ThinkSmart is an organization that provides on-line learning modules to K-12 instructors. K-12 instructors visit the ThinkSmart website to learn about curriculum design and instruction so that they can receive continuing education units.

ThinkSmart currently has 25 employees who are a part of the curriculum design and instruction department. Three years ago the department only consisted of 15 employees. The department has grown over the past 3 years because of the need for new programming in curriculum design and instruction. New programming is needed because of the increase of K-12 instructors using the content for their continuing education units.

The management team of the 25 employees consists of the director of the curriculum design and instruction department and two floor managers. The rest of the employees consist of curriculum designers, instructional designers, and editors. All of the departmental decisions and approvals are made by the director of the department. The growth of the department has inundated the director with a significant amount of decisions and approvals that need to be made on behalf of the department. The significant increase of decisions and approvals have slowed down productivity because of how long it takes the director to get to the decision or the approval that has been submitted by the employees. The current approach of the department needs to be changed if the department wants to keep up with the growth of the organization.

The questions are as follows:

• Describe the current organizational approach of the curriculum design and instruction department of ThinkSmart.
• Identify other organizational communication theories that will support the organizational approach you have identified in the scenario. Be sure to include why these theories work but others will not.
• Provide a new organizational approach for the curriculum design and instruction department of ThinkSmart.
• Identify specific organizational communication theories to support the organizational approach you are proposing.
• Explain the appropriate skills needed for ThinkSmart employees to continue to work effectively in teams as the organization grows.