Summer 2015/Fuller Online
ML584
Downes
ML584: CROSS-CULTURAL DYNAMICS OF GLOBAL LEADERSHIP (4 Units: 160 hours). Donna R. Downes.
DESCRIPTION: Today’s Christian leaders are increasingly called upon to understand and to negotiate with sensitivity the complexities of ministering in a diverse global context and within multicultural teams and organizations. Whether we are leaders in multiethnic congregations, mission organizations, NGOs, or on college campuses, our ability to successfully navigate cross-cultural relationships in ministry has become an essential part of the job description for the well-prepared leader. This course will offer (1) a deeper understanding of how our own cultural frameworks impact organizational dynamics, leadership development, decision making, and conflict management; (2) an opportunity to diagnose and explore possibilities for improving the “climate” for cultural diversity in our own organizational or church contexts; and (3) practical suggestions about how Christian leaders might learn to leverage diversity to achieve positive change within their ministry contexts so that the Gospel of the Kingdom can spread more effectively from all peoples to all peoples.
LEARNING OUTCOMES (LOC’s): Upon successful completion of this course, students will have (1) understood and articulated how complex global changes impact their own ministries and organizations; (2) recognized and analyzed how culture shapes interactions, structures, decision making and leadership processes within an organizational or church environment; (3) explored the spiritual and theological aspects of pursuing cultural diversity in church and mission leadership; and (4) applied various models to diagnose an organizational or church culture and produced a strategic plan to achieve greater effectiveness in encouraging, managing, and leveraging cultural diversity.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.
REQUIRED READING: Approximately 1,300 pages from the following texts and online materials:
Bolman, Lee, and Terrence Deal. 2013. Reframing Organizations. 5th ed. Jossey-Bass. ISBN-13:978-1118573334. Pub. Price $54 [260 pages assigned]. (You may also substitute the 2008 edition.)
Elmer, Duane. 1995. Cross-cultural Conflict. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 978-0830816576, Pub. Price $18 [182 pp.].
Hofstede, Geert. 2010. Cultures and Organizations: Software for the Mind. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill.
ISBN: 978-0071664189, Pub. Price $30 [230 pages assigned].
Lingenfelter, Sherwood, and Marvin Mayers. 2003. Ministering Cross-Culturally. Grand Rapids, MIM: Baker. ISBN: 978-0801026478, Pub. Price $16 [128 pp.].
Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. 1998. Transforming Culture: A Challenge for Christian Mission. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. ISBN: 978-0801021787, Pub. Price $22 [181 pp.].
Plueddemann, James. 2009. Leading Across Cultures. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 978-0830825783, Pub. Price $20 [180 pages assigned].
Various online readings [140 pages] as assigned in the course shell.
NOTE: All the above books, except Elmer, are also available in Kindle electronic versions.
PLUSCHOOSE ONE of the following books on multicultural churches for a required reading report:
DeYmaz, Mark and Harry Li. 2013. Leading a Healthy, Multi-ethnic Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN: 978-0310515395 Pub. Price $19 [240 pp.].
Ortiz, Manuel. 1996. One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 978-0830818822, Pub. Price $17 [158 pp.].
Perkins, Spencer, and Chris Rice. 2000. More than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel. InterVarsity Press. ISBN: 978-0830822560, Pub. Price $20 [285 pp.].
Rah, Soong-Chan. 2010. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Chicago: Moody Publishers. ISBN: 978-0802450487, Pub. Price $15 [208 pp.].
Rodriguez, Daniel. 2011. A Future for the Latino Church: Models for Multilingual, Multigenerational, Hispanic Congregations. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. ISBN-13: 978-0830839308 Pub. Price $20 [200 pp.]
Williams, Scott. 2011. Church Diversity: Sunday, the most segregated day of the week. Green Forest, AR: New Leaf Press. ISBN-13: 978-0892217038. $14 [192 pp.]
Woo, Rodney M. 2009. The Color of a Church. Nashville: B&H Publishing. ISBN: 978-0805448399, Pub. Price $25 [290 pp.].
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Weekly readings and lectures [75 hours reading, 7 hours lecture].
Personal Culture Study: 6- to 7-page (1500-1750 words) paper applying the Lingenfelter and Mayers (2003) cultural-assessment framework (10%). [This assignment is related to LOC 2] [10 hours].
Weekly postings and interactions on readings and lectures (30%). [This assignment is related to LOC’s 1, 3 & 4] [20 hours].
Collaborative Online Case studies: practical application of theory (25%). [This assignment is related to LOC’s 3 & 4] [10 hours].
One 500-600 word reading report (2-2 ½ pages) on the student’s choice of a church-oriented book (5%). This assignment is related to LOC’s 2 and 3] [4 hours].
FINAL Paper: Organizational or Church Diversity Assessment and Strategic Plan for Change: [15-18 pages, 3900 to 4500 words] (30%). [This assignment is related to LOC’s 2 and 4] [34 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None. Because of the importance placed on regular online group interactions in this course, the course may not be audited or taken pass/fail without permission of the instructor.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective in cross-cultural leadership.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.