Alternative Experiences Reflection Topics (five required – 50 points for each of the five reflections attributed to fall LDST 488 course grade)

While enrolled in LDST 488 in fall 2020, you will be asked to complete an academic paper that connects your alternative experience (interviews or shadowing) with your leadership studies, a formal presentation about your alternate experience, and other assignments.  As you will not be writing academic papers during your summer internship, you will be asked to complete structured alternative experience reflections that will help you capture experiences and observations from the interviews or shadowing that you complete in lieu of an internship that you can draw on when completing the fall assignments.

Alternative Experience reflections will be captured via UR Blogs.

This blog is NOT open, it is available to only those students completing their Jepson credit-bearing experience.

A minimum of five reflections is expected and should be completed while you are conducting your interviews or completing your shadowing. These should be written and submitted throughout the course of your alternate experience not all at once. EACH REFLECTION SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 350 WORDS.

There are several topics to choose from, but you MUST submit at least TWO “Theories in Action” reflections as these will be critical to completing the fall paper assignment. For the other three, it is your choice which reflection topics you want to address. In the course of your interviews  or shadowing, you should consider these prompts as you are developing your questions for interviewees or issues/areas to discuss with those that you shadow. You’ll see that some of these reflection topics are included in the “Questions and Issues/Areas for Alternative Experiences” that Dr. Soderlund has posted for you to incorporate in your Alternative Experience.

Late assignments will receive a 5 point grade reduction per day. If you communicate with Dr. Soderlund more than 24 hours in advance of your weekly due date (Sunday by 11:59 p.m. EST), small extensions may be granted.

Alternative Experiences Reflection Categories

• Theories in Action (NEED TO SUBMIT TWO REFLECTIONS FOR THIS CATEGORY) – Based on your interviews and/or shadowing, identify a theory that is relevant to describing the operation and effectiveness of the organization(s) with which your interviewees or those you are shadowing work. In particular, please include examples of behaviors from your interviews and/or shadowing that illustrate the theory and/or ways in which interactions demonstrate the theory. Given the circumstances related to COVID and the way that it has changed the nature of work at this time, you might consider the ways in which individuals are managing the changing nature of the pandemic and the way in which it has impacted how the organization operates day to day. EACH REFLECTION SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 350 WORDS.

 

• Leader/Follower Relationships – Describe the leader/follower dynamics at the organization(s) with which your interviewees or those you are shadowing work. Given the circumstances related to COVID and the way that it has changed the nature of work at this time, you might consider the ways in which individuals are managing the changing nature of the pandemic and the way in which it has impacted how the organization operates day to day.  Please address at least two of the following: how work is structured in the organization (e.g. teams, departments, virtual teams, etc.); how work is directed (e.g. are employees autonomous and self-directed or do they follow standardized procedures); the ways in which decisions are made for the organization (e.g. centralized, decentralized, etc.); the leadership styles of individuals at various levels in the organization (senior level to intern) and whether people who are not in formal leadership roles have influence on others in the organization; the relationship and trust levels between leaders and members in your organization and the way in which followers regard the leaders in the organization; strengths and challenges in regards to leader/follower dynamics within the organization and recommendations for ways to enhance these relationships. EACH REFLECTION SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 350 WORDS.

 

• Organizational Culture – Describe the organizational culture of the organization(s) with which your interviewees or those you are shadowing work. Please address at least two of the following: the values, attitudes and expectations about work at your site; the norms and the process of learning these norms at your internship site; the ways in which people interact (formally or informally); the ways in which people communicate; how your site’s context (type of industry or history) affects the way it functions and is led, including whether the site’s context requires the leadership to be more attentive to certain issues than to others; strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s culture and recommendations for ways to continue to enhance strengths and suggestions/strategies to address weaknesses. EACH REFLECTION SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 350 WORDS.

 

• Solving Problems/Improving Leadership – Based on your interviews and/or shadowing, identify problems and/or areas that could be improved at the organization(s) with which your interviewees or those you are shadowing work. Please address at least two of the following: operational issues and/or ineffectiveness and ways in which these may be addressed; under-use, misuse, or abuse of leadership by those in formal or informal positions and ways in which such issues could be addressed; insights about teamwork and collaboration that could positively impact the environment and work product at your site; ways in which you as an intern, who is majoring in leadership studies, might identify issues and share concepts and strategies with supervisors and colleagues that could address the issues. EACH REFLECTION SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 350 WORDS.