Week 2:External Factors and Leadership, Human services organizations are not separate from their communities—they are “embedded” and are part of the larger social, political, and economic systems. Not only do external factors such as funding and politics influence organizational functioning including those serving in leadership roles, but the leaders themselves can influence change in these systems. Social work administrators must understand the impact of and interaction between the internal functioning of an organization and its external factors.

Students will:

• Apply leadership skills to supervisory role
• Evaluate challenges to supervisory role
• Evaluate personal strengths and interests relative to leadership and management roles
• Evaluate personal leadership and management skills and interests

Week 2:External Factors and Leadership

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications

Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications via the Copyright Clearance Center.

• Chapter 1, “Introduction” (pp. 1–17)

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.

• Chapter 1, “Understanding Leadership” (pp. 1–24)
• Chapter 2, “Recognizing Your Traits” (pp. 26–54)
• Chapter 5, “Developing Leadership Skills” (pp. 127-158)

Lauffer, A. (2011). Understanding your social agency (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.

• Chapter 3, “Role Playing and Group Membership” (pp. 70–98)

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing [Vital Source e-reader].

• “Social Work Supervision, Leadership, and Administration: The Phoenix House” (pp. 82–84)

Optional Resources

Walden University. (2014). Master of Social Work home page. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Visit the Master of Social Work interactive home page to explore resources available to students in the program.

Week 2:External Factors and Leadership

Discussion: External Factors Impacting an Organization

Last week, you explored how systems theory and the ecological perspective emphasize the interaction between a human services organization and its environment. Any change in one part of the system effects change in another part of the system. Because organizations are not immune to their environment, local, national, and global events affect them.

Social workers in administrative roles must be able to identify and analyze the external factors that affect the function of the human services organizations for which they work. Though you may apply leadership and management skills as you assume an administrative position, you may also be able to repurpose many of the assessment skills you use in clinical practice for macro social work. Just as you gather information about a client and develop strategies for treatment at a micro level, so too, at a macro level, you gather and analyze information about a situation or program and identify appropriate strategies that will support positive organizational functioning.

For this Discussion, you address the Phoenix House case study in the Social Work Case Studies: Concentration Year text.

By Day 3

Post by Day 3 an analysis of the supervisor’s role in the Phoenix House case study and identify leadership skills that might help the supervisor resolve the issue. Identify which aspect of this situation would be most challenging for you if you were the supervisor. Finally, explain how you would use leadership skills to proceed if you were the supervisor.

Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

By Day 5

Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.

Respond by to at least two colleagues in one of the following ways:

• Compare the greatest challenge your colleague has identified to the one you posted.
• Explain whether you think your colleague’s strategy for addressing the situation is likely to be effective and why.

Return to this Discussion to read the responses to your initial post. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 2 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 5

To participate in this Discussion:

Week 2 Discussion

Week 2:External Factors and Leadership

Assignment: Journal: Leadership and Management—A Personal Perspective

Last week, you began exploring the similarities and differences of leadership and management roles and the contributions these roles make to an organization’s functioning. Social workers need to be aware of these similarities and differences in order to determine which management or leadership skills are most appropriate in a given position or situation.

This week, you have focused on the influence of external factors on an organization’s functioning with a special focus on their impact on the leadership of social workers in supervisory roles.

As you have explored leadership and management roles, skills, and behaviors, you may have become aware of how these align, or do not align, with your personal skills, strengths, and interests. You may also have begun to consider how external factors might influence you if you were to assume a leadership or management role in social work.

For this Assignment, you assess your strengths and areas for growth in order to determine what aspects of leadership and management are a good “fit” with your personality, leadership style, and relevant skills. You also address how external factors might influence you as you serve in a leadership or management role.

Assignment (4–5 paragraphs): Complete the following:

• Assess your strengths and areas for growth with regard to both the leadership and management roles based on what you understand about these roles so far. Be sure to address whether your skills and interests align better with the leadership or management role.
• Identify at least one area of growth in either of these roles you would like to further develop, and explain why.
• Identify two significant external factors that might influence your work if you served in a leadership or management role in social work. Explain why these external factors are significant and how they might affect your work as a leader or manager.

By Day 7

Submit your Assignment.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
• Click the Week 2 Assignment link.
• Next, click Create Journal Entry.
• In the title box, enter the title of the Journal Entry. Please title it: WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.
• In the Entry Message box, type your Journal Entry or click Browse My Computer and select the document you saved as “WK2Assgn+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
• Click Post Entry.

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 2 Assignment Rubric

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

Submit your Week 2 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7

To submit your Assignment:

Week 2 Assignment

Week 2:External Factors and Leadership

Week in Review

This week you evaluated the challenges associated with a supervisory role and the personal strengths and interests relative to both leadership and management roles.

Next week you will examine leadership styles and organizational cultures. You will also examine social work administrators and their ability to influence the culture of a human services organization.

Week 2:External Factors and Leadership

Looking Ahead

Note to Students: Technology and Students With Disabilities

In Week 3 of this course, you create and upload a video that your Instructor and your colleagues view. Walden University’s goal is to make assignments and materials accessible to everyone, regardless of disability. If you are unable to create a video or access other students’ videos due to a disability, it is your responsibility to request appropriate accommodations from the Office of Disability Services at your University within the first week of the course start date.

To go to the next week:

Week 3