Demonstrating your understanding of the materials is what you will be graded on. You will be marked down for lack of evidence to support your ideas.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of claiming credit for another’s work, accomplishments, or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment of the source of the information by including in-text citations and references.
This course requires the utilization of APA format for all course deliverables as noted in the course syllabus.
Whether this happens deliberately or inadvertently, whenever plagiarism has occurred, you have committed a Code of Conduct violation.
Please review your LopesWrite report prior to final submission.
Every act of plagiarism, no matter the severity, must be reported to the GCU administration (this includes your DQ’s, posts to your peers, and your papers).

Plagiarism includes:

Representing the ideas, expressions, or materials of another without due credit.
Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation and referencing.
Failing to document direct quotations without proper citation and referencing.
Depending upon the amount, severity, and frequency of the plagiarism that is committed, students may receive in-class penalties that range from coaching (for a minor omission), -20% grade penalties for resubmission, or zero credit for a specific assignment. University-level penalties may also occur, including suspension or even expulsion from the University.
If you are at all uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, you should review the resources available in the Student Success Center. Also, please review the University’s policies about plagiarism which are covered in more detail in the GCU Catalog and the Student Handbook.
We will be utilizing the GCU APA Style Guide 7th edition located in the Student Success Center > The Writing Center for all course deliverables.

LopesWrite

All course assignments must be uploaded to the specific Module Assignment Drop Box, and also submitted to LopesWrite every week.
Please ensure that your assignment is uploaded to both locations under the Assignments DropBox. Detailed instructions for using LopesWrite are located in the Student Success Center.

Assignment Submissions

Please note that Microsoft Office is the software requirement at GCU.
I can open Word files or any file that is saved with a .rtf (Rich Text Format) extension. I am unable to open .wps files.
If you are using a “.wps” word processor, please save your files using the .rtf extension that is available from the drop-down box before uploading your files to the Assignment Drop Box.

Grade of Incomplete

The final grade of Incomplete is granted at the discretion of the instructor; however, students must meet certain specific criteria before this grade accommodation is even possible to consider.
The grade of Incomplete is reserved for times when students experience a serious extenuating circumstance or a crisis during the last week of class which prevents the completion of course requirements before the close of the grading period. Students also must pass the course at the time the request is made.
Please contact me personally if you are having difficulties in meeting course requirements or class deadlines during our time together. In addition, if you are experiencing personal challenges or difficulties, it is best to contact the Academic Counselor so that you can discuss the options that might be available to you, as well as each option’s academic and financial repercussions.

Grade Disputes

If you have any questions about a grade you have earned on an individual assignment or activity, please get in touch with mepersonally for further clarification.
While I have made every attempt to grade you fairly, on occasion a misunderstanding may occur, so please allow me the opportunity to learn your perspective if you believe this has occurred. Together, we should be able to resolve grading issues on individual assignments.
However, after we have discussed individual assignments’ point scores, if you still believe that the final grade you have earned at the end of the course is not commensurate with the quality of work you produced for this class, there is a formal Grade Grievance procedurewhich is outlined in the GCU Catalog and Student Handbook.