Summer 2016/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 styles, decision making, and conflict management; (2) an opportunity to explore a variety of interdisciplinary models for assessing and improving the “climate” for multicultural leadership and diversity in 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: 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 produce 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 are outlined below in the Assignments 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, applied learning.

REQUIRED READING: Approximately 1,300 pages from the following texts and online materials:

Bolman, Lee, and Terrence Deal. Reframing Organizations. 5th ed. Jossey-Bass, 2013. ISBN:978-1118573334, Pub. Price $54.00 [260 pp. assigned]. (You may also substitute the 2008 edition.)

Elmer, Duane. Cross-cultural Conflict. InterVarsity Press, 1994. ISBN: 978-0830816576, Pub. Price $18. [182 pp.].

Hofstede, Geert. Cultures and Organizations: Software for the Mind. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2010.
ISBN: 978-0071664189, Pub. Price $30.00 [230 pp. assigned].

Lingenfelter, Sherwood, and Marvin Mayers. Ministering Cross-Culturally: A Model for Effective Personal Relationships, 3rd ed. Baker, 2016. ISBN: 978-0801097478. Pub. Price $16.00 [144 pp.]. (Please purchase the 2016 edition – Kindle or print edition - rather than older editions.)

Lingenfelter, Sherwood G. Transforming Culture: A Challenge for Christian Mission. Baker, 1998. ISBN: 978-0801021787, Pub. Price $22.00 [181 pp.].

Plueddemann, James. Leading Across Cultures. InterVarsity Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0830825783, Pub. Price $20.00 [180 pp. assigned].

Various online readings [140 pages] as assigned in the Moodle course.

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:

Branson, Mark Lau and Juan Martinez. Churches, Cultures and Leadership. InterVarsity, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839261, Pub. Price $27.00 [275 pp.].

DeYmaz, Mark and Harry Li. Leading a Healthy, Multi-ethnic Church. Zondervan, 2013. ISBN: 978-0310515395, Pub. Price $19.00 [240 pp.].

Gray, Derwin. The High Definition Leader: Building Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2015. ISBN: 978-0718031633. Pub. Price $16. [224 pp.]

Ortiz, Manuel. One New People: Models for Developing a Multiethnic Church. InterVarsity Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0830818822, Pub. Price $17.00 [158 pp.].

Perkins, Spencer, and Chris Rice. More than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel. InterVarsity Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0830822560, Pub. Price $20.00 [285 pp.].

Rah, Soong-Chan. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Moody Publishers, 2010. ISBN: 978-0802450487, Pub. Price $15.00 [208 pp.].

Rodriguez, Daniel. A Future for the Latino Church: Models for Multilingual, Multigenerational, Hispanic Congregations. InterVarsity, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839308, Pub. Price $22.00 [200 pp.].

Williams, Scott. Church Diversity: Sunday, the most segregated day of the week. New Leaf Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0892217038, $14.00 [192 pp.].

Woo, Rodney M. The Color of a Church. B&H Publishing, 2009. ISBN: 978-0805448399, Pub. Price $25.00 [290 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Weekly readings and lectures. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3]. [75 hours reading, 7 hours lecture].

  2. Personal Culture Study: 6- to 7-page (1500-1750 words) paper applying the Lingenfelter and Mayers (2016) cultural-assessment framework (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [10 hours].

  3. Weekly postings and interactions on readings and lectures (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3 & 4]. [20 hours].

  4. Collaborative Online Case studies: practical application of theory (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3 & 4]. [10 hours].

  5. One 500/600-word reading report (2-2 ½ pages) on the student’s choice of a church-oriented book on multicultural leadership (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 3]. [4 hours].

  6. FINAL Paper on Organizational Dynamics and Cultural Diversity: A Contextual Assessment and Strategic Plan for Change: [15-18 pages, 3900 to 4500 words] (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 4]. [34 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. However, because of the importance placed on regular online or in-class group interactions and shared case studies, this course may not be audited or taken pass/fail without prior permission of the instructor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Required course for the MAICS degree. Currently an elective in leadership for SIS/SOT students.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.