SPEA-V535 Managing and Leading in Public Affairs

Fall 2026 Semester

Tuesday and Thursday, 9:35 to 10:50am

Room PV A223

Instructor: Sean Nicholson-Crotty 

Office: SPEA 410G
Phone: (812) 855-0122 (office)

E-mail: seanicho@iu.edu

Office Hours: Office hours are by appointment virtually or in-person

 Course Overview

 Public management is, at its core, about effectively delivering public programs and services within the constraints imposed by the Constitution, statute, agency rules, and available resources. Doing so requires skills in understanding the political environment, designing organizational structures, motivating employees and keeping them committed to the organization, managing organizational change, and collaborating with other organizations. These are the topics we will cover in the class, drawing on work in organization theory and organizational behavior, leadership, and public and nonprofit management and using cases and simulations to reinforce the practical application of the insights from those literatures.

 Required Reading Materials

 Rainey, H. G., Fernandez, S., and Malatesta, D. (2021). Understanding and Managing Public Organizations. 6th Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Additional required reading material will be made available through Canvas.

For a full description of policies, course topics, and assignments see the "Course Description" document in Files and Module 1