Varied Perspectives: An Inquest of Four Organizational and Ethical Issues

This thesis presents my responses to questions posed by four professors with whom I studied while completing my coursework in the Organizational Dynamics Master’s Degree Program at the University of Pennsylvania. My thesis represents a composite of the theoretical and practical knowledge I gained through my coursework and interactions with my peers and professors in the MSOD program. My project focuses on organizational culture, ethics, leadership coaching, and strategy to formulate an overview of my learning and applying that learning to answer the questions presented to me by some of the professors with whom I studied. Dr. Elijah Anderson asked me to conduct a literature review and write a proposal for an ethnographic study of an important aspect of the organization. Professor Andrew Lamas presented me with two essays, one from Walter Benjamin, and one from Eben Moglen, asked me to analyze them, and to relate them to an important 21st-century topic. Dr. Rod Napier required me to distinguish executive coaching from the field from therapy, and to build a case for the skill requirements an executive coach needs to help clients successfully. Finally, Professor Eric van Merkensteijn requested that I analyze the Ford Motor Company and develop a strategic plan to return the company to solvency.